Photo by Allegheny Wood Products . Photo by Allegheny Wood Products .
Untapped Potential
LORI KERSEY
WestVirginia ’ s Forestry Industry
Photo by David Petersen .
While the old adage says money doesn ’ t grow on trees , it doesn ’ t seem to hold the same truth for the landowners , loggers , sawmill operators and manufacturers that make up the Mountain State ’ s thriving forestry industry .
According to a 2019 economic study of the industry by West Virginia University , forestry generates approximately $ 3.4 billion each year and employs more than 19,000 people statewide .
“ West Virginia is the third most forested state in the country ,” says Eric Carlson , executive director of the West Virginia Forestry Association ( WVFA ), a nonprofit organization that represents all sectors of the state ’ s forestry supply chain , from landowners to manufacturers . “ We ’ re about four times the size of agriculture in sheer economic impact according to the West Virginia Department of Agriculture ’ s latest information .”
While this industry has a rich history in West Virginia , many people know little to nothing about it , its presence or its success .
“ It ’ s all run by closely held private companies ,” says John Crites II , president of Allegheny Wood Products . “ We ’ re not exactly the great big factories you see along the road . A lot of these operations are out in the woods . There are some places where sawmills are prominent in the community , but in most cases , a lot of people in the community don ’ t even know they ’ re there .”
Crites ’ father founded Allegheny Wood Products in 1973 with one sawmill in Riverton , WV , which is located in Pendleton County . Today it is one of the largest producers of eastern U . S . hardwoods , with six sawmills and four dry kiln facilities in West Virginia and Pennsylvania .
While cutting down trees is not a popular practice among environmentalists , according to Crites , of all building materials , wood has the lowest carbon footprint .
“ In a lot of cases , wood actually has a negative carbon footprint , so we ’ re even better than carbon neutral ,” he says . “ The growing of trees takes carbon out of the atmosphere . They are literally sequestering
carbon . As you harvest timber , it is one of the least energy intensive building materials when you analyze the process of harvesting timber and putting it into products .”
In recent decades , the way trees are harvested has become more thoughtful and sustainable . The WVFA also serves as the local affiliate of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative ( SFI ), a Canadian-based nonprofit whose mission is to advance sustainability through forest-focused initiatives . SFI operates a third-party verification program for sustainable forests and the products they produce .
“ It ’ s very complex . There are hundreds of conditions companies must meet , and the auditors will come in and periodically audit the records ,” says Carlson . “ These companies are very dedicated to making sure they have good audits and that they maintain the certification . Then those products can be sold as certified products .”
Products marked with the SFI ’ s evergreen tree label are certified to be from well-managed , sustainable forests .
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE