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There's arguably nothing more visually pleasing than the smooth, natural beauty of a piece of finely crafted furniture, or the simple elegance of a beautifully finished hardwood floor. But for many years, concerns have been raised about harvesting old-growth hardwood forests for use in the furniture and building industries.

Back in the nineties, home improvement giant Home Depot was under fire for offering wood and wood products harvested using destructive lumbering practices, and even offering exotic woods taken by clear-cutting methods from endangered tropical rain forests.

To everyone's astonishment, Home Deport listened; and today they are proud to claim that 85 percent of the wood they sell comes from sustainable forestry practices. They are an amazing example of what can happen when a major corporation chooses to adopt a responsible attitude toward the environment.

Meanwhile, many smaller companies began their business with a commitment to sustainable forestry practices, and continue their dedication to environmentally sound timber harvesting today. For instance, Morse Hardwoods, a company specializing in flooring and millwork crafted from both soft- and hardwoods, uses selective cutting to ensure the continued growth of forests, and plans each cut it makes before it cuts the harvested timber to maximize the yield from every log and to minimize waste. Morse and other small timber companies in the U.S. have led the way to sustainable practices.

As the public becomes more aware of the importance of forest sustainability and chooses products manufactured from wood harvested in environmentally sound ways, the demand for these products will increase, and the sustainable forestry movement will continue to grow - which is good news for the environment.

About the Author

Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire. She has written numerous articles for the Internet and for local and regional publications. She can be reached at amfredenburg@yahoo.com.