Supporting healthy, resilient forests through a vibrant forest-products economy including mass timber
Building better starts with suporting healthy forests
But right now, many of our forests exhibit declining health and resilience
Colorado Forests are carbon sources. They emit more carbon than they sequester
cumulative
acres burned
Colorado's top three largest wildfires all occurred in 2020. The next one is not a matter of if, it's a matter of when
These conditions have been driven by disease, insect infestation, prolonged drought and uncharacteristic, mega wildfires
Over 22% of the standing trees in Colorado forests are dead and as a tree decomposes, it releases carbon instead of storing it.1 Estimates suggest that since 1990 our forest ecosystems have been acting as a net source of carbon rather than a net sink.2,3 Climate change and previous forest management practices, or lack thereof, are amplifying these events.
Colorado forests are actively contributing to climate change
Healthy forests are critical to providing clean water
As snow melts our forests help remove pollutants and sediment, regulate streamflow, reduce flood damage, and replenish groundwater.4–6 Healthy forests have even shown to reduce water treatment costs.7
The Colorado River provides water to 40 million people across 30 tribes and seven states in the West
We need to be proactive, not reactive
In addition to climate change, a history of of fire suppression activity have led to unhealthy and unbalanced forests.8 Active stewardship will help our forests endure naturally occurring wildfires, be less susceptible to disease and insect infestation, support a broad range of biodiversity, and contribute to healthy watersheds.9,10
The health of certain forests could improve through management practices like prescribed burns or mechanical thinning, or salvage harvesting (shown here).
A forests products economy can both incentivize proactive stewardship and reduce forest management costs
Finding ways to use the wood generated from forest stewardship leads to lower costs for everyone and is a win-win for the environment and community. Plus, products like mass timber which can be used to help address our housing crisis, extend the carbon storage life of a tree, and reduce the environmental impact of new construction. 90% of the wood products Coloradans purchase and use everyday are imported. 2
A local forest product economy helps benefit rural communities
Mass timber is an immediate solution to help solve our climate crisis
Less than a fraction of one percent of all buildings are built with mass timber12 and future demand can be met sustainably.13 Building materials, like concrete and steel, contribute 11% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. 14
The world is building…a lot
Wood is the only renewable building material at scale
From 2025 to 2050, the world is expected to add about 1.7 trillion square feet of new floor area to the global building stock.11
Trillion sq ft.
That's the same as building 111 Mile High Stadiums every day for the next 25 years…go Broncos!
The Future
Mass Timber is an innovative building material
Mass timber is a family of high-capacity engineered wood products that are often pre-manufactured and multilayered, forming solid beams, panels, and columns that can be used to replace structural concrete and steel in any type of building. These are a few examples.
Glue-Laminated Timber (glulam)
Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT)
Nail-Laminated Timber (NLT)
Dowel-Laminated Timber (DLT)
Benefits of Mass Timber
Lower embodied carbon – making wood products, especially locally, uses less energy and emits less carbon than other building materials15
Stored carbon - dry wood is 50% biogenic carbon that is encapsulated for the life of the building and even longer if salvaged and reused!
Prefabrication leads to fast,16 quiet, and clean construction requiring fewer workers17 with less waste
Half of me is carbon!
Has a natural mechanism of resistance to fire: a protective char layer18
Creates spaces that connect people with nature which has been scientifically proven to increase health – also known as biophilia19
I make you feel better!
Provides aesthetics that differentiate from other buildings on the market
Supports a solution to affordable housing and alleviating the housing crisis20
Built to Last
Creating a community committed to a sustainable future
We've engaged stakeholders and experts across the entire value chain to build our vision for Colorado's sustainable future, one where healthy forests benefit everyone.
Sustainable Forest Management
Forest Product Economy Benefits Local Communities
Environmentally Friendly Mass Timber Construction
Mass timber is a triple win for forest and watershed health, local communities, and the built environment.
Events
Our Financial Partners
Come join 300+ members across 150+ organizations helping build Colorado’s sustainable future