Harvesting Urban Timber: A Guide to Making Better Use of Urban Trees

Three to four billion board feet of potential lumber is being fed either directly or indirectly into landfills throughout the United States each year. This book explains the importance of harvesting urban trees and how to do so. Case studies illustrate how some cities and counties have reduced waste through the use of urban timber for various projects. Explained in detail are felling, safety, converting trees to sawn lumber, how to hire a sawyer, how to season the wood, sawing for figure, and what types of trees are worth harvesting. Also described are the various uses for the timber, including use by the home craftsman or to build park benches or bumper strips. Each alternative use is illustrated through case studies of several municipalities and their respective programs of urban timber utilization.