Today, Delta Institute published “Urban Wood Best Management Practices,” a new resource that provides guidance to public and private land managers and tree care companies on opportunities for urban wood reuse. View the publication: Urban Wood Best Management Practices.
Currently, storm damage and invasive species are threatening the vitality of many trees throughout our urban forests in the Great Lakes region. While these damaged trees need to be removed and can no longer provide environmental benefit to our communities, there are a number of opportunities for these trees to continue to add value to our region.
Delta Institute CEO Jean Pogge said, “Delta Institute is interested in turning natural resource challenges into economic opportunities, and urban wood is a great example of how that can be done. If we can remove hazardous trees from our urban forests in the right way, these trees can be used for mulch, firewood, lumber, furniture, or flooring.”
With funding from the Grand Victoria Foundation, Delta created this toolkit to provide homeowners, land managers, foresters, tree care companies and wood manufacturers with the tools they need to support urban wood utilization, such as guidance on tree removal and storage, and it also offers local wood utilization case studies, including Chicago’s Rebuilding Exchange. In 2009, Delta Institute founded the Rebuilding Exchange, a nonprofit social enterprise that functions as a materials reuse warehouse, diverting valuable materials and lumber from landfill and providing job training to individuals with barriers to employment.