“Turning Urban Trees into Lumber: How Conservation Corps of Long Beach is Making a Difference”

In an effort to prevent California’s 6 million urban trees from causing damage when they die, a group of arborists and members of the Conservation Corps of Long Beach recently gathered to address the issue. The team met at a city park to begin the process of salvaging the trees before they become hazards.

Using a construction vehicle and a wood milling machine, the corps members began the task of transforming the logs into usable lumber. The goal is to repurpose the wood from these urban trees into benches, desks, sculptures, and other items that can be used in the community.

The Conservation Corps of Long Beach has been planting trees since its establishment in 1987, and now they are expanding their efforts to include the management of trees after they die. This initiative not only helps to prevent potential hazards but also promotes sustainability by reusing the wood from urban trees.

With the support of a $1 million grant from Cal Fire, the corps has partnered with West Coast Arborists to carry out this project. The collaboration aims to maximize the use of urban lumber, which has the potential to replace a significant portion of the United States’ annual lumber consumption.

The process of creating an urban lumber project involves various challenges, including the need for accurate tree inventories and careful preservation of the wood. While it can be costly and labor-intensive to maintain tree inventories, the benefits of repurposing urban trees for lumber outweigh the challenges.

By repurposing urban trees into lumber instead of chipping them into mulch, the project helps to sequester carbon and reduce waste. The use of mulch from chipped trees to support plant life also contributes to carbon sequestration, making it a sustainable practice.

Overall, the efforts of the Conservation Corps of Long Beach and West Coast Arborists highlight the importance of sustainable urban forestry practices. By turning urban trees into valuable resources, the project not only benefits the environment but also provides employment and career development opportunities for young people in the community.