Question  -  What are the most common uses for western juniper?

Answer  - 

Juniper is being sold into 11 main markets or distribution channels:

- Firewood and posts/poles;

- Chips;

- Animal bedding (expected to come on line summer, 1998);

- Green and air-dried, unfinished "farm" lumber;

- Kiln-dried, surfaced lumber;

- Log cabins and doweled logs/furniture stock;

- High-end, natural-form rustic furniture and architectural accents;

- Rustic, roundwood furniture;

- High-end, rustic and traditional furniture;

- Gifts and accessories, and store displays;

- Doors, cabinets, flooring, and millwork;”

http://juniper.oregonstate.edu/bibliography/documents/phppREDpb_wdtech.pdf

Door Link- http://www.jeld-wen.com/pressroom/press.cfm/idpress/340

“During the pioneer era, it was important as firewood and as poles for fences, corrals, and simple shelters. Locally, it is still important for many of the same uses (5).” http://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_manual/Volume_1/juniperus/occidentalis.htm

 “One alternative to lumber production is to flake the stems to produce shavings for animal bedding. The essential oils in western juniper heartwood may prove especially useful for controlling insect pests in bedding while reducing odor.” http://juniper.orst.edu/morrell.htm.

Question  -   Why is western juniper considered a sustainable green product?

Answer  - 

Instead of creating air pollution by burning, and other detrimental effects to the environment; western juniper is now being used for a variety of needed products.

"Considered a 'water hog', the overgrowth of juniper especially in the Western states has been linked to the disappearance of critical water springs in high desert regions, as a single tree can consume 30 to 50 gallons of water per day. Since invasive juniper outcompetes several native plant species, this leads to a loss of forests and wildlife habitat. So much so, state and local governments have offered programs to help support juniper removal in areas where it is quite literally a growing problem. In addition, junipers have created a major obstacle for farmers and ranchers whose livelihood requires arable land and pastures. Now this "throwaway" wood, which might otherwise be burned down to clear land, can be put to productive use.

Historically, juniper control projects tend to be mechanically based. Bulldozing or chaining were popular choices. Junipers were piled, and burned when dry. Both procedures resulted in disturbed soil requiring seeding and they were costly. This approach also resulted in high nutrient losses and scalded or sterile soils after the piles were burned." – "Western Juniper, Its Impact and Management in Oregon Rangelands," Oregon State University, February 1993. 

“(Western juniper) now occupies about 10 times more territory across eastern Oregon, northern California, and southwest Idaho than it did in the 1880s and has muscled out native shrubs, flowers and grasses to achieve a dominance that may last for hundreds of years." – "Oregon's Agriculture Progress," Oregon State University Agricultural Experiment Station, 1995- 2005. http://www.ebuild.com/articles/707066.hwx

Question  -  Is western juniper used by Juniper Works, F.S.C. certified?

Answer  -

Yes. West Coast Juniper is a F.S.C. certified company. And we are the first and only company (that we know of) that has been certified to sell F.S.C.western juniper. However, at this time their is yet to be a F.S.C. certified landowner to provide us with the logs that we need. We are currently in discussion with a couple land owners and we anticipate being able to provide certified juniper in the near future. We consider our products to be made from recyclable materials- as we ‘rescue’ trees that would otherwise be burned as slash. We consider this an environmental advantage for all concerned.

“- Ecologically Beneficial - When were you last on the 'green' side of the environmental debate? Most of the raw material for the juniper industry will come from rangeland habitat restoration projects. Private landowners, landowner associations (for example, Small Woodland Association and Oregon Cattleman's Association), and government land management agencies very much want to work with private industry to find ways to rehabilitate areas which are now woodlands and lower management costs.” http://juniper.oregonstate.edu/bibliography/documents/phppREDpb_wdtech.pdf

http://www.nccsp.org/scientific_knowledge/specific-education-projects/oregon-big-tree-registry-1/western-juniper 

Question  -  Where does juniper grow?

