Season 1, Episode 11: Rethinking Forestry Management

Summary
Welcome to the eleventh episode of the Opus Vitae podcast where we explore the construction industry from the inside. In this episode, we spend time with Paul Vanderford (Sustainable NW) and Jason Dorn (Port Blakeley) about sustainable forestry practices. Doubling a forest’s output by extending the length of harvest rotation, returning forests to increased complexity for overall vitality, and connecting dots between conservations funds and the organizations passionate to enhance sustainability percolate to the top. Paul’s invitation to set aside the “Leave no trace” mantra promulgated for decades for “Managing for the sacred” also stirred us to reflection.

Take-Aways
The loss of old growth is accelerating, but due to fires rather than chain saws.
Growing a tree for an additional 15 years can double its usable output and provide greater product options.
The heavy investment in transparency and relationship-building in the Portland Airport Project allowed the teams to lean into the positives about using wood rather than being worried about negative perceptions.
There's wisdom in caring more about a forest than a single tree.
Sustainable NW (an NPO emphasizing sustainable practices in water, range land, forestry, and wood markets) and Sustainable NW Wood, their for-profit arm providing a marketplace for their sustainably harvested products, are distinct entities.

Resources & Sources
Sustainable Northwest: https://www.sustainablenorthwest.org/
Future Forest Northwest videos referenced by Paul: https://www.futureforestsnorthwest.org/
Sustainable Northwest Wood, Portland, OR source for sustainably forested wood products: https://www.snwwood.com/
Port Blakeley: https://portblakely.com/port-blakely/...

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
00:45 - Paul Vanderford
02:35 - Jason Dorn
04:00 - Active forestry management
07:10 - Port Blakeley & extended harvest rotation
10:45 - Who is Sustainable Northwest?
14:25 - Where and how we source materials matters
16:40 - Leave no trace? How might Managing for the sacred be an alternative?
22:30 - Stump counts, overplanting, & catastrophic fires
27:48 - Longer tree life cycles & what drives wood markets?
31:28 - Benefits of 60-year life cycles
33:15 - Restoration work's place in the market
35:55 - PDX Airport project: transparency & leaning in to positive
42:00 - Awe & the intrigue of better practices
45:40 - Experiences learned from the forest
47:15 - It's not only about carbon!