City Trees

Why Memphis? The MUW project was developed in response to a com- bination of resources, demands, and needs (Figure 2). Memphis is rich in U&C wood utilization resources, including quantities and quality of existing trees (~225,000 tons/204,117 metric tons annually), processors, yarding sites, transportation, and workforce programs (Figure 2: Blue). Memphis has substan- tial stocks of large diameter hardwoods that are in high demand, including white and red oak, ash, and poplar. Geographically, Memphis has affordable land (yarding sites), where large quantities of logs, branches, and chips can be stored, sorted, inventoried, and processed, and has ideal access to transportation through road and river networks to distribute mate- rials to southern and midwest regions of the U.S. U&C wood reuse cannot be successful without demand for wood (Figure 2: Green). The MUW project is unique in its focus beyond local consumption to meet demand from national consumers. Room & Board seeks to ini- tially use up to 1 million board feet (2358 cubic meters) of dimensional lumber and Anderson Tully and Classic American Hardwoods could use an additional 2 million board feet (4720 cubic meters) of lumber annually. U&C wood utilization can address important needs such as creating jobs and incomes and reducing the flow of wood into landfills (Figure 2: Red). The Works, a local NGO, plays an essential role in recruiting participants in workforce training for both social and technical skills and employment, including community development, vacant lot restoration, and tree planting activities. Critically, financial resources from public and private sectors have been available to support management costs for staff, training, equipment, real estate, and cash flow. Of note, in Memphis, Shelby County landfills are lim- iting the quantities of wood waste that can be disposed and increasing tipping fees for disposal, which results in higher operational costs for tree care companies and greater motivation for participating in the MUW project. 14 CityTREES Memphis Urban Wood Figure 2. U&C wood reuse can be understood as a regenerative system of material, social, and economic stocks and flows that have both positive (increasing) and negative (decreasing) feedback loops. Maintenance Land Clearing Emergency Response Arborists Trees The Works Workforce Programs Wood Landfills Employment Poverty Key Needs Resources Demand Increases Decreases Site Financing Memphis Urban Wood Anderson Tully Classic American Hardwoods Processors Transportation Road River Products National Local Dimensional Lumber Room & Board Anderson Tully Classic American Hardwoods Community Forestry Tree Stakes Compost Biochar Chips

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