Sitka Conservation Society Facilitates Use of Local Young Growth Timber

 

This story was written by Marjorie Hennessey and has been shared courtesy of the Sitka Conservation Society. Read the original post here.

 

SCS was recently awarded another Community Capacity and Land Stewardship (CCLS) Grant from the National Forest Foundation.  The CCLS grant focuses on the use of local, young growth timber and habitat restoration. This grant will sustain and further develop the capacity-building momentum generated from last year’s grant. 

 

One of the components of the previous grant was to provide local, young growth timber to the Sitka High School industrial arts classes.  Students were provided with red alder for building bed side tables, as well as Sitka spruce to construct a bike shelter.  The bike shelter will be finalized this summer and placed at the Sitka Sound Science Center.

 

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Through the current grant, SCS will continue to promote regional young growth markets, incentivize forest restoration and further the Tongass Transition Framework by creating an educational opportunity for local youth that focuses on young growth timber for structural and building applications.

 

Currently, SCS will work with a local miller to process local red alder. Red alder has been historically considered a ‘weed species’, however due to its abundance it is quickly becoming valued for use in specialty wood products, cabinetry, furniture and architectural millwork such as wainscoting or molding.

 

SCS is encouraging regional industry integration by building relationships between producers and users. The red alder will become part of the Allen Auditorium renovation project on the Sheldon Jackson campus.  This partnership will also allow for SCS to sponsor several local high school students to work under the supervision of local builder Pete Weiland on the renovation project this summer. Students will be given the opportunity to spend approximately one month working on the Auditorium renovation project and will be partnered with a college mentor. The wood will be provided to the renovation project to produce an installation and demonstration project that highlights red alder as a viable material.  

 

SCS is now accepting applications from local high school students who are interested in participating in this project. Applications are due by July 1 and can be emailed to info@sitkawild.org .

For more information on this project, please contact:
 
Marjorie Hennessey, Conservation Solutions Director
Sitka Conservation Society
marjorie@sitkawild.org
(907) 747-7509
 
 
If you would like SAWC to promote your community based project or program, please contact
Angie Eldred
SAWC Communications Coordinator
angie@alaskawatershedcoalition.org
(907) 231-1710