The world’s appetite for energy is growing exponentially, with each year’s new electricity demands exceeding Japan’s entire annual electricity consumption. In the United States alone, electricity demand is projected to rise by as much as 50 percent by the year 2040 due to growth in manufacturing, data centers and mass electrification. Amidst this surge, the need for affordable, clean energy has never been more critical. 

Solar energy is playing a growing role in shaping conversations about the future of sustainable energy.

Why Solar is a Strategic Fit for Rayonier’s Land-Based Solutions Approach

With more than 2 million acres of sustainably managed U.S. forests and nearly 100 years of land stewardship, New England Forestry is uniquely positioned to strengthen the U.S. energy grid through strategic solar development.

Driven by our commitment to land-based solutions, we lease high-potential properties for solar energy development and storage.

Our expert team collaborates closely with solar developers to optimize these projects, delivering clean energy and strengthening surrounding communities through the creation of local jobs, increased tax revenue and significant economic investment.

“Renewable energy is a good fit for Rayonier,” says New England Forestry Vice President of Energy Resources Rob Fancher. “Our timberlands provide a lot of environmental benefits, and renewable energy does the same thing. They’re both very long-term, focused projects. They’re both quiet, good neighbors.”

Why Solar is Important to the Growing Demand for Renewable Energy

On a macro level, solar energy enhances both the United States’ energy independence and its pursuit of energy dominance. This reliable source of domestic power reduces the nation’s need to depend on volatile global energy markets, bolstering its strategic position and global influence.

Increasing U.S. energy independence also provides more price stability for both consumers and businesses. As companies strive to meet sustainability goals and reduce operating costs, locations with robust renewable energy resources are becoming increasingly desirable for new facilities.

This trend is particularly evident in the advanced technology industry, including AI. The manufacturing industry is also a key driver of this shift, drawn to renewable energy’s cost-effectiveness and lower emissions.

​​What Research Shows About the Role of Solar

Countless studies point to clean, renewable energy as the key to meeting energy demand and reducing the impact of CO₂ in the United States:

• “After decades of innovation and cost reductions, solar is rapidly maturing, and with continued research, development, and deployment, it could potentially serve 40% or more of U.S. electricity demand.”—U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Futures Study
• “A net-zero pathway hinges on renewables capacity tripling between now and the end of the decade.”—Bloomberg’s New Energy Outlook 2024
• “Renewable energy technologies like solar and wind are the key to reducing emissions in the electricity sector, which is today the single largest source of CO₂ emissions.”— International Energy Agency’s Net Zero by 2050 report

Rayonier’s First Solar Project

The first solar project on New England Forestry land became operational in 2023. Longroad Energy’s 150 megawatt Umbriel solar project in Polk County, Texas, delivers enough clean energy to power roughly 30,000 homes, avoiding an estimated 250,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions annually (the equivalent to taking 55,000 cars off the road). The project also is expected to generate about $13 million in tax revenue for the community.

Project Highlights:

• Clean energy output: Powers ~30,000 homes annually
• CO₂ reduction: Offsets ~250,000 metric tons of emissions each year (equal to removing 55,000 cars from the road)
• Community impact: Expected to generate ~$13 million in local tax revenue

“Solar is the fastest-growing source of energy in the U.S.,” says Longroad Energy Vice President of Origination & Development Adam Horwitz, who led the project for Longroad. “It’s an abundant source of energy…and it’s economical.”

Advancements Driving Solar Forward

Thanks to advances in technology in both building and generating solar power, the levelized cost of solar electricity dropped by more than 80 percent since 2008, according to this Berkeley Lab study and Lazard’s 2024 Levelized Cost of Energy study. Even without national and global emissions reductions targets and federal tax incentives, market forces alone are projected to propel solar and other clean energy technologies forward. Solar is also established more quickly compared to alternatives, such as gas-powered turbines, which have a 7-8 year waiting list.

How the Umbriel Project Came Together

Longroad purchased about 1,900 acres of land needed for the Polk County project and leased the remaining 583 acres from Rayonier. The energy developer developed the site, found a long-term energy buyer for the solar project, secured financing, oversaw construction and brought the project into operation.

Advantages of working with New England Forestry on a Solar Project

Working with New England Forestry offers advantages to solar developers, including:

• Our company’s long history as a landowner and careful stewardship of our properties.
• Strong relationships with local and state leaders as well as neighboring property owners.
• Extensive records on the land, including topography, soil types, wetland delineation, any presence of vulnerable plants and wildlife, and other data.
• A large landbase to work with in order to optimize the plan.

Our team of experts works with the solar developer to identify ideal locations that meet their needs, buildable land at scale with access to strong power markets and transmission. The team also supports the development process by assisting with site design, layout and identification of sensitive environmental areas.

Working with a single, large landowner streamlined the process for the developer, explains Longroad Landman Cody Walker:

“When you deal with multiple landowners in one area, you have different personalities, you have to manage different needs and different histories with properties to manage,” he says. “When it’s one landowner, one use, you can easily work together to make the project work for both parties.”

Taking neighbors’ concerns into account

Cody worked closely with neighbors to ensure their concerns and expectations were taken into account during the project, as well. Kim Mueck, whose family owns nearby property, says they were at first skeptical about the project.

Kim says she expected noise and traffic, but was pleased that wasn’t the case after the solar project was built.

“We got Cody’s number and, any time we needed anything, the weekends, the holidays, if there was a problem, they were there,” she says. “It turned out to be a great relationship. The road to get to our own property is way better. They did leave a tree buffer there between our property and the solar farm, so you don’t really see it.”

“Once the construction’s done and it’s here, it’s just here,” she says. “You don’t see a lot of people. It’s not noisy. There’s not a lot of traffic. Like I said, you pass through it to get to our property, but once you’re back there, you really don’t know it’s there.”

Optimizing Land for its Greatest Sustainable Purpose

The New England Forestry team is trained to look carefully at all of our properties, striving to find the best possible purpose for every acre. The majority of Rayonier’s land base is best suited for forestry activities, but our business development team is trained to recognize special sites and unique characteristics that are ideal for solar, wind and other critical land-based solutions.

Only Select Land is Right for Solar

“As we evaluate the properties that are best for solar, we find that to be a very small percentage of our portfolio overall,” explains New England Forestry Business Development Landman Jose Villarreal.

New England Forestry estimates that only a low, single-digit percentage of its forest land may ultimately become active solar projects.

Rayonier’s properties that are especially attractive to solar companies have proximity to a population in need of the energy and convenient access to power transmission infrastructure.

While the recent ramp up in solar projects across the nation may seem expansive, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Futures Study states that the most aggressive growth in solar energy development would use, at most, 10.3 million acres of land across the entire U.S. by 2050. That equates to less than 5 percent of land in all U.S. states (except for Rhode Island, which comes in at 6.5 percent).

Working with Sustainability-Centric Companies to Deliver Clean Energy

New England Forestry uses a careful vetting process in determining which companies to work with to deliver clean energy. We choose to work with companies that, like us, put sustainability first; go well beyond the minimum standards to protect the environment; and treat our neighbors and communities with respect.

Choosing the Right Partners for the Long Term

“We want to work with solar development companies that share in our core values and our long-term commitments to environmental stewardship,” says New England Forestry Energy Resources Manager Zan Frederick. He says his team was pleased with the steps Longroad Energy took to protect the environment around the project site.

Designing Solar Projects with a Commitment to Environmental Stewardship

While the project site encompassed about 2,500 acres, only 1,300 were developed for solar, allowing Longroad to work around sensitive features, such as streams and wetlands.

“The project from the very beginning was sited and designed to avoid and protect wetlands,” says Longroad Environmental Manager Lindsey Kester. “We had wetland ecologists survey the project area to identify those boundaries in coordination with the Army Corps of Engineers, and then our engineers sited and designed the project to avoid those boundaries. It’s a thoughtful process and it doesn’t just end with a plan. We have a whole team that ensures that that plan is in compliance through construction and operation through the life of the project.”

Construction of the solar project included the development of reservoirs, silt fences and other modalities to prevent impacts on wetlands and the surrounding area. The Longroad team also planted seed lots designed to ensure there will be vegetation such as flowering grasses on the ground year-round, stabilizing the soil.

“That vegetation includes native pollinator plant species that help enhance that environment and provide new habitat where wildlife can thrive,” Lindsey says.

You can learn more about Longroad’s approach to environmental stewardship by visiting their website here.

High Standards for the Life of the Project

Our solar leases typically span 30 years or more. When the projects come to a close, the developer will remove all materials, enabling us to resume use of the property for whatever its next highest and best use is, such as forestry.

By leasing land for solar projects on select sites, New England Forestry ensures the land will be held to the same standards we hold all of our properties to: sustainable land management that will benefit our communities and planet for many years to come.

The post Solar Powers a Sustainable Energy Future on New England Forestry Land appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Whether tracking tree growth, mapping, measuring topography or detecting streams, remote sensing has become an indispensable tool for foresters and researchers.

With so much tech involved, talking remote sensing can get technical fast, which can make it hard to understand.

This article explores the nuts and bolts of modern remote sensing in a layperson’s terms with Rayonier’s Research and Development remote sensing team: Remote Sensing Manager Trevor Host and Remote Sensing Forester Aaron Evans.

Here, you’ll learn:

• What is Remote Sensing?
• How Remote Sensing Works in Forestry
• Benefits of Remote Sensing for Forest Management
• Challenges of Remote Sensing in Forestry
• A Typical Day As a New England Forestry Remote Sensing Forestry Researcher
• The Future of Remote Sensing in Forestry

What Is Remote Sensing? A Brief History & Explanation

Remote sensing uses technology such as cameras, lasers, satellites and various aircraft to collect data about a particular area or landscape.

“Remote sensing has been around since we’ve been able to put cameras in something that could go up,” Trevor says. “For instance, hot air balloons used to be used for remote sensing.

“With satellites, a lot has been driven by military operations. One of the primary uses of the first satellites was to get a remote view and create maps of countries that were at war. The cold war led to a lot of development of remote sensing.”

There are two types of remote sensing: Active vs. Passive

The difference between active and passive remote sensing comes down to the energy source used to gather data.

1. Active: This is performed using artificial energy sources like light bulbs or the flash of a camera.
2. Passive: This is performed using natural reflective light, like energy from the sun.

Remote sensing technologies use one of these two methods to gather information depending on the environment and the type of data needed.

Some examples of remote sensing technologies include:

• LiDAR: Uses light or lasers to measure distance
• Radar: Uses radio signals to collect data
• Sonar: Uses sound to create images of the ocean floor
• Specialized cameras: These take photographs or video to capture data from drones, aircraft, or satellites

Choosing the Right Remote Sensing Tool for the Job

Trevor explains that each remote sensing technology and application has benefits and drawbacks.
Each of these technologies gathers data differently, and the best one to use depends on the goal, environment and level of detail needed.

“We use drones, aircraft or satellites depending on what we want to look at. Drones fly much lower and are more detailed, but you can only cover a small area. Satellites cover full counties on a regular basis, and it’s repeated, but the images have coarser resolutions and cloud cover, so you can’t always tell the details as well.”

Regardless, they all play an important role in tracking the health, viability and growth of forests.

Different Types of Remote Sensing Used in Forestry

Forestry researchers use various remote sensing devices and technology to gather data.

Trevor says New England Forestry obtains most of its remote sensing data from federal programs and some from in-house operations, including LiDAR.

Why LiDAR Technology Has Become Important for Forestry Remote Sensing

Trevor is spearheading a new LiDAR data project in which laser scanners mounted on aircraft collect 3D imagery, providing highly detailed terrain maps for New England Forestry forest managers and researchers.

LiDAR, an acronym for light detection and ranging, was born from radar (radio detection and ranging) and is the most commonly used active airborne sensor.

While radar uses radio waves to measure things, Lidar uses pulses of light—or lasers—which measure the elevation of things, such as the ground and trees, in three-dimensional space.

The capabilities of LiDAR technology make it possible for remote sensing scientists to:

• Map ground elevation using light angle, altitude, and tilt
• Measure forest structure in 3D, including tree height, spacing, and density
• See through forest canopies to gather data about the forest floor
• Identify natural features such as water flow patterns, stream beds, and terrain variation

How does LiDAR work?

In a nutshell, the lasers emit a pulse of light that travels to the ground or trees below, which then reflects information back to the LiDAR sensor, including the time it takes for the light to travel from the ground or object back to the LiDAR system.

From there, the LiDAR system uses the speed of light to calculate the distance between the top of the measured object, such as a tree, and the plane.

Here’s a simplified breakdown of how it works:

• A laser pulse is emitted toward the ground or object
• The pulse reflects off the surface and returns to the sensor
• The system measures the time it took for the light to return
• Using that time and the speed of light, it calculates distance
• Additional data like light angle, altitude and tilt are used to determine ground elevation

The Value of LiDAR for Forest Management

LiDAR is invaluable in forestry for providing 3D imagery of forest structures, topography, streams, ground elevation and more.

Plus, LiDAR sensors filter through the forest canopy, from the top of the trees to the ground below.

Think of it like light streaming through the trees, which gives a detailed and holistic view of the forest structure, not just the treetops.

This gives researchers and foresters much more information than aerial or satellite images.

“LiDAR is used to create a 3-D map,” explains Trevor, “so you’ll get the returns of the position with that laser pulse bounced off the ground, and that can tell you something about the 3D elevation of the ground with precise detail to the point when you can see gaps between houses and trees, where water flows, and where streams are, which are all important for us. It’s also useful for mapping tree heights.

“It allows us to cover the entire footprint of our landbase, whereas most of our other measurements are specific to forest stands. It also tells us the value of maintaining the forest.”

LiDAR can gather valuable information about tree density, height, shape and even the forest floor, which has been game-changing for forest research and management.

Benefits of Remote Sensing for Forest Management

The benefits of remote sensing for forest management and research fall into two categories, Trevor says:

“First, you save time planning out timber sales. We have to map out where the boundary of a timber sale will be. Those depend on how close you are to the stream channel, and remote sensing technology, such as LiDAR, helps us determine that accurately.

“Second, remote sensing provides the measurements used in things like assessing tree height growth. This helps us see if the stand is on track with what we expect for that age of a stand and how variable the heights are within the stand.”

And trees aren’t the only plant life captured, Aaron adds: “These technologies will give you helpful information on vegetation growth as well.”

Foresters also can gain important insight into water features that are important to understand at all stages in the forest lifecycle.

“It’s great for stream mapping and delineations,” Aaron says. “We can identify more waterways, spot distinctive water features, and have an insight of the stand before getting there.”

The Biggest Challenges of Remote Sensing in Forestry

Remote sensing is all about collecting data that must be reviewed and sorted by the research team.

“It definitely generates a lot of data,” Trevor says, “so data management, quality of imagery and interpretation takes up a lot of our time. We have a whole research team, but Aaron and I pretty much review all the data.”

Both researchers also mentioned general challenges with limitations in technology.

“We try to make imagery available on phones, but if you don’t have a network connection out in the woods, there are challenges there,” says Trevor.

A Typical Day As a New England Forestry Remote Sensing Forestry Researcher

The researchers said there isn’t one typical kind of day in their line of work. Their responsibilities vary depending on project needs, but often include:

• Collecting field measurements using mobile technology
• Developing and testing new remote sensing tools
• Training foresters on how to use new technology
• Collaborating across teams to solve specific forest management challenges
• Conducting research and development reviews
• Leading workshops and sharing insights with peers and partners

“We spend some days in the field doing measurements from our phones and some days back at the office,” Aaron says. “It just depends on the questions being asked and what’s needed.”

“A big part of what we do, since this is newer technology, is developing the tools, then trying to train foresters on how to use them,” Trevor says.

“Everyone’s coming from different backgrounds. So, a big part of it is just meeting everyone where they are and working with them to identify one thing that can help them make the job easier.”

Trevor and Aaron say the response from foresters of all tenures to the new technologies has been overwhelmingly positive.

“The folks who have been doing this work in the field for years are so excited about it,” Trevor says. “It is exciting for them to pull it up on an app and see, ‘Hey, this is exactly what my field knowledge confirms.’ I think a lot of people who have been doing this for a long time love it and take to it really quickly.”

Trevor emphasized he and Aaron also spend a lot of time providing training and workshops, doing research and development reviews, and sharing information on various topics with the New England Forestry team as well as organizations and educational institutions outside Rayonier.

What’s Up and Coming in the World of Remote Sensing in Forestry?

Both Trevor and Aaron are excited about the expansion of AI in streamlining remote sensing data mining and management.

“Remote sensing data is pretty well-suited for AI,” Trevor says, “because if you think about satellite imagery, the data it collects is very standardized and that lends itself well to AI capability.

“If you can have an AI algorithm just look through thousands of images and kick out the cloudy ones, that can save a lot of time and take clear images stacked together. It can get you 75% of the way there, and that is a significant time-saver.”

Aaron would also like to see remote sensing technology improve for tree measurement:

“If you have an iPhone Pro, it has a LiDAR sensor, but it only goes about 15 feet. You can scan your room with a small LiDAR sensor and it will provide measurements. I’d like to see it work for larger trees.”

Aaron added he could see LiDAR playing a greater role in habitat management and biodiversity in the future.

Trevor expects LiDAR usage to expand in the same way foresters’ drone usage has in the field.

“I’d say drones have become a regular tool in the back of the forester’s pickup truck. When you think back to 10 years ago, that wasn’t the case. You don’t need anything fancy. It’s just a way to get a view in the sky.”

New England Forestry is Proud to Help Advance Research and Development Through Remote Sensing in Forestry

For over 75 years, New England Forestry has invested in its in-house Forest Research Center, one of only two industry-led research teams in the country.

Here, our scientists use modern research and technologies, like remote sensing, to gain a better understanding of what’s needed to support thriving pine trees, clean watersheds and diverse plant and animal species on active forestlands.

Learn more about how we’re making a difference to forestry science and the planet in:

• New England Forestry Scientists Bring Deep Knowledge to Forest Management
• What Are Land-Based Solutions?
• What Does A Forest Biometrician Do?

Interested in a Career in Remote Sensing?

Remote sensing researchers like Trevor and Aaron are shaping the future of forestry with innovative technologies that help protect and manage our forests more effectively.

If you’re passionate about the environment and excited by the idea of using cutting-edge tools to better understand the world around us, a career in remote sensing might be the perfect fit.

Learn more about careers like these at ForestryCareers.com and explore how to get started by visiting the Remote Sensing Researcher Profile.

The post How Modern Remote Sensing Is Transforming The Future of Forestry appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Public affairs plays a vital role in ensuring that companies like New England Forestry can sustainably manage land while navigating public policy, community relationships and industry dynamics.

Shawn DeRome has a natural knack for building and maintaining relationships. Without realizing it, her cumulative experience and years of networking opened the doors to the dream job she currently holds at Rayonier.

She began her forestry career as a procurement forester at a sawmill, purchasing timber for the mill. Now, she advocates on Rayonier’s behalf as the Eastern Director of Public Affairs, covering four states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

“I got into forestry because I love nature and spending time outside,” she says. “I also enjoy the networking and building of relationships aspect of it. My job is so diverse. It includes industry work, non-industry work, and interacting with our communities. It’s so different from any other job in the industry. But it all comes back to forestry, and that’s my passion.”

In this career spotlight, we’ll explore how Shawn found her path, what her role involves, and how public affairs connects communities, policy and sustainable forest management.

• How Shawn Got Her Start in Forestry
• How Shawn’s Career in Forestry Evolved at Rayonier
• What Does a New England Forestry Director of Public Affairs Do?
• How Public Affairs Supports Rayonier’s Timber and Non-Timber Operations
• Why Advocating for Sustainable Forestry Matters

How Shawn Got Her Start in Forestry

Like many forestry professionals, Shawn didn’t set out knowing exactly where her career would lead—but her education helped point the way. Her journey into forestry began in college, where a love for the outdoors sparked an unexpected career path.

Discovering Forestry Through Education

While studying for her undergrad at the University of Georgia, Shawn discovered her interest in forestry. She excelled in many of her classes, including a Freshwater Invertebrate Zoology course in which her professor observed her passion for the outdoors.

“For class, we would stomp around in the creek, collecting tiny freshwater invertebrates for observation. I could always remember the scientific names and random facts about the invertebrates. My professor took notice and encouraged me to apply to Warnell, the forestry school at the University of Georgia.

“The Natural Resources, Recreation and Tourism program was a great fit and I was able to tailor it as a forestry-focused education.”

Connecting with the Forestry Industry Through Hands-On Experience

During her education and various internships, Shawn discovered her interest and passion for what she describes as the “bridge between society and working forests.” As a student, she served as a student ambassador, helping with events and volunteering with organizations such as the Georgia Forestry Association. 

She even worked at the school’s Deer Research Facilities, where she often led tours to educate the public about deer habitat and population management.

“As an undergrad, I was given many opportunities to network. The experience I received throughout my time at Warnell continued to build my interest in the rich history of forestry in the Southeast, natural resource management, and how people interact with their land and communities.”

Why Graduate School Was the Next Step

Shawn’s original plan was to graduate and get a job. However, a professor and mentor encouraged her to pursue a master’s degree from the Harley Langdale Jr. Center for Forest Business at the University of Georgia.

“Pursuing my master’s degree provided me with further industrial forestry networking opportunities combined with a solid financial foundation,” Shawn says. “I came out of that program having networked for a solid four years. I enjoyed it, but didn’t realize how much it would come full circle later.”

How Shawn’s Career in Forestry Evolved at Rayonier

Right out of school, Shawn began working in procurement forestry, buying trees for a sawmill, working with loggers, and looking at special projects for the company. After about two years, she applied for a timber marketing forester position with Rayonier. But the company saw her potential for a different role.

Gaining Industry Insight as a Business Development Analyst

“When I interviewed, New England Forestry saw that I was well-suited for a business development analyst position,” recalls Shawn. “In that role, I was the person digging into market intelligence research for the company, looking at everything from hyperlocal timber markets to global economics. I analyzed how it all fit together and was responsible for understanding the ins and outs of housing and lumber prices, foreign markets, what timber prices we were getting in each of our regions, and how we strategize with this data moving forward. That position built a deep understanding of the industry and continues to help me in my current role.”

Preparing for a Leadership Role in Public Affairs

While working as a business development analyst, Shawn still engaged with trade associations and with the forestry school at the University of Georgia. She began serving on the school’s Young Alumni Committee and is currently the Chair. She has continued to build industry relationships, growing her interest in the connection between policy and forestry.

How Mentorship Shaped Shawn’s Career

“After a few years, the gentleman who had held the position of Director of Public Affairs, Dan Roach, was retiring. I spent a lot of time with him before he officially retired, which has proven to be essential for this role. He had been with the company for 44 years and knew the history and people like the back of his hand. I definitely couldn’t do this job as well without him.

“I had expressed my interest and applied for the role. When I got the job, I was overjoyed. It was confirmation that everything I had done—my networking, my passion for the industry, all of my experience—all of it was coming together.”

What Does a New England Forestry Director of Public Affairs Do?

The Director of Public Affairs at New England Forestry works across departments to support forestry operations, community outreach and public policy engagement.

The Director of Public Affairs’ primary responsibilities include:

• Works with our teams to identify areas or projects in need of additional support and develops strategies.
• Concentrates on current and emerging public policy and community issues that impact the company’s diverse interests.
• Builds bridges and fosters understanding among various (and at times competing) stakeholders such as industry associations, legislators and community leaders.

How Relationships and Strategy Shape the Role

“I like to say my job encompasses strategy and problem-solving,” Shawn explains. “Building genuine relationships at both the local and state levels is a big part of what I do. My job is to help maintain a healthy business climate so that New England Forestry can do what New England Forestry does best: stewardship and sustainable land management.”

What a Typical Day Looks Like in Public Affairs

When asked what a typical day is like, Shawn chuckles and says, “It’s the coolest job there is because I get to work with everybody in the company, and everybody externally. No day is typical or the same. One day, I might meet with an environmental group concerned about water quality. The next, I’m talking with landowners about palmetto berry theft. The next, I could be speaking to legislators about rare plants or wildlife that we help protect.”

How Public Affairs Supports Rayonier’s Timber and Non-Timber Operations

At Rayonier, we operate within two categories of business: timber and non-timber activities. As the Eastern Director of Public Affairs, Shawn must divide her attention among the two.

The Timber Side of Rayonier

Education and advocacy make up a large portion of Shawn’s timber-related job activities. This includes working with external stakeholders to help them understand the benefits of forestry and the challenges that it faces.

In her public affairs role, Shawn works to raise awareness of:

• The environmental value of sustainable forestry — including clean air, clean water, and habitat for wildlife.
• How forestry works — including the 25-year forest lifecycle of growing and harvesting trees in the Southeast.
• The economic importance of forestry — from supporting rural communities to the essential role of loggers and truck drivers.
• Why education matters — helping community members, legislators, and other stakeholders better understand forestry’s impact.

“We focus on how forestry provides clean air, clean water and habitat for wildlife. For about 25 years per-rotation, our forests grow, we manage them accordingly, harvest the timber and then the process starts over again. The forestry industry also provides hundreds of thousands of rural jobs. Without loggers and truck drivers, none of this would be possible. They really do the hard work. Much of this, I believe, gets lost in translation and people just need the education and tools to better understand what all goes into sustainable forestry, why it’s important to society, and where New England Forestry fits in.”

Shawn is involved in about 30 different local and state groups, providing her with opportunities to discuss forestry and land management. She serves on boards, committees, task groups, and more. Consistent communication and collaboration with stakeholder groups allows Shawn the opportunity to share and better understand outside perceptions.

In addition to collaboration, Shawn is also involved in forestry advocacy related to fair policies.

“Legislators need to know and understand how forestry fits into the picture. They may not fully understand why we need to focus on issues such as landowner rights or trespassing laws. But it matters because it all comes back to our business model. We need policies that allow us to manage our land sustainably.”

The Non-Timber Side of Rayonier

In addition to timber, New England Forestry manages a variety of non-timber businesses across its land base. Shawn works closely with these business partners to ensure that non-timber operations align with Rayonier’s standards for responsible land use.

Her work includes:

• Supporting sustainable land-based businesses – including hunting and recreation, pine straw and fill dirt, just to name a few.
• Evaluating emerging opportunities – like the increasing demand for renewable energy.
• Ensuring responsible land stewardship – by maintaining high standards across all activities.

Solar projects, for example, are one of those emerging opportunities and have increased in popularity in the forestry industry. Although New England Forestry has established solar operations, the increased interest is new for our company.

“Solar is an important and valuable source of renewable energy, but it’s a different conversation than growing trees. Understanding the balance is important.”

“It all ties together, coming back to the big picture of sustainability. It’s our land and we want it to remain healthy and all activities to be conducted responsibly. We have high standards. Every aspect of our business has the same theme—there are just different ways of getting there.”

Why Advocating for Sustainable Forestry Matters

For Shawn, forestry provides solutions for many of the issues our world faces.

“Everything is centered around forestry. The products we use every day, the air we breathe, and the water we drink. Without sustainable, well-managed forests—not just trees growing, but managed timber—we would have none of these things.”

The bridge between forest management and society is an important piece of Shawn’s role at Rayonier. Maintaining a balance between stewardship and sustainability while ensuring society and policymakers are aware and well-educated is critical to her role as Eastern Director of Public Affairs.

“Within Rayonier, sustainable and responsible stewardship of the land is what grounds it all. Strong markets for our timber and fair policies provide us, and the industry as a whole, with a positive and healthy business climate. Without all of these things, our industry could not function. Advocating and minimizing the risk to our business is an important aspect of my job.

“What it all boils down to is ensuring society is aware of responsible land management, and that it’s important and beneficial to our everyday lives.”

Interested in Becoming a Forestry Professional?

Shawn’s role at New England Forestry is a testament to how diverse forestry careers can be. Her work reinforces a simple but powerful truth: sustainable forestry isn’t just a practice—it’s a pathway to ensuring forests remain healthy and valued for generations to come.

If you love the outdoors and are passionate about the environment, visit ForestryCareers.com to explore the many careers in forestry and learn how to get started on this exciting career path by visiting the Public Affairs Director Profile.

The post What Does a Director of Public Affairs Do in Forestry? appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

When it comes to forestry and forest management, we often think about the professionals in the woods. But what you may not realize is there is a whole background team that supports “traditional foresters” in the woods. One of the most crucial pieces of forestry support is GIS. 

Although in seemingly different parts of the “world” when it comes to technical expertise, field foresters and GIS professionals go together like peanut butter and jelly, like salt and pepper, or even like chicken and waffles (don’t knock it until you try it!).

Each role is crucial in its own regard. Let’s dive into what GIS really is and get an inside point of view from Rayonier’s GIS Analyst Emily Ramirez, based in our corporate headquarters in Wildlight, Florida.  

