supply chain from source to consumer running sus-
tainably on its own market fuel. Once the engine
is primed by the work of the consultancy and the
initial funding required to bring the project to life,
it should run indefinitely and independently.
A role for the public sector
and the tree care industry
City agencies and private arborists can play critical roles
to track data, cut trees correctly, and dispose of trees
in ways that support urban wood product markets and
value development. Tracking data through inventory
management is a key role that occurs at two stages.
The first step is data collected in the field. These data
are important to know how many trees are available
by species, size, and condition over the long term.
These data enable wood-related businesses to know
the likely flows of wood in the future and what types
and sizes of businesses could be supported. Second is
data for inventory management of wood materials that
are currently available. At this stage, a company may
need 20,000 board feet (47.2 cubic m) of white oak or
a city agency may need 1,000 cubic yards (765 cubic
m) of wood chips. A successful inventory management
system can answer whether the need can be met.
Urban forest specifications and practices for removing
dead or hazardous trees is an essential feature to retain
and maximize the wood value of the trees. Trees that
have potential as logs for slabs or dimensional lumber
need to be cut to the longest length practicable. Here, it
is important to remember the observation that "You can
make logs into firewood, but you can't make firewood
into logs." The other practice is to maximize the social
value of the tree by retaining the tree's story, which
includes the address and neighborhood where the tree
lived. Tagging and tracking trees at this stage is neces-
sary to ensure the story is carried to the consumer.
Finally, wood materials from field operations need to be
collected into central areas. The difference between a
wood "dump" and an effective "sort yard" is that logs,
branches, and chips are separated. Ideally, tagged logs
are sorted by species, size, and quality—and there are
other separate areas for firewood, wood chips, compost,
and mulch. Here, the information management system
needs to be reflected in the physical sort yard. Knowing
you have it, but not being able to find or access it is a
significant obstacle to fulfilling potential clients' needs.
The retail furniture industry
The Room & Board furnishing store began its use and
exploration of urban wood through the Baltimore Wood
Project in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service,
City of Baltimore, and Humanim. Since launching the
product line, the company has expanded to use
David Brown of Brick + Board in Baltimore, Maryland processes salvaged urban
wood from deconstructed houses for resale. Photo Courtesy of USDA Forest Service
Ash removal logs milled and thermally modified
Refueling Station on Lake Michigan, in the Chicago
16 CityTREES
