DOUGLAS FIR CLEAR VG FINISH

Vertical grain Douglas Fir is much more challenging to procure today due to many factors in our industry. The peak of the Northwest's Douglas Fir old growth cut volume occurred in the 1980's. Since that time, the volume of old growth Douglas Fir available has steadily declined as environmental regulations have limited harvesting in many areas. As a result, the availability of high quality vertical grain lumber has become more limited, leading to increased competition among buyers and higher prices. The export markets have also had a significant impact on the availability of vertical grain Douglas Fir. Many European countries have a strong demand for high-quality vertical grain Douglas Fir lumber. This has led to increased exports of Douglas Fir from the Pacific Northwest US and Western Canada, further reducing the supply available for domestic buyers.

Unfortunately, we still export a tremendous amount of our supply of the finest vertical grain lumber. The demand from overseas is only getting stronger as the supply of really high quality fiber is reduced, year after year. Many factors contribute to the strong export demand, including a weakening US dollar, scarcity of fine grain fiber, demand for historically accurate material for restorations, and a growing appreciation for the outstanding qualities of true old growth Douglas Fir.

This is really the key question. Much of the supply of really fine grain logs comes from salvage logging. Trees which have come down in the due to natural disturbances such as wildfire and wind storms are carefully removed from the forest and then cut for the highest value possible. Many of these trees are well over 300 to 400 years old, resulting in a denser, tighter grain structure. The availability of these logs is unpredictable and inconsistent, making it difficult for sawmills to plan their production schedules around them.

In addition to salvage logging, there is a steady albeit small supply of 100 to 200 year old trees that are regularly logged in the Northwest. both from public and private lands. It's really important to understand that Douglas Fir does NOT grow in the shade. Over the millennia, natural forest fires routinely cleared the land, allowing new stands of Douglas Fir to regenerate. In the absence of fire or logging, traditional Douglas Fir forests are gradually overtaken by other species such as Western Hemlock, Sitka Spruce, and Western Red Cedar. Letting trees mature for as long as possible before clear cutting is the best way to supply the market with the highest quality fiber. This is very different from forest management practices in tropical forests where a cutting cycle of 30 to 50 years is common. When the cutting cycle of a Douglas Fir forest is too short, the resulting lumber will be of use only for low quality construction lumber such as studs, dimension lumber, and tight knot appearance grade boards.

Nova is committed to sourcing the finest quality Douglas Fir lumber from throughout the Northwest. Our business model is based on exemplary customer service, outstanding marketing, and, most importantly for our customers, we keep inventory on the ground in both the Northwest and in the Northeast. We understand quality of fiber and we know how to keep our grade and quality consistent. You'll always get exactly what you expect when you source your Douglas Fir VG Clears from Nova.