• What is GIS and why is it important in forestry?
• What does GIS stand for?
• What is the difference between Everyday Mapping and GIS Mapping?
• What is the role of a GIS analyst in the forestry industry?
• Why don’t foresters create their own maps?
• Where do GIS analysts get the information they need?
• Meet a GIS Analyst: Emily Ramirez

What is GIS and why is it important in forestry?

GIS is a powerful tool that allows forestry professionals to analyze and manage geographically referenced data. While field foresters navigate the landscape, GIS analysts process and interpret spatial data to guide decision-making.

This collaboration is vital when you think about the complexities of managing hundreds of thousands of acres—millions even, when you look at the entire footprint New England Forestry holds in forestland investments!

What does GIS stand for?

If you look up the technical definition of GIS, you’ll read that it stands for “geographical information systems” and is defined as “a computer system that analyzes and displays geographically referenced information.”

But when asked to define what GIS is, Emily says, “GIS is spatial analysis. A coworker once mentioned to me that it is ‘putting data in its place’ and that really sums it up for me: we are creating, managing and editing data associated with spatial places.”

What is the difference between Everyday Mapping and GIS Mapping?

In modern times, we’re all familiar with satellite imagery and “spatial” systems, as they’re the norms for every iPhone, mapping GPS system and even in everyday use through Google Earth and Google maps.

Most professional foresters and natural resource professionals are proficient at deciphering satellite and aerial imagery to be able to navigate their forested landscape.

So what truly makes GIS work differently from anyone simply looking at Google Earth imagery?

GIS analysts take this technology further, combining multiple types of data to create comprehensive maps that provide deeper insights than imagery alone.

Emily shares, “While looking at satellite imagery is very important, looking at imagery does not tell you the entire story. With GIS, you can combine many types of data—including imagery—to be able to build and analyze so many different types of spatial data way beyond just imagery.”

What is the role of a GIS analyst in the forestry industry?

Incorporating all those layers of data into a map system, GIS analysts like Emily can really make a difference in forestry!

By compiling the information foresters gather in the woods, GIS analysts can create a complete, map-based dataset that truly tells a story and helps foresters anticipate and make the best management decisions.

Key Contributions of GIS Analysts:

• Field Mapping: Foresters use GIS-based maps to plan logging operations or silvicultural practices, such as planting and thinning.
• Data Integration: GIS analysts compile data gathered by foresters in the field, creating comprehensive datasets.
• Efficiency: High-quality maps produced by GIS analysts save foresters time, allowing them to focus on fieldwork.

Why Don’t Foresters Create Their Own Maps?

There are times foresters print their own maps out before they hit their logging sites or start their silvicultural management practices.

If foresters print out their own maps, why wouldn’t they just make their own maps and do their own data entry after they gather it from the fields? I mean, they’re the ones IN the woods and would know the layout of the ground better than anyone else in an office setting, right?

Emily helps provide clarification with that too:

“Some foresters do make their own maps, and they’re excellent,” Emily says. “But just as they are experts in the woods, we are experts in mapping. There is a whole art and science behind cartography, and we take pride in producing quality maps. Also, it is about efficiency. I make maps all the time, and I can make a good map quickly. A map made by our department allows the field to spend more time, well, in the field!”

Where do GIS analysts get the information they need?

But you’re probably wondering: how do GIS analysts make determinations on their maps without ever setting foot in the woods?

If all of their work is computer-based, created in an office, and their job is to help the field team spend more efficient time in the woods, how are they making accurate determinations? As we’ll see from Emily, it’s a team effort.

Tools and Technology in GIS

Creating accurate maps requires advanced tools and data sources. Emily highlights some of the key technologies used to gather information for GIS analysts:

• Drone Imagery: Foresters capture high-resolution images of the landscape.
• LiDAR: This technology reveals hidden features under the canopy, such as streams and roads.
• Digitized Field Maps: Foresters communicate directly with GIS systems from the field, capturing real-time data using a tablet.

“We rely on a variety of sources,” she explains. “Imagery is hugely important. We have drone imagery that our own foresters fly, as well as satellite and digital imagery. Also, we have really come to embrace LiDAR. This allows us to see streams, roads and other natural features that we could not see from imagery alone. It really lets us see what’s underneath the canopy!”

And the database GIS analysts like Emily use is constantly being updated by employees who are in the woods.

“Our field foresters utilize GIS technology in the field, particularly Field Maps,” Emily says. “This allows them to communicate with the GIS systems directly from the field, capturing points, lines and polygons for all sorts of events we could not see from imagery.”

So now that we have the basic understanding of GIS and the relationship between field foresters and GIS, let’s really get to know Emily.

Meet a GIS Analyst: Emily Ramirez

To better understand the role of a GIS analyst, we spoke with Emily Ramirez, who has been with New England Forestry for over 10 years.

Emily holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography with a GIS emphasis from the University of Northern Colorado. She has extensive experience in spatial analysis, cartography, and data integration.

At Rayonier, Emily has played a pivotal role in advancing GIS applications to support forestry operations and decision-making.

Here, she shares more about her career and experiences in GIS.

Q: What does a typical day look like for a GIS analyst?

A: This is what makes my career so exciting. It really is never the same on a given day. We support the entire company, so one day we may be working with an accounting request, or a solar request, or determining if an acquisition is a good fit for our portfolio. We make maps, answer questions, assist our field users with GIS applications and software, and constantly look at growing our skills to make sure we are on top of the ever changing GIS landscape!

Q: What is the craziest story or memory you have working in GIS?

A: I started my GIS career as an intern at Miami Dade County and they were really focused on bringing 3D and Digital Elevation Models (DEM) data into their systems. I was tasked with creating DEM of the city. I spent almost two days trying to figure out why my DEM was failing and just giving me a flat area. I zoomed into a small area and saw a divot in the landscape. Turns out, it wasn’t failing. Miami is really just that flat!

Q: What’s a real challenge for you in GIS?

A: Having people understand what we do. It is so much more than looking at satellite imagery or Google Earth. We also need to speak up more and show that GIS is integrated in almost everyone’s lives at some point or another.

Q: What’s one thing you wish people knew about GIS work?

A: How diverse the job is. We really do it all, from analysis to cartography. I get to use programming languages, create web and phone applications for our field to use, and use my geospatial analytical skills to answer any question. GIS is a set of skills that can be used in any field, not just forestry. It’s incredibly powerful not only for analysis but for telling a story. A good map is priceless. If you want to relay a message to an audience or just have it as a locating tool, a good map is crucial. The work that goes behind a good map takes a lot of effort!

Q: What’s your biggest pet peeve when it comes to maps and GIS?

A: When the map is cluttered or unbalanced! I understand people want to see a lot of items on a map, but there’s just no way you’re going to be able to tell what you’re looking at if the map has so many layers. Simple is sometimes the best!

Q: Technology is always changing. What has been the best blessing in GIS advancement that makes your job so much more efficient, and what do you think GIS will look like in the future?

A: Using programming languages to automate a lot of repeatable tasks is fantastic. For the future, I think it would be fun to go into more Virtual Reality areas. How neat would it be to be dropped into the forest and create layers based on where you see the streams, plantings, etc.?

Q: What would you advise to someone who is just learning about GIS and looking to get into forestry?

A: Don’t be intimidated by the screen. GIS is using technology to help make foresters more proficient, safer and able to collect valuable data as easily as possible! We rely so much on foresters’ input. We can’t see what is going on in the woods from behind a computer. That’s why we’ve empowered our foresters to implement easy-to-use GIS technology to help create a quality and comprehensive GIS database.

Q: What would you advise someone who is considering a career within GIS?

A: Take a course, a class or even watch some Youtube videos on programming languages! I heard so many times throughout my college career that I would need it, but I didn’t think it was true. Now, 10 years into my career, I love learning and using programming languages! I use SQL probably on a daily basis. It is incredibly helpful.

Interested in becoming a GIS Professional?

If Emily’s story has inspired you to explore a career in GIS, you can learn more about what it takes to become a GIS analyst. Visit the Explore Green Jobs: GIS Analyst page on our website, ForestryCareers.com, to find out the educational requirements, skills and other guidance to get started on this exciting career path.

Article written by Danielle Atkins of Land & Ladies.

The post What does a GIS Analyst do in Forestry? appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

WASHINGTON STATE – While New England Forestry is known for sustainable forestry, our forests also provide valuable non-timber resources. Deep in Rayonier’s Washington forests, under the shade of the trees, a thick evergreen shrub called salal grows.

Floral companies all over the world seek out this bushy filler plant, as it provides volume and a beautiful greenery backdrop for floral arrangements and bouquets.

Also known as lemon leaf, salal is unique to the Pacific Northwest, thriving in the cool, damp conditions the region is famous for. It does especially well in coniferous forests, which provide the shade salal grows best in. Well-drained, acidic soils are best for this beautiful shrub.

Each year, nearly 3 million bunches of salal are harvested from New England Forestry land. By allowing responsible harvesting on our land, we help support the floral industry while ensuring the long-term health of our forests.

This article explores how salal is grown, harvested, and delivered to florists, all while maintaining responsible forest management practices.

• What is salal?
• Where is salal grown?
• How is salal harvested from New England Forestry forests?
• When can you harvest salal?
• How to pick salal without damaging the plant
• How the best salal leaves are selected for floral arrangements
• The demand for salal and industry challenges
• The role of wild-harvested plants in the floral industry
  

What is Salal? Exploring This Evergreen Shrub Used in Floral Arrangements

With the scientific name Gaulthoria shallon, salal is a dense evergreen shrub that grows native to the Pacific Northwest. Well-established in New England Forestry forests, the brush spreads across the forest floor and can grow up to 5 feet tall.

Known for its deep green, waxy, oblong leaves, salal is a highly sought after plant in the floral industry. Used most commonly as a filler plant, it’s a popular choice for florists, designers, and event planners who use it to add volume and texture to:

• Bouquets – Provides a natural greenery backdrop.
• Wreaths & holiday décor – Holds up well in arrangements.
• Centerpieces & floral displays – Adds fullness and contrast to flowers.

Where is Salal Grown? Why Rayonier’s Forests Provide the Ideal Conditions

Each year, millions of bunches of salal are harvested from New England Forestry forests to supply the global floral industry. But what makes these forests such a prime location for salal growth?

Salal is native to the Pacific Northwest, thriving in Washington State’s cool, damp forests. It grows especially well under the shade of towering conifers, making Rayonier’s forests a prime environment for sustainable salal harvesting.

“New England Forestry forests provide salal with favorable growing conditions,” says George Brulotte, Senior Development Manager at Rayonier. “It thrives in the shade when a stand of trees is about 12 to 14 years of age and is starting to close in.”

Salal grows best in:

• Dense coniferous forests – The shade helps regulate moisture and temperature.
• Cool, damp environments – The mild, wet climate supports year-round growth.
• Well-drained, acidic soils – Essential for root development and plant health.

Because salal naturally regenerates, responsible harvesting ensures a continuous supply while maintaining the health of the forest ecosystem. New England Forestry works closely with its clients who harvest to ensure that salal collection is done sustainably, preserving both the plant and its habitat for future growth.

How is Salal Harvested From New England Forestry Forests?

Salal harvesting on New England Forestry land is a carefully managed process. It starts with companies like Continental Floral Greens, which contracts with New England Forestry in order to be able to harvest salal from specific New England Forestry forests.

Continental Floral Greens then sells permits to contractors, who go to Rayonier’s land to pick the salal. Pickers use the company’s mapping system to navigate the forest and find the shrubs. Many of the pickers have been working with the company for generations.

At the end of the day, the contractors bring bunches of salal back to Continental’s company warehouse, where it is stored before it is shipped out.

“We’ve had a great working relationship with New England Forestry since 1994,” says Joshua Eveland, Land Manager at Continental Floral Greens. “We manage the harvesting of salal and other various forest products.”

On New England Forestry land specifically, Continental Floral Greens also harvests rush, bear grass and huck.

When Can You Harvest Salal From the Forest?

Salal is a seasonal forest product. Harvesting typically takes place over a 10-month period beginning in mid-July and ending in April or mid-May. From May to July, harvesting ends to allow the salal time to grow, develop, and harden. Then, the process repeats.

“Depending upon the weather, picking season may vary,” explains Gus Gerrits, Business Development Manager at Rayonier. “Some years we’ve had cool spring seasons, slowing the plant’s growth. In that case, companies will extend their picking season.”

How to Pick Salal Without Damaging the Plant

During picking season, best management practices are strictly enforced to ensure salal is harvested responsibly. Mechanical tools and knives are prohibited because the salal fibers are somewhat sensitive and require careful handling.

To protect the plant fibers, salal stems are broken off by hand.

Why Hand-Picking Salal is Essential

When cut with a knife, or other mechanical tool, the salal doesn’t grow back as efficiently as it should. The action of cutting ends up killing about three to six inches of the stem. It will grow back, but it can stunt the next year’s growth.

The proper harvesting method involves:

• Breaking off 12 to 18-inch salal stems by hand.
• The picker grips the stem between their thumb and forefinger.
• With enough pressure, the salad naturally separates.

According to Joshua, a single picker can cover about an acre of land per-day (an acre is about the size of a football field).

“That’s harvesting sparingly,” he says. “We don’t want to overharvest the plant. We’re looking to get the new growth, stripping away any old leaves, and making sure the shrub will grow back the following year.”

Ensuring Sustainable Harvesting of Salal

To avoid improper cutting and overharvesting, New England Forestry offers multi-year contracts to companies that practice sustainable harvesting, like Continental Floral Greens. These contracts provide assurance that the salal will grow back each year.

“Multi-year contracts are positive for everyone involved,” says George. “The companies maintain the understory, enforce protocols for accurate and sustainable picking, and in return, the salal grows back each year. It’s a win-win for both our customers and Rayonier.”

What Happens After Harvesting Salal?

After a day of picking, the salal is bundled up and carried out of the forest. It’s taken to the company’s warehouse, where it is stored and preserved in large commercial coolers.

“In a cooler, salal can stay fresh for about 2 to 3 months,” says Gus. “It’s a very hardy plant. It has to be, because some of it is later packaged in a container and shipped by boat to Europe and other countries.”

According to Continental Floral Greens, salal “has the longest vase life of any floral product” and can actually last an entire year in a cooler.

How the Best Salal Leaves are Selected for Floral Arrangements

After picking is complete, Continental Floral Greens’ employees sort and inspect the salal leaves against their premium standards.

What Makes the Perfect Salal Leaf?

• Deep green color – No yellowing or discoloration.
• Unblemished surface – Leaves must be free of bug chew, tree sap, or deformities.
• Strong, healthy stems – Ensures longevity in floral arrangements.

“In order for it to pass the test, the salal must have dark green, unblemished leaves,” Joshua explains. “Any blemished leaves, leaves with any kind of deformity, damage from tree sap or bug chew on them are physically removed by hand.”

Salal stems that pass the criteria are packaged and sold to wholesalers throughout the United States, Japan, the European Union, South America, and Australia.

The Demand for Salal: Industry Challenges & Market Trends

By far, the company’s largest customer base is the United States. But its customers are all around the world too.

“Europe is more traditional in that flowers are a large part of their culture,” says George. “In Europe, it’s common to see fresh bouquets displayed around hotels and on every table in restaurants.”

Salal also appears in bouquets in the U.S. during holidays and other special occasions, like weddings.

The Role of Wild-Harvested Plants in the Floral Industry

While many products used in floral arrangements are carefully grown specifically for that purpose, wild products like salal and evergreen boughs also play a very important role in the floral industry.

New England Forestry is proud to play a role in supporting sustainable, responsible land management that supports the floral industry as well as the forestry industry. By allowing sustainable salal harvesting, we help maintain the long-term health of our forests while supplying florists worldwide with high-quality greenery.

To learn more about how New England Forestry uses land resources like salal, visit our Land Resources page.

The post How Salal is Responsibly Harvested from New England Forestry Forests to Florists appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

For decades, most city skylines have been composed of skyscrapers and tall buildings made of concrete, steel and glass.

But what if there were a building material that was strong enough to construct an 18-story building, came from entirely renewable resources, didn’t make cities hotter and helped sequester carbon and other pollutants?

Meet mass timber, the durable, beautiful, fire-resistant and environmentally-friendly building material that is changing the face of skylines. This wood-based building material has a considerably lower carbon footprint, generating fewer carbon emissions during and after construction.

In fact, one study found a 19 percent reduction in emissions when comparing a mass timber structure with an equally sized steel structure.¹ Mass timber also comes from a renewable, naturally-growing resource: trees.

In this guide, we’re looking at the benefits of mass timber and how it is reshaping the commercial building industry. We’re also taking a close look at the story of 619 Ponce, an entirely locally-sourced mass timber structure championed in part by the Georgia Forestry Foundation in the heart of Atlanta.

• What is Mass Timber (and why is it important)?
• Types of Mass Timber Products
• Why are Mass Timber Buildings Gaining Popularity?
• What Type of Trees is Mass Timber Made From?
• What are the Benefits of Mass Timber?
• Examples of Mass Timber Buildings
• 619 Ponce Mass Timber Building Success Story
• Rayonier’s Role in the Mass Timber Revolution

What is Mass Timber (and why is it important)?

Mass timber is made from prefabricated, multilayered, solid wood panels that create solid timber building materials, such as:

• Beams and columns,
• Floor, roof and wall panels,
• Tall wall framing studs and roof rafters,
• Door and window headers, and more.

Types of Mass Timber Products

Mass timber products, like those made with New England Forestry timber, come from renewable and sustainably-harvested wood products. Types of mass timber products include:

• Cross-laminated timber (CLT): Layers of wood stacked and glued at right angles, creating strong, stable panels ideal for walls, floors and roofs.
  
  
• Glue-laminated timber (glulam): Long beams made from layers of wood bonded together, often used for load-bearing columns and arches. It can be curved or bent for unique architectural designs during its construction.
  
  
• Nail-laminated timber (NLT): Panels made by nailing or screwing layers of wood together, a cost-effective choice for floors, walls and roofs. This material also can be customized for a variety of textured appearances and unique forms.
  
  
• Structural composite lumber (SCL): Engineered wood made from wood strands or veneers, using a moisture-resistant adhesive. SCL can come in panels as much as 8 feet wide and is designed for use in beams, headers, columns and other structural components.

Why are Mass Timber Buildings Gaining Popularity?

Using mass timber is a tremendous win for builders, architects, designers, consumers and environmentally-responsible cities seeking healthier and more eco-functional building materials to benefit their cities and citizens.

Until recently, mass timber was used only in residential homes and smaller buildings no larger than six stories or 85 feet. This was due in large part to outdated building codes, which were established with more traditional lumber materials in mind.

However, in light of the specific qualities that make mass timber different, such as its fire resistance and sturdiness even against natural disasters, changes to International Building Codes in 2021 deemed it safe to use mass timber in buildings up to 18 stories high.

What Type of Trees Is Mass Timber Made From?

Common species used in mass timber include Douglas fir, pine, and spruce—all of which are known for their strength and renewability. 

One of the biggest misconceptions about modern timber materials is that they are sourced from forests in a way that will deplete timber resources.

Today, the majority of timber products are sourced from sustainably managed forests grown for the purposes of harvesting.

These forests are then replanted, beginning the process of growing timber all over again.

What are the Benefits of Mass Timber?

Mass timber offers specific benefits across three main areas: the environment, the economy, and human well-being.

Environmental Benefits of Mass Timber 

When you compare the impacts of building with sustainably grown trees to traditional building materials, like steel and concrete, the environmental benefits are significant. For instance:

• Renewable resource: Trees used to manufacture mass timber products are grown in sustainably managed forests and replanted after harvest, making mass timber an entirely renewable resource.
  
  
• Minimized waste: Sawmill residues are typically used in mass timber manufacturing, helping reduce waste associated with production.
  
  
• Reduced resource extraction: Unlike concrete and steel, mass timber does not require mined materials or fossil fuels.
  
  
• Biodegradable and repurposable: Mass timber is biodegradable or, in some cases, can be repurposed—like barn wood.
  
  
• Water efficiency: Mass timber production uses far less water than concrete and steel.
  
  
• Carbon storage: Studies have also shown mass timber can help store carbon and other pollutants for the life of the building.²
  
  For example: A 2024 study showed mass timber materials have the potential to store between 9.9 and 16.5 million tons of CO₂ per-year, spanning 50 years, from 2020 to 2070. These carbon benefits equate to 12-20% of the total U.S. harvested wood products carbon storage for 2020.³
  
  
• Long-Term Carbon Impact: Experts and advocates have even suggested mass timber can help the North American construction industry store more carbon than it emits by 2034.⁴

All of these characteristics contribute to making mass timber a low-carbon material compared to concrete and steel.

Economic Benefits of Mass Timber

Research has shown building with mass timber has economic benefits for builders and construction companies, including:

• Faster Construction Time: Mass timber construction can be faster than traditional methods.
  
  For example: According to reports from builders of mass timber structures, such as the Ascent, a 25-story mass timber hybrid building in Milwaukee, mass timber can speed construction time by 20-30%.⁵ Studies have also shown mass timber shortens construction time.⁶
  
  
• Improved Project Efficiency: The use of prefabricated mass timber products requires less on-site assembly, streamlining the construction process and enhancing overall project efficiency.
  
  
• Increased Safety: In addition to improved building time, project safety is improved due to the prefabrication of the materials, which requires less on-site construction in high or precarious places.
  
  
• Reduced Labor Needs: Using mass timber requires half the amount of workers, saving companies and their clients money.
  
  
• Cost-Competitive with Traditional Materials: Mass timber is often cost-competitive with conventional materials, as outlined in a case study by the University of British Columbia.⁷
  
  
• Job Creation in Diverse Communities: The growing, harvesting, processing and manufacturing of mass timber products also creates substantial job opportunities in rural and urban communities for people with various skill sets.

Human Benefits of Mass Timber:

Mass timber has numerous benefits to human health and well-being, including:

• Improved Air Quality: Mass timber is one of the only commercial building materials shown to store carbon while not creating extra heat, unlike concrete or steel buildings.
  
  
• Noise Reduction and Tranquility: Research from the University of British Columbia in 2016 showed mass timber buildings provide excellent sound insulation and absorption properties⁸, promoting a peaceful indoor environment.
  
  
• Excellent Fire Resistance: Mass timber’s natural fire resistance makes it a safer building material for homes and offices. When ignited, the outer layers form a char layer, which protects and insulates the inner layers of the material.
  
  
• Overall Health and Wellness Benefits: Ample research has shown exposure to nature and the natural elements, including natural building materials, supports various aspects of health, including: cognitive function, blood pressure, stress response, immune function, faster recovery and healing, and psychological well-being. ^{9 10 11 12}

Bottom line: research has shown mass timber benefits the planet, its people and its economies.

Examples of Mass Timber Buildings

Mass timber buildings, also known as Tall Wood Buildings, are still dwarfed by their steel and concrete predecessors.

However, several cities worldwide have been early adopters of this type of construction. Some North American examples include:

• Carbon 12 building in Portland, Oregon: This eight-story mass timber building includes residences on the upper floors as well as commercial space on the ground floor. Architects Kaiser + Path worked with local and state officials to waive building codes limiting the height of wood buildings. Learn more about how it was built at kaiserpath.com/carbon12.
  
  
• The Brock Commons at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This 18-story dormitory residential building is the largest mass timber building in the world to date.
  
  
• The Ascent: A 25-story, 285-foot mass timber hybrid building in Milwaukee featuring luxury rentals, the Ascent became the tallest hybrid mass timber building in the world when construction was completed in 2022.
  
  
• The Kendeda Building of Sustainable and Innovative Design at Georgia Tech in Atlanta: The first building in Georgia and 28th in the world to earn Living Building Challenge (LBC) certification, the world’s most ambitious and holistic green building achievement. Used for education, research and outreach, among the building’s accolades are zero carbon construction, net positive energy and net positive water, thanks to a design that incorporates mass timber, a solar canopy and rain capture.
  
  
• The High Line Timber Bridge in New York City: This 260-foot-long bridge is set amidst a lush garden-like landscape in the heart of Manhattan, allowing pedestrians to travel above busy streets.
  
  
• The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library: The design of this 93,000-square-foot library in Medora, North Dakota, was inspired by Roosevelt’s personal reflections on the landscape, his interest in environmental stewardship and periods of quiet introspection and civic engagement in his life.
  
  
• 619 Ponce: Located in Atlanta next to the popular Ponce City Market, this office and retail space is Georgia’s first building constructed using locally-sourced mass timber.

Supporting Atlanta’s 619 Ponce: A Mass Timber Building Success Story

For an insider’s perspective, we talked to Matt Hestad, Vice President of the Georgia Forestry Foundation (Foundation), about their participation in spearheading the mass timber building, 619 Ponce in Atlanta. Matt noted that the Foundation’s focus on mass timber not only served to support Georgia’s working forests by promoting new markets for locally grown sustainable wood products, but it has also built an important thought bridge between people living in urban Atlanta and the rural parts of Georgia, where sustainable forestry happens every day.

“We can’t underestimate the importance of everyday Georgians knowing where the wood products that they depend on every day come from and the trust that is built from knowing that it is sustainably produced and sourced,” he says.

Georgia’s Forestry Leadership in Mass Timber Production

It is commonly presumed that tree-adorned Washington State or Oregon are the country’s largest source of timber. 

However, as Matt told us, Georgia is the #1 forestry state in the nation, with 22 million acres of commercially available private timberland.¹³ Georgia also leads the country in annual timber harvest volume, forest product exports and seedling production for reforestation.

But the Foundation hasn’t been alone in its quest to support mass timber development.  Since 2017, through the work of its parent organization, the Georgia Forestry Association (GFA), several pieces of legislation have been passed by Georgia’s Legislature to advance opportunities for mass timber construction in the state.

These include stopping a ban on the use of lumber in buildings over 3 stories, adopting international building codes that allow construction with mass timber up to 18 stories, and creating a sustainable development carbon registry that allows builders to register and monetize the carbon stored in mass timber buildings.

Anticipating the impact mass timber could have on community sustainability

“As the top forestry state, we have an abundant supply of available timber that can be locally sourced for mass timber construction projects,” Matt says.

“Mass timber can play a significant role in the sustainability of our communities because more than 40 percent of the world’s emissions come from the built environment. When you think about the fact we can replace carbon-emitting materials like steel and concrete with mass timber where, as trees grow in a forest, it’s sequestering carbon and releasing oxygen,” he says. “It’s also holding carbon as 50% of the dry wood, so that’s locked up in the building materials. We have a huge opportunity to start shifting the emissions portfolio of our communities from a really carbon-intensive process to one where we’re storing carbon.”

Benefits for Timberland Owners and Local Economies

GFF also sees mass timber benefiting private timberland owners and local economies: 

“From a markets perspective, we understand that forestry and land management investments follow the demand for forest products,” Matt explains.

“If society values the products that come from working forests, it will value the land as a real estate asset. If the land is valuable, landowners will be incentivized to continue using their own dollars to invest in forest management and reforestation.”

Making timberland investments even more valuable

“Mass timber layers on another value proposition for society, and therefore is an opportunity to further incentivize those forest landowners, which makes their timberland even more valuable,” Matt says.

A New Market for Mass Timber Beyond Single-Family Homes

In addition, GFA sees mass timber as a solution to the lack of demand for new construction single-family homes, which has plagued the forestry market since the housing collapse in 2008.

“The forestry sector has traditionally relied on single-family homes to drive the need for lumber. Since 2008, that market has been lagging,” Matt says. “I think mass timber shows a lot of promise in introducing a new market for forest products in which we have the opportunity to increase demand for mass timber as a primary structural material for multi-family and mixed-use developments.”

Expanding Mass Timber’s Role in Mid-Rise Buildings

Many experts believe that the most significant opportunity lies in mid-rise (Type IV) buildings. These traditionally four- or five-story buildings are ideal uses for mass timber, as they replace the need for concrete and steel and can be built faster and more efficiently.

One such example is the aforementioned 619 Ponce, a showcase mass timber building  developed by Jamestown LP next door to the iconic Ponce City Market in Atlanta. The Georgia Forestry Foundation launched its Seedlings to Solutions Initiative to tell the story of mass timber and the benefits of sourcing it locally. One feature of the project includes the Torus Arch, a mass timber education feature. The video below shows how it was made:

“On this project, Jamestown was told the best, most cost-effective way to obtain the mass timber was to import it from Austria because the market is much more mature in that part of the world.

“Right now, the only mass timber facility in the U.S. South is in Dothan, Alabama. So, unfortunately, it is more expensive, in some cases, to source mass timber locally, but that’s changing,” Matt explains. “We hope that, with people like Jamestown investing in mass timber, it will bring more mass timber manufacturing to the U.S. South, and developers will be able to greater realize the cost savings with faster construction time and less labor.”

The project went forward using mass timber sourced locally from West Georgia on Jamestown-owned land.

