Environmental Issues:
Often, lumber imports are blamed for many of the environmental issues facing our world today. However, over 94% of rain forest degradation is due to the agricultural practice of clear cutting giant swaths of land. Furthermore, this material is often burnt to make way for cattle pastures or crop growing.
Early concern over environmental issues fueled young Washington’s career.
Ownership Motives
Lumber companies that own logging rights to a tract of land can’t harvest each tree. Saplings must live for future inventories. The value inherent to the lumber provides all the incentive needed to maintain the forest in a responsible manner. Furthermore, a tropical hardwood deck will have at least four times the life of a treated pine or cedar deck. Therefore, investing in such material saves four future decks from harvest! Furthermore, the material is salvageable once the deck’s life is over. How many woods can claim this?