Special Forest Products Entrepreneur
To develop and market new uses for forest products other than lumber
The field of forest products entrepreneur offers financial opportunities for those willing to gamble on a good idea.
Those in the field say the industry is in its infancy with enterprises
tending more toward hobbies than income-generating businesses but
believe there are undiscovered profits hidden within the forest.
Special forest products runs a wide gamut of materials including plants
and edibles to rocks and small diameter trees and pine cones.
Presently most special forest products are used on a small scale
ranging from using scrap timber for construction of souvenirs, crafts
and furniture to harvesting mazataki mushrooms and medicinal plants in
the forests of the Pacific Northwest.
The days of cutting large, old growth timber are fading fast and public
agencies are looking for opportunities to utilize other forest
resources more effectively.
Tree cutting for fire hazard prevention continues to produce stock of
small trees such as cedar typically eight to ten inches in diameter.
Those trees historically have been burned or chipped and dispersed
providing minimal benefit to the forest.
Permits from public land agencies and even purchase of forest products
requires only small expenditures by the entrepreneur. Ten dollars can
typically buy a truckload of brush or a cord of wood - a small initial
investment for someone who can transform the wood into profitable uses.
Many forests have personnel devoted to assisting forest products
entrepreneurs who can help smooth the permitting process and even offer
ideas of the most abundant products and markets available in an area.
Although still a new concept in forests where timber production and
recreation have been the mainstays, special forest products enterprises
are a welcome addition to many forests providing opportunities for new
income and effective disposal of forest waste products.
Special forest products entrepreneurs must be able to work
cooperatively with public land agencies and must have a thorough
understanding of small business management.
Requires: Experience and creativity.
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