The pilot is gearing up to launch next year.
By Asha Prihar | Billy Penn
Ever wonder what happens to the wood from trees in Philly parks that fall down or need to be removed?
Right now, a lot of it gets sent to the Fairmount Park Organic Recycling Center and ends up as mulch and woodchips. But under a new city initiative, it could find new life as usable — and sellable — lumber.
Set to launch as a pilot next year, the new “Reforestation Hub” at the recycling center will focus on milling salvageable sections of removed trees. The lumber will be sold to orgs that can put it to use, and some of the proceeds will go toward the city’s efforts to grow Philadelphia’s tree canopy.
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The Reforestation Hub would also aim to capture wood waste that currently ends up in landfills, said Marc Wilken, director of business development at the Department of Parks and Recreation, which is spearheading the effort.
The recently-funded hub is a joint effort between the city, DC-based climate tech startup Cambium Carbon, and the local AmeriCorps program PowerCorpsPHL.
In Philadelphia, the amount of wood that needs to be disposed of — from dead, dying, or fallen trees on city streets or in city parks — is on the rise, Wilken said.
“Because of the intensity of weather events, … invasive species, and just aging forests, there’s a growing volume of material coming through,” Wilken said. “We need to respond to that, and manage it, and improve the way we manage the material that’s coming in.”
Baltimore has been successfully running a similar program since 2016, and Philly officials have visited. In addition to milling old trees, Baltimore’s program also salvages wood waste from building deconstruction.
For the next six months or so, program partners in Philadelphia are working on setting up the site and designing the training program curriculum, according to Cambium Carbon co-founder Marisa Repka.
The goal is to have Philly’s pilot up and running by spring.
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