• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Adverticia

Advertising Strategies for Today's Media World

  • Home
  • Topics
    • Business Tips
    • Construction
    • Family
    • Fitness
    • Furniture
    • Health
    • Swimming Pools
    • Technology
    • The Arts
  • Ask a Question
  • Blog
  • Contact

Choosing a Lumber Supplier

Last updated on July 2, 2012 by Sozo Staff 3 Comments

logs held by lumber crane claw at lumber mill

If you’re looking for a hardwood lumber supplier, there are several areas you need to consider. While price and quality may be at the forefront of your priority list, environmental and legal concerns should also play a part in the supplier selection process. A responsible hardwood lumber supplier will be able to ensure 2 important attributes: legal origin of its lumber and environmentally friendly foresting practices.

endless stacks of freshly cut wood boards

Legal Issues

In recent years, the U.S. has increased the legal responsibility level of all members of the wood products supply chain. The Lacey Act now prohibits commerce in illegally sourced plants, including wood products. Business must now utilize “due diligence” in order to avoid violating this law. Such caution is always easy to exercise, since each state, foreign power, or governing authority has its own laws which determine the legality of harvesting timber within its jurisdiction. If lumber is harvested illegally (an initial violation of the Lacey Act), anyone who purchases, exports, transports, sells, or imports wood products made from the “tainted” logs is also in violation.

One reason illegal logging is of such concern is inherent in the terrible effects of deforestation, which results in habitat destruction and climate change. Another reason is that the black-market lumber industry undermines the legal harvesting and trading of forest products. An outgrowth of poverty and corruption, the illegal logging industry jeopardizes sustainable forestry efforts.

bulldozer lumber claw moving logs

Environmental Concerns

North America’s well-honed public policies, governance that includes monitoring and enforcement, and the availability of legal support make illegal logging on our continent virtually impossible. Instead, sustainable forest management has become the norm.

This working definition of sustainable forest management (SFM) has been adopted by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO): “The stewardship and use of forests and forest land in a way and at a rate, that maintains their biodiversity, productivity, regeneration capacity, vitality and their potential to fulfill, now and in the future, relevant ecological, economic, and social functions, at local, national, and global levels and does not cause damage to other ecosystems.” The goal of SFM practices is to achieve a balance between the preservation of healthy, diverse forestry and meeting of increasing consumer demands for hardwood lumber and other forest products and benefits.

lumberjack with chain saw hard at work

According to the once-a-decade assessment performed by the U.S. Renewable Resources Planning Act, not only are U.S. hardwood forests steadily growing, but forest management practices are continually promoting the continuation of healthy, diverse forests. According to the 2000 Assessment, over the second half of the twentieth century, harvesting levels in the U.S. have remained below the level of new growth, while the number of hardwoods standing has doubled.

A responsible hardwood lumber supplier will be able to account for the legal and environmental factors in the the origin of the lumber that they sell. The lumber professionals at J. Gibson McIlvain have done their research and can assure their customers that the wood they sell comes from the most compliant sources found across the globe. They personally visit each of their suppliers to ensure that the lumber they stock has been harvested legally and in a sustainable manner. For more information on industry leader McIlvain Company, visit their website today.

Filed Under: Construction, Lumber

Additional Articles

ipe recessed deck fence
Ipe Wood: Premier Tropical Decking Material, Part 3
gib mcilvain teak log truck
Teak Wood – Facts about Tectona Grandis Lumber
fresh ipe wood deck
Should I Use Ipe or Teak? Two High End Lumbers Explained
How Seasonal Demand Affects Lumber Pricing
one by four ipe boards
Ipe Wood – Facts about Brazilian Walnut
walnut crown molding
The Natural Appeal of Walnut Wood

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jasper Whiteside says

    November 17, 2016 at 4:56 pm

    It is really good news to me that the hardwood forests are growing. Three cheers for good timber management practices! I believe that the environment is our most important core resource. All industry builds off of what we get from the earth. This is why it is important to me to manage how we use resources like timber.

    Reply
  2. John says

    May 17, 2017 at 1:33 pm

    I thought it was interesting to learn that there are so many legal responsibilities of lumber suppliers in the united states. The article says that a responsible lumber supplier should be able to account for legal and environmental factors from the source of their lumber. I’ll be sure to look for a responsible lumber source this summer when my wife and I start our project together of building a deck.

    Reply
  3. Alice Carroll says

    October 24, 2022 at 1:01 am

    Thanks for the reminder that it’s important to also look into the kinds of forest management involved in the production of the lumber that I will be using. I plan to look for a good supplier soon because I’m interested in getting a vacation cabin built soon. Being able to find lumber of high quality will be essential for that.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

twenty + 10 =



Primary Sidebar

Tropical decking lumber
Plywood options

Featured Articles

  • Should I Use Ipe or Teak?: Two High End Lumbers Explained
  • 4 Common Tropical Decking Problems- And Their Solutions
  • Facts about Sapele Wood - Uses & Supplier Information
  • Why Is Cherry Wood So Popular?
  • Decking Considerations: Ipe Timing and Pricing
  • Hardwood Plywood: Is it Dangerous?
  • Thinking Outside the Trends: Afromosia as a Teak Alternative
  • Ipe: Air Dried, Kiln Dried, or a Combination of Both?
  • Inland & Coastal Cedar – Appreciating the Differences
  • Alternatives to Spanish Cedar: Cheaper, Readily Available & Weather Resistant
J Gibson McIlvain Lumber Company
Lyon Financial

Popular Articles

  • Reducing Painful Side Effects of Immobilization Boots
  • Stop Hiding Your Phone Number, Walmart.com
  • Dance Studio Management Software Review
  • Septic Tank Pumping in Mooresville, NC
  • How do They Get Those Surgical Instruments So Clean?
  • Are Your Shoulder Blades Crooked?
  • The Bedroom Source: Maxtrix Furniture for Kids
  • Maxtrix: Bunk Beds with Unlimited Options
  • Top 3 Household Hazards for Kids
  • Getting Started with X10 Home Automation
  • The Bedroom Source: A Unique Kids Furniture Store
  • Why a Swimming Pool Is a Great Addition to a Healthy Lifestyle
X10 Home Automation

Reader Feedback

  • John Jay on 3 Options for Pool Heating
  • Jian Marie on 3 Options for Pool Heating
  • Elina Brooks on Choosing a Licensed Arborist – Quality Tree Service
  • Norie Rie on 3 Options for Pool Heating
  • Afton Jackson on Wood Flooring: Environmental & Economic Benefits
  • Zoey Bac on 3 Options for Pool Heating
  • Karen M. on 3 Options for Pool Heating

Copyright © 2023 Sozo Firm Inc · Privacy Policy · Disclaimer · Sitemap

Adverticia.com does not provide medical advice, treatment or diagnosis; content on this website should not be utilized for medical treatment or diagnosis. The information provided is intended for general consumer information and should not take the place as a substitute for professional medical advice.

FTC Compliance Disclaimer: Adverticia.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com; proceeds from product sales help cover the operational & maintenance costs for the site.