Per a U.S. Forestry Service Forest Inventory Analysis, Georgia grows enough wood to supply a mass timber building of the scale of 619 Ponce every 16 minutes.¹⁴

Andres Villegas, Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications at Rayonier, has been on the Georgia Forestry Foundation Board since 2015 and currently serves as the Vice Chairman. He recounts his experience watching the construction of 619 Ponce in comparison to a traditional concrete and steel building happening simultaneously:

“It was surprising to see an entire building go up quickly with only 8-10 workers and a crane on the worksite. Mass timber has clear advantages in terms of the speed, efficiency and beauty compared to traditional construction projects that is measurable from a profit and loss perspective. That is important because the buildings not only have to be appealing to consumers, they also have to be competitive for the developer to build.” 

Far-reaching aesthetic and environmental benefits

“Today, 619 Ponce is a beautiful, warm and inviting space,” Andres says.

“It’s interesting to see, when you take people on tours, they automatically want to hug one of the mass timber beams! You can’t deny the biophilic benefits of being in this natural environment, and developers tend to do a good job making sure there’s plenty of sunlight. It is a key differentiator of the space. It feels different.”

“At the end of the day, that allows investors to realize an appreciation in their rent,” he says. “They can charge a little bit more to folks leasing these spaces because they know that their tenants are looking for a sustainable option that gives them a competitive edge with recruiting great talent and retaining great customers.”

Exploring Carbon Credits with Mass Timber

Matt also mentioned the benefits of mass timber for acquiring and selling carbon credits.

“In 2022, we asked ourselves: ‘What if we supported developers for investing in a building material that reduces carbon emissions rather than emitting them?’ GFA worked with elected officials to pass a bill that expanded Georgia’s existing carbon registry to consider the embodied and embedded carbon in materials—like mass timber. It’s really a first-of-its-kind registry, where developers—if they choose to list their embodied and embedded carbon—can get it third-party verified and listed.

“We’re hoping 619 Ponce will be the first one listed on that registry. Once the carbon is listed, the owners can do whatever they want to with it. For example, they can monetize it and turn it into carbon credits they’d sell to someone trying to offset their emissions.”

Matt acknowledges it’s a long-term play, but projects like 619 Ponce serve as a critical learning environment and a prime example of what’s possible with mass timber sourced within a 600-mile range.

Click here to learn more about GFA’s mass timber projects and initiatives.

Rayonier’s Role in the Mass Timber Revolution

New England Forestry has been an early adopter and thus has a long history of environmental responsibility and stewardship in forestry.

We practice a land stewardship ethic that integrates reforestation, managing, growing, nurturing and harvesting trees as an economic enterprise with the conservation of natural resources and energy, wildlife and fish habitats and aesthetics.

To date, our working forests sequestered 13 million metric tonnes of carbon in 2023, removing approximately seven times more carbon than our efforts emitted. That’s the equivalent of removing over 3 million cars from the road.

Our commitment to environmental stewardship goes hand in hand with our passion for producing raw materials for environmentally friendly building products from our SFI-certified, sustainably managed forests, such as mass timber.

Wood products have always been used to create beautiful, functional and sustainable structures—long before concrete and steel came along.

We see mass timber as the next generation in sustainable wood construction, and we will continue investing in these innovations through forestry programs and sustainability programs, as well as our continued collaboration with organizations who champion working forests and the sustainable wood products that come from them.

Forests have always provided incredible inspiration and resources for humanity, and we see mass timber as an integral part of shaping a brighter and healthier future.

1. Hemmati, Messadi, Gu, Seddelmeyer and Hemmati. (April 2024.) “Comparison of Embodied Carbon Footprint of a Mass Timber Building Structure with a Steel Equivalent.” MDPI.  https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/14/5/1276

2. “Review of the Performance and Benefits of Mass Timber as an Alternative to Concrete and Steel for Improving the Sustainability of Structures”. Sustainability

3. Nepal, P., Prestemon, J. P., Ganguly, I., Kumar, V., Bergman, R. D., & Poudyal, N. C. (2024). “The potential use of mass timber in mid-to high-rise construction and the associated carbon benefits in the United States”. PLOS ONE, 19(3), e0298379. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0298379

4. “2024 Mass Timber International Report”. https://masstimberconference.com/report/

5. “Mass Timber”. American Wood Council.

6. “Review of the Performance and Benefits of Mass Timber as an Alternative to Concrete and Steel for Improving the Sustainability of Structures”. Sustainability.

7. Case Study: An 18-storey tall mass timber hybrid student residence at the University of British ColumbiaStudent residence Brock Commons Vancouver (18 story hybrid building). https://events.forum-holzbau.com/pdf/37_IHF_2016_Fast.pdf

8. Eighteen Storey Hybrid Mass Timber Student Residence at the University of British Columbia. Journal of Structural Engineering International. DOI: 10.2749/101686617X14676303588553

9. Interior wood use in classrooms reduces pupils’ stress levels. Conference: 9th Biennial Conference on Environmental Psychology At: Eindhoven, The Netherlands.

10. Appearance wood products and psychological well-being. January 2007. Wood and Fiber Science.

11. View through a window may influence recovery from surgery. Science. 1984 Apr 27;224(4647):420-1. doi: 10.1126/science.6143402. PMID: 6143402.

12. Zhong, W., Schröder, T., & Bekkering, J. (2022). Biophilic design in architecture and its contributions to health, well-being, and sustainability: A critical review. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 11(1), 114-141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foar.2021.07.006 

13. Georgia Forestry Commission. (2011). Georgia Forest Facts. Web; accessed: March 2020.

14. Based on U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory Analysis Data: Georgia timberlands took 989.8 seconds to grow the 1,845 cubic meters of wood.

The post A Guide to Mass Timber Construction: The Future of Sustainable Architecture and The Role of Forestry appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Around the holiday season, you might catch yourself humming the tune, “Deck the Halls” – a popular and classic Christmas carol with the familiar line, “deck the halls with boughs of holly.”

But have you ever stopped to wonder what “boughs” are and where they come from?

In the Pacific Northwest, New England Forestry working forests grow millions of pounds of evergreen boughs each year for commercial wreath and garland production. Contracted companies work alongside New England Forestry to sustainably produce, harvest and sell this highly sought-after forest product. It is one of many products New England Forestry working forests grow in addition to timber. Other examples include salal used in floral arrangements; pine straw used in landscaping; edible mushrooms; and saw palmetto, which is used in men’s health products.

What are boughs?

Simply put, evergreen boughs are branches from evergreen trees. Each year, over the course of just three months, about 1 million pounds of boughs are collected from New England Forestry land. Commercially, evergreen boughs are used in decorative holiday decor items like wreaths, swags, garland, centerpieces and other holiday greenery.

Favored tree species include true firs, such as noble and Pacific silver fir, and cedars such as western red and Port Orford cedars. 

“Both of these species command higher prices,” explains Aurelio Quintero, Forestry Technician Silviculture Forester for Mount Saint Helens Reforestation and Hugo Reforestation. “Western white pine is also a desirable species. The boughs are sold by the pound to manufacturing companies in the Pacific Northwest and other states. They specialize in the creation of decorating products sold as retailed items.”

Holiday demand for evergreen boughs

Florists and holiday decor makers look for certain bough specifications for use in end products. Such specifications include branch symmetry, a dark green or blue needle color, closely clumped secondary branches, and a disease-free plant. Typically, noble fir is used to make wreaths and swags, while the western red cedar is popular for use in garlands.

To get the ideal bough, Aurelio’s team works with New England Forestry year-round to manage and assess the working forest.

“We first conduct an inventory of tree densities and quality of the bough producing stands,” says Aurelio. “This is done by establishing fixed radius plots in the tree stands of the desired tree species. The information obtained is used to determine the presence of needle diseases, bough density, annual tip growth, needle color and bough harvesting height. During harvest, we look for good color and good needle retention.”

Immediately after harvest, boughs are kept in coolers to keep them fresh. Then they are sold and shipped out to decor manufacturers. The season is short, but requires contractors and their crews to work quickly and efficiently.

“The demand at Christmas time is intense,” says George Brulotte, Senior Development Manager for Rayonier. “It’s short and intense. Most of the harvesting season takes place from mid-September to mid-November. With harsh winters known to our area, crews will often find themselves battling snow and icy conditions, or getting snowed out of the forest. Timing is very important in this industry.”

How boughs are sourced for the holidays

As it does with other forest products, New England Forestry contracts with companies like Mount Saint Helens Reforestation to produce, collect and extract boughs from our working forests.

Several techniques are used to harvest the boughs. They are extracted during mature harvests and during thinning operations. In another method, tree topping, large sections of branches are removed from the tops of mature trees. But the most common method is pole cutting.

Working among stands of trees ranging from 10 to 20 years of age, harvesters will use 10- to 30-foot-long poles. The tools have a cutting shear on one end and are operated with a rope from the ground. Sections of branches are cut off of certain species of trees, measuring between 18 to 30 inches long.

“As the timber is growing, we’re harvesting boughs,” explains Gus Gerrits, Business Development Manager at Rayonier. “Once the trees reach a certain age, the harvest teams go out and do a first harvest on those trees.”

Sustainable cutting practices are important to the current and future health of the trees. According to Gus, harvesting should be “off collar,” meaning you only remove the tips of the branches so that the tips will grow back. If done properly, the new growth can be harvested again in two to three years.

“Imagine the trees at eight feet high,” says George. “The crews cut the bottom branches off, leaving a certain ratio of the crown so it doesn’t slow the tree’s growth too much. A few years later, the trees will have grown up and out more. They can go back to that same stand and harvest boughs off of those same trees again. If they do it right, you can hardly tell they harvested.”

“Bough cutting must be done in a way that allows for annual growth and development of the branches,” agrees Aurelio. “Done properly, the trees thrive, and more bough tips regenerate within a relatively short time.”

Each year, crews cut from a new section of the forest to allow for regeneration in previously harvested areas.

“They go around the forest in a pattern-like schedule,” says Gus. “This is a sustainable approach that New England Forestry requires of our contractors.”

After the cutting team has cut the boughs, a gathering team creates 30- to 50- pound bales. The bales are then moved one-by-one to the edge of the road. If they’re in a steep area or far from a road, they are bundled into a 1000-pound string of bales that will be extracted by helicopter from within the stand. Bundles are then loaded into hauling vans and tractor trailers.

A consistent and sustainable forestry product

Despite recent economic downfalls, bough production and sales have been fairly stable. This is mostly due to consistent, sustainable silviculture practices and proper cutting techniques.

“There is a lot more to bough production that the industry is learning about,” Aurelio says. “New practices are being developed for the sustainable creation of bough producing stands. Furthermore, new creative decorative designs are being introduced to the market every Christmas season.”

To learn more about other New England Forestry forest products businesses, visit https://www.rayonier.com/our-businesses/land-resources/. 

The post Deck the Halls with New England Forestry Boughs appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

As our world seeks to transition to a low-carbon economy, the demand for land and renewable forest products is on the rise. We believe these resources will play a key role in addressing the impacts of climate change and the excess carbon in the atmosphere.

Many strategies to enhance and sustain the health of our planet will come from the proper use of land. As a landowner responsible for millions of acres of forests, New England Forestry is eager to deliver the land-based solutions our assets can provide.

These land uses address some of the key environmental needs of the world. We believe it’s our responsibility to lead, innovate and collaborate with others to ensure a healthy and sustainable future. We are working closely with community and business leaders to leverage our forestlands to make the greatest positive impact.

New England Forestry views land-based solutions through the following broad categories:

• Positioning land for alternative and additional uses
• Elevating the role our forests play in capturing carbon
• Producing the wood fiber needed to fuel bioenergy and biofuel systems of the future
• Embracing environmental and biodiversity conservation

Positioning land for alternative and additional uses

Alternative uses include solar and wind farms, which produce clean energy, powering homes and businesses while drastically reducing the amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions required to produce that energy.

“Renewables produce energy with a lot less carbon emissions than other traditional forms of power production, such as coal and gas,” explains our Vice President of Energy Resources Rob Fancher.

Renewable energy producers support a healthier environment by reducing air pollution, mitigating climate change, conserving water compared to fossil fuel plants and minimizing noise pollution. They also provide local jobs, increase tax revenue and make communities more attractive to new businesses.

“Many businesses are interested in lowering their carbon footprint and they’re looking to relocate their facilities to areas that have options for renewable energy,” Rob explains.

Leasing land for wind and solar farms

Sites with strong solar and wind potential are plentiful across Rayonier’s ownership, which is attractive to solar companies because of our large land base and proximity to power substations.

Thanks to advancements in technology, solar power has become one of the most affordable energy sources, with the levelized cost of electricity declining more than 80% from 2008 to 2022, according to this Berkeley Lab study.

Solar makes up more than half of new energy

Due to its relative affordability and positive impact on climate, solar is now making up more than half of all new energy being introduced into the grid, as reported here by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

In 2023, the first solar farm on New England Forestry land came online in Polk County, Texas. Longroad Energy’s 150 megawatt project produces enough clean energy to power 30,000 homes, avoiding an estimated 250,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions annually.

“When we’re looking for solar developers to pursue a project, we really want a reputable, trustworthy company that shares our core values and our long-term commitment to environmental stewardship,” says Business Development Manager Zan Frederick. He says his team was pleased with the steps Longroad Energy took to protect the environment around the project site.

The solar farm, which includes about 600 acres of New England Forestry land, implements water quality protection measures such as reservoirs and forest buffers. It also was built around wetlands to protect the ecosystems within its boundaries, with solar panels on only 1,300 acres of the approximately 2,500-acre site.

The first wind farm lease on New England Forestry land became operational in 2019 in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma. Established on a high ridge that overlapped our property at the time and a neighboring landowner, the wind farm delivers enough clean energy to power 40,000 homes while the trees continue to grow around it. Our team carefully monitored the construction process to ensure waterways were protected at the same high standard our foresters adhere to when managing our timberlands.

Providing pore space for carbon capture and storage opportunities

In addition to green energy sites, New England Forestry owns land that is well-situated to provide carbon emitters, such as factories and power plants, access to pore space for carbon capture and storage—or, CCS—for their emissions. 

CCS begins with the CO₂ producer, who captures the CO₂ from the atmosphere or the point source of the emissions and pipes them into an underground pipe system. This system transports the emissions to our land in liquid form. The CO₂ is then sent deep underground—a half mile or more—and injected into a rock formation that is intended to store it permanently.

With more than half of the world’s 2,000 largest companies committed to net zero emissions, CCS is expected to be a major contributor to decarbonization. CCS demand is projected to grow rapidly, with an expected compound annual growth rate of 6.2 percent annually from 2023 to 2030, reaching more than 300 Mtpa (million tonnes per annum), according to the World Economic Forum.

Our southern land base includes large tracts of land with geologic capacity for CCS. Many of these properties are within close proximity to high-purity emissions sources as well as existing pipelines and rights-of-way.

As of 2024, New England Forestry has granted 75,000 acres of underground pore space lease agreements. These leases allow emitters to use our land for CCS. By making land available for CCS, we are facilitating a critical solution for reducing carbon emissions, while still preserving the primary use of our land for timber operations.

“By providing CCS pore space while continuing to sustainably manage the forests above, we’re able to deliver even more environmental benefits through our land resources,” said New England Forestry Executive Vice President and Chief Resource Officer Doug Long. “We’re committed to advancing these types of land-based solutions to combat climate change.”

Elevating the role our forests play in capturing carbon

Trees capture and store carbon not only while they’re growing, but also store carbon in the products they become, such as lumber and plywood for housing construction.

Beyond these direct product uses, we are able to leverage our foresters’ expertise and change how our forests are managed to maximize the carbon captured. These management changes produce carbon credits to be sold in offset markets.

In New Zealand, we participate in the nation’s regulated carbon offset market, known as the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme. Through this market, registered forests generate credits known as New Zealand Units (NZUs). Companies looking to offset their emissions purchase the NZUs and “retire” them once they claim that credit. In 2023, New England Forestry generated $23 million in NZU sales.

Across our U.S. lands, where carbon markets are voluntary, we are exploring opportunities to elevate the carbon sequestered within the forests we manage.

Improved Forest Management (IFM) projects currently under consideration could maximize our carbon sequestration using science-driven forestry techniques. This might include extending how long timberlands grow before they’re harvested, establishing alternative native species, or managing the land in a different manner. 

Carbon credits can also be generated from afforestation activity, in which land that has been used for different purposes, such as cattle grazing, is converted into forests.

New England Forestry is currently working on both IFM and afforestation carbon credit projects in the U.S.

Producing the wood fiber needed to fuel bioenergy and biofuel systems of the future

There is a rising need for the wood fiber we grow as manufacturing facilities seek to become more environmentally positive. Wood-based biofuels for airplanes, ships and vehicles as well as electricity generated through wood-based bioenergy reduce carbon emissions. Using these products in place of traditional fuels can significantly reduce the carbon intensity of the energy the world needs.

One specific area of opportunity is bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) facilities. BECCS is a growing area of interest to address manufacturers’ emissions, especially in the U.S. South, where a large portion of our timberlands are concentrated. BECCS facilities burn woody biomass for energy production and then capture and store the emitted carbon—aiming to create a carbon-negative cycle.

The demand for Sustainable Aviation Fuel, known as SAF, is also on the rise. Air travel is currently responsible for 12% of all transportation-related CO₂ emissions, according to this article by the U.S. Department of Energy. Existing aircraft can use a blend of SAF and jet fuel to reduce emissions. 

Members of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), representing more than 80 percent of global air traffic, have committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions from their operations by 2050.  IATA’s Fly Net Zero strategy relies on SAF for 65% of the emission reductions, which will lead to significant increasing demand for SAF in the future.

Embracing environmental and biodiversity conservation

We are committed to sustainable land management practices that balance various uses while ensuring the protection of critical natural habitats. This includes implementing conservation strategies, maintaining or enhancing biodiversity and adhering to environmental regulations to conserve the ecological integrity of significant areas under our stewardship.

We’re actively involved in conservation easement solutions that permanently preclude certain activities such as high-density development or mining from taking place on those properties. These solutions make larger conservation efforts possible in areas near our ownership.

Through biodiversity enhancement efforts, such as the afforestation of lands from other uses to forests, we can prioritize habitat for vulnerable wildlife species, as well as help create continuity of wildlife corridors and sensitive areas, all in an effort to contribute to environmental conservation.

Proud to be Part of the Solution

At Rayonier, we’re proud to continuously seek more ways to be part of the solution. Through the land-based solutions we work with stakeholders to deliver, as well as our timber business’s climate-smart forest management, we can play an important role in advancing the transition to a low-carbon economy and addressing the risks posed by climate change.

The post What are Land-Based Solutions? appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

In the scorching heat of August 2023, Rayonier’s Southwest teams in Louisiana and Texas braced themselves as wildfire season began.

Team members had monitored weather conditions for months, watching as a regional drought took hold over the summer and record-high temperatures persisted.

They went to wildfire prevention briefings, kept a close eye on our land, and when the first blaze broke out in Southwest Louisiana near one of our properties, they acted quickly to coordinate with state authorities and contractors to protect our forests.

But that first blaze was only the beginning of what would become a three-month battle against one of the worst wildfire seasons the region has seen in 100 years. In Louisiana, the Tiger Island Fire near Merryville was the largest fire ever recorded in the state’s history, impacting more than 31,000 acres. Rayonier’s Louisiana team pushed hard to protect our forests, monitoring and putting out fires that popped up even on nights and weekends. Soon, state and local fire services were overwhelmed and had to call on firefighters from surrounding states for support. Likewise, our New England Forestry team needed help.

That’s when senior leadership in our Southwest Resource Unit (SWRU) called on Rayonier’s internal firefighting crew.

“This was the first time in Rayonier’s history that we brought a team over from Florida and Georgia,” says Billy Geier, Director of Operations for Rayonier, SWRU. “They traveled over 850 miles to get here. Watching the fire team roll through DeRidder, Louisiana, and pull into our office parking lot on Labor Day weekend was one of my proudest moments as a New England Forestry employee.”

Fire triage—crisis in Texas

Billy’s relief didn’t last long, though. Just as our fire crew arrived in Louisiana, another wildfire broke out in Texas, threatening 20,000 acres of our forests. And just as in Louisiana, Texas resources were stretched thin. Rayonier’s fire crew pivoted—driving their trucks and bulldozers to Huntsville, Texas—to respond to this more urgent threat. What would become known as the Game Preserve Fire would span more than 4400 acres, coming dangerously close to local homes and causing dozens of residents to evacuate.

Operations Safety Manager Patrick Hughes, acting as task force leader, met with Texas fire coordinators for a briefing on the overall plan and to establish communication channels with air support before mobilizing his crew.  

When they got to the head of the fire, they were the only firefighters on the ground. The Texas Forest Service and more than 100 local and state emergency personnel battled the rear of the fire as it threatened residential neighborhoods where dozens of people were forced to evacuate their homes. But this meant that the dangerous head fire was untended on the ground.

Our bulldozer operators, with the help of air support laying down fire retardant, started building containment lines at the head of the fire to stop its forward momentum.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with bulldozer operators from all over the country,” says Patrick. “And I’ve never been so proud to work with anybody as I was with our guys. They hit the ground running and stayed in the fight and knocked it out. They put in more containment lines than any other agency and all of the lines held, which is incredible.”

At all times, safety measures were top of mind. The team used interactive field maps to monitor real-time data that included where the fire was; the locations of all fire personnel and EMS crews; and guidance on escape routes, firelines and safety zones. In addition, Patrick says every member of the team carried the Incident Response Pocket Guide, a universal safety standard used by firefighters across the nation. The guide includes detailed methods firefighters use to ensure safety comes first, including the 10 Standard Firefighting Orders and a document called “Watch Out Situations.”

Rayonier’s fire team works year-round to prevent and fight fires on our lands in the Southeast, so they were well-equipped and prepared for the job.

They brought four bulldozers with them, including three heavy- and one medium-sized bulldozers, to build containment lines and safety zones. They also brought a type 6 fire engine, which is a brush truck designed for off-road firefighting and includes a 300-gallon water tank.

The fire team’s task force has more than 100 years of combined experience fighting fire. Some have worked at New England Forestry for decades and others come from a background of fighting fire alongside state and federal resources, where they fought extreme wildfires in multiple states.

Crucial support from SWRU staff and Texas neighbors

Forest Ranger Mike Stein says he was able to focus on his work at the head fire thanks to the support of SWRU leadership and administrative staff.

“When you’re having to operate every day for long hours, it’s nice not having to worry about anything else,” he says, noting it was a relief to have a hotel room and a hot shower waiting after working long, intense shifts. “When all of your logistics are being taken care of, you can go to the briefing in the morning and see that your lines have held and you’re ready to jump in and catch the next hot spot.” 

The team also had support from locals who brought home-cooked meals to show their appreciation as the fire team protected their homes. 

A county judge even stepped in to help. Judge Colt Christian of Walker County brought a fuel tanker when the team was running low, ensuring they could continue operations. He also arranged for a mechanic to come to the field and help with equipment issues. 

“Normally on these larger, more complex fires we would have support from other agencies,” says Forest Ranger Andrew Register. “The judge took charge and made things happen that would normally be handled by a command team.”

Later, when the fire was contained, Judge Christian made a proclamation, thanking the New England Forestry fire crew and other emergency personnel for their service. He said they were responsible for saving 54 homes in the fire’s path in what was known as the Game Preserve Fire, the largest wildfire in the county’s history. 

The debrief: we learn from experience

In a debrief meeting, SWRU staff and Rayonier’s fire crew planned for next year’s wildfire season.

“This happened in the SWRU and it’s likely going to happen to another resource unit in the future,” says Senior Resource Land Manager Jesse Nichols, one of the foresters who manages our SWRU properties. “This has been a learning experience in preparedness and awareness.”

Technical Forester Jonathan Herrin says he hopes to see more foresters, managers and other staff learn from the fire crew. He earned his Wildland Fire Certification one day before the crew left for the SWRU and was able to go with them and get field training.

“How do we maintain that institutional knowledge of our operators?” he asks. “As a company, we need to keep that in mind and hand some of that knowledge down and get more folks involved in protecting our forests in the future.”

As we anticipate altered weather patterns in the years to come, we’ll rely on this institutional knowledge and the lessons we’ve learned fighting fire in the SWRU to protect our forests from fires and other environmental threats.

Thank you to our SWRU staff and Atlantic fire crew for their passion and dedication that helped protect New England Forestry land and our neighbors in Texas! This is what it means to be One Rayonier.

You can learn more about how forestry companies like New England Forestry prevent and respond to wildfires at rayonier.com/fire.

The post Rayonier’s Fire Crews Unite to Battle Historic Wildfires in the Southwest U.S. appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

WILDLIGHT, Fla.—Ever since New England Forestry bought its first forest property in Nassau County, Florida, in the 1930s, our stories have been intertwined. Together, we have strived to be the best stewards of our community and the land within it.

As Nassau County celebrates its bicentennial this year and New England Forestry prepares to celebrate its centennial in 2026, New England Forestry leaders reflect on the 87-year history of New England Forestry in Nassau and our vision for the company’s future here.

It’s a topic that excites everyone on our team—our voices are warm with pride when we talk about how we helped the community recover from the Great Depression and how we’ve adapted and evolved over the decades.

In 2017, we built our company headquarters at Wildlight, even further solidifying our relationship with the community.

Over the years, a unifying ethic has emerged and only grown stronger: this company, through its leaders and team members, considers itself a corporate citizen of Nassau, with a responsibility and a commitment to contribute to the community’s well-being.

Healthy economic growth since 1937

Mike Bell, Rayonier’s Vice President of Public Affairs, describes our company’s relationship with Nassau County as one built around economic growth and constant reinvention. Mike looks to the past to illustrate how this legacy was built.

When New England Forestry first came to Nassau in 1937, the local economy had been devastated by the Great Depression. At that time, the community relied on a small number of agricultural products to survive. When New England Forestry built a manufacturing plant on Amelia Island, it diversified Nassau’s economy and created high-paying jobs that strengthened the community.

At first, the War Production Board took over the manufacturing plant to help make nitrocellulose, which was used in explosives, bullets, and rocket propellants during World War II. And as in many communities, that assistance in wartime production helped to stabilize the County’s economy.

Later, when New England Forestry was able to use the facility as a pulp and paper mill as it had originally intended, the local economy began to flourish. For one thing, those manufacturing jobs were some of the highest-paying jobs in the County. But there was also an indirect economic impact throughout the supply chain.

“New England Forestry helped sustain the region because we drew timber supply from a large radius,” says Mike. “That supported a lot of folks—tree growers, loggers, trucking companies—even if they weren’t working at the plant.”

In the 1930s, New England Forestry also entered the timber business in the region when we began to buy land throughout Northeast Florida to ensure a steady supply of wood for our mills. We started a cycle that continues today: planting, harvesting and replanting our pine forests to provide a sustainable resource.

“Through our dedicated reforestation efforts, we are now growing our fourth generation of trees on much of our property in Nassau County,” Mike says.

Together, the mills and the well-managed forests helped Nassau County increase its tax base and create a foundation for healthy economic growth.

New England Forestry has changed over time and now we no longer own manufacturing plants. We spun the pulp mills out into a separate public company now known as RYAM, but those mills are still operating and sustaining the County through taxes and high-paying jobs. They also support the timber industry in the region.

Now, we continue to grow timber, own and operate a real estate subsidiary and are involved in a number of non-timber related businesses on our land base.

“New England Forestry is still here because we keep reinventing ourselves,” says Mike.

Reinvention may be in our nature at Rayonier, but certain principles have remained consistent throughout our history. One of these, Mike says, is Rayonier’s legacy of promoting sustainable economic growth in the communities where it operates—and that’s especially true in Nassau County.

Sustainable forests support Nassau

Director of Operations Jeremy Flood leads our Coastal Resource Unit, which manages timberland in and around Nassau County. He says it can be difficult for people to realize the economic impact forestry continues to have in the region.

“You might not see it when you drive around on the paved roads,” Jeremy says. “But if you take a bird’s eye view of the County, you see mostly forests and New England Forestry owns a significant portion of those undeveloped areas.”

Today, we own 121,000 acres in Nassau County, which has roughly 415,000 acres of land altogether. Much of our land is timberland that we manage for a sustainable supply of wood over the long term.

“We’re just now cutting the trees we planted when I started my career,” Jeremy says. “Forestry is unique because it takes that kind of forward thinking to provide for the future.”

Jeremy credits New England Forestry with giving him early insight into the industry. His family moved to Nassau County when he was young, and he got to know several New England Forestry employees as he joined the community.

“I found forestry in part because I had this influence of New England Forestry folks—they were people I respected and looked up to,” he says. “It’s been a rewarding career. In forestry, you’re managing what’s naturally on the landscape, using wisdom and science to organize it and make it efficient.”

Jeremy is proud to be a forester because of the many benefits to natural ecosystems. With modern science-based management practices, our forests provide clean water, clean air and critical wildlife habitat, all while supplying society with important products like lumber, plywood and paper.

