Posted: July 25, 2024 | Forestry Economics
The construction industry is witnessing a significant shift, with mass timber emerging as a promising alternative to steel and concrete. CBS Saturday Morning recently explored this trend in their segment “Inside America’s mass timber movement,” showcasing impressive projects like Portland’s new airport and high-rise buildings in Milwaukee.
Mass timber is essentially wood that has been engineered into large, strong structural elements. It’s created by bonding and pressing layers of wood together, resulting in a material that can be as strong as steel when treated. The benefits of mass timber are numerous, from faster construction times to a more aesthetically pleasing and inviting environment. At Carolina Forestry & Realty, we’re excited about the potential of mass timber and what it means for our clients and properties. As a company specializing in selling land with extensive forest systems, we see mass timber as an opportunity to promote sustainable forestry practices while supporting green building initiatives.
However, the sustainability of mass timber depends on responsible sourcing. Some critics argue that certain projects are relying on unsustainable clearcutting practices. Sean Stevens of Oregon Wild showed CBS a heavily logged forest that supplied a mass timber project, calling into question the climate-friendly claims.
On the other hand, proponents argue that U.S. forests are producing more timber than is being consumed and that responsible forestry practices can align with long-term forest health. The Portland airport, for example, used a “track and trace” system to identify the source of each piece of wood and aimed to mitigate harm by allowing longer growth cycles and preserving more trees. As mass timber gains traction, it’s crucial to ensure that it delivers on its green promise. This means incentivizing responsible forestry, developing robust certification systems, and updating building codes to facilitate safe mass timber construction.
For Carolina Forestry & Realty, the rise of mass timber presents new opportunities. Our forested properties could become valuable sources for the sustainable mass timber supply chain, and we’re excited to work with buyers who share our commitment to responsible forest management. Moreover, the mass timber movement has the potential to shift public perceptions of logging from one of environmental destruction to one of sustainable resource management. By coupling mass timber construction with responsible harvesting practices, we can demonstrate that well-managed working forests are a key tool in the fight against climate change.
Of course, there’s still work to be done to ensure that mass timber lives up to its environmental potential. It will require collaboration between the forestry and construction sectors, as well as ongoing monitoring and course correction.
At Carolina Forestry & Realty, we’re committed to being part of the solution. With our extensive timber assets, we believe we can be leaders in supplying the green building revolution. We look forward to exploring how our unique properties can contribute to the sustainable mass timber supply chain and working with buyers who share our vision for a responsibly managed forest landscape.
The future of construction is looking greener, and mass timber is poised to play a significant role. As the trend continues to spread across the country, we’re excited to be at the forefront, leveraging our expertise in forestry and real estate to support this sustainable transformation. The potential for mass timber is immense, and we’re ready to help unlock it, one responsibly managed forest at a time.