As you might be able to tell, we love trees and forests. In Gig Harbor, Washington, where we’re based, forests are an integral part of daily life. Thickets of fir and cedar trees are everywhere, lining the roads and filling the parks. Because we build our doors with solid wood, it’s always been important to us to give back, so that we can continue to craft responsibly with natural materials.
Sadly, our prior tree planting partner is ceasing operations. But we knew we wanted to keep supporting reforestation efforts. After looking at several options, we’re proud to announce that we've chosen Ecodrive to be our new tree planting partner. Here’s why we chose them.
- Their verification data is top-notch and more meticulous than anything else we found. This means we can trust their results and feel confident that our pledges are making a difference.
- They have programs around the world, including here in the United States. We were drawn to US-based reforestation projects because most of the wood we use is domestically sourced, and we like the idea of reforesting closer to home.
- As a customer, you can track the progress of your pledge in real time. The location of the tree planted on your behalf is even geotagged, so you can see where it will live and grow!
About The Project: Oregon Wildfire Recovery
The project we’ve chosen to support with our pledges is close to home, in our neighboring state of Oregon. In September 2020, there were five megafires (and several smaller fires) in Oregon. The megafires wiped out a large portion of Oregon’s forest ecosystems--as well as its timber supply. Over 850,000 acres of forest burned, and at least four thousand structures were destroyed.
One reason why these fires spread so prolifically is a counterintuitive one: a century of fire suppression meant that many forests were overgrown. When these wildfires broke out in extremely dry and windy conditions in 2020, there was so much fuel for them to burn through that it allowed the fires to grow and spread even more drastically.
The reforestation project we’re contributing to is a joint effort with American Forests and The Oregon Department of Forestry. They are planting a diverse range of species in Santiam State Forest. This includes trees like Douglas Fir, Noble Fir, and Western Red Cedar. All the species chosen are intended to prevent invasive species from taking hold, too. The careful management of this ecosystem will hopefully make it more resilient to wildfires, which are always a fact of life in the American West.
Anytime you buy a custom wood product, we’ll pledge to plant a tree in the Santiam State Forest. This forest is home to over 270 species of wildlife, including bears, mountain lions, elk, and deer. It’s also home to the spotted owl, a vulnerable owl species that makes its home in old growth trees.
We know that if you’ve shopped with us before, you’re used to seeing a higher number of trees planted in your name. Unfortunately, the costs of reforestation projects are significantly higher in America compared to sub-Saharan Africa where we were pledging before.
But we’ve chosen to support this project because it’s close to our home here in Washington. And by planting trees like Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar, we’re directly replacing the species we use in our products. This kind of localized reforestation is something we’ve always wanted to incorporate into our sustainability efforts, and we're hoping that we can increase our pledge amount soon.
Learn more on our sustainability page.
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