California Forests Lag In Logging

Despite a renewed focus on using green building products like wood, California's wood products industry harvested less last year than in 2005, according to a new California Forest Products Commission report.

The 5.47o decline was largely due to less harvesting on governmentowned lands in California and put the state far behind other states. such as Washington and Oregon. in meeting the wood needs of its residents.

About 1.6 billion bd. ft. of wood was harvested in California. down from 1 .7 billion bd. ft. in 2005.

In contrast, neighboring Oregon and Washington each produced over 3.5 billion bd. ft. of lumber.

California has about 40 million acres of forestland; Oregon has 28.8 million acres and Washinston 23 million acres of forestland.

"As recently as 30 years ago, we harvested enough trees in California to meet the wood products needs of our residents," said Donn Zea, president of the California Forest Products Commission. "Today, we meet less than 20Vo of the needs of our residents, even though we have abundant forests that are overgrown."

"In so many ways, California has led the nation in adopting environmentally friendly principles," Zea said. "However, implementing policies that prevent or discourage sustainable forestry leads to a shirking of our responsibility to meet our wood product needs locally."

In 1980, California produced about 130 bd. ft. of lumber per resident. In 2006, it produced 48 bd. ft. per resident. Oregon produces nearly 1,000 bd. ft. and Washington nearly 600 ft. per resident.

Zea said he is hopeful that harvesting will increase on governmentowned land where overcrowded forests present increased fire risks. Since 1990, harvests on governmentowned land are down 855 and there is an estimated 2 billion bd. ft. of growth each year.

"Government leaders, environmental organizations and citizens recognize that wood is a unique, renewable building product," Zea said. "While trees can be replanted and re-grown, materials used to create concrete and steel are not renewable and require large amounts of fossil fuels in their production. The cycle of planting, growth, and harvesting removes and stores carbon while producing oxygen, and provides society with needed wood products that can store carbon for hundreds of years."

California laws promote sustainable forestry practices on private land that ensure forests are harvested in a way that sets the stage for forests to last for future generations.

"We in California have a unique capability to meet our wood product needs and lessen our reliance on wood from other areas, many of which don't have the regulatory requirements that we expect," Zea said. "At the same time. we have forests on public lands that are in dire need of thinning to help prevent catastrophic wildfires and beetle infestations."

Crane Forms Business Unit

Crane Group, Columbus, Oh., has formed a new business unit. Crane Building Products, under president Stu Kemper, formerly head of its TimberTech division.

Crane Building Products will manage and provide support for six independently run operating companies that manufacture and distribute resi-