Urban Wood:

Finding the Highest and Best Use

Developing Markets for Urban Wood in Michigan

Jessica Simons - Verdant Stewardship, LLC

March 18, 2016

Where We Were… 2002

What is killing the trees and where did it come from?

How many dead trees are we talking about?

Where is all of this wood going to go?

How much is this going to cost?

Dead and dying trees from

cities in SE Michigan

could produce

73.5 million bf of lumber each year –

enough wood to build

5,600

average-sized homes

Is there any value in the urban forest?

Source: Sherrill & MacFarlane 2007

2005 SE Michigan Survey:

Disposal cost = $8.8 M/yr for private industry

Municipal costs unknown

28% of collected wood is landfilled

Is wood disposal expensive in Michigan?

Source: Sherrill & MacFarlane 2007

2009 SE Michigan Survey:

180 disposal yards = $40M/yr to local economy

Only 30% of wood is recycled into other products

Is it all waste? Where does wood go?

Source: Nzokou 2009

Location

Poor wood markets

Scale/supply issues

Short timelines

Transportation

Lack of support

Better EAB response

Lower disposal costs

New wood products

Diverse partnerships

Full-circle forestry

Resource stewardship

Job creation

Carbon-smart

Meaningful story

Opportunities outweighed challenges

Training

Networks Outreach

Research/Demos

Ash Utilization Options Project

PROGRAM LAUNCHED: 2004

Long story short: using urban wood logging

USING

URBAN

WOOD IS

RECYCLING

- 2007: RAA opens ~400 sq. ft for UW

- 6 vendors join in next 2-4 years

Early Progress

-Pricing determined by each mill separately

-No standard lumber grades used

-Majority of wood is kiln dried and surfaced

An Overview: Products & Standards

-Products vary by mill

-Many cater to hobby woodworkers

-As many as 30 different species available

-All sourcing done independently

-Producers sign basic member & retail agreements

- Mills have created specialty niches

= Trees not harvested

for their timber value

Sourcing Requirement

-2012: Strategic planning takes place

- 2013: RAA takes over UW coordination

- 2014: Began agreements/fees with other retailers

New Directions & Organization

PR

OD

UC

ER

S

Recycle Ann Arbor

RAA ReUse Center

Tervol’s Wood Products

Raven Farm

Lumberjacks Tree Service

Scotty’s Custom Sawing

Dan Erickson Sawmill

Tree-Purposed

Pleasant Lake Hardwoods

Freier Forestry

Habitat for Humanity

Flint

Tervol’s Wood Products

Raven Farm

Ullmann Urban Sawmill

Genesee Conservation

District

SE Michigan RC&D Council MANAGER

RETAILERS

CO-FOUNDER/SUPPORTER

Agreements

EVERY GROUP

OR INDIVIDUAL

USING THE

URBANWOOD

NAME

BR

AN

D

RE

TA

ILE

R

AF

FIL

IAT

E

PR

OD

UC

ER

MILLS MILLS

WHY PURCHASE URBANWOOD?

MOST APPEALING CHARACTERISTICS

Putting all wood from urban trees to good use

Join the Urban Forest Products Alliance on LinkedIn

Join the conversation…

Photo: Frances Close – City of Grand Rapids Urban Forest Project

Tell Your Story

Please contact: Jessica Simons

info@urbanwood.org

Questions?

This work has been supported by

www.urbanwood.org