Harvesters

Small landowners need help navigating the very confusing world of sustainable forestry organizations.

Why is this so important? According to Sustainable Woods, Southeast U.S. forests are among the most ecologically and economically productive forests in the world. The South produces more timber than any other region of the U.S. or any other country in the world. Over 70% of the South’s forests are in non-industrial individual or family ownerships, producing 70% of our region’s timber products. HC believes that certified sustainable forests increase market share and increase jobs.

A practice known as “barking or bark harvesting” began in the 1800’s. Bark was gathered from the American chestnut tree and used in tanneries and as bark shingle cladding. The art concluded with the chestnut blight in 1940. The modern practice of “barking” as we know it today, was started in the 1990 when HC used bark from the tulip poplar tree to manufacture bark shingles. As the industry leader, HC believes that there should be standardized and sustainable barking practices. Modern forestry obligates us to consider not just the needs of today and not just ourselves, but how our actions will impact other society and the environment. That is why HC initiated the development of this training module.

You can still benefit the training offered at Mayland Community College in September, 2009. To read about the first training session, click here.  Just fill out the request form below and we will mail you a DVD of the session before the 2010 bark season. To become a vendor for HC, you will also need to download and pass a test (coming soon).