National Hardwood Magazine - March 2024

NHLA: Why Knot...
Participate In Telling Our Super Sustainable Story
SMART RESAW
FOR SUPERIOR
PRODUCTS
Many things influence your
business decisions. One of the
growing influences is the current
environmental push to lower human
impact to mitigate climate
change. Whether or not you
believe humans impact climate
change is irrelevant. Whether or not the current activities
to improve the environment are helping is also irrelevant.
The perception that action is necessary influences the
markets and your business. The good news is that wood
is renewable, sustainable, and low-impact, and we must
tell that story.
The concept of sustainability in the Hardwood lumber
industry, particularly in sustainable forestry, is multifaceted.
It goes beyond the common perception of planting
more trees than harvesting and preserving habitats for
recreation. The sustainable Hardwood story ensures a
flourishing and thriving forest, allowing trees to replenish
naturally at a pace supporting an exponentially renewable
increase.
One crucial aspect highlighted is the role of deciduous
trees in carbon sequestration, which is the carbon
embodied or stored in the Hardwood product. In natural
forests and urban settings, these trees absorb significant
amounts of carbon; wood is approximately 50
percent carbon, contributing to
carbon sequestration. The carbon
absorbed is then retained in
the wood products for extended
periods, from decades to centuries.
This carbon sequestration
in Hardwood products adds an
environmental benefit to the Hardwood story.
Moreover, when Hardwood products reach the end of
their useful life, they can be burned for energy to substitute
for higher-impact fossil fuels or disposed of in landfills
to sequester the carbon in the ground further. This
end-of-life cycle further emphasizes the sustainability of
solid Hardwood, as it minimizes the environmental impact.
How does all this impact your business decisions?
For the most part, this is all happening in the background
and is driving policy and markets. People discuss
it at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC). IPCC is the United Nations body that assesses
the science related to climate change. They are pushing
Product Category Rules (PCR) and Environmental
Product Declarations (EPD) in conjunction with Life Cycle
Assessments (LCA) of all materials. Hardwoods have
the best story; we must participate or risk falling behind.
The US Forest Service has awarded a Wood Innovation
Grant to the American Wood Council (AWC) to work
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Please turn to page 69
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BY DALLIN BROOKS,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
NATIONAL HARDWOOD LUMBER ASSOCIATION,
MEMPHIS, TN
901-377-1082
WWW.NHLA.COM
Contact us today to upgrade your wood processing capabilities!
450-435-2121 | info@bidgroup.ca | www.bidgroup.ca
24 MARCH 2024 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE www.RealAmericanHardwood.com/industry