Answer  -

There are over 30 different types of juniper that grow all over the world. West Coast Juniper sells Western Juniper (Juniperus Occidentalis) which “is found intermittently from latitude 34° N. in California to latitude 46° 37' N. in southeastern Washington, in a narrow belt from longitude 117° W. in Idaho and California to longitude 123° W. in northern California, and in sparse, scattered stands in south-central and southeastern Washington, southeastern Oregon, and the northwest corner of Nevada. In southwestern Idaho, it grows on approximately 162 000 ha (400,000 acres). Western juniper reaches its greatest abundance as extensive and continuous stands in central Oregon. Stands more limited in size extend up the valleys and foothills of the southern Blue Mountain region, and small groups or individuals are scattered sparsely through the northern Blue Mountains. Extensive stands are common on the plains and in the foothills of north-central Oregon, and large stands occur down the high plains and foothills of south-central Oregon. From north-central through south-central Oregon, western juniper grows in various densities on roughly 1 140 000 ha (2,816,000 acres). It is found near Mount Ashland in southwestern Oregon, the only native stand documented west of the Cascade Range in Oregon. It grows in scattered locations west of the Cascades in northern California and extends south to Trinity County. Western juniper is present in extensive stands from the Oregon border south through the Pit River Valley in northeastern California and continues intermittently as sparse stands in a narrow corridor along eastern California south to disjunct stands in the San Bernardino Mountains. The eastern limits of this species are in San Bernardino County, California, and Owyhee County, Idaho. The western limit is Trinity County, California (Silvics of North America. 1990. Agriculture Handbook 654).” http://www.nearctica.com/trees/conifer/juniper/Jocci.htm 

Question  -     What are the benefits of using western juniper decking over cedar, redwood or Trex decking?        Answer  -                                                                                                                                                                                                  The main benefits of using western juniper include its’ ability to last untreated in the ground for 60 plus years, (http://juniper.oregonstate.edu/bibliography/documents/phpKKcnVf_post-farm.pdf) as well as the vast amount of juniper available- over 600,000 acres just in Oregon! We consider this a sustainable product and environmental concern:

“As juniper dominance increases on a site the shrub under story declines. In the mountain big sagebrush alliance, sagebrush cover declined to approximately 80% of maximum potential as juniper increased to about 50% of maximum canopy cover. Mountain mahogany, bitterbrush, and aspen also declined as juniper dominance increased. Herbaceous cover and species diversity declined and bare ground increased with increasing juniper dominance in the mountain big sagebrush/Thurber needlegrass association.” http://oregonstate.edu/dept/EOARC/researchhome/currentresearch/ecology/juniper.html

      Cedar- Most carpenters figure a lifespan of 15 to 20 years for cedar deck boards, but it can deteriorate faster when used for ground-level decks and for shaded decks that are slow to dry out. To retain the color, you have to clean it and reseal it every year or two, and even then it’s a losing battle. I’ve never seen a 10-year-old cedar deck that still had that warm, rich look of new wood. Cedar is also soft; when used for stairs or for decks where furniture gets dragged around a lot, the edges in particular can get beat up. http://www.rd.com/familyhandyman/content/19603/ 

Redwood- “Due to cut backs in cultivation, the quality of the "construction" grades has been liberalized. The old growth redwoods are being saved (and we're in support of that!) while the new growth redwoods are being harvested. These new growth trees are small, yielding materials with a higher concentration of knots and sapwood. Redwood with high levels of sapwood will decay relatively fast, ESPECIALLY when sealed with products that try to lock out the moisture. (Many sealers can actually accelerate decay because they impede the ability for the deck boards to dry out quickly and thoroughly!) Redwood has also lost its popularity because of other options now available. You can buy alternative materials that last longer, look better (long term), and cost less.” http://www.deckindustry.org/40materials.htm 

