Massachusetts uses 359 million cubic feet of wood each year to build our homes, businesses, and communities. We import 98% of this wood, leaving it to others to sort out the climate and ecological impact. It is time to pull our heads out of the sand and ask how wood can truly fit into an effective climate plan for the state (“Half a loaf in the climate crisis? Healey initiative hurts forests,” Recorder, July 5).
Here are some startling facts. The entire infrastructure of New York City is replicated globally every 30 days as populations grow and become more affluent. To make matters worse, what we choose to build with or make everyday products out of is heading in the wrong direction. Our reliance on carbon-intensive steel, concrete, and plastics have risen dramatically. We need to do our best to reduce our consumption, but we also need to choose climate smart materials — renewable, bio-based, and recyclable — like wood.
New England Forestry Foundation research points to several answers. Cross laminated timber, also known as mass timber, allows us to build affordably and sustainably with wood, from smaller homes all the way up to urban towers. These forest-based products must be produced with climate smart forestry practices on private and state lands. We also need to set some of our forests aside, unharvested, to protect wildlife and biodiversity.
Gov. Maura Healey gets this multi-pronged approach and has wisely instituted a process to put these pieces together in Massachusetts. Her newly established Climate-Focused Forestry Initiative will preserve our forests while we transition our harvesting to climate smart practices that can address our building and affordable housing needs.
If we follow the science, we can truly have it all — healthy forests, sustainable buildings, and a stable climate.
Robert Perschel, executive director