VIRGINIA URBAN WOOD GROUP
Welcome to the Virginia Urban Wood Group where we envision:
"A future where the economic value of the timber after the tree eventually dies, is just as important as the many benefits it gives the community while living."
~ Damon Barron, Treecycle America
Virginia Urban Wood Group ~ Vision Statement
We envision a future where every tree has a use at the end of its life—a level of use that honors its existence.
Financial support for the Virginia Urban Wood project comes from: US Forest Service, Southern Region; Trees Virginia and the Virginia Department of Forestry.
Mission & Purpose
• To address the management needs and improve the marketing opportunities for wood products from small acreage forests, interface forests, and urban forests through outreach, education, and workforce development.
• To foster awareness, knowledge, and skills among homeowners, small acreage owners, and natural resource professionals and entrepreneurs to increase the overall health, productivity, and utilization of these forests.
• To facilitate best use practices of trees within urban and suburban areas by developing markets to support the recycling and utilization of these resources.
Virginia Urban Wood Group Newsletters - Connecting the Local/Urban Wood Community
June 2022 - "Full Circle Management" - Issue 13
April 2022 - " Spring has Sprung" - Issue 12
February 2022 - "Turning the Corner" - Issue 11
December 2021 - "The Final Push" - Issue 10
September 2021 - " The Final Push" - Issue 9
July 2021 - "Summertime and the Livin's Easy" - Issue 8
April 2021 - "Happy Arbor Day" - Issue 7
February 2021 - "Welcome to 2021" - Issue 6
December 2020 - "Happy Holidays!" - Issue 5
October 2020 - "Happy Fall!" - Issue 4
August 2020 - "Welcome" - Issue 3
June 2020 - "Welcome" - Issue 2
2021 Southern Urban Wood Forum Recordings - Honoring the Tree: Increasing Urban Wood Utilization from Tiny Towns to Mega Municipalities
Partner News
Check out this recent article from the Harrisonburg Daily News Record: "Tree to Table - Urban Wood Grants New Life to Old Lumber"
Learn about the new bioreactor the City of Harrisonburg is installing to help clean Blacks Run. Ash trees removed from Westover Park due to emerald ash borer damage will be turned into woodchips for the project.
The City of Harrisonburg Parks and Recreation crews recently removed a large ash from the Harrisonburg Municipal Golf Course. The wood has been used to build several tables for Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance. See the news release and the 'Out of the Ashes' YouTube video that highlights urban wood utilization!
One of the greatest sources of municipal wood waste are the communities that dot the Virginia landscape. Until recently, many communities across Virginia lacked purposeful plans for their urban trees after removal. See how the Virginia Urban wood Program has guided the Town of Woodstock and the City of Harrisonburg in a new direction! Click Trees with a Future for this great information.
As one might imagine veterans are hands-on, mission-accomplished, service-oriented people. In this world of small-scale forestry, the opportunities for people with these personality traits are readily available. The Virginia Urban Wood Project is pleased to assist these veteran-owned businesses by offering marketing opportunities for their services and products, enhanced public exposure and outreach engagement Click to read about Serving 2.0 Veterans in the Urban Forest.
Urban Wood Group Video Project: The Virginia Urban Wood Group will have two professionally-produced videos, one filmed in Harrisonburg, the other in Roanoke. These videos would follow a tree from felling→milling→kiln drying→piece production→final product being delivered.
Bill St. Pierre is working on the video project with Roanoke and the urban lumber coming from Roanoke. Bill conducted tours for Virginia Tech Bis-Material group, Will Boren (leader). Bill continues to try to define how to cut the business costs of an urban wood business. Bill will soon be adding three more people to the staff of St. Pierre Woodworking and Sawmill.
Virginia Tech School of Natural Resources and Environment Household Wood Recycling Survey: Household surveys consisting of three questions were distributed in Harrisonburg and Lynchburg recently. The surveys will gauge the interest and involvement in recycling; would they be willing to do more yard tree recycling; and would they be open to purchasing local wood products.
Newport News: a new spider lift will soon be delivered to improve access for utility trees; purchased new firewood Woodmizer® processor for city wood waste; presently they sell poplar and pine for firewood in the city campground; selling hardwood bulk firewood; logs being sent to mills (West Pont small pine mill/hardwood to railroad tie mills). There has been some chatter about small sawmills urban wood throughout the Tidewater area; working on improving marketing options.
Virginia Tech Extension: There are ash logs at McCormick Farm @ SVAREC which is located in Fairfield (Rockbridge County). McCormick Farms could be the site of a possible small woodlot owners workshop. Jonathan Kays (WIYBY Workbook author) wants to develop a Land Care Practices book to develop service provided for small woodlots with possibly some associated workshop. Adam Downing is the lead for this project.
The Virginia Urban Wood Group launches the Urban and Small Woodlot Forestry Business Directory
This searchable database can assist you with all of your urban tree utilization and small parcel management needs. More businesses are being added on a daily basis so check back often. Visit the Urban and Small Woodlot Forestry Business Directory.
Virginia Urban Wood Group Members
- Joe Lehnen: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Adam Downing: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Lara Johnson: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Charlie Becker:
- P. Eric Wiseman, Ph.D: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Jeremy Harold: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Chris Wiley: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Aaron Laurin: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Bill St. Pierre: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- James McCabe: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Virginia Urban Wood Group Partners
- Virginia Cooperative Extension
- Virginia Department of Forestry
- Trees Virginia (Virginia Urban Forest Council)
What is Urban Lumber?
