06-05-29 The value of wood (By Mitch Stennett)

To the Leader-Call — It was an interesting, enlightening and enjoyable day at the Laurel Sportsplex on May 19, when the city of Laurel, Neel-Schaffer Inc., the Laurel Leader-Call and other participating agencies and businesses sponsored Education Day at the Sportsplex.

My small part in the event was to talk about the economics and value of wood as small groups of fourth graders and their teachers came by our “station” in the woods on the walking path bridge. I was privileged to be teamed up with Mark Brown from the Lauren Rogers Museum at our station, which was one of four that covered different topics.

Prior to the event I did some research on forestry, wood and wood products. I was amazed at what I learned. For example, did you know that cellulose is the tiny fibers that wood is made of and that cellulose is used in the manufacture of paper, melamine dinnerware, toilet seats and cellophane? Refined cellulose products include rayon fabric. Nitrocellulose is used to make nail polish and other cosmetics, solid rocket fuel and industrial explosives.

But it all starts with trees. They provide shade, oxygen, water, fruit, nuts and wood products, such as paper, furniture and housing.

Many times trees are used to make lumber and plywood and there are leftover chips and sawdust. These by-products are made into many things, too.

Wood pulping by-products are used in the making of things, such as cleaning compounds, deodorants, hair spray, artificial vanilla flavoring, medicines and cosmetics.

The students at the Sportsplex were asked to identify many products and what they were made from. Invariably their answers were correct. The exceptions were on the cosmetic products because we seldom think that wood by-products are used in their manufacture.

To get the economics of wood to the local level, we must understand that many businesses and industries in Jones County either uses trees in the products they make or used wood products in their business. Just a few of those include Bryan Industrial, Frames Unlimited, the Laurel Leader-Call, Masonite, Morgan Brothers Millwork, Precision Pallets, Pine Belt Truss, Big Creek Truss, Buckhaults Sawmill and Pallets and Russell Manufacturing.

When we realize that it takes a lot of people to fill the jobs that takes a tree from the forest, ships it to the plant, makes a product from the tree in the plant, ships it to the warehouse then ships it to the store, then sells it in the store, we know that the value of wood in Jones County touches a lot of lives and supports a lot of our citizens.