“Yellow Cedar Is Dying. Can Southeast Alaska Sawmills Profit?”

“Yellow cedar is a commercially valuable tree species for the timber industry. It grows from California all the way to Southeast Alaska, but there are fewer living trees growing across the range because of climate change.

A recent study explores the business potential of salvage logging, or harvesting trees that are already dead. It sounds eco-conscious, like something that would be cataloged beside reclaimed wood. But Brian Buma, an ecologist with the University of Colorado, thinks that’s a stretch.

“I have to say, I really hate that term because dead trees are just as important to the ecosystem as live trees,” Buma said.”

Elizabeth Jenkins reports for Alaska's Energy Desk February 4, 2020.