Timber has many shades of meaning depending upon the context within which it is used; but, basically, all meanings relate back to the wood found in a mature tree. For our ancestors, timber was a vital commodity, they burnt it to keep warm or to cook their food, they constructed their houses out of it and they made many everyday items from it. However, since timber is nothing but tree wood and trees take a very long time to grow to the maturity required to provide good timber, demand for timber began to outgrow the supply.
Also, population growth demanded more and more land be turned over to human needs for housing, factories, cities, etc.; all of which meant the elimination of much woodland. Gone were the days when one could go a short distance and find a tree to fell for your timber needs. By present time, we had also realized that trees are an essential part of our planet’s eco-system – effectively the lungs that clean and purify the atmosphere to ensure it comprises the correct mix of gases that we need to breathe for our own survival. In other words, we cannot afford to cut them all down; even though we still choose to maintain our appetite for timber products.
We Must Manage Our Resources
As with any shrinking resource, timber is forever becoming more valuable to a point where it can be seen by some as a good “cash crop” for investment. The potential investor may know much about making good returns but he is unlikely to have any depth of knowledge about trees. Therefore, if he is thinking of purchasing land solely for the planting of trees to produce a future income from timber sales, he would be wise to seek out advice from people well versed in all aspects of trees and timber.
An organization like Timber Management Broome County, NY would prove invaluable to the investor. Questions like – should I buy into existing forests or should I clear some land and plant new trees; are the starting point that leads on to matters about which trees grow the fastest or which produce the more valuable timber plus the question of which grow best in which geographical areas? With those answered, our investor still needs management help with the care and attention of the trees up to the point of their felling and how to present them as good selling lumber.
All Pro Able Tree Service is a family concern specializing in all aspects of tree care, growth and management from large scale land clearance and replanting to removing a fallen tree from your domestic driveway.
