Forest without treatment
Forest with treatment
Why Buy Verified
Prevent High-Intensity Wildfires
Buying GoodWood® products promotes healthy watersheds and reduces the threat from large, high intensity wildfires as well as from insect and disease outbreaks in our forests. Verified wood can be been tracked back to the forest of origin allowing the buyer to know their purchase has made a difference. Some forest restoration treatments involve removing the overly dense small diameter sized trees to both reduce the amount of fuels in the understory and to improve overall forest health by giving the remaining trees more nutrients, sunlight, and water to grow. The stronger trees are favored to remain so the future forest is healthier and more resilient.
The GoodWood program is designed to source wood from forest projects that re-establish fire regimes approximating those that shaped forest ecosystems prior to fire suppression. Fire regimes across Southwestern ponderosa pine forests have undergone a shift, from low-intensity, high-frequency surface-fires to high-intensity, low-frequency crown fires—a shift which has been well documented in scientific research. High basal areas and high densities of young trees can act as ladder fuels contributing to the risk of a catastrophic crown wildfire. By supporting markets which source from forest restoration and improvement projects, especially for small diameter trees, the program aims to result in more forest restoration and hazardous fuels reduction treatments.
By building local forest industry capacity to serve buyers seeking greener solutions, our forest industry is strengthened and the cost of treatments should decrease, allowing more forest restoration treatments to be done.
Increase Plant and Wildlife Biodiversity
By reducing the unsustainable high number of small diameter trees, more light reaches the ground, stimulating plant growth often needed by wildlife. Old and large trees are left to grow and maintain and enhance wildlife and bird habitat, tree genetics, and structural diversity. Source Verified Good Wood requires that Threatened and endangered species and archeological sites are protected.
Boost Local Economy
By buying wood products grown and manufactured in the Southwest, we keep more dollars being used locally to support local workers, businesses, and communities. We can also work together to educate more people about where their wood comes from and the importance of good forest management.