What is Sustainable Forestry
Management? 
Blue Ribbon Exteriors supports a system of forest management that relies on natural processes to maintain a forest's continuing capacity to produce a stable and perpetual yield of harvested timber. It also recognizes the fact that forests have values other than being a source of timber; such as, serving as a source of plant-based medicines, a home for wildlife, and places to enjoy hiking and solitude.
Environmental Issues
Logging practices in the Amazon rainforests are generally misunderstood. Our goal is to help explain some of the issues regarding rainforest logging and to help consumers make intelligent decisions regarding lumber products from tropical South America.
Tropical Logging is NOT Clear Cutting!Clear-cutting for timber extraction purposes rarely occurs; it is not even economically feasible, and only occurs when clearing land for farming and ranching. Selective harvesting of between 20 and 200 trees per 1000 acres is typical throughout the Amazon region.
The greatest danger to tropical forests is the ever increasing need for agricultural areas to produce food crops and raise cattle. In order for South American farmers to cultivate the land for crops or cattle, clear cutting must be done.
Government agencies such as IBAMA in Brazil and third part certification agencies such as the FSC, Forest Stewardship Council, require land managements plans which are based on selective and sustainable logging practices.
Landowners and indigenous people need a way to get value from their land. With reasonable market prices and consumer support for tropical lumber products, the need to convert tropical forest to agricultural use is minimized.
Companies logging in the rainforest must submit detailed forest management plans in order to extract timber. Each area to be logged is divided up into sections and trees are identified by specie. With the assistance of GPS detailed maps can be created on computers and by hand.
Seed trees of each specie are left so that natural regeneration may take place. Trees that are under certain sizes are also left in place so that they may be cut in the next logging cycle in 20 to 30 years.
In many cases, government agencies will require that companies also replant areas that have been cleared in the past.
This is typically done with Teak or Mahogany plantations that are replacing ranching areas. It doesn't take long to turn a bare patch of land into a plantation forest; after only 5 years, the average height of the trees is already 15 feet.
Educating consumers regarding rain forest logging is a critical role that should be played by all manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers in the tropical wood business.
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