Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1511664
42 PalletCentral • November-December 2023 palletcentral.com By Glenn Meeks Compact, effi cient, and benefi cial to communities, urban sawmills are proving to be valuable players in the forest products industry. U rban trees are everywhere. ey shade homes, line streets, and provide those living in the city with a soothing dose of nature. Everyone recognizes their benefi ts and enjoys what they bring to an urban landscape. But unlike trees in a natural forest setting, when urban trees are damaged or at the end of their lives, they can't be left to fall. Instead of providing homes for wildlife and nutrients for the soil, they can create hazards for both people and property. In the past, the only fate for urban trees was the chipper, the fi replace, or the landfi ll. Even valuable hardwood removed from yards went unused. When a building was torn down, the lumber often suff ered the same fate as those urban trees. Collectively, the forest products industry is recognizing the value of both reclaimed wood and wood milled from urban trees. e sustainable wood movement is pushing urban sawmills forward all over the country. ese small businesses are making a big impact on their communities. Urban Sawmills When most people think of a sawmill, they picture an industrial operation. ese industrial mills process huge numbers of logs using automated systems for maximum effi ciency. Urban sawmilling is a diff erent kind of sawmill. ese mills are not processing raw materials at scale, so they are more compact. But, they do the same thing as their industrial cousins; they turn logs into usable lumber and other forest products. Urban sawmills simply do so in a more convenient location and on a smaller scale. An urban sawmill can off er unique benefi ts that industrial operations do not. ese mills are owned and operated by small businesses right in the communities they serve. ey create jobs and lumber that can be used by local builders, woodworkers, and other hobbyists. Urban sawmilling can be done by individuals or small crews. Felled urban trees are often loaded on trailers and brought to the site of a small urban mill. Sometimes a portable mill will be brought to the site of harvested trees. Removed urban trees are an excellent source of sustainable wood. Urban sawmills are often able to process smaller logs, leading to more usable lumber and less waste. However, urban sawmilling isn't a brand new idea. Smaller and more mobile sawmills have existed for a long time. But there was little organization and almost no focus on urban trees. As the wood products industry as a whole focuses on sustainability, initiatives to advance and coordinate urban sawmilling are on the rise. e goal is to make urban sawmilling accessible, local, and benefi cial to the community. Urban Forestry and the Urban Sawmill Background: iStock/Petmal; Inset: iStock/Potashev The sustainable wood movement is pushing urban sawmills forward all over the country.