“I hope people see a lot of the good that’s already been done here by Rayonier,” Jeremy says of Nassau County. “And I hope in the future they’ll see the six or eight generations of forestry still happening behind the scenes.”

Some Nassau County residents are already able to see behind the scenes as customers with Rayonier’s Hunting & Recreation Program.

In this program, New England Forestry land is open to residents and visitors to Nassau for hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, and foraging. Currently, we have more than 900 customers in Nassau who are accessing our land to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends.

Wildlight: sustainable community development

In 2007, Rayonier’s relationship with Nassau entered a new chapter when the County’s leadership approached our company to establish a public-private partnership, the result of which is the Wildlight development. At that time, population growth was on the horizon and the County wanted to be prepared.

Local leaders didn’t want to sit back and watch as developers capitalized on Nassau’s growth rate, buying up smaller parcels of land and developing them in a haphazard way with no thought to the bigger picture.

Instead, they asked Rayonier, one of the County’s largest landowners, to work with them on a whole-landscape plan to prepare for inevitable population growth. This way, the County could follow a methodical, strategic approach—planning for residential neighborhoods, schools, police stations, parks and more in a logical way.

Rayonier’s leaders were excited to work with the County.

“I’ve been in this business for 30 years and you rarely see this happen in development,” says Chris Corr, Rayonier’s Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development. “It’s uncommon to have the opportunity to think on this larger scale, but because of Rayonier’s land ownership that’s what we’ve been able to do.”

Chris, a Florida native, says the vision for Wildlight is to transition forest land into a healthy, sustainable community. It’s different, he says, from the pattern you see all too often in Florida, where the natural environment is often spoiled in favor of high-density development.

People and communities thrive when they have access to nature and plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation and exercise. And many people are drawn to Nassau County for its beaches, rivers and forests—so it’s important to preserve the best parts of the community even as it grows.

Chris and his team surveyed the 24,000 acres that would become Wildlight and identified 12,000 acres, including critical wildlife habitat and wetlands, to set aside in conservation easements. These lands will be undeveloped and protected forever, and the easements will be managed by the Conservation Habitat Network and the East Nassau Stewardship District.

Nassau residents and visitors will have access to much of this protected land, including a future park called the Green Ribbon, a 13-mile linear park alongside the St. Marys River.

New England Forestry is also building a trail network through the conserved areas and a new public boat ramp. There will be lots of opportunities for kayaking, hiking and biking in areas that were previously inaccessible to the public.

As New England Forestry continues to reinvent itself, this time as a partner to the County in sustainable community development, its core values remain the same.

“New England Forestry has been a steward of land for nearly 100 years with experience across states and countries managing land resources in a sustainable way,” Chris says. “So that ethic is in the heart—the blood stream—of Rayonier. We get to bring that to community development and it’s a real thing.” To see future plans for Wildlight’s growth in the county, view its Next Chapter website here.

Rural Nassau and stewardship

In planning for the future, Nassau County’s leaders and residents have said it’s also important to preserve the community’s rural roots. Western Nassau has always been more rural than the rest of the County, with ranchettes, farms and forest land. This culture, they say, is important to Nassau and they don’t want development pressure to override this rich heritage.

Rayonier’s rural land sales subsidiary, Raydient Rural, is committed to helping with this vision. We are turning forest land into small homesteads where land buyers can live rural lifestyles.

Jason Shearer, Raydient’s Senior Manager of Development and Sales, says that growing up rural helped him find his way to a career in forestry, where he was able to serve as a steward of the land.

“The people we’re providing homesteads for are growing up much like I did—on four or five acres, knowing where their food comes from and participating in 4-H and FFA,” Jason says. “We’re creating places where future stewards can be cultivated.”

Community service in Nassau

Mike Bell, our Vice President of Public Affairs, says that Rayonier’s philanthropic work in Nassau is a natural outgrowth of our company’s core values.

“Our stewardship ethic goes beyond environmental stewardship. It’s a common thread that permeates everything we’ve done,” Mike says. “We’ve always thought about what’s best for our community and what makes it stronger.”

As a practical matter, Mike says this is important for business reasons. The health of our company is tied to the well-being of the community. But it’s also something that New England Forestry team members are passionate about. Many give their time freely to local organizations, volunteering as well as sitting on boards and committees and sharing their professional expertise. Mike focuses his own efforts on education: he sits on the District Board of Trustees for the Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ), a community college with five campuses in the area.

Despite Nassau County’s A-rated K-12 school district, he says that about 35 percent of local students pursue no post-secondary education. Mike believes every student needs a plan for the future and FSCJ provides an attainable option.

“FSCJ is incredibly affordable and it’s good for students who don’t know what they want to do,” he says. “It’s important for the future prosperity of the County. It doesn’t bode well for the County if we can’t get those kids into a career with a living wage.”

In addition to serving on boards and committees, New England Forestry gives back to Nassau through our Community Fund, which donates annually to local organizations. In the past five years, New England Forestry has given, on average, $129,000 per year, concentrating the majority of funding in the following areas:

• Natural Resources & Environmental Education
• Education and Youth Development
• Health/Hospital, Civic and Community Growth

Kim Sartor, our Community Affairs Manager, lights up when she talks about her work with local organizations. One project she loves to talk about is the work New England Forestry has done with Family Support Services of Northeast Florida.

Family Support Services is a community based care agency focused on improving circumstances and outcomes for families. FSS provides safe homes for abused and neglected children and teens through foster care and finds forever families for children through adoption.

New England Forestry has teamed up with Family Support Services volunteers to renovate their “Bright Spaces” facility, which provides a safe, therapeutic, welcoming environment for supervised visitation with children in care in Nassau County.

Our employees also help with the annual Angel Tree Toy Drive for Family Support Services of Nassau, buying and wrapping gifts for the children to open during holiday visits with their families.

“If we want to be successful as a company, we have to take care of our community,” Kim says. “We’re funding programs that will grow our children and their children. In 10-15 years, I want to be retired and be assured our community is still thriving and growing.”

Legacy and vision

Since 1937, our company has grown alongside Nassau County and we couldn’t be more proud to call this community our home.

Of our 181 local employees, 95 live here in the County, and 86 commute from surrounding communities.

Our perspective is perfectly summed up in these thoughts from Wes Hinton, Vice President of Wildlight at Rayonier:

“Everyone on our team cares deeply about what happens here,” he says. “Our work is a point of pride and there is excitement around it. I grew up here and my daughter is now the sixth generation in my family to be raised in Nassau County. I took this job because I want to have a say in how this community develops over time. It’s our forever home.”

The post New England Forestry in Nassau: Our Home for 87 Years and Counting appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

ABERDEEN, Wa.— Plywood is crucial in construction, but have you ever wondered how plywood is made? In this article, we explore how trees are transformed during the plywood-making process at a veneer mill in Aberdeen, Washington and the significance of the forest lifecycle in maintaining a sustainable supply of this essential resource, including:

• What is plywood and what is it used for?
• What type of wood is used to make plywood?
• What are the steps to make plywood?
• What happens to the wood scraps in the plywood-making process?
• What happens to the land after trees are harvested for plywood?
• What is the importance of sustainable forestry in plywood production?

What is plywood and what is it used for?

Plywood is an incredibly important forest product used in the construction of all kinds of homes and buildings.

This versatile material is made by bonding together many layers of thin sheets of wood veneer. Consumers choose plywood over other wood building materials such as solid lumber for several reasons:

1. Value: A sheet of plywood is more affordable than the same amount of solid wood.
2. Strength: Plywood is a very durable wood product thanks to the manufacturing process, which layers wood veneer at varying angles.
3. Uniformity: Because of the way they’re made, plywood panels can be depended on to come in the width, length and thickness expected without major defects.

What type of wood is used to make plywood?

There is softwood plywood, hardwood plywood and plywood made up of a combination of both. Firs, pines, oaks, maples, birches and other woods are all commonly used to make plywood.

At the Pacific Veneer Mill in Aberdeen, Washington, hemlock, Douglas-fir, spruce and sometimes pine are all types of wood used to make veneer sheets.

Troy Kalinoski, who purchases timber for the mill, says he prefers to buy hemlock wood, which is more affordable and helps the mill keep the overall cost of its product low. In this part of the country, hemlock also has less knots than Douglas fir, making a better quality wood.

“We’re probably anywhere from 80 to 85 percent hemlock,” he says. “Because of that, our product is coveted by certain customers in our marketplace.”

The veneer mill purchases wood from landowners like Rayonier; manufactures it into sheets; and then sells those sheets to a plywood mill. The plywood mill then fastens each thin layer of veneer together into the final product, using a powerful laminate material.

Finding the right wood for the veneer mill

“We try to grow the best logs for the mills that we possibly can,” says our Senior Timber Marketing Manager Kevin Pilemalm, who sells New England Forestry timber to Pacific Veneer. “Our silviculture team has worked really hard to get good, straight, clean logs that grow fast. There’s not really a technique to grow every log on the job to a veneer quality. We have to go out on those jobs and find the veneer quality logs that are there.”

Veneer mill logs are more valuable than, for example, lower quality logs New England Forestry would sell to a pulp mill. It’s the timber marketing manager’s job, along with the logging crew, to determine the best use for each log.

“Our guys in the woods are really crucial in picking those logs out and putting those sorts together,” Kevin says. “Then, when they come in here, we have the right product and the mill gets what they need.”

Kevin says fostering good relationships with customers like Pacific Veneer is key to the role of a timber marketing manager:

“We work really hard to maintain the relationships New England Forestry has with our local mills. It’s a long-term relationship to keep this industry running.”

What are the steps to make plywood? A veneer mill tour.

To make plywood, a tree has to be debarked, steamed in a vault and then peeled into a long, thin sheet at the veneer mill. Those sheets are then graded and cut down to size, dried and stacked. Once the stacks are delivered to the plywood mill, the plywood manufacturing process continues. The veneer sheets are covered in a powerful glue called laminate and then stacked with the wood grain facing in perpendicular directions, which ensures the wood will be extremely strong.

The team at Pacific Veneer provided a tour in the video included with this article, showing the step-by-step process to making plywood sheets. Some manufacturers will make veneer and plywood at the same site. Pacific Veneer specializes only in the veneer manufacturing process.

Below we go into more detail about each of the following steps in how plywood is manufactured, including:

• Step 1: Prepare the logs for peeling in a steam vault
• Step 2: Peel the logs into thin sheets of veneer using a lathe
• Step 3: Clipping and assessing the veneer sheets
• Step 4: Drying, grading and banding
• Step 5: Creating the final product at the plywood mill

Step 1: Prepare the logs for peeling in a steam vault

The first step is to prepare the log for peeling. The mill removes the bark, cuts the logs down to 100.25-inch-long blocks, and places them in steamy vaults.

“Once the vault is full, they go up and turn the water on and shut the door. We’re going to cook those blocks at 165 degrees for 16 hours,” says Plant Superintendent Dave Newberry.

The steam helps to break down the wood fibers, ensuring a smooth peel and a better-quality end product.

Step 2: Peel the logs into thin sheets of veneer using a lathe

Once the logs are properly steamed, they’re ready to peel.

A charger digitally assess each log, locating the perfect place to hold the log to produce the most veneer. A pendulum then swings back, picks up the log and places it in the lathe, rapidly spinning it.

The machine can peel anywhere from a 7-inch to a 27-inch diameter log. The resulting sheets will be anywhere between 1/200th and 1/10th of an inch thick. The machine can peel up to 14 logs per-minute.

The peeler operator listens to the sound of the lathe cutting the log to determine whether it is working properly.

Every two-and-a-half hours, at break time, the lathe blade is replaced with a fresh, sharpened blade. The mill employs a full time grinder operator, whose sole job is to re-sharpen blades for the lathe.

Step 3: Clipping and assessing the veneer sheets

Once the logs have been unraveled into long, thin ribbons of wood, they are moved by a conveyor belt into a rotary clipper.

A digital scanner assesses the wood for defects and directs the clipped to cut the wood into 54- and 27-inch sheets.

Smaller pieces with defects like large holes will drop off the conveyor into a pile that will be used either as plywood filler or it will be processed into wood chips.

A moisture meter scans the 54- and 27-inch sheets to guide how the wood veneer is sorted. There will be heart wood, sap wood, and super sap wood.

Each will be stacked in a separate pile because each will require a different amount of time in the dryer.

Step 4: Drying, grading and banding

The veneer needs to dry in order to prevent decay and improve the properties of the finished wood.

While some plywood mills purchase the veneer at this stage and dry it themselves, others want the veneer sheets in a dried condition.

“It’s basically like an oven,” Dave says of the industrial dryer. “Once the sheet comes through, it needs to be 8 percent moisture or less.”

Once they come out of the dryer, each sheet is graded and sorted depending on the size and quality of the wood.

The mill places a band around each stack of veneer wood and prepares it for the plywood manufacturing customer that will transform it into the final product.

Step 5: Creating the final product at the plywood mill

Once a plywood mill purchases the veneer sheets, they will be transformed into the final product found in lumber and hardware stores.

First, the veneer sheets will be glued. The sheets run through a “glue curtain” that coats them with the laminate, then they’re stacked together. The wood grain is rotated between layers, which gives the plywood strength and prevents splitting and shrinkage.

Next, the assembled layers of veneer will be pressed and heated. Using pressure and heat presses the glue into an even, thin layer.

Finally, the plywood panel will go through the finishing process, where it is cut to size, edges are squared and the plywood may be sanded into the final product.

What happens to the wood scraps in the plywood-making process?

Nothing goes to waste in the process of making plywood. For example, bark and wood scraps from the logs are used to fuel the wood-fired furnace that heats the steam vaults and the dryer. The peeler “cores,” which are small cylinders of leftover wood once the logs are peeled, are also put to good use:

“Our customers do various things with the peeler cores, from making pallet stock to possibly landscape timbers, and there’s various other products they might get used for such as fence posts,” Dave says.

What happens to the land after trees are harvested for plywood?

On New England Forestry land, harvesting trees for products like veneer is just one step in the forest lifecycle.

Typically within the next one to two years, crews will replant the forest, placing several trees in the ground for every one tree that was harvested.

The next generation of trees will grow for about 40 years — capturing carbon, providing a home for wildlife, and countless other benefits — before it reaches maturity for the veneer and other products the next generation of people will need.

Why is sustainable forestry important in plywood production?

The sustainability of our world’s forests is paramount in ensuring we continue to enjoy all the benefits of the forest as well as a continuous supply of fiber for products like plywood.

We use 1000s of forest products in our everyday lives, including lumber but also lesser-known items that rely on tree fiber, such as medicines, phone screens, and bath products including toothpaste, shampoo and moisturizers. You can learn more about products made from trees and why trees are the best raw material for so many items in our ongoing #ItStartsWithTrees story series.

Through responsible forest management practices, we can strike a harmonious balance between meeting the demands of industry and preserving the ecological health of our woodlands.

Want to learn more about the process of making plywood?

Watch this long-form video by Engineering World of how the plywood manufacturing process works in “mega factories.”

The post How is Plywood Made? A Veneer Mill Tour appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Forestry careers offer a unique blend of working outdoors and contributing to environmental sustainability. In this article, we delve into the role of Timber Marketing Managers, their significance in forestry, and the pathways to becoming a part of this dynamic field.

• What is the role of a timber marketing manager?
• The importance of timber marketing managers in forestry
• How valuable is a stand of timber?
• The value of relationship management in timber sales
• Understanding the impact of timber marketing managers
• How do you become a timber marketer?
• How do aspiring timber marketing managers get hands-on experience?
• Future opportunities in timber sales

What is the Role of a Timber Marketing Manager?

Timber marketing managers—or TMMs, as we like to call them—sell timber to sawmills, wood pulp businesses, log exporters and other buyers for companies like Rayonier. TMMs work to get the best possible value out of the trees we have invested in and nurtured for decades.

At a high level, tasks include:

• Developing and implementing strategies for a timber sale.
• Assessing the quality and quantity of timber resources.
• Understanding market demand and trends.
• Negotiating contracts with buyers.
• Ensuring harvesting practices align with sustainable forestry principles.

Timber marketing managers act as a bridge between forestry operations and the marketplace, aiming to maximize profitability while promoting responsible resource management.

The Importance of Timber Marketing Managers in Forestry

Timber marketing managers’ strategic decisions and adaptability contribute significantly to the overall health of the timber market.

Adapting to changing market dynamics is a cornerstone of the role. TMMs navigate challenging markets, overcome obstacles, and strategically position timber products to thrive in a dynamic environment, showcasing their resilience and strategic foresight.

“When New England Forestry harvests timber, it needs to be sold no matter what the market conditions are,” says Kevin Pilemalm, our Senior Timber Marketing Manager on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State.

Many factors affect timber sales, such as the overall economic climate, weather conditions that impact logging activities, and local production expenses. These factors are in constant flux and can affect costs and logistics. Our TMMs adapt to these changes to get our forest products to markets.

In addition to this mental calculus, TMMs manage long-standing relationships with loggers and buyers in their local communities, ensuring steady, productive business partnerships.

Kevin and the other TMMs admit this is a demanding role, but they also relish the challenge of it.

“It’s like a jigsaw puzzle,” says Casey LaCasse, one of our Timber Marketing Managers based in Northeast Florida. “You have to put all these pieces together to make the sale work.”

How Valuable is a Stand of Timber?

The value of a stand of timber depends on various factors. When determining value, Timber Marketing Managers assess the species composition, age, size and overall health of the forest stand.

“To sell timber, you need to have a strong understanding of the value of trees and what provides that value,” says Casey.

Many of our TMMs have been in forestry for decades and they understand the factors that impact timber values, such as tree species.

At Rayonier, we grow several different species. In the U.S. South, we grow pines such as loblolly, slash and longleaf, which require 20 to 25 years to mature. In Washington State and Oregon, hemlocks, firs, and hardwoods require more growing time—sometimes 40 years or more.

“In the Pacific Northwest, we grow cedars and other hardwoods,” says Kevin. “Some of our most valuable trees are export logs that we sell to local facilities to ship overseas.”

TMMs lead teams of foresters that evaluate each stand of trees to determine pricing. In addition to species, these foresters analyze other factors that affect value, including height, diameter, straightness, and quality.

Foresters record specifications for each stand of trees and TMMs use this data to find the right buyer.
TMMs often negotiate directly with prospective buyers, especially if they know a particular buyer’s needs. Other times, they use a bidding system in which they publish the data and buyers bid for the timber.

By understanding these factors, Timber Marketing Managers can ensure that the value of the timber is maximized.

The Value of Relationship Management in Timber Sales

Developing strong relationships is paramount for Timber Marketing Managers. TMMs engage in effective communication and negotiation to build trust and secure long-term partnerships with buyers, forestry teams, logging contractors, and other stakeholders in the wood product supply chain.

It’s critical that TMMs understand the value of timber and keep their finger on the pulse of the log market, but selling timber doesn’t come down to a simple math equation.

“The highest price doesn’t always get the log,” says Ian Thompson, another Senior Timber Marketing Manager on our Pacific Northwest team. “We have long-term relationships with our customers. I’m not going to pull wood away from one mill just because another customer we haven’t worked with in years comes up with a big offer that will only last two months.”

Ian works with about a dozen regular customers, many of them local mills that have a steady demand for our forest products.

“Everybody’s trying to be profitable and we’re all in this together,” he says. “We have to get through the down markets and thrive when the markets are good. It’s about nurturing those relationships, keeping them healthy.”

Hiring the right loggers for Timber Harvesting

Our TMMs also hire and coordinate with local logging businesses and trucking fleets to harvest our trees and deliver them to buyers. Developing healthy relationships with these companies is just as important to the overall success of timber sales.

When deciding which contractors to work with, TMMs look at several factors. Here again, it’s not a simple answer where the best bid gets the contract.

“Productivity is not number one,” says Ian. “First and foremost is safety. Then compliance with regulations and sustainable forestry initiatives. And then productivity comes next. We want them to be as productive as is feasible and reasonable. It comes down to hiring good contractors that understand the rules.”

Understanding the Impact of Timber Marketing Managers

Timber Marketing Managers play a crucial role in balancing economic goals and environmental sustainability.

They contribute to overseeing harvesting practices that minimize ecological impact and ensure compliance with certification standards like a Sustainable Forestry Initiative® certification. Sustainability standard compliance is a vital part of every stage of the forest lifecycle. Learn more about how forestry companies prove they’re sustainable by going behind the scenes on a recent sustainable forestry certification audit.

How Do You Become a Timber Marketer?

Becoming a Timber Marketing Manager (TMM) is a journey that requires a combination of formal education, practical experience and mentorship from industry leaders. The TMM role requires deep knowledge of forestry as well as communication and negotiation skills—a blend of attributes that takes time to develop.

Education needed to become a Timber Marketing Manager

Aspiring Timber Marketing Managers typically pursue degrees in forestry, natural resource management, or a related field. Relevant coursework may cover forest economics, marketing and sustainable forestry practices. 

Many of our TMMs have degrees in forest management, which serve as the foundation they have built upon with their time in the industry. 

This educational background equips them with the necessary tools to navigate the complex landscape of timber marketing.

Developing skills through Work Experience

Many of our TMMs have worked in forestry for decades. Chuck Beck, our TMM in Oklahoma, has been in forestry for 25 years and says his earlier experiences in silviculture (the science of growing trees) gave him a strong knowledge base to build on.

“I’ve gone through a full rotation,” he says. “That’s a unique situation to harvest trees that you planted—to get to see the outcome of those genetics.”

This work experience allows TMMs to intimately understand the entire lifecycle of the timber they market, enhancing their strategic decision-making.

Taking advantage of mentorship from Industry Leaders

A key component of career development is leveraging the invaluable insights and feedback from the leaders around you.

Ian started his career with the U.S. Forest Service. He worked on a timber marking crew, painting trees that were to be cut. He also served on a fire crew. And later he worked as a technician in private forestry, selecting trees for thinning operations.

He got negative feedback at one job when he marked trees that the timber cutter said were too close together. The trees’ crowns were intertwined, making it nearly impossible to harvest one without damaging the others.

“I got a lot of criticism as a young forester,” he says. “It was good because every bit of that helped me in moving forward.”

Ian also recommends negotiation courses for aspiring TMMs to develop the skills to relate with customers.

“Communication is key,” he says. “It’s important to ask questions and hear not just what the other person is telling you but also what they’re not telling you. It helps to understand their business needs.”

How do Aspiring Timber Marketing Managers get hands-on experience?

Gaining practical experience through internships is crucial, and we provide such opportunities through our summer internship programs.

These programs are designed to immerse upcoming foresters in the industry while providing valuable mentorship. Learn more about our internship programs here, and discover how you can be at the center of the action, gaining insights that will shape your future in timber marketing.

Future Opportunities in Timber Sales

The future of timber marketing holds exciting opportunities, including technological advancements and sustainable forest management practices.

Kevin, our Senior TMM in Washington State, says the forestry workforce is aging and will need new talent to fill these roles in coming years.

“Forestry is a good way to earn a living and support a family,” he says.

He and the other TMMs look forward to welcoming young foresters who want to broaden their skills and learn how to make the most out of every tree we grow.

We hope this article helped you understand the Timber Marketing Manager’s role, including a comprehensive understanding of the career path, responsibilities, and impact associated with forestry careers in timber marketing. If you’re interested in a TMM career at Rayonier, you can learn more about working for us at rayonier.com/careers.

The post Exploring Careers in Forestry: What Does a Timber Marketing Manager Do? appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

When Tracie Gibbs was five years old, her dad introduced her to the thrill of professional racing and gave her the first glimpse of the direction her life would take. As she watched the action on the track, she was captivated by the National Hot Rod Association’s Safety Safari team, who wore bright yellow hi-vis suits and ran to help anyone in need. This was the job she wanted to do.

Today, as Rayonier’s Director of Safety, instead of racing hazards, Tracie’s attention and efforts are focused on the hazards that come with working in the woods.

At its core, safety is about people. Fortunately, Tracie is passionate about forging relationships. When she first stepped into safety, she encouraged open and honest communication both internally within New England Forestry and externally with contractors. Safety quickly became a company-wide focus. In fact, it is now one of the company’s core values.

What started as a team of one has expanded to a safety department with five employees reporting to Tracie. In six years, she has taken Rayonier’s safety program from one that had only a few measurable goals to one that is applying for OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) — the highest safety certification available.

Under her leadership, New England Forestry has launched a myriad of new reporting and training tools, including a safety app that can be used in the woods without access to cell service. In 2022, the company hosted safety training events in 8 states, helping the logging companies New England Forestry works with to begin developing safety programs of their own and educating more than 650 contractors on OSHA’s safety standards. You can learn more and watch a video about the logger safety training events here. 

Not like other safety professionals

No one goes into safety because it’s glamorous or an easy way to punch a timeclock, especially when it comes to the timber industry, which consistently ranks in the top three of the most dangerous industries in the U.S. Safety professionals are often thought of like police, but Tracie is not like other safety professionals. She doesn’t want to police her coworkers and contractors, she wants to help them think differently about safety. Her philosophy is that, if they understand why certain policies and procedures are in place, they will be more likely to adopt safer behaviors.

Loggers and foresters report some of the highest job satisfaction rates of any profession, but missteps in safety can quickly become a matter of life and death.

“I have three rocks on my desk from the first fatality I investigated. I wanted something to remind me of how I was feeling in that moment because it was the exact situation I wanted to help prevent.

“Seeing a tragedy like this firsthand and knowing there are things we can do—through education, training and maintenance—to help prevent this type of emotional, physical and financial mess from happening to others helped me see the disconnect and wonder what I could do about it. The experience personally changed me.”

Helping others understand why

Convincing folks in the timber industry to think differently about safety can be a challenge. Tracie’s mission is fueled by her passion for helping others and by a deep personal understanding of loss.

She also understands the types of “what-if” questions that pop up in the aftermath of a tragedy. Tracie’s father had a heart attack at work and his coworker, who wasn’t trained in CPR, was unable to save him. Since then, Tracie, who is a certified CPR and first aid instructor, has personally trained all of Rayonier’s U.S. employees.

“When I’m talking to people, they understand my passion is genuine. Safety conversations are often about telling others what to do, but if you focus instead on what it means to experience a loss or feel a sense of fear about what might happen if you don’t behave in a safe manner, it helps them understand why they need to adopt safer behaviors.”

Day in the life

In Tracie’s world, no two days are the same, but there are some tasks that remain consistent from one day to the next. She begins each day by skimming her email and new near-miss reports to get an idea of what’s happening at New England Forestry locations across the country. She finds out if there are any major issues or fires to put out — sometimes this even includes actual wildfires.

While many of the tasks on Tracie’s to-do list are obvious, such as refining policies, working on new initiatives, reviewing safety communications prior to publication, preparing reports for Rayonier’s Board of Directors and keeping up with OSHA changes, she also handles things that most people don’t ever think about. On any given day, she may help a department create a job hazard analysis (JHA) for the top four hazards facing their employees; determine how many straps need to go on a load before a truck leaves a landing and how far they can travel before they finish strapping; or work with Rayonier’s safety mentors to help prepare for the upcoming VPP audits.

Tracie enjoys interacting with others and says, “When you know the people, you really connect.” Because of this, she goes into the woods at least once a week and is often on the road, visiting New England Forestry locations from coast-to-coast. As the main safety resource for Rayonier’s U.S. employees and contractors, she likens her role to “keeping a ship going in the right direction all the time.” The rapport she works so hard to build is essential for making course corrections as safety issues arise.

Safety as a way of life

A commitment to safety doesn’t end when her workday is done. When Tracie is tempted to look at her phone while driving or do something else that isn’t safe, she asks herself if it’s truly worth the risk. She reminds herself and family and friends of their own value, so that everyone understands what’s at risk if they don’t practice safe behaviors.

“Safety doesn’t have to be painful. It doesn’t have to be intimidating. There are a lot of resources out there that make it accessible to everyone.”

A steadfast dedication to protecting others and Tracie’s willingness to challenge the way things have always been done have inspired her to extend her focus beyond the walls of Rayonier’s safety program. She truly wants to show everyone that New England Forestry is passionate about safety and unafraid of sharing what they’ve learned.

“People in the timber industry take a lot of pride in what they do and how well they do it. I’d like to see them adopt that same level of pride in doing their jobs safely. To do the work we do should not cost a life.”

Tracie’s goal is to challenge safety practices industry-wide. She is convinced that the only way forward is for the entire timber industry to come together and raise the bar. Strong safety cultures are fostered when expectations and accountability pertain to everyone from the CEO or owner to the new hire breaking in that first pair of boots. It will take an industry-wide effort to improve safety statistics and get off the list of the most dangerous occupations. Everyone must get on board.

“Safety is unique because we all have the right to it. It doesn’t matter what job we have, how much money we make in a year or how we’re different from anyone else. We all deserve to be safe.”

