Many may not realize that some of the most effective solutions to addressing our climate challenges lie in our existing land and forests. Forests can store even more carbon through sustainable forest management, which has been proven significant in sequestering more carbon. Forest owners’ values align with our climate and environment’s needs—they care about their land and its future.
Red Alder stands out as a top carbon storer due to its unique characteristics. It regenerates easily, grows rapidly, and accumulates mass faster than most temperate hardwood species. As a pioneer species, it swiftly establishes in forest openings, such as those created by landslides, logging, or fire, contributing to forest stabilization and soil erosion control. Moreover, Red Alder enriches soils by rapidly decomposing organic matter and nitrogen from fallen limbs or leaves, or when the tree dies.
Red Alder’s growth story is a testament to its sustainability. Despite being neglected and even poisoned until the 1970s, its abundance has increased about 20-fold since the 1920s. This growth is not a result of unchecked exploitation, but a reflection of its viability as a commercial species. Red Alder provides quality lumber globally while expanding its total harvestable volume, making it a preferred choice for sustainable manufacturing.
The current inventory of about 7.4 billion cubic feet of Red Alder comprises 60 percent of the total hardwood volume in the Pacific Northwest. The most significant volume occurs in the Puget Sound and Northwest Oregon sub regions. A significant portion of the Red Alder resource is not available for harvest; forest practices rules constrain timber management in riparian areas where Red Alder is most abundant. Cascade works closely with federal, state, and area representatives to protect these riparian areas when we are harvesting Alder for our sawmills.
On good sites, height growth in Alder may exceed 6 ft/year for the first five years, and trees may attain heights of 60 to 80 ft in 20 years. Mean annual production rates in young stands have been estimated at 6.8 dry tons per acre. The following Alder facts are important – Fast growing trees store the most carbon during their first decades, often a tree‘s most productive period. Large leaves and wide crowns enable maximum photosynthesis. Native species will thrive in your soil and best support local wildlife.
When Alder is harvested, sawn, dried, and turned into cabinets, mouldings, doors, and furniture, it is storing carbon for the life of the article instead of it returning to the ground and atmosphere during the phase of a trees life where it dies and rots. So planned, careful use of wood products like Alder vs. plastics like melamine and metals is environmentally friendly. Logging may sound harsh on the environment, but it is actually a good thing for the forest. Clearing mature trees and underbrush creates an incentive to make sure it remains a healthy place for new trees to grow. As the co-founder of Greenpeace, Patrick Moore, once said, “If you want to save a tree, the first thing you should do is buy a piece of paper. If you want to save a whole forest, buy a piece of wood.” A focus on buying real hardwood from sustainably sourced areas is just as important and should carry the same “feel good” as planting a tree. This is the message we all need to take to the marketplace.
