Good Wood™ Sustainably Harvested Lumber
“Good Wood equals or surpasses any framing lumber I have used to build, in Montana or elsewhere. It is refreshing to find a superior product that supports local works and businesses, offered at ordinary prices.”
- Joe McMahon, McMahon Construction, Missoula
What is Sustainably Harvested Lumber?
Lumber harvested using forestry practices that maintain the diversity of native species and ecosystem integrity, while maximizing the quality and quantity of timber grown under sustained-yield management principles. These principles include minimizing the damage to remaining forest during harvesting, protecting local biodiversity and watersheds, preventing over-cutting of popular timber species, planting trees on degraded or cleared land with an emphasis on native species and ecosystem restoration, and developing positive relationships with local communities, workers, and builders.
Our Sustainability Guarantee
We assure the sustainable nature of our product using a “chain of custody” approach in partnership with Vander Meer’s Wildland Conservation Services. Mark Vander Meer, a trained forester and soil ecologist with twenty plus years experience, directly tracks the wood from local forestry sites through two local mills (Tricon Timber in St. Regis, and Pyramid Mountain Lumber in Seeley Lake), and onward to Home Resource or partnering construction sites. Vander Meer is the northwestern regional representative of the National Network of Forest Practicioners, and he employs the organization’s standards in his evaluations. On a case-by-case basis, Mark reviews the forest plans, speaks with agency and company representatives, and conducts worksite visits as necessary to guarantee that Good Wood is exactly that. And if that’s not enough, Mark is happy to give personal tours of recently harvested sites.
Our Quality Guarantee
Good Wood is graded “select” at the mill and stamped to meet the standards of the construction industry. Because much Good Wood comes from thinned undergrowth, it grows more slowly and develops tighter grain and higher density – more like old-growth than modern tree-farmed lumber. Like most other lumberyards, we completely back our product. We will pick up any lumber that does not meet your standards and deliver any replacement lumber neccessary up to one week after delivery.
Social – Economic Considerations
- Local wood source
- Local forest workers
- Local sawmill
Post Harvest Conditions
- A diversity of native species remains standing on site
- Small-diameter harvests allow large trees to remain in forest
- Minimal soil disturbance protects watershed and prevents invasive species
- Appropriate slash management techniques minimize waste and burn piles
Biologic Resiliency
- Logging activities are designed to enhance natural resiliency of the forest
Ecologic Trends
- Post-harvest successional trends are directed towards a desirable state; for example, a fire compatible ponderosa & larch forest