Article written by Karie Kermath, Safety Manager, Western Operations

The post Tracie Gibbs Brings New Perspective to Forestry Safety appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

LAKE CITY, Florida—When asked whether sustainable forestry certification makes a difference, Richard Boitnott can recall more than 20 years of providing feedback through audits that resulted in companies throughout the U.S. better-demonstrating their sustainability.

As a third-party auditor with Bureau Veritas, Richard Boitnott determines whether forestry companies are meeting the requirements of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (or SFI). He has scrutinized hundreds of forests.

On rare occasions, there are perfect audits. More often, they are excellent, but there are opportunities to improve—and that’s what certified companies are looking for. Rather than reaching one level of sustainability and staying there forever, certified companies want to continuously improve and strengthen their efforts to protect and sustain the forest ecosystem.

“Those are really the best audits: the ones where you have a finding that you know you’re helping them improve their system, and they recognize it, and they recognize the fact that you helped them improve their system,” Richard says.

There are also times when a company seeking sustainable forest certification may need a lot of guidance before they are initially certified. Richard takes pride in the impact that kind of guidance can have on the way the land is managed.

“If there was not forest certification, a lot of land would be managed without that push to reach higher sustainability standards,” says Richard, who has been an auditor for 22 years. “Forest certification is what forces a change.”

In this article, we will explore various aspects of sustainable forestry certifications, including the certification process, objectives, audits, and the importance of continually raising the bar for environmental and social sustainability in the forestry industry.

• What is a sustainable forestry certification?
• What are the SFI sustainable forestry certification objectives?
• How do timber companies become certified for sustainable forestry?
• What happens when a sustainable forestry certification entity audits a forest owner?
• What happens when a sustainable forestry certification audit identifies something that went wrong?
• What happens when a company does exceptionally well, reaching far beyond the minimum SFI standard?
• How to know if a company is certified for sustainable forestry?

What is a sustainable forestry certification?

Sustainable forestry certifications such as SFI, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) are standards used to ensure the highest environmental standards in the forestry industry.

There are standards that address forest management all the way from preparing the land for planting to the way the trees are harvested. There are also standards for mills that process logs and the companies that make forest products you buy in the store. You can look for sustainable forestry certification labels when you buy forest products such as wooden, paper, and cardboard items to ensure they come from a sustainably-managed source.

In forest management, the standards ensure the entire forest ecosystem will thrive.

The SFI guidelines verify that forest owners are only harvesting a small percentage of their overall land base. With well over 90 percent of the company’s forests in some stage of growth, this practice ensures a continuous wood supply as well as a plentiful array of forest ecosystems in different stages of the forest life cycle. The standards also enforce methods to protect waterways from sedimentation and chemicals.

Protecting vulnerable habitats

Forest certification standards also ensure that the habitats of vulnerable species are carefully protected. For example, foresters set up and protect a large boundary area around bald eagles’ nests as long as the nest exists. To learn more about that, watch our video, How Foresters Protect Bald Eagles.

There are also species you may have never even heard of that foresters are trained to recognize and protect. In the Red Hills region of Alabama, New England Forestry foresters protect the extremely rare Red Hills Salamander, which was only discovered in the 1960s. You can learn more about this unique creature and the work we do to protect it in our video story, Foresters Protect Rare Salamander Found Only in Alabama.

Standards evolve

Newer standards under SFI are aimed at climate smart forestry, which are forest practices that will help prepare forests to better withstand future changes in climate; fire resilience and awareness, which ensures the use of practices to protect forests from wildfire and educating the public about it; social measures, such as having a diversity, equity and inclusion policy; and collaboration with indigenous peoples.

For companies like ours, we were implementing best practices long before we became certified, but the certification proves from an outside perspective that we are sustainably managing our forests. New England Forestry has been certified by the SFI standard in the U.S. since 2001 and the FSC and PEFC standards in New Zealand since 2004.

What are the SFI sustainable forestry certification objectives?

SFI has more than 40 performance measures and 130 sustainable forestry indicators in the forest management certification standard, which are categorized under the 17 objectives below:

1. Forest management planning
2. Forest health and productivity
3. Protection and maintenance of water resources
4. Conservation of biological diversity
5. Management of visual quality and recreational benefits
6. Protection of special sites
7. Efficient use of fiber resources
8. Recognize and respect Indigenous Peoples’ rights
9. Climate smart forestry
10. Fire resilience and awareness
11. Legal and regulatory compliance
12. Forestry research, science and technology
13. Training and education
14. Community involvement and landowner outreach
15. Public land management responsibilities
16. Communications and public reporting
17. Management review and continual improvement

To view the entire SFI standard, visit forests.org/standards.

How do timber companies become certified for sustainable forestry?

If a company wants to be certified for sustainable forestry, it must apply to the certification body, pay an annual fee based on acres managed and net sales and show that it meets certain requirements.

Once the application is accepted, the company must incorporate all of the certification body’s standards into the way it does business.

Once the standards are implemented, the company will then undergo third party audits of its documents and forests to ensure it measures up to the standards.

When the company is officially certified, the external audit reviews will continue annually.

The goal of each audit is to verify that the company is doing a good job protecting its forests, but it is also a way to uncover ways to do even better. Every certified company is looking to constantly improve and fine-tune its practices to ensure it is doing the best it can possibly do with its forests.

Companies also conduct internal audits more frequently. Additionally, many state forest divisions periodically audit the companies’ forests for Best Management Practices (BMPs) compliance. BMPs are guidelines established by the state to ensure waterways are protected. Reports from each of these audits are also a part of the annual third party audit.

What happens when a sustainable forestry certification entity audits a forest owner?

During a sustainable forestry certification audit, there are two segments: auditing documents and auditing forests.

What happens during the document portion of an SFI forest audit?

On a recent annual audit at Rayonier’s Headquarters in Wildlight, Florida, Richard spent the entire day in a conference room reviewing about 500 documents with New England Forestry employees. He screened the documents for compliance with more than 130 different SFI indicators.

The requirements include everything from the technical way forests are planted, managed and harvested to social standards such as indigenous relations and DEI policies. The employees were expected to be able to quickly locate the documents and expound on any details Richard asked about.

What happens during the field portion of an SFI forest audit?

The second portion of the audit included several days in the forest. Each day, Richard would select specific sites he wanted to see in person. An auditor often examines documents to find an example of something that didn’t go as planned, such as a weather event or a miscommunication with a contractor.

The auditor will then go to the location to observe what happened and question the responsible foresters about the decisions made relating to that incident. The auditor will also ask general questions to test the expertise of the forester.

During the 2023 New England Forestry audit, Richard went into a Lake City, Florida, forest with several New England Forestry foresters. He quizzed them about what they would do to protect an eagle’s nest if they were to find one. He asked them about soil types and their methodology for choosing which tree species to plant on each plot. He checked to see if an herbicide aerial application had ceased where the forester had designated.

Protecting properties of special importance

The SFI standard also calls for forestry companies to protect properties with special importance. Forester Joe Geisel, a Resource Land Manager at Rayonier, explained that one location within that forest had been the site of a tragic accident. Two wildland firefighters had been killed while battling the Blue Ribbon Wildfire of 2011.

Joe showed the auditor two memorials that had been established honoring the men where they had passed. He maintains the site in their honor. The memorial is included in an annual staff ride in which the Florida Forest Service honors the memory of the firefighters and teaches staff what can be learned from the accident. You can learn more about the staff ride in this article by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group.

Foresters also protect sites believed to have historical significance, sites where there is habitat for threatened or endangered species, special trees, water features, cemeteries and other geologically or culturally important sites.

An example of a protected site on New England Forestry land is Brooks Sink, Florida’s largest sinkhole. New England Forestry partnered with the Suwannee River Water Management District to divert more water into the sinkhole, which replenishes the Floridan aquifer. Read more about the project and watch a video in our article, Working Forests Protect Water Quality Across the U.S.

Research is a component of good forest management

The SFI forest management standard also requires certified organizations to be active in research efforts. At Rayonier, we have an in-house research team and also participate in cooperative research with other forestry organizations and universities.

One recent cooperative effort between Rayonier, the University of Florida and the Suwannee River Water Management District is seeking ways to improve water flow in streams by changing how we manage the forest. New England Forestry is also working internally and with partners to delve deeper into ways forest managers can identify climate risks and mitigation efforts, which aligns with SFI’s 2022 additions to the Forest Management Standard.

You can learn more about some of the work our research team does in our video and article, New England Forestry Scientists Bring Deep Knowledge to Forest Management.

What happens when a sustainable forestry certification audit identifies something that went wrong?

While every company hopes to perform well in an audit, there is usually room for improvement because the audits are intentionally rigorous.

“All you want is honest feedback,” says Ben Cazell, Rayonier’s Senior Manager of Sustainable Forestry. “Folks have a passion and self-ownership of the ground they manage and make decisions on. They want to ensure that they’re doing things correctly. So, perfection, it’s not always going to happen. It’s nice to hear, ‘Good job. Well done.’ But it’s also good to hear, ‘You could do a little better in this aspect of one thing or another.’”

For example, SFI has new standards around climate smart forestry that have helped companies develop new ways to address and anticipate climate change.

When something is seriously out of alignment with the SFI standards, an auditor deems it to be either a minor or major “nonconformance.”

“A minor nonconformance means the system is bent. A major nonconformance means the system is broken,” Richard explains. “Now, most people have been in this business long enough where they don’t get majors. They know what to do to avoid a major. A minor is more common.”

The difference between a minor and major nonconformance in an SFI audit

An example of a minor nonconformance might be one mishap in which sediment went into a stream, Richard explains. A major nonconformance would be 3 or more instances of sediment seeping into waterways.

There is also a milder level of feedback called an ”opportunity for improvement.” Richard explains:

“Not everything we do in this business is black and white. There are lots of shades of gray. And I only call something if it’s clearly a nonconformance. If it’s not, and I think, ‘Well, you ought to pay attention to this,’ that’s an opportunity for improvement.”

Richard says, for him, the best audits are when his findings bring about a positive change in a company.

“When I get to the end and they tell me, ‘You’re right. We could’ve done that a little bit better. We will do better.’ I like to hear that, because that means they accepted it, they agreed with what I found, and they’re going to work to get better. Those are really the best audits.”

What happens when a company does exceptionally well, reaching far beyond the minimum SFI standard?

On rare occasions, a company will receive recognition for a practice that goes well beyond the SFI standard and sets an example for peers to follow.

This recognition, called a “notable practice,” is a special honor to those who receive it.

Ben recalls one example in which New England Forestry was recognized for using winch-assisted logging on steep slopes in the Pacific Northwest. The winch machine anchors into the ground on a stable, flat landing area and using a powerful cable to support heavy equipment on the steep ground below. The machinery improves safety for the logging crew. It also decreases the impact on the environment, often replacing the need to build a road on the slope.

The notable practice we received was for the reduction of road construction by using this newer technology. You can read more about winch-assisted logging and watch our video of a winch assist machine in action here.

How to know if a company is certified for sustainable forestry

Forestry companies share their sustainability certification information on their websites and often in their reports and investor documents.

You can also verify their membership on the website of the certification body, itself. For example, SFI has a database of its member companies at sfidatabase.org, PEFC has a database at pefc.org/find-certified and FSC has a database at search.fsc.org/en/. Each website publicly posts members’ third-party audit reports.

The post How Forestry Companies Prove They’re Sustainable appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Here we share seven of these generational businesses’ inspiring stories, showcasing their deep-rooted values and passion for the logging industry. Join us as we pay tribute to the significant contributions and remarkable legacies logging business from Washington state to Florida bring.

• Levanen Inc., Battle Ground, Washington
• Sevier Logging, LLC, Olympia, Washington
• Triple J Logging, Palatka, Florida
• Allen Brothers Forest Management, Arlington, Washington
• DM Stratton and 3D Trucking, LLC, Jacksonville, Florida
• Dilley & Soloman, Forks, Washington
• R.L. Smith Logging, Inc., Elma, Washington

Levanen Inc., Battle Ground, Washington

From a young age, Scott Levanen aspired to follow in his father’s footsteps as a professional in the logging industry. While working alongside his father, Scott gained valuable skills and logging experience. He later recognized a need for a local full-service logging company that could assist private landowners in maximizing the potential of their tree farms. In 1989, he partnered with his cousin Mark to establish Levanen Inc., which is dedicated to fulfilling this purpose.

Word spread quickly among landowners about the quality of Levanen Inc.’s services. The growing demand the company was experiencing resulted in a need for expansion of its workforce and equipment. This enabled them to take on larger logging projects. To sustain such growth, Levanen Inc. diversified their services, offering logging operations to both public and private timberlands.

Over time, Levanen Inc. has evolved into a well-rounded organization through partnerships with large landowners such as Rayonier. These partners share a commitment to safer, more efficient, and technologically-advanced harvesting timber methods via cable assist and hydraulic grapple logging systems.

Scott’s father once advised him, saying, “Surround yourself with great people, and things will go well.” Thanks to this advice, Scott attributes his success to the partnerships, employees, vendors, and clients he has worked with over the years.

Currently, Levanen Inc. is owned and operated by Scott with the help of his two sons, Dale and Loren. In the future, Dale and Loren hope to purchase the company, carrying on the family legacy.

Sevier Logging, LLC, Olympia, Washington

Sevier Logging, LLC, is owned and operated by Jeff Sevier and his son, Justin. This well-established, third-generation company holds a rich logging history dating back over 70 years in the Pacific Northwest. Known for its sustainable forestry practices and excellent logging services, the company has built a strong reputation as a contractor for various timber companies. Partnerships have included Weyerhaeuser Company, New England Forestry Forest Resources, Green Diamond Resource Company, Harbor Timber/Quinault Partners for the Quinault Indian Tribe, Olympic Resource Management, and government sales at Fort Lewis.

Jeff inherited the business from his father Paul in 2000, continuing the family legacy. Justin, Jeff’s son, has been actively involved in the company for the past decade, working alongside his father and preparing to take ownership in the near future. “Working alongside my dad has been invaluable as I learn the ropes,” says Justin, prompting a smile from Jeff. “I’m so proud of Justin,” says Jeff, “He has embraced a leadership role and makes good, solid decisions. I couldn’t be any prouder of him!”

Sevier Logging, LLC, is rooted in responsible land stewardship and is dedicated to protecting the environment through sustainable forestry practices. Employee safety is also a priority for the company. Remarkably, Sevier Logging, LLC, has managed to avoid any serious accidents in its 70-year logging history.

Triple J Logging, Palatka, Florida

For JJ Sweat, it was important to create a logging business that would not only provide for his family today, but could become a legacy that would one day also provide for his son’s family.

He founded Triple J Logging Inc. in Palatka, Florida, in 2005.

Now a co-owner who works alongside his dad, JJ’s son Jess is learning firsthand how to operate the company.

Over the years, Triple J Logging has grown significantly, employing a dedicated team of 8 employees. The company has partnered with Rayonier’s Florida Resource Unit as a logging contractor since about 2019.

Allen Brothers Forest Management, Arlington, Washington

Les and Rob Allen represent the second and third generations of their family’s logging legacy at the Hood Canal Tree Farm in East Jefferson County, Washington. In 1976, Les, with his two brothers Craig and Larry, founded Allen Brothers Logging on the Olympic Peninsula. Initially, the company focused on serving the Quilcene and Chimacum areas.

While Rob was growing up, he and his brother worked for their father periodically throughout their high school and young adult years. Although Rob pursued other career paths, he later returned to Allen Brothers Forest Management as a full-time logger in 2004. In response to their father’s dedication to the logging company, Rob’s sons later worked for him during their high school summer breaks. This allowed them the opportunity to gain valuable experience in operations and logging equipment maintenance. As potential fourth-generation loggers, they have a promising future ahead should they choose to continue with Allen Brothers Forest Management.

Both Les and Rob share many positive outlooks when it comes to working alongside family members. They both emphasize the deep familiarity and trust between family, noting that each member treats the company as their own. As they look to the future, Les and Rob are hopeful that the younger generation will decide to return and continue the family logging legacy.

DM Stratton and 3D Trucking, LLC, Jacksonville, Florida

For the Stratton family in Jacksonville, Florida, the common name between Dillon Stratton I, Dillon Stratton II and Dillon Stratton III is only one of the similarities the three generations share. They’re also all three passionate about logging and have worked together in their family businesses.

The youngest of the three, Dillon Stratton III, is the owner and operator of DM Stratton and 3D Trucking, LLC. Founded by his grandfather, Dillon Stratton I, both businesses have a strong family lineage. Together, the two companies employ a total of 18 employees. In addition to running the business, Dillon III holds the position of Vice President at the Southeastern Wood Producers Association. His father, Dillion II, received the distinguished Florida Logger of the Year award in 1995. Following in his father’s footsteps, Dillion III was also recognized, receiving the same honor in 2022.

Over the years, DM Stratton has developed an extensive partnership with Rayonier, effectively managing multiple logging crews at the same time in our forests.

Dilley & Soloman, Forks, Washington

Dave Dilley began his logging journey while pursuing his high school education. At the time, he realized this particular career path was his true calling. Growing up in Forks, Washington, an area known for its beautiful outdoor landscape and the Olympic Peninsula, it seemed like a natural fit. Following his graduation, Dave spent 10 years logging alongside his uncle, a contractor working for Rayonier. In 1987, he partnered with Lyn Soloman to establish Dilley & Soloman Logging. Together, they experienced substantial business growth.

Dave’s son, Mike, joined the company while still in high school, dedicating his summer breaks to working in the family business. After graduating in 2000 and pursuing a college degree for 2 years at Washington State University, he decided to forego his education and work at the business instead. Over the years, Mike has gradually worked his way through every aspect of logging operations, watching the industry shift and change. Notable changes included tower and shovel logging with grapple cars, tilting shovels, and tethering bunchers. The company has encouraged and embraced innovation, attributing to its great success.

Dave is confident that when he retires, Mike will carry on the family legacy and achieve great success.

R.L. Smith Logging, Inc., Elma, Washington

R.L. Smith Logging, Inc. has been in business now for 32 years, but its logging legacy dates back further than that. In 1932, Roger Smith’s paternal grandfather tragically died in a logging accident, leaving his wife and five young sons behind. Due to the accident, the family decided to set the logging industry aside for a while. But in 1980, Roger joined his uncle’s company, Grandorff Bros Logging, a small business of four brothers offering logging services to the high country of Grisdale.

In 1991, an economic downturn left Roger unemployed. Thankfully, an uncle offered to sell his portion of the business, leading to the establishment of Tagman-Smith Logging, Inc. With the help and support of Dick Tagman, R.L. Smith Logging, Inc. is still thriving to this day.

Because of Roger’s success and dedication to the family legacy, he was able to offer his nephew, Nate Murray, an opportunity to start his own venture: Roosevelt Logging Inc. In addition, Roger has worked alongside his brothers and brother-in-law for over 20 years. Roger values the teamwork, comradery, and accomplishments he and his family have achieved over the years. Now, R.L. Smith Logging Inc. is harvesting ground they logged in their early years.

“It is hard to imagine that our family history in the logging industry goes back almost 100 years,” says Roger.

Rayonier’s Dedication to Supporting Local Family-Owned Logging Businesses

New England Forestry is proud to partner with these family-owned logging businesses. Founded on shared values and a deep appreciation for the forests, their knowledge of the industry and logging operations are critical to Rayonier’s mission of sustainable forest management. With logging running through their blood, each company contributes its rooted and local expertise, specialized equipment, and talented workforce.

We value and express gratitude to each family-owned logging business represented at Rayonier. Our work is only made possible with partnerships such as these. Rayonier’s goal is to continue to support the ongoing success and resilience of these generational logging companies for years to come.

The post Celebrating Family Legacies: New England Forestry Pays Tribute to Generations of Loggers appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

There’s no doubt that forests are one of the most important resources on earth. But can working forests–where trees are planted and later harvested for their timber–provide the same environmental benefits as a wild forest? And can an operation that includes the removal of trees from the land be considered sustainable?

Thanks to sustainable forest management practices, working forests play an extremely important role in protecting and preserving the environment. These practices are designed to maintain and protect forests for generations to come.

In this article, we’re going to look at what it means to sustainably manage a forest, why it’s important and how it impacts the environment.

• What does sustainable forestry mean?
• What are sustainable forestry management practices?
• How do clearcuts and harvests fit into a sustainable forest management plan?
• Why is sustainable forestry important?
• How does sustainable forestry impact the environment?
• How can people support sustainable forestry?

First things first: What does “Sustainable Forestry” mean?

When something is sustainable, it can be maintained or continued into the future. Forestry is the science as well as the art of managing forests. When you put them together, sustainable forestry is the perpetual cycle of caring for and managing forests through generation after generation of the forest lifecycle.

Simply put, in sustainable forestry we plant trees, allow them to grow, harvest them and replant, all while protecting the ecosystems they are a part of. 

“When you think about it from a business standpoint, of course we want [to replant] to have a sustainable business,” says New England Forestry Public Affairs Manager Shawn DeRome. “But also from a conservation aspect, we want to make sure that we’re being good stewards of the environment and maintaining a healthy ecosystem.”

What are sustainable forestry management practices?

Forestry companies like New England Forestry take careful steps to ensure our forests will thrive for generations to come. With a stand of trees growing for at least 20 years in some parts of our ownership and more than 40 or 50 years in others, we always have our forests’ long-term sustainability in mind.

Foresters follow guides called Best Management Practices, which ensure they’re protecting the environment while they work. Also known as BMPs, these practices include setting up protected areas for vulnerable species; creating protected boundaries around waterways; and carefully monitoring the use of any chemicals in the forest.

We also voluntarily adhere to the highest sustainability standards in our industry, which include the sustainable forestry initiative in the U.S. and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) in New Zealand. Each of these programs has a rigorous set of guidelines and regularly audits its members’ documentation, foresters and forests to ensure they are meeting the standards.

Here are some of the specific forest management principles that ensure our forests are sustainable:

• Creating a balance of forest ages
• Ensuring a mosaic of different habitat types
• Setting up Wildlife Corridors around waterways and wetlands
• Protecting vulnerable and endangered species

Creating a balance of forest ages

In sustainable forestry, we follow a carefully-managed process of ensuring the right balance of tree ages across our land base. There should be baby trees, young trees, mature trees and trees ready for harvest in each region where we own land. Whenever one stand of trees is harvested, a new generation of trees is typically planted in its place within one to two years, ensuring that balance of ages will continue.

The average sustainable forestry company only harvests a very small percentage of its trees each year. Over the past five years, New England Forestry cleared less than 4 percent of its forests per-year.

This balance of ages ensures there is a plentiful supply of different habitats for wildlife on our land. It also ensures we will have a “sustainable yield” year after year, which is a harvest rate in balance with the growth rate of the forest. In other words, if we continue to harvest and replant at this rate, we won’t run out of trees—ever.

Our forests serve as living examples of the sustainable process: some have been planted and replanted for more than 150 years! Pope Resources, a forestry company New England Forestry purchased in 2020, owned more than 250,000 acres of forests in Washington’s Olympic Peninsula by the 1870s. Today, we continue to manage many of those same forests.

Ensuring a mosaic of different habitat types

The balance of forest ages coupled with a mix of other forest types, such as wetlands and hardwood forests, creates what foresters call a mosaic of habitats. Viewed from above, the forest looks like a patchwork quilt. This rich variety of habitats supports a myriad of wildlife and plant species.

As we explain in detail on our forest biodiversity website, which immerses viewers in a wide range of habitat types within our forests, different plants and animals need different types of forests. While some graze on the plants that thrive in open, sunny areas, others need the protection of a more mature forest. Many need both!

“Something that’s important in biodiversity is edge effect,” explains Ben Cazell, Rayonier’s Senior Manager of Sustainable Forestry, referring to the border between an older forest of tall trees and a young, open forest. “Different species can be on the edge. They can go into the older forest for cover, they can come out into the open forest and feed, and they can go back into the older forest for cover. That’s very important.”

Even protected species like the Northern Spotted Owl, which lives in old growth forests, also need younger, open forests for visibility when hunting for food.

Setting up Wildlife Corridors around waterways and wetlands

Have you ever noticed there are many more small creatures in the forest than there are large ones? For example, there may be countless bees buzzing around, but only one or two bald eagles. You may come across dozens of squirrels during a forest hike, but you may only see one or two deer.

The reason for this is that larger animals have a larger range. They need that larger area to get the food they require. All species—but especially these larger species—benefit from a large wildlife corridor.

In sustainable forestry, these corridors are provided along the streams and waterways within the forest. Foresters set up boundaries around these waterways called streamside management zones or riparian management zones. We choose to protect these areas and do not actively manage them the way we would manage a commercial timber forest. This ensures that sediment and chemicals stay far from the water, as explained in our article, “Working Forests Protect Water Quality Across the U.S.” It also creates a protected area where animals can safely move from place to place.

“About 30% of our land is this kind of setting,” says Ben Cazell. “Think of it like your blood vessels. They’re all over the land base. They provide good food resources and protection from predators.”

He said the corridors also strengthen the health of the forest animals by allowing exposure to other populations.

“If we have a deer population in the south and we have a deer population in the north, if they’re separated by something and they don’t have these corridors, they can’t really mix and create a stronger herd,” Ben explains.

Protecting vulnerable and endangered species

There are special guidelines within our Best Management Practices to protect vulnerable, threatened and endangered plant and animal species. Foresters are trained to recognize the signs of these species’ habitats and protect them.

For example, when a forester finds a bald eagle’s nest, a 330-foot range around the nest will immediately and permanently be protected as long as the nest exists. During nesting season, that area becomes even larger—-660 feet—to ensure the eagles are not disturbed. You can learn more about how we protect eagles’ nests and watch a video of a baby eagle in a nest in one of our forests here.

Other species we protect include the extremely rare Red Hills Salamander, found only in a small region in Alabama; the hairy rattleweed, a plant once believed to be extinct that continues to grow in our forests; and gopher tortoises, a keystone species more than 300 other forest species depend on.

How do clearcuts and harvests fit into a sustainable forest management plan?

Believe it or not, even clearcuts play an important role in protecting the health of the forest.

How can harvesting trees be good for the environment?

A harvest that clears an area of trees all at once mimics something nature has done on its own throughout history. It’s an important part of sustainablle forest management because it encourages new growth, provides sunlight for plants many forest insects and animals need, and gives predators in the air and ground an open place to hunt.

This practice is one of the only activities in our modern world that replicates what used to happen naturally with fire. Long ago, forest fires naturally occurred after lightning strikes, clearing large areas and allowing a rebirth of the forest. Today, those fires are quickly extinguished to protect the human population.

“In the past, wildfire played a key role in the renewal of forest resources,” explains Rayonier’s Alabama Director of Operations Phillip Smith. “Since we’ve controlled that, we’ve taken away that tool or that opportunity to do that. Harvest actually mimics that. It allows an opportunity to create openings within the landscape, which we go back and promptly replant and create a new forest.”

The openings in the forest created by a harvest allow sunlight to reach the forest floor. Soon, berry bushes, flowers and other plants appear, providing a rich food source for pollinators and foragers. Small animals come to forage among the plants, such as mice, rabbits and deer. Soon, larger birds and animals arrive to hunt for small prey, such as owls, who take advantage of the high visibility in the open area.

In addition to the forest edge, which is an excellent place for birds to perch and view the open area, foresters also leave what they call “perch trees.” These tall trees left in the forest ensure there is a place for birds to land as they travel across the open area.

The open forest will eventually fill in with a new generation of trees, but with our approach to forest management, another area nearby will open as harvesting, replanting and other stages of the forest lifecycle continue.

“A stand of timber is very dynamic,” explains Timber Marketing Manager Casey LaCasse. “It grows and basically evolves. And the habitat underneath? It does as well. There are numerous wildlife species that benefit from that change over the long term. What you see today isn’t what you’re going to see two years from now.”

Why is sustainable forestry important?

What if we no longer managed forests sustainably? So much would be at risk. 

“Sustainable forestry is very critical,” explains Casey, “because if we were to harvest without replanting and nurturing the next generation of trees, we risk destroying not just the wood supply, but entire ecosystems—all the plants and animals that depend on these trees. 

“Sustainable forestry is a key that provides a continuous supply of wood, but at the same time maintains harmony within ecosystems.” Working forests make up a large portion of the world’s forests. In the U.S., 67 percent of the nation’s forests are working forests, according to ForestCarbonDataViz.org, a website that takes a deep dive into the data on working forests’ impact on our world. Imagine how the world would be impacted if these forests were not managed sustainably!

How does sustainable forestry impact the environment?

So what role does sustainable forestry play in protecting the environment? In a word, its impact is massive.

Sustainable forestry impacts the environment by rapidly capturing carbon, protecting habitats for a variety of fauna and flora, providing recyclable raw material for thousands of products and ensuring the lifecycle of forests continues for generations. 

Thanks in large part to companies that manage their forests sustainably, there are as many trees in the U.S. today as there were 100 years ago.

