GOOD FOR THE PLANET
There is no better asset in the fight against climate change than trees. Forests purify the air we breathe, filter the water we drink, and reduce the planet's carbon footprint by storing carbon while releasing oxygen. In fact, almost as much carbon is stored in forests (650 billion tons) as is in the atmosphere (760 billion tons).1 And, when trees are harvested and turned into building materials, that carbon is sequestered, making for a long-term storage solution, as one cubic meter of lumber can hold one ton of CO2 for an average of 20 years.2
But harvesting doesn't mean leaving an empty shell in nature. On the contrary, as application of sustainable forest management principles has increased, so has the available crop. According to the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, there are six-percent more living trees in forests in North America today than there were in 1990.3
This is largely because, as a renewable resource, sustainably managed forests are maintained and regenerated as part of multiyear harvest cycles that can continue into infinity and provide an endless supply of wood, fuel, and paper products. Proper forest thinning, soil maintenance, and clearing of dead trees also aid in new growth and can help lessen the impact of fires. Without thinning and cleanup, much of what fuels a forest fire is now at ground level, easily ignited, and rapidly spread. Economically, forests account for $500 billion in products annually,4 with a global economic value estimated at $33 trillion a year.5 Beyond simple lumber or paper, trees contribute to products used in nearly every facet of our daily lives, including bedsheets, disposable diapers, oil filters, baseballs, cricket balls, life jackets, linoleum flooring, charcoal, and home insulation. And the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) claims 25 percent of the world's population — more than 1.9 billion people — rely on forest resources for their livelihood (e.g., construction, recreational uses of land, and timber harvesting).6