Redwood's avai labi lity assured

gy Greg l^ombert Redwood Product Development Manager Simpson Timber C-o.

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continue to be available commercially? What will the product mix and volume be?

Since we cannot harvest the same trees over and over, a change was bound to come. The generation transition has brought about two distinct changes in the redwood lumber product. Because the sapwood ring is about the same thickness in both old and new generation trees, the proportion of sapwood to heartwood is greater. Heartwood exists in young growth trees, but in lesser proportions. By the same token, a heavier percentage of the increased sapwood will fall into garden and construction grades.

The second major change is in the proportion of knotty grades. In the past, the proportion has been about 6090 upper grades and 4090 knot<ontaining grades. As the transition progresses, this ratio will gradually change to about 2590 upper grades and 7590 knotty grades.

Neither of these changes is having as great an impact on the end use market as fust glance might indicate. We have discovered that in the past we had a tendency to "overuse" the upper grades of redwood-especially heartwood-mostly because it was readily available. Coincidental with the changing resource, there has been a definite market shift in favor of garden and construction grades.

Even knottygades havetaken on a new focus, op€ning up exciting vistas of end use versatility. Because the trees harvested are younger, the knots tend to be smaller and tighter. For the first time a sizable volume of the rustic knotty grades is ideally suited for exterior siding and trim, and interior paneling, not to mention outdoor uses such as decks, fences, gazebos, and trellises.

In the projected grade mix total, the siding and paneling volume availability is just about the same as in the past. The difference is the addition of a highly attractive, affordable, rustic, tight knotted product comparable to what pine and cedar have had available for many years. This new grade srtegory offers the end use possibili ties of architectural finish grades with the physical characteristics and cost of garden grades.

Select knotty will occupy a significant place in the future. Properly dried, with attractive rustic knots, this grade is rapidly gaining popularity as an exterior siding on custom, tract and manufactured homes as well as showing geat potential for interior uses.

Another plus in the new grade mix, as defined by the resource, is a significant increase in gardan grades, which in recent years have continued to experience a growing demand. This is possible because total redwood output will be increasing significantly in the years ahead.

For the better part of the past two decades, conservationists have worried that the redwoods were endangered, and lumbermen have worried that supplies of this important wood would diminish. Contrary to popular belief, the redwood forests today cover approximately 1,70,000 acres, just as they did over ZX) years ago

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Sfory at a Glance

Years brlng changB In redurood product...less heartwood, mo|€ knotrs albr grade mlx... new marftets develop...luture avallabllity assurcd.

aFIOMPILED by the experrs ro resr Yyour knowledge of redwood trivia, these questions provide you an opportunity to demonstrate your prowess.

Test your friends with the quiz (after you've read the answers) and amaze them with your redwood knowledge.

(1) How many species of redwood are there?

(2) How many years does it take a Coastal redwood to grow 100 feet?