Viewpoints
Farming Alder for fine marketable
lumber
by John Stewart
March 16, 2005
Wednesday
For a number of years I have used Alder for building furniture
and kitchen counter tops, it also makes an excellent flooring.
I wonder if the corporations holding these vast tracts of land
have ever considered farming the Alder rather than figuring ways
to kill it and god knows what else in the process? It is a fast
growing species classified as a hardwood that could easily be
limbed at an early stage to produce fine marketable lumber.
How about starting a flooring
factory? The other indigenous species are also suitable with
proper finishing. There is a trade deficit in high quality wood
flooring and only a few million feet a year would keep a large
operation in business.
Some time back, an article
in the Wall Street Journal discussed the sales/resale value of
high end homes. The number one item to spend extra attention
on is the floor and wood flooring is high on the list. Seems
there might be an opportunity to fill a need with large holdings
of forested land and a willing and able workforce.
John Stewart
Ketchikan, AK - USA
Note: Comments published
on Viewpoints are the opinions of the writer
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sitnews.
Write a Letter -------Read Letters
E-mail the Editor
Sitnews
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska
|