Field day for foresters and sawmillers

Recently, a group of foresters, sawmillers, and forestry professionals gathered at the ‘Logs 2 Lumber’ worksite in the Moutere Hills.

Justin Wells, managing director at Logs 2 Lumber, specialises in milling native and alternative species; that being anything other than Radiata pine and Douglas Fir.

There was an interesting display of quarter sawing, a method which generates a very stable board from species that are generally considered firewood. This method also displayed a completely different grain feature to the more typical flat sawn board and is very attractive.

Participants walked around the yard stopping at each pile of logs, where Justin explained the various considerations specific to each species and end use. There were several portable sawmillers present who, like Justin, cater to farmers and small block holders wanting the lumber for their own use.

Most of these exotics do not need treatment so transport and handling costs can be kept to a minimum.  

The second part of the day was presented by Chris Ensor and Gerry Dysart of Mosaic Aotearoa, a new forest advisory and project management company.

Both men have spent years in commercial forestry but now hope to focus on land use achieving “ecological and operational harmony”.

To complement their promotion of high value species, they have generated a ‘Mosaic Forest Register’.

Chris says as log marketeers they had often seen high value logs being sent to low value export markets due to local sawmillers being unaware of availability and thus unable to develop markets and forecast supply. You can register at their website, www.mosaicaotearoa.com

There was also lively discussion on the present state of the ETS (The New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme) management of “low intervention” or regenerating pine forests, leading to the ever-present subjects around biomass, generation, form, transport, and low-value costs.

If you are interested in trees or wood, come along to a field day.  Email PJ from the Nelson branch of New Zealand Farm Forestry on prettybridge@xtra.co.nz