Wood is among the most environmentally sustainable material on the planet. It is renewable, carbon-neutral, highly versatile, and can be easily grown. When stored as forest, wood provides clean air freshwater, holds the land, offers habitat to wildlife, and is home to biodiversity.
While wood makes an important resource around the country, it is particularly significant for Maine. The state is known also known as the “Pine Tree State” because of the extensive mixed deciduous and coniferous forests that cover the state.
In fact, 90% of Maine’s land is covered with forests, and almost 90% of the forests are privately owned. While forests and woods make an integral resource for Maine’s economy, it’s just one piece of the regional economy. Another industry that complements the local forest and wood industry is the New England plant nursery industry.
Plant nurseries are businesses and organizations that initiate the growth of plants and provide them with the right growing conditions until they reach an age where they can be moved to another new place. Plant nurseries often grow trees, shrubs, and flowering plants until they are old enough to be purchased by homeowners.
However, the industry has to contend with the environment in Maine and the rest of New England. Thankfully the wholesale firewood industry has transformed the plant nursery industry in the region. Let’s take a closer look at how the wholesale firewood industry has transformed the plant nursery industry in Maine.
Timber Industry in Maine
Maine has an estimated 17.6 million acres of forest land that cover around 90% of the state. Almost 95% of the forest land is categorized as timberland, which means that it exceeds a minimum level of productivity. The forest economy contributes around $8.2 billion to the country and creates nearly 40,000 direct and indirect jobs in the industry.
But what exactly comprises Maine’s wood industry, and who is a part of it?
The forest economy in Maine is comprised of loggers, truckers, workers in paper mills, lumber companies, sawmills, and board mills. Moreover, it also includes craftspeople who manufacture furniture and other finished products from the forest produce along with thousands of support staff, accountants, salespeople, managers, and mechanics who support the process of selling wood and forest produce at every stage. While the industry has recently experienced several challenges, the state still makes a great place for forestry.
Given the growth in various industries that thrive on firewood and the reliance on firewood for keeping homes warm, the wholesale firewood industry is also thriving in the state. Another reason for the thriving Maine wholesale firewood industry is that Maine prohibits the entry of all types of firewood from outside the state unless the firewood meets the treatment standard, which includes heat-treatment for 75 minutes to at least 160°F along with a clearly labeled evidence of the heat treatment.
How Wholesale Firewood Has Transformed The Plant Nursery Industry
The wholesale firewood industry had a tremendous effect on the plant nursery industry in the form of affordable, environmentally friendly fuel for nurseries to sell to individuals and businesses locally. This allows large commercial nurseries to not only generate income year-round, but also helps them to do so in a way that is synergistic with their other environmentally friendly practices. Being carbon neutral really means something to many private residents and commercial operations who already rely on nurseries for their annuals, shrubs, and other plant purchases.
Providing wholesale firewood to urban environments gives nurseries the extra income diversification they need to continue to thrive throughout the year!
At Day Logging, we are a leading provider of wholesale firewood for plant nurseries in New England. Over the last three decades, we have been in the business and have served hundreds and thousands of customers to meet their firewood needs. Call us today to learn more about how we can help you with your firewood needs at 207-625-8181.