Many people ask us about our project and what it is all about. This short YouTube video "What is Urban Lumber?" explains all about urban wood in a fun, but meaningful way. Enjoy!
Helpful Links
- The Wood Database: This thorough wood identification and information website provides color photos of hundreds of different domestic and international woods. There is also technical information for each wood including specific gravity, hardness, shrinkage, rot resistance, workability, common uses and much more. You will be amazed at the information on this site: http://www.wood-database.com/
- Smart Phone Board Foot Calculator: Norwood Sawmills has developed a board foot calculator, downloadable to both Androids and iPhones. This mobile app give you instant estimates of the board-feet in your logs according to Doyle, Scribner and International log rules. Bonus functions calculate the volume of sawn lumber and estimate the weight of your logs. Download it today and give it a try! http://www.norwoodsawmills.com/norwood-mobile-app
Other Urban Wood Websites
Success Stories
- Built in the Blue Ridge: Hear the story of St. Pierre Woodworks from Floyd Virginia
- Tina Albright, Lumber Woman; visit Tina's Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Building-Materials/The-Lumber-Woman-Co-943590765759389/
- Woodmizer Sawmills Urban Wood video series
- Click here to watch video about New York Heartwoods, a woman-owned, local woods sawmill business in Warwick NY
- Trailer of "Felled" - a documentary film about giving new life to fallen urban trees
- Story of Rustic Timber, Virginia Beach, Virginia
- TED Talk, Damon Barron, Treecycle America: Certified Urban Forestry, Charlotte North Carolina
Instructional Videos
Forestry Fast Break: Renewable Resources
Urban Wood Usage Forestry Fast Break: A short video on the better use of urban trees
Grading Logs: 
Urban trees and wood are often a neglected natural resource. The goal of this video series is to encourage the best uses of our urban-suburban trees. The Virginia Urban Wood Group has been created to promote the improved marketing and utilization of urban and small acreage trees as a viable part of Virginia's economy.
Milling Logs:
Urban trees/wood are often a neglected natural resource. The goal of this video series is to encourage the best uses of our urban-suburban trees. The Virginia Urban Wood.
Directional Felling: C
utting down trees in an urban setting can be a challenge! Sometimes there is very little room for error when there are other trees, structures or utility lines in the immediate vicinity of the tree which needs removal. The goal of this video is to introduce viewers to the Directional Felling technique.
Urban Wood Research
Before solving the challenges surrounding the marketing of urban and small parcel wood, there is a need to understand the underlying issues - physical, logistical, economical - all of which are impediments towards the better utilization of our urban trees. Virginia Tech researchers, Dr. P. Eric Wiseman and Dr. Brian Bond, have collaborated on a research project which provides better understanding of these issues, including recommendations for future actions.
Urban Wood Utilization Workshops
The Mid-Atlantic Urban Wood Forum: "Applied Practices in Utilization" held August 15-16, 2017 in Richmond Virginia brought together urban wood and forestry professionals. This event, sponsored by Virginia Department of Forestry in partnership with Trees Virginia, the Virginia Urban Wood Group and the U. S. Forest Service, featured presentations by many urban wood experts from across the United States and an urban wood field trip on the second day. Check out photos from this event!
Presentations from Day One
Damon Barron: Redefining Urban Forestry
David Barmon: Urban Lumber, The Future of Forestry - Coming Soon
Mike Galvin: The Baltimore Wood Project
Sam Sherrill: Starting An Urban Forest Products Business - Coming Soon
Richard Anacker: Integrated Woodlot Management - Coming Soon
Shaun Preston: Baltimore City's Camp Small: Urban Wood Utilization and Zero Waste Initiative
Chris Fields-Johnson: Davey Wood Recycling
Lemuel Hancock: Woodstock Virginia-Many Bends, Perfect Break - Coming Soon
Presentations from Day Two
Alan Moore: Update on Urban Wood Utilization in North Carolina
Dru Preston: Georgia Forestry Commission, Staff Forester, Forest Utilization Department
Duff McCully: Managing DC's Urban Forest
Ellen Roane: Pennsylvania Urban Wood Utilization Current Status
Joe Lehnen: Virginia's Urban Wood Program
Other Recent Workshops:
May 24, 2017 in Lynchburg VA at Camp Kum-Ba-Yah: photos here of the "Expanding Business Opportunities in Small and Urbanizing Forests: Managing, Harvesting and Utilizing Urban Trees"
March 28-20, 2017 in Charlottesville VA: Virginia Urban Wood Utilization Forum
Susan Poizner, a renowned journalist, filmmaker, gardener, and one of the founders of the Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard in Toronto, Canada, traveled to Virginia for the 2017 Trees Virginia "Canopy Count" workshop in Roanoke. Her second day in Virginia was spent at the Roanoke Urban Wood Workshop in Hollins, where she recorded a video highlighting the workshop and also authored a blog detailing the urban wood program in Virginia. Click here to view Susan's video and blog!
March 9, 2017 in Hollins Virginia: "Expanding Business Opportunities in Small and Urbanizing Forests: Managing, Harvesting and Utilizing Urban Trees" Workshop.
