Picture


Firewood & Forest Management
Why Firewood?                    
Firewood, one of nature's most common methods of storing solar energy, is a renewable energy source. It is a relatively clean, efficient, safe energy source having low sulfur content and is generally found throughout the country.

Its primary products of combustion are carbon dioxide, water vapor and ash. The ash content is low (only one to two percent by weight) and that which does remain can be used as a worthwhile soil conditioner.
To improve forest health and productivity, foresters and landowners often remove some trees and vegetation.

This reduces crowding and promotes healthy tree growth. In addition, removing smaller trees in the understory of a forest reduces the risk of wildfire and insect or disease outbreaks.

A combination of energy conservation and the use of multiple renewable energy sources is the most likely recipe for success when it comes to meeting energy needs in an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable way. more...


Firewood Article:  How do you sell firewood and make a good profit off of it?

Firewood is a forest-extracted commodity that has received a lot of attention the last couple of years due to rising home heating costs. Approximately two million cords of firewood are harvested annually from Illinois woodlands.

To put this number in perspective, almost 43 percent of all annual wood removals are used as firewood and nearly 75 percent of all firewood is cut from dead or downed trees.

Please refer to the links on the right to learn more about using wood fuel for heating or how to manage your woodlot for firewood. more...