Making the Case for the Wood (Utility) Campus
Pictured: Douglas fir and redwood logs that would have been chipped or burned find a second life as durable wood products with local wood product manufacturers.
THE ISSUE
If you live in a place with significant forest resources, such as Sonoma County, CA with 513,000 acres of forestland, you might notice a tremendous amount of wood lying around. Sources of this material includes utility line clearance activities, natural disasters (e.g. wind/atmospheric rivers), and/or hazardous tree mitigation operations. Material often ranges in size and species — small and large Douglas fir trees, California Bay Laurel/Pepperwood, Madrone, and redwood — and our theory is that most of the time it would be a beneficial service for the public and for wildfire safety if this material were recovered and utilized versu left to decompose due to the sheer volume.
Post forest restoration activities, a similar availability of material viewed as low value (and at times of higher value) generally occurs during in-forest treatments. Wood that isn’t valuable enough to send to one of the handful of mills in operation is simply left, chipped and left on the ground or hauled away, and/or burned. The reason for such waste? A lack of well-positioned public-serving wood campuses.
These operations, such as the small-scale one that RFS is working to implement in Sonoma County, will recoup wood for manufacture into its highest and best uses. To explain the value of a wood campus, we liken it to other public utilities, such as water and electricity, or ‘wood utility,’ to demonstrate the essential nature of the work of managing and making value from the recovery and utilization of unused wood resources for the benefit of society, wildfire resilience, and our forest ecosystems.
THE UTILITY MODEL
Water and electrical utilities operate under a fundamental principle: ensuring reliable, sustainable, and equitable access to essential resources. These sectors have developed comprehensive infrastructure systems that centralize treatment, distribution, and maintenance. A wood (utility) campus would apply similar strategies to wood processing, ensuring a continuous and efficient supply of sustainably harvested wood products for construction and other applications.
MAKING THE CASE
As society continues to evolve, so too must our approach to forest and wood resource management. Services like water, electricity, and telecommunications have long been recognized as essential public service utilities, however wood—one of our most vital renewable natural resources—has not received the same level of institutional support. To bridge this gap, the establishment of regional, community-scale wood (utility) campuses is imperative. By centralizing wood processing and manufacturing into a dedicated service model, we can improve efficiency, sustainability, and economic resilience in our communities.
KEY BENEFITS OF A WOOD (UTILITY) CAMPUS
Sustainability & Resource Management
Much like a water treatment facility safeguards potable water, a wood (utility) campus would enhance responsible forestry practices, ensuring wood resources are harvested and processed with sustainability in mind.Economic Stability & Workforce Development
A centralized campus would create a pathway from workforce development to jobs in forestry, wildfire resilience and wood processing to advanced manufacturing. It wold also provide a means for increased research, and foster economic resilience in rural and urban communities located in proximity of forested regions alike.Infrastructure for Efficiency
As electrical substations regulate power flow, a wood (utility) campus would optimize raw material sourcing, processing, reducing waste to increase the viability of wood as a primary construction material.Carbon Sequestration & Climate Benefits
Wood-based construction reduces the carbon footprint of the building sector compared to steel and concrete applications. A wood (utility) campus would maximize these benefits by prioritizing the use of wood in sustainable applications and build market demand for regional, “Made in California,” wood products.Community Access & Resilience
Just as municipal utilities ensure equitable access to essential services, a wood (utility) campus could support local development projects, provision of firewood to economically disadvantaged households, and ensure affordable and sustainable building materials are available for housing, infrastructure, and disaster recovery efforts.
CALL TO ACTION Establishing a wood (utility) campus requires coordinated efforts between policymakers, forestry professionals, industry leaders, and community stakeholders. By recognizing wood as a fundamental resource on par with water and energy, we can take a bold step toward a more sustainable and resilient future.
If you are interested in advancing the discussion around wood campuses, we encourage you to engage with your local policymakers and industry leaders to share your perspective and support in addition to joining our newsletter to follow our progress.
Written with the support of AI.