Rockler Woodworking and Hardware partners with Hardwood Forestry Fund to plant 7,000 hardwood trees on abandoned mining land in Ohio, part of The Wilds 65-year project to create forest for wildlife, commercial harvest on 10,000 acres

Wendy Lisney

MEDINA, Minnesota , April 17, 2014 (press release) – Rockler Woodworking and Hardware has announced a special contribution in partnership with the Hardwood Forestry Fund for an Earth Day project to plant 7,000 hardwood trees. The trees will be part of a forest regeneration program called The Wilds, and the Hardwood Forestry Fund will work with The Wilds to manage the project. The trees planted will be Red Oak, Chestnut Oak, Black Walnut, Sugar Maple, and Tulip Poplar seedlings – hardwood species that are valuable for sustaining wildlife as well as for commercial harvest. The plantings are the first step of a 65-year plan to regenerate native forest on abandoned mining land. The project will be executed in phases of planting, survival monitoring and replanting, growth monitoring, thinning and selective harvest, commercial harvest, and then regeneration to start the process over again.

"We are so happy to work with the Hardwood Forestry Fund and The Wilds on this project," said Scott Ekman, Vice President of Marketing at Rockler. "Sustainably sourced, domestic hardwood is an important asset to woodworkers everywhere – and we want to ensure that future generations of woodworkers always have access to this natural resource. Combining this effort with the educational outreach programs offered at The Wilds was an added bonus."

The Wilds is a private, non-profit conservation center located on nearly 10,000 acres of reclaimed mining land in rural southeastern Ohio. From its inception, The Wilds has been envisioned as a facility that combines cutting-edge conservation science and education programs with unique visitor opportunities. Rockler is proud to contribute to this cause.

The Hardwood Forestry Fund, a not-for-profit, educational organization, targets planting and management of commercially valuable hardwoods, including black cherry, black walnut, red oak, hard maple, hickory, ash, and others. All trees planted by the Hardwood Forestry Fund are included in a management plan, harvest, and regeneration schedule.

Sustainability and species diversity:
Every Hardwood Forestry Fund project requires a sustainability plan. Each project plan is unique to its specific site and takes a variety of factors into account including wildlife, water quality, and conservation goals. As one stand of trees becomes fully mature and commercial harvesting is underway, it is crucial to have other batches of trees at varying levels of maturity to sustain the cycle.

Selecting the appropriate tree species for each project is also a vital component to its success. Soil type, annual rainfall expectations, high and low temperatures, and other environmental factors all help to determine which specific varieties of hardwood trees will thrive in a specific area. The right mix of tree species also helps support a variety of wildlife, ranging up the food chain from insects to birds and even large mammals. Optimizing the species distribution also gives the reforested area the best chance of long term survival and can minimize the maintenance required by human caregivers.

For more information, visit http://www.rockler.com/earth-day.

About Rockler Woodworking and Hardware
Celebrating its 60th year as a family-run business, Rockler Woodworking and Hardware is the nation’s premier supplier of specialty hardware, tools, lumber and other high quality woodworking and do-it-yourself products. Rockler has 29 retail locations in AZ, CA, CO, GA, IL, IN, MA, ME, MI, MN, MO, NH, NY, OH, OR, PA, TX, WA, and WI – plus 60 partner locations nationwide, as well as extensive catalog and internet operations.

To learn more about Rockler, please visit http://www.rockler.com or call 1-877-ROCKLER.

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