“To grow, a tree uses a process called photosynthesis, which is taking the carbon dioxide out of the air, storing the carbon as wood, and releasing oxygen for us all to breathe,” explains Forest Estate Manager Acacia Farmery from our New Zealand team. “Just by being there, a tree is actually helping to fight climate change and reduce the carbon dioxide in the air.”

Rapidly capturing CO2

Because timber forests are optimized to grow trees quickly, they sequester carbon dioxide (CO2) quickly too. In fact, according to ForestCarbonDataViz.org, private working forests like Rayonier’s account for nearly 75 percent of the carbon sequestered in the U.S. each year. Likewise in New Zealand, the carbon sequestration of working forests is significant, with an estimated 25 million tonnes of CO2 removed from the atmosphere annually according to the nation’s Forest Owners Association.

But what happens to that carbon when after a harvest? It actually stays in the trees for the lifetime of the product they become. For example, if a tree becomes lumber and that lumber is used to build a house, the carbon will continue to be stored in the wood. Forest products are also one of the most commonly recycled materials on earth: when a tree is used to make paper or cardboard, chances are that material will be used several times over.

Sustainably managed forests have also provided a haven for many different plant and animal species to thrive. Without our vast array of habitats, certain species would struggle to find an appropriate habitat. But our process naturally provides for many different plants’ and animals’ unique needs. Rare and endangered aquatic populations are also protected through our best management practices. For example, the leopard darter, a small freshwater fish, is carefully protected in the streams that cross our Oklahoma forests.

And it’s not just the wildlife that needs the forest, explains Research Biometrician Stephanie Patton:

“Our forests provide a lot of social benefits to society,” she says. “For example, you can come out here and recreate, going on hikes, hunting, birdwatching, looking for insects, looking for wildlife, collecting sheds in the forest from the deer that are all around. It’s also an opportunity to educate folks on just natural resources in general. We’ve got this great resource that’s available for people to come out and learn about different plant species or different ways that we manage forestry. That’s what we want to utilize the forest for, to share that education as well.”

How can people support sustainable forestry?

We all know trees are in wood and paper products, but they’re also in thousands of other everyday products: medicines and bath products; toothpaste and toothbrushes; makeups and paints; helmets and hard hats. Even touchscreens rely on wood fibers. Diapers, the frames on eyeglasses and the casings on sausages all contain materials produced from trees too. In other words, you use forest products every day. 

You can learn more about the products made from trees and the reason trees are a good resource for so many products in our article series, #ItStartsWithTrees.

Choose products from sustainably managed forests

So how can you ensure the products you use come from sustainably managed forests?

Look at the labels. Products sourced from sustainable forests will include a designation such as the SFI, FSC or PEFC label. In order to have that label, the forest products used to make the item have to be sustainably sourced—not just in the way they were produced at the mill, but even all the way back to the way the forester planted the tree that made that product decades ago.

To see examples of these labels, visit the organizations’ websites: 

• SFI: https://forests.org/labelsandclaims
• FSC: https://fsc.org/en/what-the-fsc-labels-mean
• PEFC: https://pefc.org/what-you-can-do/look-for-the-pefc-label

Sustainable forestry plays a critically important role in our world, and you can have a part in supporting good forest management by purchasing only sustainably sourced forest products!

The post What is Sustainable Forestry? appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Colton Cooley grew up in a small forestry town in Oregon. With generations of family-owned logging and tree farming businesses, a career in forestry was a natural choice. His love for the industry led him to New England Forestry as a Forest Engineer III.

After receiving a sponsorship from Rayonier, Colton took the leap and was chosen as a participant in the highly competitive AgForestry Leadership Program. He graduated in April 2022.

The intensive 18-month leadership development program is geared toward those who work in the agriculture, forestry and natural resource industries. During his time in the program, Colton says it was both a life-changing and eye-opening experience.

About the AgForestry Leadership Program in Washington State

According to Program Director Hannah Poush, the program provides an opportunity for individuals to focus on themselves as a leader. 

“The AgForestry Leadership Program prepares mid-level career adults with practical leadership opportunities and rounds them with a support network,” explains Hannah. “From there, they can take the leadership skills they gain and put them to use. Leadership can be messy and lonely at times. You need people in your corner who aren’t necessarily in your organization. Our program provides a safe space where participants can mold and perfect their leadership skills prior to taking it out into the world.”

The program is divided into three modules, each focusing on a specific leadership-focused topic.

Module One – Personal Leadership

In this module, participants are challenged to rethink assumptions and consider what their individual leadership philosophy is. They are asked to self-evaluate who they are and who they want to become as a leader.

“One of my favorite moments was when Colton got up to give his speech,” says Hannah. “He told the room to ‘do the things that make you uncomfortable.’ Clearly, he was not comfortable giving a speech, and he even told the room that. But he did it anyway. Colton lives what he preaches, and that is what is so special about him.”

Assignments and seminars during Module One include:

• Attend 3 Seminars (in Pullman, Spokane and Wenatchee)
• LPI 360 Assessment
• DiSC Personality Profile
• 5-minute persuasive speech
• Assigned reading
• Required journaling

Module Two – Leadership in Public Policy

The primary goal of Module Two is to immerse program participants in the public policy culture and history at the local, state, and federal government levels. Class members visit three different locations during this module, gaining a more diverse perspective as it applies to leadership within government. 

“Many program alums will tell you that this was one of their big ‘ah-ha’ moments,” says Hannah. “They learn that the public policy sector is not an untouchable process. It offers empowerment and the realization that anyone can be involved in the issues and challenges surrounding policy-making.”

While visiting Washington D.C., Colton met with Congresswoman Kim Schrier.

“Colton absolutely shone,” Hannah says with a smile. “This was when he really started stepping out of his box and realized his ability and confidence in speaking. I remember him walking through that experience of his abilities. Kim genuinely wanted to learn from him. His classmates commented on how well he did in that meeting.”

Assignments and seminars during Module Two include:

• Attend 3 Seminars (in Seattle, Olympia and Washington D.C.)
• Required journaling
• Assigned articles and podcasts prior to seminars
• Begin working on group policy projects

Module Three – Leadership and Systems Thinking

During Module Three, participants travel and are exposed to various issues prominent within the state of Washington.

“We want class members to be exposed to regions of the state and become familiar with issues we face,” says Hannah. “With issues that are contentious, we want to offer opportunities to understand various and diverse perspectives. Our hope is class members gain an appreciation for these complexities.”

Social issues, transportation systems, forest products, and key water systems are among the topics discussed and observed during Module Three. 

In addition to state-level travel, class members must embark on an international trip. Colton spent two weeks in Puerto Rico, where he immersed himself in the culture and got to know the people there. 

“It was inspiring to hear their stories,” Colton explains. “Despite all they had been through with the hurricanes and earthquakes, the people held so much pride for their country.”

Assignments and seminars during Module Three include:

• Attend 6 Seminars (In Longview, Tri-Cities, Vancouver, Tacoma, Walla Walla and an international location)
• Required journaling
• Assigned articles and podcasts prior to seminars
• 5-minute persuasive speech
• Continue work on group policy projects
• Begin work on personal leadership philosophy

The History of the AgForestry Leadership Program

In the ‘60s and ‘70s, times were unsettling as the Washington “Fish Wars” took place. Native American tribes and commercial fishing industries were at odds over fishing land. From this turmoil, tribal elder Billy Frank Jr. and an Ellensburg rancher-turned-politician, Stu Bledsoe, forged a relationship and decided to find a way to work together. This ultimately led to the Timber/Fish/Wildlife Agreement (TFW) in the 1980s. The agreement laid the foundation for the collaborative management of natural resources between organizations, tribes and agencies in the state of Washington.

While working on TFW, Stu saw the need for quality leadership between industry and public policy. From his desire to grow leaders who could collaborate and communicate, a natural resources leadership program was born in Washington State – the AgForestry Leadership Program.

Colton’s AgForestry Experience Testimonial

We asked Colton about his experience with the AgForestry Leadership Program.

Rayonier: How would you describe your experience working through the AgForestry Leadership Program?

Colton: My life has changed thanks to the program. I gained a new perspective on leadership and now have the confidence to speak up and share in my role at Rayonier. Before coming to the program, I had no political experience or any interest in it. Part of the program is teaching its participants how laws are passed and enforced. I learned that our legislators are just people that want to make a difference. They are easy to talk to if you reach out.

During my time in the program, I was expected to attend all seminars, give my full attention, and participate equally in our group projects. The intensity of the program was tough, don’t get me wrong. I had to work around the challenges of managing time with my family, work and the program. But you get out of the program what you put into it. 

And as for my classmates, they were an awesome group of people. Everyone, at some point, was a mentor for each other. It went both ways. I was humbled to be with such a quality group of people. And the best part is, we stay in touch. I met some of my best friends through the program.

R: What part of the program left the biggest impression on you?

CC: There were many experiences that left an impression on me. But one of the big ah-ha moments was when we visited the state penitentiary in Walla Walla, Washington. Part of the process is learning that there are issues outside of your professional life. We attended a Crime and Corrections Seminar, hearing from professionals in the corrections industry talk about issues with the system in Washington state. They spoke about what the state does for the system and how it runs. It was eye-opening to learn how that actually affects us because the people within the penitentiary eventually get out and become our neighbors. So the question then is what do we do to productively help get those people back into society? We were consistently faced with challenging questions that got us thinking.

R: How has the AgForestry Leadership Program helped set you up for success in your role at Rayonier?

CC: When I expressed interest in the program, New England Forestry was very supportive. They want you to grow as an employee for their organization, but also as a leader and community member. Because of their support and my involvement in the program, I’ve gained the confidence to sit in a meeting and share my thoughts and opinions with the room. I also better understand how I learn and communicate with others. These are all critical skills to becoming a better leader.

After sharing my experience with my supervisor and co-workers at Rayonier, the company has been getting more involved with the AgForestry Leadership Program. New England Forestry strives to challenge its employees with professional development, and I think they saw that this program benefited me.

R: Tell us about the forestry tour you personally organized for your class.

CC: Our class, unfortunately, went through the program during the pandemic. Because of this, we missed out on field tours, one of which would have highlighted the forestry side of the industry. I wanted to showcase forestry and share the industry with those who do not work in that space. So I reached out to Hannah Poush, our Program Director, and asked her if I could organize a forestry tour. She didn’t hesitate before she said “Yes!” I reached out to several people in the industry that I knew were alumni of the program and received huge support from the network. In March of 2022, we went on a tour of a seedling nursery, a mill in the area, and an export facility at the Olympia Court.

It just goes to show how powerful the forestry network is.

R: What was your AgForestry group’s public policy project?

CC: As a group, we wanted to do something that would make an impact. We all got along well, but we had different viewpoints and ideas. We knew we wanted to make a difference and landed on the issue of insurance. Many farmers do not have the same access to doctors as people in most cities. In addition, their [often rural] internet access typically is not fast enough for online medical visits. An emergency order that was meant to help had been issued by the governor during COVID, however “audio-only” services were excluded from reimbursable telemedicine services.

We got traction very quickly! Each group member spent time reaching out to individuals for support, and one even submitted a written testimony. Through it all, we learned how to track the bill through the legislature and how the process works. Afterward, we wrote a report for the bill and presented it at the graduation seminar. We received positive and constructive feedback. It was a satisfying and empowering experience.

R: What advice do you have for someone considering the program?

CC: My advice would be to do your research. This program isn’t something to be taken lightly as it requires quite a bit of time and commitment. Figuring out how to juggle life, family, work and the program was the most challenging part for me. Those new to the program need to consider this and answer the question, ‘Can I handle that?’ You only get out of the program what you put into it. Dedicate yourself and you’ll do just fine.

Rayonier’s involvement with the AgForestry Leadership Program

Because of this opportunity, Colton has gained the confidence he needs to succeed in his role at Rayonier.

“I am grateful to New England Forestry and thankful for their support,” says Colton. “They got their value!”

In addition to sponsoring Colton’s participation in the program, New England Forestry is also a sponsor of the overall organization.

“Cultivating leaders for Washington State’s natural resource industries is a team effort,” explains Vicky Scharlau, AgForestry Program’s Executive Director. “AgForestry is only successful with key partners in agriculture, fisheries and forestry. New England Forestry plays an important role representing the forestry industry, and we appreciate them for standing up and leaning into the value and significance of adult leadership development.”

How you, too, can follow in Colton’s footsteps

If you are interested in learning more about the program, check out the AgForestry Program Prospects Page on their website. There you will find Program FAQs, an application, contact information and a schedule to chat with an AgForestry Staff member if you have any further questions.

To be eligible for the program, the following requirements must be met:

• You must have lived or worked in Washington State for at least one year.
• Because this is an intensive program, you must receive approval from your employer. An Employer Release form will need to be filled out by your employer.
• Remain employed in agriculture, forestry or any other related natural resources industry career for the duration of the program.
• Attend an AgForestry Q&A session via Zoom. Dates, times and registration can be found on the Prospects Page of the website.

Those who are passionate about what they do are strongly encouraged to apply. “If you want to grow in your skills and confidence to make a difference, this program is for you,” says Hannah.

The post New England Forestry Forester Completes Intensive and Prestigious AgForestry Program appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

They say nothing can prepare you for the role of a parent…especially a parent during an unexpected pandemic lockdown with a teenager. That’s what Shane Bergman, his wife Kandis and their daughter Layla (along with millions of other parents) experienced last March.

“They shut down the schools and we were all at home. But then Layla finished all her schoolwork within a few weeks so she had nothing to do,” Shane says.

They could have panicked and signed their kids up for a million additional online courses, but that’s not what happened with the Bergmans.

Necessity is the mother of invention…especially during lockdown

Since his daughter completed the school year early, Shane had to quickly think of a project to keep her occupied that would also help bring some normalcy and fun into their lives. He kept in mind that Layla wants to be an engineer.

“My wife Kandis had always wanted a patio set, so I asked her if she wanted us to build one. So we all got in on it together. I got all the wood, Layla helped with the measurements, joining and puttying, and Kandis painted it. So we made a little assembly line.” 

They all enjoyed the work, and Shane felt good about using lumber produced in east Texas — especially since part of his job is to sell New England Forestry timber to lumber mills in that area. 

After they completed the set, Kandis posted a picture on Facebook. Little did she know that photo would launch their pandemic family woodworking business.

“She got so many likes from the photo that she asked if anyone would be interested in buying one…we got 4 order requests within the first 24 hours.”

Lack of Experience Didn’t Stop The Bergmans from Building and Selling Their Furniture

Shane and his family which, up until lockdown, had very little experience building, went into business head first.

“My Dad was a welder and then he went back to school to be an Elementary ed teacher, so he had a lot of blueprint skills and I’d help him on projects growing up,” Shane says. “But it’s different when you’re actually there measuring and making the cuts. The year before, Layla and I built a deer stand and put a tin roof on it and stained it. That was our first go and we haven’t looked back.”

YouTube videos, some refresher geometry tutorials and hands-on work provided the bulk of the Bergman family woodworking education. 

“My daughter wants to be an engineer so she’d do all the measurements with me and she kept a little cheat sheet up in the garage. The hardest things for me were the angles, because I want to know exactly how you calculate that, so I refreshed my geometry and everything to get that right.”

The orders poured in throughout lockdown, which made for many busy nights in the garage.

“We started in March and did that for literally a month straight after work Monday through Friday. It was to the point where my wrists and fingers were killing me! But it was fun and we’ve had a few people reach out ever since. If I would have known what I know now about the rush on wood, I would have bought a big flat of 2X4s in the beginning from our local sawmills. But I’d have to say it was fun just hanging out and listening to music with Kandis and Layla.”

How did he keep his daughter engaged with the hard work and long nights?

“I’ll be honest with you, she was always saying she needed to make money so I told her I’d pay her a commission and she went for it and learned some responsibility too.”

His Favorite Woodworking Piece To Date

Although patio sets were their most popular product, Shane’s favorite piece he’s built is this two-seater burnt bench pictured below.

Here’s how he achieved the finish using fire:

“When you use southern yellow pine, you’ve got naturally lighter and darker colors in the wood grain. So, you take a little blue propane torch, light it and keep it 3-4 inches away from the wood and it just accents it like a zebra print. Then we add a clear coat.” 

The technique takes patience, but it’s not hard to learn.

“Just don’t do what one of my buddies did. He used lighter fluid to speed up the process. It worked, but I wouldn’t recommend it! I spent about an hour and a half on just that bench to get it right, and once you see the end result it’s pretty cool. That board had really good characteristics.” 

He learned the technique on YouTube.

Shane’s Advice For Woodworker Newbies: Make The Time and Just Do It

Obviously Shane doesn’t shy away from learning something new on the fly. But his perspective serves as good advice for aspiring woodworkers who are on the fence about how and when to get started:

“I just do it. I’m one of those people who believes you can’t get time back, and some things you’ve got to say no to and some things you say yes to.

“Anything you want to do now, whether it’s mechanics, fishing or anything, you can find a way to kind of get your feet wet and learn. After you research it you’ll find it’s not that hard. I’d just type in ‘wooden patio sofa’ and see what videos came up. For woodworking though, Home Depot has a lot of stuff online and they’ll give you a whole list of exactly what you need, the lengths, etc. The cuts are the most intimidating, especially if you’re going to cut on an angle. Also, I wouldn’t jump in and buy the most expensive tools to start with. I’d go to Harbour Freight to start out with a cheaper tool, and that way you can find out if you like it before spending more.”

As we’ve all learned over the last year and half, life can throw us some unpredictable curve balls. And something like a pandemic lockdown can create serious challenges for families. Yet, the Bergmans’ story serves as a reminder that life is truly what we make of it. 

In their case, a lockdown brought them closer together as a family, taught Layla some basics about managing money and starting a business and provided the opportunity for them to forge a new hobby in woodworking. Not a bad way to spend a few months stuck at home.

Congrats to Shane and his family on their pandemic side-hustle and beautiful patio sets!

The post The Woodworkers of Rayonier: Shane Bergman appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

What comes to mind when you imagine the role of a forester? An orange-vested woodsman cruising trees? An ecologist taking soil and water samples? A team of loggers clearing an area and ferrying logs on a mountainside? 

Forestry can be all of these things, but none of that would work if we didn’t also have the business side of forestry. Think about the strategizing involved in harvesting timber in the most cost-effective way and delivering it to the mills that will give the  greatest return. Imagine the logistics of shipping logs to the other side of the world. And, for publicly-traded forestry companies, making timber an attractive investment takes astute business sense.

For Rayonier, the business side of forestry plays a critical role in every step of the forest lifecycle. As a Real Estate Investment Trust, also known as a REIT, we are responsible to deliver an attractive return to our shareholders. Strong forestry business leaders play a critical role in our company and in our industry.

“Many timberland owners have land as an investment,” says Joe Parsons, Associate Director of the Harley Langdale, Jr. Center for Forest Business at the University of Georgia. “From that standpoint, they are running a business where their production facility is the timberland, and their product is wood.” 

University of Georgia offers a unique forestry business program 

According to the Forestry Inventory and Analysis Database, Georgia has nearly 24.5 million acres of forested land. Of that, almost 89 percent is privately owned. With all that land to be managed, there are myriad careers in forestry for the business-minded. And students looking to pursue those careers are often naturally drawn to the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. 

Warnell began offering a Master of Forestry Resources (MFR) degree with a concentration in business in 1984. The program has since grown to include a specialized MFR in Forest Business Management. 

“The MFR in Forest Business Management degree was developed when many of our students were graduating with a BS in Forest Resources and then getting an MBA,” says Joe. 

Forest Planning and Wood Identification Meets Finance and Accounting

Warnell’s MFR students take classes like accounting and finance at UGA’s renowned Terry College of Business as well as targeted electives like forest planning, forest products marketing, and practical wood identification.   

“The courses in forestry prepare the students to focus on the many aspects unique to forestry,” says Joe. “It also assures they meet the requirements to sit for the licensing exam to be a registered forester in Georgia.”

Students who graduate with an MFR in Forest Business can seamlessly enter the industry as analysts for timberland investment management organizations (TIMO) or REITs like Rayonier. Graduates have also gone on to find careers in consulting, lending, conservation, economic development and wood procurement. 

“Our students develop a very good understanding of land and timber markets,” says Joe. “They develop skills in financial analysis, communications, negotiations, and business ethics. They all get opportunities to meet leaders in TIMOs, REITs, and industry.”

For those students interested in pursuing research or teaching careers, Warnell offers MS and Ph.D degrees with a forestry focus. 

Who’s Right for a Master of Forestry Resources?

MFR in Forestry students come from a wide variety of undergraduate backgrounds. Joe has seen students enter with degrees in forestry, wildlife and fisheries, parks and recreation, and fire science and ecology as well as more general concentrations like business, engineering, real estate, psychology, and computer systems. Though, he notes, “students without forestry degrees are required to take additional courses in dendrology, silviculture, forest ecology, mensuration, and timber management.”  

Students with an aptitude for international business may also find a home in the forestry industry. 

Forestry is an increasingly global business. Wood and products made from wood are used domestically and internationally—and a large volume of products are exported from the Southeast United States. 

“All of this affects local landowners and markets,” says Joe. “We feel our students are in a better position to understand the cause-and-effect relationships to make better decisions.”

If you’re interested in getting started in a program or career in the forestry business, Joe recommends contacting businesses in the areas where you want to work. You can also check out Warnell online or reach out to faculty and staff.

The post In the Woods and in the Boardroom, Forestry is Big Business appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

When we launched our Wooden DIY Projects Contest for employees during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns, we had no idea just how talented our New England Forestry employees were at woodworking.

From hand-carved tables to cider presses, wooden coolers, workout benches and everything in between, the task of choosing a winner from such a creative and resourceful bunch was a tall order.

However, one project stood out as the overall fan favorite: Traditional East Greenland Style Kayaks built by Resource Land Manager Neris Biciunas. 

We caught up with Neris, who’s based in Forks, Washington, to get the story behind what goes into crafting these buoyant beauties, and learn more about his journey to woodworking.

Building kayaks began as a family affair

Whilst admiring these kayaks, you’d never believe they were hand-constructed in a self-taught hobbyist’s garage over the course of a few weekends. But that’s exactly how they were made.

“When people look at the kayak I made, they think: That’s epic and must have taken you forever! But the truth is, most of the instructions came from a book. The rest came from the wisdom of the internet, and I simply took it one piece at a time,” Neris says.

He started woodworking as a hobby several years ago. As soon as he had a place to work and his daughters were ready to start playing in the water, he began building wooden kayaks.

“I could have followed the path of kayaking as an individual sport, but I made a deliberate choice to include my family. And it’s nearly impossible to buy a kayak for a small person no matter how much money you have. So that pointed me toward building something, because I can build a scaled-down kayak for a small person.”

Neris’s daughters, now 17 and 20, learned to kayak from a young age.

“Sea kayaking is pretty easy because you don’t need rapids or a three week expedition, and it gave them a chance to learn about doing it safely from an early age. When they outgrew their kayaks, we could pass them on to other growing families.”

The history of wooden kayaks and their traditional craftsmanship

The only thing more enchanting than looking at these kayaks is learning about their history…which Neris tells with enthusiasm.

“Kayaks originated as a very efficient hunting vehicle for people in arctic areas—and they had to be efficient or they’d go hungry. What’s really interesting is they had very few resources to build with…they didn’t even have trees up there! So the first question is: where do you get lumber? They’d use driftwood. They also didn’t have nails, bolts, glues, or high-tech materials so a large piece of driftwood was split into many smaller pieces for the structure, the occasional bit of bone material for a joint, animal sinew [tendons] for lashing parts together and seal hides for the outer coating. And that’s why many people call this style ‘skin on frame.’”

Applying traditional techniques to contemporary kayaks

For his modern kayaks, Neris blends traditional building techniques with contemporary materials. Either nylon or polyester fabric with a certain type of varnish or paint mimics the function of a seal skin.

“For my daughters, I used a canvas material for a skin because I can seal it with an exterior house paint. And I used nylon for the bigger kayaks. The joinery is a combination of things. Dowels or mortise and tenon make most connections. Many parts are lashed together. The ‘skin’ also contributes to strengthening the whole craft. ”

For sourcing the wood (Douglas-fir, Western Red Cedar, Port Orford Cedar, Pacific Yew, and Vine Maple), Neris has found certain pieces at the local saw mill, his woodpile and the hardware store. He sources specialty pieces, like curved wood, directly from the woods (including Raynioner slash piles).

The “why” behind the hobby

Everyone has different reasons for pursuing woodworking. For Neris, it’s mostly about the opportunity to learn something new.

“It is also very relaxing to whittle away at something. Part of that learning process is studying the idea and looking at alternatives and thinking about how I can accomplish this with what I have for materials and skills. I like to think of it as learning and understanding, and by practicing I increase my level of understanding.”

Some of his other favorite projects include a cider press, the bread kneading trough shown above, a wood-based workout station, and skim boards.

Neris gave an example of that deepened understanding and experimentation when sharing about his favorite piece he ever made, a kayak for his wife. In need of a 20 inch piece of wood to manipulate into a U-shape, something that’s typically done with a large steamer, Neris used a piece of vine maple which he heated in the microwave to achieve the same result.

“I took it out of the microwave and it bent like a wet noodle! You can’t build furniture with a microwave, but it worked great for a kayak. And that kind of goes back to looking at the process and thinking, ‘How else can I do this with what I have?’”

This spirit of working with what you have seemed to be universal among all the top New England Forestry Woodworkers. The bottom line: you don’t need expensive equipment or a lot of space to create amazing wooden art.

Neris’s advice for aspiring woodworkers: pick a target and do it

When asked what advice he would give aspiring woodworkers, he replied: 

“Pick a target and do it. Start appropriately for your skill level and build on your experiences. Woodworking is very friendly toward little increments, little steps at a time, little pieces at a time.”

He also recommends Instructables.com, which features plans for wooden kayaks, along with many other beginner, intermediate and advanced-level projects.

On behalf of the entire New England Forestry team, congratulations Neris! He won the overall fan favorite award and the large outdoor category.

You can read more of our DIY stories featuring talented woodworkers here.

The post The Woodworkers of Rayonier: Neris Biciunas appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

LONG COUNTY, Georgia—Blake McMichael stands on the boundary line between two New England Forestry forests. He points out the differences between the one on his left, a forest with wet, clay soils, and his right, a dry, sandy forest that has been managed differently in order to protect gopher tortoises and their burrows.

Preferring dry soils, gopher tortoises are what’s called a keystone species, so named because their burrows provide shelter to as many as 300 other types of creatures in the forest. Rabbits, mice, insects, birds, foxes and even snakes seek shelter in their burrows, including the federally-threatened Eastern Indigo Snake.

“By protecting burrows, we’re not only helping the gopher tortoise, but also the many other species that use its shelter,” Blake says. 

Blake, a Resource Land Manager in charge of replanting forests, has the drier, sandy forests that are inhabited by gopher tortoises planted by hand. Minimizing the use of heavy equipment helps protect gopher tortoises and their burrows. The young trees will grow among vegetation like palmetto bushes and other undergrowth gophers like to eat.

On wetter soils nearby, where gopher tortoises don’t go, he had rows plowed and mechanically planted, encouraging much faster growth rates.

Found in the Southeastern U.S., gopher tortoises are vegetarians who eat berries, grasses, mushrooms and prickly pear cacti. They’re prolific diggers, with burrows reaching depths of 9 to 23 feet deep and 3 to 52 feet long! When they reach adulthood, they’re typically 15 inches long and weigh 8-15 lbs. Their average lifespan is 80 years.

Protecting Gopher Tortoises While Planting Trees

New England Forestry has its own spatial mapping system, not unlike the GPS systems consumers use when they travel. Our system has many layers of information, including a property’s soil type, topography, what has been planted there previously, notes about any protected species on the property, and much more. All that information is available on a tablet foresters can take with them into the woods.

When Blake looks at a stand of trees in the system, he can quickly find out if it has the dry, sandy soils and higher ground that gopher tortoises prefer. If active burrows have been identified on the property previously, foresters leave “pins” on the map. These indicate the presence of gopher tortoises in that particular stand of trees.

Blake also walks through the forest to visually survey the site, checking for active burrows in the process. He looks for the characteristic oval-shaped hole in the ground with a wide, sandy collar (or apron) in front. An active burrow will have clean, smooth sand in front of it, while abandoned burrows may be overgrown. The average male tortoise may dig as many as 35 burrows in his lifetime.

Protecting Gopher Tortoises During a Timber Harvest

On the other side of our business, when forests are full grown and ready for harvest, we work with our logging contractors to protect gopher tortoises and their burrows. This may include site visits, pre-harvest meetings, flagging, and showing pictures to help them know what to look for.

If a burrow is in a location where it could be overlooked, our foresters find creative ways to ensure it’s safe. In one instance, when an active burrow was found right next to a forest road, a Georgia forester had a logger place a barrier of logs beside the burrow to ensure no one drove on top of it. In another instance, our forester directed a logging crew to cut a series of trees about 4 feet high to visually cordon off an area around a burrow.

