Finding Value in What We Leave Behind

In today’s hardwood market, value is no longer defined solely by grade, yield, or traditional end use. Increasingly, it is defined by how well the industry can adapt, how it responds to disruption, rethinks material use, and uncovers opportunity in places once overlooked.

One emerging trend is the growing interest in salvaged, storm-damaged, and otherwise undervalued lumber. What was once considered a loss is now being reexamined as a viable resource, driven by research, collaboration, and a shifting mindset across the industry.

A recent collaborative project between the USDA Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory (FPL), the National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA), Michigan Technological University, Mississippi State University, Madison College, and industry partners, including Northern Hardwoods, offers a compelling example of this shift. The result is a five-part conference room table that demonstrates the potential of salvaged and historically significant lumber, not just as a concept, but as a tangible, functional product.

From Disruption to Opportunity

Severe storms, wildfires, and other natural disturbances continue to impact forests across the United States. For landowners and producers, these events often present logistical and economic challenges, particularly when it comes to harvesting damaged timber in a timely manner.

However, recent research suggests that the window for utilizing downed timber may be longer than previously assumed. This insight is beginning to reshape how the industry views risk, recovery, and resource utilization.

Instead of treating damaged wood as waste, there is growing recognition that it can still perform structurally, aesthetically, and economically when properly processed and applied.

A Table That Tells the Story

The conference room table itself is more than a piece of furniture. It is a case study in collaboration, material potential, and workforce development. Designed and constructed by students in Madison College’s Cabinet and Millwork Program under the leadership of instructor Lizzy Conley, the project also reflects a critical investment in the next generation of woodworkers. It demonstrates how undervalued material can be transformed into high-quality, functional products through skill, training, and craftsmanship.

The table consists of five modular sections, each highlighting a different wood species or combination and capable of functioning independently or as part of a larger whole.

It incorporates hard maple, black cherry, white oak, southern pine, and Douglas-fir, with materials sourced from research forests, university programs, and industry collaborators across the country.

What makes the project particularly significant is not just the diversity of species, but the story behind each one:

• Southern pine was sourced from research examining downed timber following hurricanes and tornadoes, demonstrating how storm-damaged wood can still be utilized effectively.

• Black cherry logs from the Kane Experimental Forest remained on the forest floor for over two years after a catastrophic storm. Despite this delay, testing revealed that much of the material retained usable quality, with degradation largely limited

to sapwood.

• White oak came from areas subjected to controlled burns, offering insight into how fire management practices impact lumber quality.

• Hard maple, including birdseye and curly varieties, showcases both performance and aesthetic value in higher-end applications.

• Douglas-fir ties the project to the long history of wood research, originating from early Forest Products Laboratory testing programs.

Each section of the table is constructed using three-ply cross-laminated timber (CLT), reinforcing the connection between traditional hardwood resources and emerging structural applications.

What This Means for the Domestic Market

Projects like this reflect a broader shift in how the hardwood industry is thinking about supply, value, and innovation.

First, they highlight the importance of maximizing resource utilization. In a market where raw material availability can fluctuate and costs continue to rise, making better use of existing resources is both an economic and environmental priority.

Second, they underscore the role of research, education, and partnerships in driving innovation. Collaboration between universities, federal agencies, and industry partners not only helps unlock new applications but also ensures that emerging professionals are equipped with the skills needed to carry the industry forward.

Finally, they reinforce the need to expand markets for hardwood, particularly in areas like mass timber and engineered wood products. By demonstrating that a wide range of species and conditions can be used effectively, projects like this help broaden the conversation around what hardwood can do.

Redefining Value

At its core, this work challenges the industry to rethink what value looks like.

Value is no longer just about producing clear, high-grade lumber for traditional markets. It is also about adaptability, about finding new uses for existing resources, investing in people, and telling a more complete story about wood as a material.

The conference room table stands as a physical representation of that shift. It brings together materials from different regions, conditions, and points in time, transforming them into something cohesive, functional, and enduring.

In doing so, it reflects a growing trend within the domestic hardwood market, one that sees opportunity not just in what is ideal, but in what is available, and what is possible.

By BRENNAH HUTCHISON Hardwood Industry Liaison & Content Director