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In the United States, millions of cubic yards of urban tree and landscape residue are generated every year, 15 percent of which is classified as “unchipped logs.”
The overwhelming number of tree removals in cities and towns across the country becomes necessary for a host of reasons:
- storm blowdowns
- natural mortality
- severe insect and disease damage
- construction activities
- and a variety of circumstances that transform urban trees from assets to liabilities
Municipalities are faced not only with the volume of tree removals but with the associated financial costs as well. Rising labor and transportation costs, increased landfill or tipping fees, and lost opportunity costs (money that cannot be spent elsewhere in the community) create a financial burden for managers of municipal tree programs.
Even if disposal costs were not an issue, landfill space is dwindling, and tree disposal in landfills has been either outlawed or reduced by regulations in many States.
The utilization (recycling) of municipal trees can contribute to the conservation of forestland resources by generating wood products from trees that need to be removed anyway.
Examples include saw logs for high quality furniture, cabinets, and flooring; pulpwood for paper products; fuelwood for residential and commercial heating; wood chips for mulch on landscaping projects, and specialty items such as burls and branch crotches for unique woodworking projects.
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