I found this article interesting. A mill in eastern VA specializes in Lignum Vitae, or "Tree of Life".
While 400 years is pretty extreme it is typical in forestry. Where I live forestry is the number one industry. They clear cut lots on a 20-25 years cycle. Imagine waiting 20 years between pay checks. Talk about living on a budget.Wow, what business plan says oh... every 400 years you can have more raw material!
And the obvious one: "Honey, I have a business idea..."
Most tree farmers get a subsidy from the U.S. to grow the trees in addition to the revenue from the sales themselves. The key to the 20-25 year cycle is to have enough volume that you can rotate and harvest every 4-5 years and coast 'til the next cutting. Lots of tree farmers in SC are 'land poor' from this practice.While 400 years is pretty extreme it is typical in forestry. Where I live forestry is the number one industry. They clear cut lots on a 20-25 years cycle. Imagine waiting 20 years between pay checks. Talk about living on a budget.
Appendix II – This appendix contains species that are at risk in the wild, but not necessarily threatened with extinction. Species in this appendix are closely regulated, but are typically not as restricted as Appendix I.
Who's shop?I've been in his shop several times over the years.
The grade used for submarine bearings isn't the same as used for workbench mallets, that's for sure.
Who's shop?
Bob Shortridge, the owner of the shop in question.
Can you elaborate on those grades please? Submarine bearings are a better grade?
Yes.
The article says they have a harvest schedule of 400 years. They said they only cut from the same area every 400 years. They are protecting the trees, actually helping to make the species more sustainable and reducing the threat of extinction. I’d say that’s exactly what we need more of.Nothing like building a business based on using up the remianing population of a single species. Why is this even allowed?
Yes they do. When I was a kid, the tobacco companies told us cigarettes won't hurt you. Sorry but very hard to take the word of a company that exploits a very endangered material. Wholesale logging of a rare material is a possible scenario here. Not against the use of lignum, or other rare material..... Just not the business manufacturing end that tends to promise, take and apologise.The article says they have a harvest schedule of 400 years. They said they only cut from the same area every 400 years. They are protecting the trees, actually helping to make the species more sustainable and reducing the threat of extinction. I’d say that’s exactly what we need more of.
Lignum vitae grows in the United States (Florida keys). CITES is only enforced at the borders of countries. It doesn't cover transport within a country.It's not illegal to import Lignum vitae into the US. Maybe it's unethical but...
Sustainability: This wood species is in CITES Appendix II, and is on the IUCN Red List. It is listed as endangered because populations are severely reduced and exploitation for both its wood and resin extracts have continued for hundreds of years.