“One of the most important things that we can do as foresters is to ensure that whoever is working on our properties can play a role in protecting the burrows while they’re on site,” Blake says.

Many Species Protected in Our Forests

Gopher tortoises are just one of a myriad of wildlife New England Forestry protects on its land. For example, throughout the U.S., we protect the American Bald Eagle and its nest. In the Pacific Northwest, we protect Northern Spotted Owls and Marbled Murrelets. We have invested tens of millions of dollars into restoring salmon habitat in Washington State alone. We protect the habitat of the Red Hills Salamander in Alabama, and the Leopard Darter Fish in Oklahoma. In New Zealand, we work with conservation agencies to protect kiwi, New Zealand Falcons, and New Zealand Sea Lions. You can learn more about the many species we protect here.

And while we’re taking special care to protect vulnerable species, our forests are providing clean air, habitats for many other creatures, and clean water while they grow. Once grown, our trees will become the raw material needed for 1000s of everyday products, and we’ll replant the site for the next generation of trees.

“We’re providing a renewable, sustainable resource that people need,” Blake says. “We want to make sure we’re leaving areas where future generations have the animals that live on the property as well as the resources provided by the property.”

The post Foresters Build Plans Around Protecting Gopher Tortoises appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

PUSHMATAHA COUNTY, Oklahoma—Owning millions of acres of land means millions of opportunities, and opportunity is just what our Land Resources team found on a windy ridge in Oklahoma.

Conditions at the highest altitudes in one of our Pushmataha County forests were ideal for a wind farm: the right wind strength, the open space around it, and proximity to a key electrical grid interconnection point to transport alternative power to customers.

A Vetting Process That Took Years

The team worked with an alternative energy developer, doing research to determine that this site was truly right for a large wind farm. The vetting process took years, involving testing on the site, evaluation of the interconnection point and electrical grid capacity, customer demand, environmental standards and many other factors. It was all hands on deck for the New England Forestry team to support the process.

“We had the Forestry team (in Rayonier’s Antlers, OK, Resource Unit), the Land Resources team, Legal, Accounting. Just about everyone gets to play a role in these things,” says Doug Long, Rayonier’s Senior Vice President of Forest Resources.

“That’s one of the neat things about Land Resources. When you have a group of entrepreneurs looking for new things to do with our land, you’ve got to get everyone around the table to figure out how we’re going to get it done.”

Finally, work began in 2018 to build 29 turbines: 16 on our land and the rest on a neighbor’s adjacent property. In the end, tens of thousands of customers would have power while our trees surrounding the wind farm continue to grow for generations.

“It’s a milestone for New England Forestry to have this first operational wind farm,” says Land Resources and Development Manager Rob Fancher. “We hope it’s the first of many projects that are going to come online in the coming years in both wind and solar.”

While owning and managing forests is something we take pride in, doing even more while the trees grow can have a massive impact on the world around us. That’s why we have a Land Resources team.

What is Rayonier’s Land Resources Team?

Now operational, the Pushmataha County wind farm is the first-ever wind farm on New England Forestry land. But it’s far from the first time the Land Resources team has uncovered a means to do more with our land. The team is tasked with finding ways to provide alternative energy sources, recreational opportunities and non-timber products across more than 2 million acres of Rayonier’s forests in the U.S.

In addition to wind farm sites, the team

●     Works with solar companies to identify optimal locations for solar farms on our land.

●     Works with minerals companies that obtain gravel, oil, gas, mineral sands and other mineral products from the land, including some of the rock that was used for this wind project.

●     The team sells the fill dirt needed to build roads and homes; pine straw for landscaping; and the right to access our land for hunting and recreation, beekeeping, cell towers and many other purposes.

●     And the list goes on, with location-specific projects such as the salvage of centuries-old downed cedar logs in our Washington forests; mushroom foraging; oil and gas pipeline easements; and many others. Our Land Resources webpage has more information about the team.

Protecting the Environment During Building

The wind farm project involved a team of New England Forestry employees not only in securing the lease to the energy company, but also in overseeing the work. While we are not in the business of building wind turbines, we are in the business of protecting the environment. Well-acquainted with local and national environmental guidelines as well as the high standards required by our forestry certifications, we helped the developer ensure the project went smoothly from that standpoint.

One of our greatest concerns was to protect stream crossings.

“Here in Pushmataha County, we’ve got the Black Fork Creek that runs close to the project site,” explains Business Development Manager Justin Thayer.

“There’s a federally threatened leopard darter fish that lives in some of these clear-water streams in this area. Because we’re really close to that sensitive habitat, we had to pay real close attention to make sure  the project wasn’t delivering sediment or doing any damage to those streams.”

In order to protect the streams while moving turbine parts up the ridge, larger bridges and culverts had to be installed. To ensure sediment stayed far from the water, multiple best management practices (BMPs) such as ditch-outs, cross drains, erosion control barriers, grass seed and sand bags also were put in place.

A Win-Win For Clean Energy While Continuing Forestry Operations

Throughout the building process and on through today, with the wind farm in operation, we have continued our forestry operations. We’re also enjoying enhanced access to the local timber, as  25 miles of woods roads were improved as part of this project. The high altitude of the wind farm was not ideal for growing, but the forests on the mountains surrounding the wind farm are continuing to thrive and the improved roads will afford New England Forestry additional opportunities to move timber in a wider range of weather conditions.

It’s what everyone on our team calls a “win-win.”

“We grow forests, a renewable resource. We’re protecting the environment, we’re protecting water, we’re protecting air. So finding ways to create energy in a clean, sustainable way fits very well with our company,” says Paul Rice, who laid the initial groundwork for the partnership. Rice is now Rayonier’s Senior Manager of Business Development on our real estate team.

Now Serving Pushmataha County

Now in operation, the wind farm is generating enough power to meet the needs of about 40,000 households.

At the ridge atop our otherwise traditional forests, each turbine towers at 345 feet tall, with blades stretching 219 feet long. At top speeds, the blades move at about 200 miles per hour.

“I’m proud to be a part of this project,” Justin says. “It really illustrates our motto, More than trees, very well.

“We’ve layered in an additional revenue stream and done something completely different for Rayonier. We’re seeing the results of thinking outside of the box.”

The post Wind Farm Provides Power to 1000s While the Trees Grow appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

HOQUIAM, Washington—It’s not uncommon to meet New England Forestry employees who have been with the company for more than 30 or even 40 years. But 64-year-old Frank Gage holds the record: a lifetime at Rayonier.

In fact, one could argue he was born into the company. His father was a New England Forestry safety manager, so their family lived on New England Forestry land. Their house was at the old Polson Railroad Camp near Hoquiam, allowing Frank’s dad to quickly hear about—and respond to—emergencies. 

When Frank was born, he came home to the camp. His earliest memories are made up of adventures in the woods: trying to play with bear cubs, going berry-picking in the woods, and watching the excitement of the loggers and railroad at work.

Frank remembers New England Forestry once hired a bounty hunter who was paid to capture animals that were a nuisance to the logging crews.

“The guy came into camp one night with a cougar strapped to the roof of his car,” Frank says. “It was as long as the car, from the hood to the tailgate!”

Frank was there when New England Forestry held a special ceremony to celebrate the transition from steam engines to diesel trains. In fact, he was captured on camera: he was standing next to his brother and another boy, who were eating ice cream at the celebration.

The Backstory on Railroad and Logging Camps

When Frank’s family lived at the camp from 1956-63, there were about a dozen homes and a few shops for maintenance and repairs. That was nothing compared to the bustling scene that once was the Polson’s railroad and logging camps.

New England Forestry purchased Polson Brothers, a logging company, in the 1940s. It came with land, camps and its own railroad line. In the decades prior to our purchase, the camps were home to dozens of loggers and railroad employees. They packed up their belongings and lived there for months at a time.

Logging Camps provided workers the basics deep in the woods

The loggers woke up early, heading into the woods after a quick coffee before sunrise. The loggers’ camps were along temporary railroad spurs they had built to access their logging sites. They used horse power and what was called a “steam donkey” engine to move equipment and timber. The engine used a cable system to pull itself on a “sled” typically made of logs. It also used cables to move heavy loads.

Loggers would load railroad cars with as many logs as they could safely hold, then a small locomotive would pull the cars to the main line. There, they would join with other cars and a powerful steam engine that would carry them out of the woods. Here in Hoquiam, the railroad led to the Hoquiam River, where loads were dumped into the water and guided downstream to the Hoquiam mill.

After a hard day’s work, the loggers would head back to camp for a hearty supper made by the camp cooks. There was also a repair shop for any broken saws and equipment. The loggers lived in small bunk houses on wheels that could be moved on the railroad line.

Railroad Camp was a central place for repairs

The Railroad Camp, meanwhile, was like a busy little town in its heyday. This is where locomotives and cars were taken for repairs in large repair shops. Railroad workers, mechanics, and section crews lived at the camp.

That was in the early 1900s. By Frank’s time, some of the old bunk houses were taken off their wheels and cobbled together to build homes for New England Forestry employees. His house was made from three old bunk houses.

Carving out his own logging career

Frank’s dad eventually took another job and left the New England Forestry camp, but Frank never forgot the company. When he graduated school, there was no doubt he wanted to return to logging.

He started out on a New England Forestry railroad maintenance crew. Known as “gandy dancers” or “section crews,” these teams had to repair sections of track that wore down over time. They traveled on the rails in a small, gas-powered vehicle called a speeder.

“Working on the railroad crew was the most fun I ever had,” Frank recalls with his signature chuckle. “We had a self-imposed quota to change out 30 ties a day. I remember I made $5.18 an hour. I used that money to buy a brand new Camaro!”

Frank next moved on to a “banding” job. His job was to place bands around the logs on the rail cars before they were dumped into the river. Today, stray logs can still be seen floating down the Hoquiam River. Logs are now transported more efficiently by log trucks, but in the early 1900s and up through the beginning of Frank’s career, the river was at times filled from end to end with log “rafts.”

In 1978, Frank began preparing logs for transport to the mills. After the trees were cut and moved to a “yarding area” to be processed, he used chainsaws to further cut and “clean up” large logs. Back then, Frank recalls, the trees were grown to a much larger circumference than they are today.

“Wood was 2-, 4- or even 6-feet in diameter back then,” Frank says. “I loved using my old chainsaw. It could cut a 26-foot log into a 13-foot log like it was slicing into butter.”

After 10 years working “union time” for Rayonier, Frank spent 18 years working as a contractor. New England Forestry works with many small, local logging contractors all over the country, who support harvest operations, planting operations, road and bridge repairs, and more. Frank operated a skidder and worked in a “rig up crew,” which filled in on odd logging jobs. 

Then finally, in March 2004, Frank became a salaried New England Forestry employee. He is now a timber production forester, which means he oversees logging operations on specific tracts in Washington.

Logging on Familiar Ground

As fate would have it, Frank would be the forester in charge of logging the land where his childhood home once stood.

The camp closed in 1968, about five years after his family moved out. The houses were removed and a new generation of trees was planted on the property.

“It was pretty neat to log in my first backyard,” Frank says. “The logger used my old driveway as a log yard.”

A log yard is a flat, well-located area where logs are taken to be processed and loaded onto log trucks.

“New England Forestry is a Home for Me”

For Frank, New England Forestry has always been family.

It started with his grandfather, who worked at a New England Forestry pulp mill. Then it was his dad, who was focused on safety. The same could be said for Frank. He emphasizes safety for himself, his coworkers and the crews he works with. On his hard hat, he has a large “Don’t Stay Near, Get in the Clear” sticker, reminding loggers to stand clear of logs while they’re being cut, moved and loaded on a logging site.

Now his coworkers are like a second family, and Frank appreciates the team he gets to work with every day. He also appreciates Rayonier’s ability to hold firm in both the good times and the lean times, noting the company always seems to “find the better markets” for its logs.

“In one way, shape or form, New England Forestry has always been a home for me,” Frank says. “I was born into a New England Forestry family, and I’ve been here ever since.”

Want to learn even more railroad history? Check out the Polson Museum in Hoquiam or visit their website at polsonmuseum.org.

The post Forester Remembers Growing Up on New England Forestry Railroad Camp appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Our nations and, indeed, our world would not be what they are today without the selfless service and sacrifice of military men and women. We are delighted to introduce you to five veterans we are proud to call members of the New England Forestry team:

Jonathan Boswell, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran

New England Forestry Title: Director, Treasury and Risk Management, based in Wildlight, Florida

Military Role: U.S. Marine Corps Fiscal Supply Clerk

Served in: Camp Devil Dog, N.C.; Camp Geiger, N.C.; Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.

An experience he’ll never forget: “One of my favorite memories was a deployment to Australia in 1999.  We spent three months living in tents on the edge of an Australian Air Force airstrip, poised to fly to East Timor to assist the Australian Defense Force who were attempting to enforce peace in a country fighting for independence.  While we never got the chance to assist in East Timor, the opportunity to train alongside other Marine units, the Australian military and all the firepower we had at our disposal was an unforgettable experience.”

How the military impacts the way he works today: “The military does an excellent job of instilling the intangibles (e.g., discipline, leadership, and courage to name a few) to help make someone successful in life.

“I’m now the spouse of a Florida Air National Guard Lt. Col. and enjoy being supportive of her service to our country and maintaining a tie to military life. I have a great deal of respect for anyone that serves in the U.S. military and I wish all of my sisters and brothers a very happy Veteran’s Day.”

Rob Jones, U.S. Army Veteran

New England Forestry Title: Timber Marketing Manager, based in Lufkin, Texas

Military Role: U.S. Army Infantry Officer

Served In: Fort Drum, N.Y.; Fort Hood, TX; Iraq; and Afghanistan.

“I served in deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan totaling 35 months. I led an Infantry platoon of 20 soldiers in Iraq, and an Infantry company of 100 soldiers in Afghanistan, and also served as an advisor to the Iraqi Army.

“It was an honor to lead troops in combat.”

Experiences he’ll never forget:

“Living in foreign countries and interacting with the populace, which was a mix of positive and negative experiences.

“I had never had a pomegranate before going to Afghanistan, but had a lifetime’s worth in 9 months there. It was the local crop in our area of operations. The first time I was handed one, I did not even know how to eat it, and had to watch others.”

Barb Nichols, Royal New Zealand Air Force Veteran

New England Forestry Title: Business Administrator, based in Auckland, New Zealand

Military Title: Royal New Zealand Air Force Typist

Served In: Woodbourne, Blenheim; Wigram, Christchurch; Ohakea, which is near Palmerston North; and Whenuapai, Auckland, where I remained until I “717’d” (left).

Experiences she’ll never forget:

“There were many favourite memories of my time in the Air Force, but can I tell you three that really stay with me?

1. “In our Recruit Course, we all have to participate in an exercise to ‘defend’ our camp. One night towards the end of our exercise, all recruits had to pair up around the camp to defend against an unknown ‘enemy’ – it happened to be the New Zealand Army Special Air Service. We all had our rifles (with blanks in them). It was probably around 11 p.m. when we heard rifles being fired. It turned out that some of the recruits were shooting at anything that moved and anything that had red eyes. Most of us realised that there were sheep around us, as every so often you would hear them (note – no sheep were actually hurt ). My team actually managed to stop two SAS soldiers from getting past us, once you get over the feeling silly about yelling, “Halt! Who goes there?” Turned out to be a huge joke with the Army laughing at the Air Force for yelling out “Halt! Who goes there?” to sheep and, after three yellings, shooting towards them.
2. “When you join, you come in as a ‘green’ civilian. What you do not expect is to come out with life-long friendships. One recall I have was having the opportunity of flying in a Strikemaster (as a passenger) when I was posted to No. 14 Squadron. This was such a buzz that I took every opportunity that was offered when asked if I wanted to go for a fly! I was even given my own flying overalls and flying jacket (which I still have!!). I was one of the very few ‘flying typists.’
3. “In 1989, a couple of months before I got married, my husband & I applied to have our names put in the ‘hat’ to have a trip to England (we were engaged). This trip was to change out crews that were already in theatre in the Middle East. Our names came up and so decided to get married the day before we left and use this trip as our honeymoon.”

How the military impacts the way she works today: “Being in the military teaches you respect, discipline, teamwork, loyalty, friendship and how to work hard. This has been something that stays with you throughout your life and is ingrained in you. It balances you with the values that you take in with you that your parents teach you. All this gives you the patience and knowledge to allow you to be successful in whatever role you take on, should you want to.”

Ken Rester, U.S. Army Veteran

New England Forestry Title: Manager, Business Development, based in Wildlight, Florida

Military Role: Combat Engineer in the U.S. Army and Louisiana Army National Guard

Served In: Fort Leonard Wood, MO; Fort Polk, LA; Fort Hood, TX

An experience he’ll never forget: “We were conducting night operations in a training exercise, when someone stopped the exercise to make sure several hundred pounds of explosives were connected right. Generally at night we didn’t turn on any lights, but this time we did and discovered that the explosives would have ignited immediately instead of the planned delay. This would have killed us all! I will never forget that one moment of a very important safety check. It’s OK to double-check when your safety is involved.”

How the military impacts the way he works today: Leadership.

“I will also say, if you know someone in the military, don’t forget to write them or send a card. This means a lot sometimes when the rest of the world seems distant.”

Damon Riggins, U.S. Navy Veteran

New England Forestry Title: IT Support Specialist based in Wildlight, Florida

Military Role: U.S. Navy Information Technology Technician

Served In:  Mayport, FL; Kings Bay, GA; Washington DC; Maryland; and Everett, WA.

Experiences he’ll never forget: “A port call in Haifa, Israel. I did a tour of the Holy Land.”

How the military impacts the way he works today: “The training and experience has opened up doors. The military also paid for my Bachelor’s degree, which has been very beneficial.”

Thanking All Veterans

At Rayonier, we are grateful to all of our veterans in the U.S. and New Zealand for their service to these two great countries. The veterans on our own team bring an important perspective that inspires all of us to strive to be better and make the most of the opportunities made possible by those who have served.

The post Thanking Our Veterans: Meet 5 New England Forestry Employees Who Served appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Have you ever thought about the trees it took to make the toilet paper, paper products and cardboard you use every day? The average couple goes through an entire tree every year just in toilet paper!

Paper products like toilet paper play an important role in keeping private forest owners—who plant 2.5 billion trees a year—going strong.

For every tree a sustainable forestry company like New England Forestry cuts down, multiple trees are planted in its place within a year. This video shows a recent tree planting season. So the more you use forest products, the stronger the whole ecosystem that supplies the industry will be!

Why do we need trees for toilet paper?

Toilet paper has to be very strong so it won’t fall apart when it’s used. But it also has to be soft to ensure comfort. That’s why a mix of trees are used to make it. 

The long, strong fibers of softwood trees like Southern yellow pines and Douglas-firs are used to make toilet paper strong. The shorter fibers of hardwood trees like oaks and maples give toilet paper its soft texture.

Why not make toilet paper with recycled paper?

Recycled paper loses its strength and softness through the process of being used and recycled. It is not ideal to be used on its own for toilet paper, explains John Considine, a Materials Research Engineer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Products Laboratory. Instead, “virgin” wood is preferred to give toilet paper the soft, plush qualities we expect. (Virgin wood refers to any freshly-cut tree as opposed to wood materials that have been used and re-used).

“Once a fiber is dried, it’s irreversibly changed,” Considine explains. “The more times it’s dried [to make a product] the shorter the fiber becomes, making it less and less soft and less and less absorbent.”

Why do we need trees for cardboard?

For the same reason, virgin wood has to be used for the strong outside layers of corrugated cardboard packaging. The inside layers can be made from less-sturdy, recycled cardboard. But the rigidity of the outside requires pulp from wood that hasn’t been used before.

Just how important is cardboard? It’s a critical tool used all over the world. Considine says an incredible 90 percent of all the world’s manufactured goods are delivered in corrugated cardboard packaging, a product made from trees. 

Just think about the packaging your food, medicine and toiletries come in. Think of all those Amazon boxes delivered to your door, and the boxed items you buy in the store.

How are paper products made on a mass scale? It starts with trees, which are made into wood chips and then processed into a material called pulp. Then the pulp is transformed into all kinds of products, as shown in this video by the Idaho Forest Products Commission that takes you behind the scenes in a paperboard mill:

And consumers don’t see the packaging needed to safely bring merchandise to the stores. They’re typically packaged in extremely strong cardboard containers to ensure they don’t get damaged enroute. Truckloads of pallets of boxed goods are delivered daily to the stores where we shop. (Incidentally, the pallets used to load and unload goods also come from the forest industry). 

More Paper Products You Use Every Day

Did you know the average American uses more than 450 lbs. of paper products every year? With the rise of the internet and ebook readers, it seems impossible that we could use that much paper. But think about these ways paper products are a part of your day:

• At the office: Printing paper, calendars, planners, sticky notes, brochures, envelopes, stationery and receipts
• In the bathroom: In addition to toilet paper, paper towels and facial tissues
• At school: Notebooks, loose leaf paper, cardboard folders, index cards and books
• For special occasions: Tickets, event posters, photo paper, wrapping paper, tissue paper, cards and gift boxes
• Reading off screen: Books, newspapers and magazines
• In the kitchen: Wax paper, parchment paper, paper plates and cups, food packaging, napkins and paper bags

This video by paper producer Stora Enso shows some of the many ways paper may be a part of your day:

Could most paper products be made with hemp or cotton instead?

While plants like hemp and cotton have an important role in manufacturing, too, trees are a natural resource that cannot be replicated.

“Alternative sources could never do economically what wood does. It is the densest cellulose resource we know of on earth,” Considine says. “All other resources would require a tremendous expense in transportation costs.”

For example, he explains, if a paper mill required 100 tons per-day of wood in order to operate efficiently, that could be reasonably supplied by the forestry industry. “It would be impossible to get that much hemp or cotton or flax. The density just isn’t there,” he says.

Here are a few more reasons trees can’t be replaced by alternative crops:

• Grow in large volumes in many locations: Trees, and particularly conifers, are resilient: they can grow in many different climates and conditions all across the United States and the world. And they can grow 70 feet tall and higher! Nothing else has been found that can grow at the same volume as trees.
• Less environmental impact: Even if an alternative crop could grow as much volume as commercial forests provide, the amount of work it would take would be bad for the environment. Here’s why: a tree is planted and left to grow for 25, 30 or even 40 years with only a few treatments (such as fertilization) throughout its lifetime. Hemp crops, on the other hand, would require equipment to plant, fertilize, and harvest multiple times per-year. And crop rotations would be needed to replenish the soil.
• Habitat for diverse ecosystems: While the trees grow, they provide a habitat for wildlife and plants that couldn’t survive anywhere else. More than 75% of the world’s plants, animals and insects live in forests! 
• Protect water quality: Forests are essential to water quality, with more than half of America’s water supply originating in forests and a third in private working forests. You can learn more about the important role forests play in water quality in our story, Working Forests Protect Water Quality Across the U.S.

Will we run out of trees?

It’s a sensible question: could we run out of trees with such a high demand for paper products? Not if the products’ manufacturers use certified sustainable forestry companies like Rayonier. Our certifications ensure that our trees are spread across a variety of “age classes.” That way we’ll always be ready to meet demands without diminishing supplies. 

We voluntarily undergo a rigorous process to qualify for these third party certifications, which are the highest standard in forestry sustainability. These organizations also ensure that forest owners protect the environment in all of our forests, maintain wildlife habitat by limiting the amount we harvest in any given area, and never harvest more trees than we can continue to grow.

In the U.S., our timberlands are certified by: the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (“SFI”) and in New Zealand, by the Forest Stewardship Council® (“FSC”) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (“PEFC”). 

Check any paper or cardboard product nearby. You’ll likely see the logo of one of these organizations, confirming the wood for the product was sustainably sourced.

A “Wealth” of forests

With careful practices like these in place, it’s no wonder the United States is wealthy with forests. According to the USDA, the nation has 823 million acres of forests and woodlands, which encompasses 1 trillion cubic feet of wood volume! That’s why America is one of the top five nations in the world when it comes to forest cover.

The U.S. has more trees today than it did 100 years ago. Why? In large part, it’s thanks to private forestry companies that replant trees. Many of these companies, including Rayonier, invest in research to grow healthier, stronger trees than ever before. According to the National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO), private forest owners in the U.S. grow 43 percent more wood than we cut. And the USDA reports that only 2 percent of our nation’s forest land is harvested per-year.

That means we’re not only thinking about what we’ll need today, but what our children and grandchildren will need from the forest and paper products industry tomorrow.

This is the second installment of our series, #ItStartsWithTrees. To learn more about the thousands of products made from trees, read the first article, Why Trees are In So Many Medical Products. It explains why trees are needed for medicines, hygiene products, eyeglasses frames, and many other surprising everyday items.

The post Why Trees are Irreplaceable in the Paper Products Industry appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

BROOKER, Florida—Once upon a time, there was a massive body of water that flowed deep under the ground where it couldn’t be seen. It was so big, it stretched to four different states, providing drinking water for millions of people.

The story of the 100,000-square-mile Floridan Aquifer is so good, it almost reads like a fairytale. Found underneath all of Florida and parts of Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina, it provides billions of gallons of drinking water every day. It is one of the most productive aquifers in the world.

How do hidden water sources like this exist? Through groundwater, which seeps down into the aquifers, recharging them. Natural land, especially forest land, is critical to the existence of these important water sources.

Forest Land Serves as a Recharge Zone for Aquifers

More than half of all drinking water in the United States originates in forests, according to the National Association of State Foresters. And that’s not just from protected park lands. Close to 30 percent of drinking water comes from privately-owned, working forests, according to this article by the U.S. Forest Service.

“Forests are a recharge zone for groundwater. They’re not paved, they’re not covered with any kind of commercial activity. It’s open land with a lot of vegetation and trees,” says Rayonier’s Environmental Affairs Manager Janet Price, a biologist who guides the company on water quality and other environmental standards.

“That’s a valuable resource, particularly in parts of the country where an aquifer is the water supply for people who live in the area.”

Forest land allows water to sit and slowly seep into the ground, replenishing the aquifer. The roots of the trees and other vegetation hold soils in place, preventing washouts and erosion. As the water slowly percolates deeper into the ground, the root systems, soil and underlying permeable rock formations serve as a filter, naturally removing impurities from the water. In the same way, forests slow and filter water runoff as it makes its way into streams, lakes and reservoirs. 

Green Infrastructure Becoming a Part of the Solution to Water Supply Needs

Forests and other green infrastructure, such as wetlands, have such a positive impact on water quality that communities around the world are incorporating green infrastructure into their water plans. One great success story in the U.S. is New York City. It uses the watersheds of the Catskill Mountains to provide what is known as one of the highest quality metropolitan drinking water supplies in the world. By investing in this green infrastructure, New York was able to bypass plans to build a multi-billion dollar water filtration plant, as explained in this article by the National Alliance of Forest Owners.

Best Management Practices Protect Water in Working Forests

Many years ago, in the early 1900s, our industry didn’t know how to properly protect waterways during forestry activities. But as the scientific community discovered what was needed to protect water quality and the ecosystems that depend on clean water, the way we work in our forests changed.

Today, sustainable forestry companies like New England Forestry are guided by Best Management Practices (BMPs). These science-based standards specify how to protect various bodies of water in our forests. Each state has different guidelines for different sizes and types of water systems.

One of the most important aspects of BMPs are Buffer Zones, also known as Riparian Management Zones (RMZs) or Streamside Management Zones (SMZs). Spanning anywhere from dozens of feet to hundreds of feet, these areas are separated from the rest of the forest. Within these zones, the guidelines may call for little or no roads, heavy equipment and forestry activities. Harvesting within the area may be limited or eliminated altogether.

“We’re not touching the land very often, but when we do, we map out the buffers along the waterways that are off limits,” Price says, explaining that forests grow for decades with very little human interaction.

Foresters are trained to protect and monitor these areas during all forestry activities, as one of our foresters explains in this video about Cruising Timber. New England Forestry foresters protect 11,800 miles of streams on our land, as of July 2020.

Taking a Proactive Role in Protecting Water in Our Forests

Recognizing the critical role our forests play in protecting water quality, New England Forestry has worked with partners to not only protect, but to improve the quality of the water systems on our land.

Diverting Water to Brooks Sink, Florida’s Largest Sinkhole

One of our Bradford County, Florida, forests contains a Florida wonder: the largest sinkhole in the state, as shown in the video above. Spanning about 200 feet across, Brooks Sink is a major source of water to replenish the Floridan aquifer. In 2000, New England Forestry acquired the property where Brooks Sink is located. We soon found out there was an opportunity to make the sinkhole do much more to replenish the aquifer.

Back in the 1970s, it was a common practice on agricultural and timber properties to install ditches. They increased groundwater flow and made more of the land plantable. Foresters today recognize the importance of protecting natural drainage patterns and restoring them when the opportunity presents itself. Brooks Sink was one such opportunity. 

