Dakota,
I'm told that some of the companies in Chile use plantation wood for 100% of their raw material. Not a stick of natural forest is cut. Its supposedly 100% Radiata pine that grows to merchantable size in maybe 20 years...far from the 80-100 years that lodgepole pine in BC takes.
I understand the US Loblolly pine grows pretty much like the Radiata. With the addition I've heard that it just runs pitch when debarking and sawing. Probably smells nice in a mill but the shzts to work on any machines that are crusted in pitch!!
I wonder why no one seems to be looking at harvesting pine pitch for (renewable) energy purposes? It sure burns like mad! Kinda like tapping Maple trees?
Jon.
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