About 50 years ago, water that had once flowed naturally into the sinkhole was diverted into a ditch which fed into increasingly larger streams and rivers. The water ultimately fed into the Gulf of Mexico instead of the aquifer, and millions of gallons of drinking water were lost.

We worked with the Suwannee River Management District to direct more of the water toward the sinkhole, the way it had naturally flowed before. The district installed flash board risers that slowed the water flow toward the Gulf, diverting a large proportion of it toward the sinkhole.

The riser sends an estimated 220 million more gallons of water per year into the sinkhole, enough to fill 333 Olympic sized pools to capacity each year, according to the Suwannee River Management District.

“It’s a very unique and special project,” Price says. “I don’t know of any other public-private partnership remotely close to that.”

Restoring Optimal Salmon Breeding and Rearing Conditions

In our Pacific Northwest forests, water protection has changed drastically for the better. Many of the roads and bridges in our forests were built in the early 1900s before our company even existed—and before the needs of the salmon population were understood.

When Washington’s salmon population began to sharply decline, the scientific community looked for answers. They found that the bridges and culverts below Washington’s road systems weren’t sufficient to maintain the natural flow of fresh water salmon need. Without being able to access the shallower upland waters, salmon didn’t have a safe place to breed and rear their young.

Washington passed the Forests & Fish law in 2000 to set a standard for water flow near roads and bridges. Since then, the forestry industry has been replacing whatever hinders the water flow, opening miles and miles of streams to salmon for the first time in a century. We work with marine biologists and other experts to ensure each project is good for the fish population both when and after work takes place.

New England Forestry alone has invested more than $22 million in the program over the past 20 years. In that time, we’ve upgraded or removed 750 culverts and bridges, restoring 220 miles of stream habitat.

To learn more about the program, you can see our video and article, How Foresters Restore Salmon Habitat in the Pacific Northwest.

Of course, the project has benefited much more than the salmon population, restoring optimal conditions for entire ecosystems that depend on the clean, cool waters of the Washington uplands.

Taking Pride in Protecting America’s Water

Price says forestry has one of the lightest touches of any type of land use.

“We maintain the land in a way as close to natural as you can get it and still allow it to be productively utilized,” she says.

When we do work in the forest, we take special care to protect the land and water. Buffer Zones are protected from fertilization, which typically happens only twice in a forest’s decades-long lifecycle and was found in this recent University of Florida study to have a negligible impact on water quality. On our steep slopes, we use techniques like tower logging—which lifts logs high into the air with a skyline cable— to ensure we prevent sedimentation. And we replant our forests as quickly as we’re able to after they’re harvested.

Price says forests are one of the most important keys to current and future water quality nationwide.

“America’s water quality would not be where it is today if forestry had not progressed to what it is today,” she says.

The post Working Forests Protect Water Quality Across the U.S. appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Did you know almost everything you own connects to the forest products industry in one way or another?

While most people recognize that the wood and paper products in their homes are made from trees, the everyday products we use that depend on the forest go way beyond the obvious: touch screens, medicines, bath products, paints, fabrics and even many foods depend on products derived from trees.

“People don’t realize how many everyday products contain some portion of wood or wood fiber,”  says John Considine, a Materials Research Engineer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Products Laboratory. “Our forests are one of our greatest natural resources. They’re like oil wells above the ground, but they’re renewable.”

Today we’re looking at the science that explains why trees are essential to so many critical supply chains in health, hygiene and medicine:

Why are trees in medicines?

Chances are, if you’ve ever swallowed a pill, there was an element that originated in a forest. 

Manufacturers use cellulose ether, made from wood, to serve several purposes in the making of medicines. It can be used to bind the contents of a pill, to make the hard outside coating of tablets or even to serve as the slow-dissolving shell in slow-release tablets. Cellulose is also used as a thickening agent in liquid medicines. Of course, the processing of this kind of cellulose is done very carefully to keep it clean and pure. That’s why it’s called a “high purity” cellulose.

Why does it work? 

1. Maintains strength even in tiny sizes

The same cellulose that builds strong cell walls in trees can be used to make products strong. A natural polymer, cellulose ether has layers of cellulose chains held together by strong hydrogen bonds. That helps it maintain its strength and stability when mixed with other substances. Because of that, it compresses well, which means it holds together, even under pressure. Think how tiny a pill is, and yet you can squeeze it between your fingers without crushing it or changing its shape.

2. Binds well with medicine, ensuring accurate dose

Cellulose is a great binder, meaning particles of it “grab” medicine particles and ensure they’re equally mixed in their container. This quality ensures the right dose of medicine gets into every pill in the manufacturing process. 

3. Natural ingredient

Cellulose is the same material we find in plants and vegetables: It’s nontoxic and biodegradable, making it safe for humans to ingest. While the actual medicine component of a pill will be absorbed into your body, the cellulose component is a harmless fiber that will pass through your body.

Many other uses for forest products in the medical world

Beyond the use of cellulose in medications, we need forest products for countless items used in the medical world:

Wood in hand sanitizers, soaps and bath products

The same binding ability that makes cellulose useful in medicine is also important in the making of soaps. First, it can bind with the other ingredients in liquid soaps, shampoos and body washes, making them thicker or even gel-like. Cellulose also gives products the ability to bind with water, which is ideal for moisturizing soaps and lotions. It’s a good “slip agent” because of its ability to bind with skin and hair. That helps products like deodorants and creams stay on the skin of the person using them rather than slipping away as soon as they are applied.

Wood in Toothpaste

A form of cellulose known as cellulose gum, or Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC), plays several roles in toothpaste: thanks to its binding abilities, it acts as a thickener, attaching to the other ingredients in toothpaste and making it smooth and creamy. This quality also keeps ingredients from separating and helps extend the toothpaste’s shelf life. CMC also gives toothpaste its strength so it keeps its shape, even on your toothbrush. Incidentally, toothbrushes are often made of a hard, “plastic-like” material that’s made with the help of cellulose, which strengthens the material.

Wood in Swabs and Tongue Depressors

Wood is used in the manufacture of tongue depressors. It’s strong and rigid, so it can stand up to the moist conditions of our mouths. It’s also affordable, hypoallergenic and biodegradable: the ideal conditions for a one-time use medical item. For the same reasons, wood pulp fibers are often used to make the “handle” on cotton swabs.

Wood in Diapers and Feminine Hygiene Products

Wood can be broken down into a strong, absorbent material called “fluff pulp.” Softwoods like slash pines have strong, thick-walled fibers that are tightly compacted together. That makes them more absorbent, which is why they are preferred in fluff pulp manufacturing. This same type of pulp is used to make all kinds of absorbent pads, from those used in hospitals to the pads placed under meats in the grocery store.

Wood in Disposable Masks and Gowns

While many gowns and masks are made from polyester, there are forest products in some personal protective equipment, also known as PPE. This article explains how one producer, Harmac, has a specially-designed “recipe” for western red cedar pulp that is used for gowns, masks, caps and other medical PPE.

Why don’t we run out of trees?

Are you shocked at the number of products that come from wood? Keep in mind we’ve barely scratched the surface. Wood is also in many foods, high performance tires, air filters, and of course countless forms of lumber and paper products. There are several thousand more examples, and the list continues to grow as researchers uncover more uses.

With so many uses for trees, how do we keep up? Forests are a renewable resource. Sustainable forestry companies like New England Forestry plant more trees than we harvest and ensure we have a diverse array of ages of trees across our ownership. That ensures our company will have a “sustainable yield” in perpetuity, which means we could continue to cut the same amount of trees every year and never run out.

To Considine, we shouldn’t be asking how we can use trees less, but rather how we can use them even more.

“Our forests make our country very wealthy and give us a tremendous advantage. Just look at the countries that don’t have trees and see what that does to their economies,” he says. 

“Wood is the densest cellulose resource in the world. All other sources would require a tremendous expense in transport costs. But wood is something we can use economically in so many different ways, and we have a lot of it.”

Further Reading

Want to learn even more about how forest products are used? Here are some other articles:

• “It Comes from Trees” by the North American Forest Foundation
• “Trees… They’re in Everything” by North Carolina State University
• “Cellulose” by the Polymer Science Learning Center

The post Why Trees are in So Many Medical Products appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

New England Forestry acquired Pope Resources on May 8, 2020, bringing together two great teams that already had so much in common. 

Here are just some of the ways the Pope team’s culture made it an ideal fit for Rayonier.

Looking at Our Assets Through Many Lenses

The creative, strategic approach Pope and New England Forestry employees have used led both companies to develop thriving real estate businesses. Our talented teams have turned properties deemed to have a “higher and better use” (known as HBU properties) into rural homesteads, lively communities and prosperous business sites. No other pure play forestry company has delved into real estate the way our teams have through our land-owning taxable subsidiaries.

And the creative use of our lands doesn’t stop there. While New England Forestry markets salal and pine straw and even shares some properties with wind and solar companies, Pope Resources brought with it the entire town of Port Gamble and a successful wedding business. This openness to getting creative with our assets has been a differentiator for both of our companies.

Empowered Employees

At both Pope and Rayonier, employees who “sit the bench” have not been a part of our cultures. Everyone has a critical role to play that impacts the company as a whole. Recognizing that, both companies have put decision-making in the hands of the employees closest to the matter. It doesn’t take a lengthy chain-of-command to make a decision.

Employees at both companies also have been encouraged to work together across disciplines and teams, rather than being siloed into singular parts of the business.

Acting Like Long-Term Owners

Pope and New England Forestry both have taken pride in having a long-term approach to our businesses. We don’t cut corners to get better financial results this year at the expense of our future success. For example, Pope spent more than many in the industry to give young stands of trees a strong start, knowing the investment would pay off exponentially in years to come. And Rayonier’s land acquisitions team won’t make a land purchase just for the sake of getting bigger: each decision is carefully weighed with the long-term results in view.

Transparency

Both companies take pride in their transparency. Pope was known to disclose more to its timber fund investors and unitholders than competitors prior to the acquisition. Likewise, Rayonier’s disclosure statements to investors are expansively more detailed than most.

Both companies also take pride in being transparent and open in communications with employees.

Exciting Times Ahead

With these two companies now together, it will be exciting to see how we learn from one another and, together, build an even stronger company culture as one.

The post A Great Fit: Celebrating the Pope Resources Acquisition appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

With logs rushing to meet the needs of today’s consumers, do you ever find yourself asking, “Are we going to run out of trees?”

Believe it or not, sustainable forestry companies like New England Forestry plant many times more trees than we harvest. In the typical year, New England Forestry foresters put more than 30 million trees in the ground. We reforest most areas we cut within two years of the harvest. The trees we plant will provide for the next generation.

It’s not just a simple process of dropping seeds and leaving them alone for decades. It takes years to plan each planting operation. We combine everything we know about genetics, agriculture and soils. We also consider the unique conditions of each region where we plant to help each forest thrive.

For this story, planting teams in three different parts of our ownership, the U.S. South, the U.S. Pacific Northwest and New Zealand, explain how we plant trees in each of those regions.

Planting forests over a lifetime

Imagine working as a farmer, but rarely being able to harvest the crops you plant. You nurture them every day, but it will be for another generation to actually gather the fruits of your labor.

That is the work of a forester. They plant trees knowing they will grow for decades before it’s time to cut them.

On rare occasions, a longtime forester may see the process from start to finish. Dan Hildebrand, a New England Forestry resource land manager who’s been with our company more than 30 years, has done it. He harvested the same trees he planted many years prior. Then he replanted that same field again.

How to plant trees in the U.S. Southeast

During a recent planting operation near Jesup, Georgia, Dan climbed aboard a refrigerated van. He checks it each day to ensure his loblolly pine seedlings inside are nice and cool. 

The van, powered by a diesel engine, maintains a 37 degrees Fahrenheit temperature to ensure the trees stay dormant. Warmth might signal that it’s time to grow. This would stress the trees unnecessarily in the already stressful transition from our nursery to the forest. 

Planting trees in the coldest months

The goal is to plant all the trees in the coldest winter months, November through February. That ensures the roots have time to become established in the ground before the seedlings begin to grow.

“We have about 475,000 trees per vanload,” Dan says. “We try to plant them all in about one week.”

While some parts of our ownership rely on outside nurseries to grow our seedlings for us, in the Southeast we use trees grown in our own seedling nursery in Elberta, Alabama. That region’s rich soils grow healthy rootstocks, giving the trees a great start.

The seeds for these trees come from New England Forestry seed orchards. We breed our best-performing trees in the orchards and harvest the seeds from their pine cones.

Site prep keeps trees dry in rainy months

Out in the forests Dan’s crews are replanting, all the “site prep” work has already been done to prepare the ground for planting. Since many of these properties are low-lying, we often row the soil into long, straight raised beds. That will ensure the trees are above the water table and don’t drown before they’re established. Thanks to GPS on the tractors, the rows are perfectly straight and exactly the right distance apart to ensure the right spacing for the trees.

Throughout the day, Dan checks on various planting crews, each of whom will plant thousands of trees per-day. They use a tractor to pull a “hopper” through the planting area, and a person sitting in the hopper drops the seedling in the ground at just the right moment. 

“In the front is a 36-inch, knife-like disk that looks like a pizza cutter,” Dan explains. “It cuts a narrow slot in the ground. You drop the tree in the slot, and then the wheels on the back of the hopper packs the slot back together.”

Dan says the planters use a “cadence,” planting every two or three seconds to ensure each tree is 5 feet apart. The spacing will ensure even growing conditions, similar to how one would plant a garden.

Ensuring the trees are planted right

Dan walks the field and performs what our foresters call “an audit.” He checks the trees to ensure they’re being planted deep enough, giving a gentle tug on their tops. He makes sure the roots are planted straight down and the stems haven’t been handled too roughly. 

Since all trees are primarily alive only in their outer cambium layer, Dan explains, “The live part of this 1-year-old tree is thinner than a piece of paper. It has to be planted deep in the soil to stay protected.”

Once they’re in the ground, these trees will be under a careful forest management plan for the next two decades. They will receive fertilizer treatments, competing weeds will be removed, and, in about 12 years, the weakest of the trees will be thinned out and used for pulp products like toilet paper, cardboard and paper.

Somewhere between 18 and 25 years from now, the remaining trees will be harvested for products such as lumber and fencing. It’s a long time, but as you’ll see, in other areas, our trees grow twice as long.

How to plant tress in the U.S. Pacific Northwest

Our planting operations in the Pacific Northwest are done with entirely different trees, methods and terrain. Near the small Washington town of South Bend, David Springe pulls on a jacket to fend off the chilly weather.

Out here, the cold Washington air is just right to keep our Douglas-fir seedlings dormant.

David, a resource land manager for our Hoquiam team, picks up a seedling and admires its root system.

“This has a good root to shoot ratio,” he says, explaining a tree should have a generous amount of roots for the amount of green “shoot” coming out of the ground.

While our trees in the Southeast were only about a year old at planting time, here they grow an extra year in the nursery, reaching their second birthday before they’re replanted to ensure they’re about two feet tall before they’re exposed to the infamously rainy weather of the Washington mountains.

Leaving stumps and branches on the ground

While we plow neat rows in the South, here in Washington we leave most stumps and tree debris (known as “slash” to the locals) on the ground after the previous forest is harvested. That will help hold the soils in place, preventing erosion on the steep slopes and keeping sediment out of waterways below. It conserves the organic matter and nutrients within the soils. And, as the slash breaks down, it will also serve as a natural, slow-release fertilizer for the trees we plant today.

Planting each tree by hand

With steep slopes and rough terrain, these forests aren’t planted using tractors or other heavy equipment. Out here, each tree is planted by hand and shovel.

While the work isn’t easy, experienced planters can put more than 1,000 trees per-person in the ground in a single day. Just like the tractor planters in the Southeast, these planters develop a rhythm that keeps them planting at a steady pace while they’re evenly spaced apart from one another.

“They dig a hole by stomping on their shovel and wrenching it back and forth, which loosens the soil. Then they place the seedling with the roots hanging straight down and use the shovel to push the soil back in,” David explains.

Each person on the planting crew wears two bags loaded with trees: the pair weighs about 40 lbs. when full.

Watching as a crew planted across a picturesque hillside, David said, “They’re choosing the best location to dig every hole. It’s one of the most important decisions made in each of these trees’ lifetimes.”

The typical forest in the Pacific Northwest will grow Douglas-firs about 40 years before they’re harvested.

How to plant trees in New Zealand

Our New Zealand team, New England Forestry | Matariki Forests, also plants primarily on steep terrain, so hand-planting is the most common method. Seedlings come from a number of independent nurseries who work closely with us.

“I enjoy working with the tree breeders, seed producers and nursery growers to deliver treestocks that are ‘fit for purpose’ for our field sites, silviculture and target wood products,” says Forest Estate Manager Paul Adams. “Nurseries are like ‘mini’ plantations, and each year they produce treestocks that are the start of the next age class of productive, high-quality forests across our estate.” 

Delivering Seedlings with Care

The team has a carefully-planned process to deliver seedlings to the forest in the best possible condition. 

“Many of our regions are able to plant tree stocks within 24 to 48 hours of lifting. There are generally daily deliveries of stock from the nursery to planting sites using a pod system to reduce compression of stock from boxes stored on boxes,” Paul explains. 

“These boxes are then carried in the field, commonly on a belt around the planter’s waist. The seedlings are taken directly from the box and planted in each planting hole.”

The work is undeniably challenging.

“Hand planting can be a difficult job due to the terrain, weather conditions and the physicality of the work,” says Forest Estate Manager Paul Adams. “It can take two to three years before a planter is proficient.”

Planters hard to find

While the scenery is beautiful and the work is consistent throughout the winter, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find enough planters to keep up with the demand. The New Zealand team is looking closely at advancing technology in the hopes that there will one day be efficient mechanical methods to assist with planting efforts. But, for now, there is nothing better than hand-planting.

With the coldest weather coming at the opposite time of year versus the United States, in New Zealand the prime time to plant is from mid-May to early August. The New Zealand team plants mostly radiata pine, some Douglas-fir and—on high altitude sites—some pine hybrids.

At times, the team is able to plant without having to prepare the ground beforehand, like our Pacific Northwest team. Other times, there is so much tree “residue” left behind that it would be too difficult to plant on. In those instances, the team uses mechanical site preparation. They collect the “residues” from the previous harvest into windrows, or “heaps.” If soils are compacted so much that they will limit tree growth, then ripping or mounding may be undertaken. In frost-prone areas, the team uses “spot mounding” to plant seedlings above ground level, where it will be warmer.

Taking pride in the trees we plant

Our foresters take pride in the trees they have planted. They’re contributing to the forests’ lifecycle, the health of the environment now and the needs of generations to come. Just ride along with one of them through the forest, and they’ll point out each stand they remember planting.

For Dan, there are many, many forests in the Southeast that he had a hand in planting.

“These trees will be used by my children and my grandchildren and their children,” he says.

To Learn More about our planting process:

Read our article, How Foresters Use Controlled Pollination to Improve Tree Performance, to learn more about our genetic breeding process.

Watch our video, Planting and Lifting Seedlings at Rayonier’s Tree Nursery, to learn more about our pine tree nursery.

See a timeline and videos about all the steps of a tree’s life in the forest on our Lifecycle of a Forest web page.

The post New England Forestry Foresters Plant Millions of Trees Every Year appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

When an important bat habitat was found in one of Rayonier’s Mississipi forests, Timber Marketing Manager Adam DeYoung worked with a team of wildlife experts to protect the cave.

Mississippi’s Bat Caves

Mississippi has 15 documented bat species and about 65 known caves. Not all bat species use caves, and only a few of Mississippi’s caves are known to be used by bats. These caves have important geological features and provide important habitat for bat and amphibian species with conservation needs.

“Some of the animals that use these caves include southeastern myotis, little brown bats, gray bats, northern long-eared bats, Indiana bats, tri-colored bats, cave salamanders, and spring salamanders,” says Robert Smith, a wildlife biologist, forester and the coastal program coordinator for Wildlife Mississippi. “Several of these species are protected or petitioned to be protected at the state or federal level because of their apparent population declines.”

The bat cave on New England Forestry land, known as Eucutta Cave, is in Wayne County, Mississippi. Tucked away behind many acres of pine plantation down a little hardwood slope is a small hole in the side of a hill. Eucutta Cave’s understated entrance is in a limestone outcrop of a geologic formation called the Vicksburg Group. It stretches a little over 100 yards back into the limestone depths with some stalactites, flowstone, and other cave formations, along with an underground stream, creating great habitats—and sometimes difficult access conditions.

Adam says the cave is located in a specially-protected Streamside Management Zone, or SMZ, because it is near a waterway. In these buffer zones, which exist all over Rayonier’s ownership, no forestry activities take place to ensure sedimentation doesn’t impact the water.

Monitoring Mississippi’s Bat Population

Biologists with the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science; Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks; and other members of the Mississippi Bat Working Group survey caves and other bat habitats to track bat numbers and habitat conditions. Repeated trips to Eucutta Cave show steady bat and salamander use.

 “Many people don’t think about bats being migratory or seasonal users, but different bat species use the caves at different times of the year,” explains Robert. “Wintering bats use colder areas in the cave to reduce their metabolic rate, giving them higher survival when there is low prey availability. Summer maternal colonies choose warmer areas since bat pups do not readily thermoregulate and prey availability is high.”

He says Eucutta Cave serves bats in both seasons.

“It’s a major winter bat roost, with about 50 to 150 southeastern bats and 750 tri-colored bats. In the summer, Eucutta Cave hosts a maternal colony of about 300 southeastern bats.”

Protecting Bats from Two Major Threats

There are two main threats to bats in Eucutta Cave: disturbance by humans and infection with white-nose syndrome.

The threat humans pose to bats

Some of the human disturbances observed in Mississippi caves include littering, graffiti, fires and smoke; throwing clumps of mud (presumably at roosting bats); and accidentally flushing mothers with young bat pups. Repeated disturbance of bats can cause them to abandon a roost. If a mother bat drops her pup, especially in an underground stream, the pup might not survive.

While the New England Forestry property that houses the cave is in a very remote location, Adam says he often found signs of human vandalism at the site before efforts were made to protect it.

The threat of white nose syndrome

White-nose syndrome is a disease in bats which has resulted in the dramatic decrease in the bat population of the United States and Canada. This infection is caused by the fungi Pseudogymnoascus destructans. It was accidentally brought into the United States from Eurasia and was first documented in 2006. By 2011, up to 6.7 million bats had died from the disease. Infected bats have been found in 36 states. Mississippi is one of the few states that has tested positive for the fungi but has not had a positive case of the syndrome.

The Mississippi Bat Working Group started monitoring for white-nose syndrome in 2013. To date, Eucutta Cave has not tested positive for the fungus, but other caves within Wayne County have.

The fungi that cause white-nose syndrome may be transferred from bat to bat, or bats may pick it up from the ground. Humans can also carry spores from cave to cave on spelunking gear. Controlling access to the cave with a gate can help reduce human disturbance and accidental transfer of white-nose syndrome spores.

Building the Right Gate To Protect a Bat Cave

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and Wildlife Mississippi provided most of the funding to install the cave gate at Eucutta Cave, with Rayioner providing additional support, as well as the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, and other members of the Mississippi Bat Working Group.

Gating a bat cave may sound simple, but cave gates that are really beneficial need to meet certain criteria:

• They have to be sturdy enough to protect the cave. The gate has to have bars close enough so that no one, including children, will get stuck in it, but the bars have to be wide enough to allow bats to fly though the openings.
• The gate has to function as a gate to let people in and out for valid reasons, such as bat monitoring and research.
• Air circulation through the gate is also important. If enough air doesn’t circulate through the gate, then the conditions inside the cave may change, resulting in less bat and amphibian use.
• The air flow also needs to be smooth without a lot of turbulence to enable the bats to fly through the gate openings cleanly and safely. Too much turbulence can result in bats hitting the gate and damaging their wings or dying.

Who knew that designing a gate to enhance smooth air flow could be so important?

To minimize disturbance for bats using the cave, the cave gate would need to be installed after the bats born in summer could fly on their own but before winter bats began using the cave. Wildlife Mississippi hired an expert, Kristen Bobo and her team, who have designed cave gates across the United States, to handle the design and installation. Wildlife Mississippi also contracted with EcoRESTORE, Inc. for assistance in getting materials to the cave site and controlling invasive plant species around the general cave area.

The optimum time from a bat perspective to transport almost a ton of steel and another half ton of equipment through deep sands and down steep hills for cutting and welding is late August. Over three long days in late August 2019, a team of almost a dozen biologists and land managers transported materials to a staging area, and the cave gate was fabricated and installed.

Adam, the New England Forestry employee, says he’s very happy with the project.

“Wildlife Mississippi and their contractors were a pleasure to work with and treated Rayonier’s land with the utmost respect and care during the whole installation process,” he says. “This project was a great demonstration of New England Forestry identifying a unique and significant site and working in cooperation with wildlife groups to ensure its protection for years to come.”

A Leader in Protecting Bats

Sadly, one of Mississippi’s biggest bat proponents, and arguably the biologist who got Wildlife Mississippi involved in this project, Kathy Shelton was not present when this gate was completed, as she unexpectedly passed away a month earlier.

“Without Kathy’s leadership and coordination from within the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, this project likely would not have been completed,” Robert says. “Kathy was an advocate for bats and other less charismatic species of Mississippi. Without Kathy, we would not have known half of what we know about bats of Mississippi.”

He said gating Eucutta Cave to conserve natural resources and ensure that Mississippi has appropriate bat habitat was the result of landowners willing to be good stewards, a cadre of caring wildlife biologists, and a federal program providing landowner assistance. Some other caves that have been gated in the past have had significant increases in bat populations; hopefully, the numbers of bats using Eucutta Cave will increase with this protection from disturbance too.

This article was shared with permission from Wildlife Mississippi. Wildlife Mississippi is a private, non-profit conservation organization dedicated to conserving, restoring, and enhancing fish, wildlife, and plant habitat throughout Mississippi. The conservation of Mississippi’s lands, waters, and natural heritage will secure the state’s quality of life by making it a better place to live, work, and raise a family while sustaining a clean environment and a healthy economy.

All photos by Wildlife Mississippi’s Robert Smith.

The post New England Forestry Joins Wildlife Experts to Protect Forest Bat Cave appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

GAINESVILLE, Florida—Olivia Johnson is in her element as she leads a team of students through the forest.

“This area would be perfect for recreation,” she says, gesturing to a sunny stand of trees. The students nod in agreement as they continue walking through Austin Cary Forest, University of Florida’s official teaching and research forest. Their assignment: to come up with a business plan for a pretend landowner, figuring out how to get the most value from a 95-acre section of the forest.

“I love tromping through the woods. I can’t believe you can just do this as a major,” says Olivia, a fourth-year student who is finishing her bachelor’s and working on her master’s this semester.

A Love for the Forest

Olivia, who recently received the first-ever New England Forestry Scholarship to Support Diversity and Inclusion in Operational Forestry, says she never feels more at home than when she’s in the forest.

“My family moved from the mountains of North Carolina to Key West, and I missed the forest,” she says. “I volunteered at Key West’s botanical gardens, and that’s the one place that felt right.”

Olivia enrolled in the UF/IFAS School of Forest Resources & Conservation expecting to go into a conservation career, or perhaps to work at a national park. But then she fell in love with something unexpected: operational forestry.

“I love going through the woods of course, but I also love the math part of it,” she says. “I love taking what I see and making sense of it. I love figuring out, just from the height and diameter, how much a stand is worth.”

She says operational forestry is a perfect “win-win” because a forester can determine ways to enhance the value of the property while also maintaining sustainable practices and protecting the ecosystem that depends on the forest.

Workforce Diversity in Forestry “Is Already Here”

In the past, college-level forestry programs throughout the U.S. have struggled to attract women and minorities. Asked if she expects to see more diversity in the forestry profession in the future, Olivia says, “It’s already happening. In my forestry department, there are so many people of different backgrounds.

“Everyone respects each other. I’ve never felt like I was treated any differently than anyone else in the program,” she says. “My advice to anyone considering forestry is that it shouldn’t be a barrier. There are more and more of us going into natural resources fields.”

She says the rich array of perspectives will benefit the forestry profession as it becomes more diverse in the years to come.

Entering into Forestry Research

Determined to work her way through college, Olivia has been using a job at Gainesville’s Kanapaha Gardens to cover her tuition. But she’s become passionate about genetic research in forestry and wanted to find work that would give her experience in that field. 

“The scholarship from New England Forestry helped a lot. It’s paying for this next semester of college, which is allowing me to pursue forest genetics,” she says. 

The financial support allowed Olivia to take a position as a research assistant for the Cooperative Forest Genetics Research Program that UF manages. Ironically, as a member of the coop, New England Forestry will benefit from the work she does.

Olivia says she’s looking forward to working full-time in the industry after she graduates next year.

“I love that you can just be outside and make money at it,” she says. “It’s such a fun profession and it’s really cool.”

The post UF Student: Workforce Diversity will Benefit Next Generation of Foresters appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.