      Trex Decking- “Composite decking product expansion is not like wood. In a wood deck, shrinkage occurs when moisture is absorbed or dispelled from the timber. Plastic is temperature sensitive. Plastic composite decking is always expanding and contracting, which means there will be voids and gaps you didn’t expect and fasteners often become loose. Now remember, the deck is framed with pressure treated which expands and contracts with changes in humidity or rainy season. The deck frame is expanding and contracting in the 1.5% range, and the plastic composite decking is expanding and contracting up to 3% and not at the same time. This alone could partially explain why quite often composite decking appears to sag between the joists.“ http://www.gardenstructure.com/composite_decking.html?PageName=composite_decking

Question  -   What is the price comparison between western juniper, cedar and redwood?                                         Answer  -                                                                                                                                                                                            Juniper is very competitively priced with cedar and redwood. If a comparison was done between kiln-dried cedar and redwood decking, the cost of western juniper would be considerably less.

Question  -  Is western juniper easy to work with when making cabinets, furniture etc.?                                            Answer  -                                                                                                                                                                                           According to our artist, yes! Juniper does have a higher taper than say, pine or fir wood. It also has a higher oil content and naturally tends to twist as it grows. However, these attributes have a high artistic advantage, as well as resistance to bugs and decay. ”According to one furniture refinisher, juniper is about the easiest wood he has ever worked with because of its even absorption (Voskanian personal communication).” (http://juniper.oregonstate.edu/bibliography/documents/phppREDpb_wdtech.pdf )

Question  -   How is western juniper graded?                                                                                                                             Answer  -                                                                                                                                                                                                    “Draft lumber grading rules are being developed. These grades will be based on appearance, not structural properties. Contrary to hardwood grading rules, juniper will be graded from a "sound, tight-knot" basis rather than "clear cuttings".“                      (http//juniper.oregonstate.edu/bibliography/documents/phppREDpb_wdtech.pdf )  

 Question  -   What are the average size and age of the logs that are being harvested?                                             Answer  -                                                                                                                                                                                                     “A rudimentary recovery study conducted at 4-Mac Industries (Dairy, OR.) indicated that in terms of fencing grades, significantly better grade recovery was obtained from smaller diameter logs (12- to 18-inches at the butt) (Swan 1993).                                The vast majority of juniper are less than 100 years old (probably 95%). “Old growth" juniper also tends to be limby…”   (http://juniper.oregonstate.edu/bibliography/documents/phppREDpb_wdtech.pdf )

Question  -   Does western juniper make good flooring?                                                                                                     Answer  -                                                                                                                                                                                               Juniper flooring from West Coast Juniper currently comes in five different types: Prefinished- Handscraped/Solid/Gunstock color, Handscraped/Smooth/Solid/Natural color, Engineered/Smooth/Natural color and Engineered/Smooth/Gunstock color and Unfinished. The solid and unfinished flooring is best used in an environment where it won’t be in standing water- i.e. kitchen, etc.

Question  -   What is the Janka Hardness rating of western juniper flooring?                                                               Answer  -                                                                                                                                                                                                There is currently no Janka rating for western juniper. However, Oregon State University (OSU), has agreed to take on the task of discovering the Janka Hardness rating for western juniper.

Question  -   Why haven't I heard of western juniper before?                                                                                                 Answer  -                                                                                                                                                                                                Western juniper has been discounted for years in the lumber industry as too difficult to work with- but that is changing…     ”There has been a steady increase in manufacturer interest in western juniper and market trials since around 1992…         Juniper lumber production is small by normal industry standards, however- the growth curve looks good.                             Although the majority of western juniper harvested over the years has been used for fence posts and firewood, there are reports going back at least 50 years of mills which tried to commercially process the species (Loveness personal communication). The earliest wood products research known to involve western juniper began in 1949, as part of an Oregon State University study of the service life of treated and untreated posts (Miller 1986).(6)The research literature also indicates temporary interest in the 1950s for use in composites and extractive oil, and some interest in the late 1970s due to the perception of an energy crisis.”                                                                                             (http://juniper.oregonstate.edu/bibliography/documents/phppREDpb_wdtech.pdf )

Question  -   What is your capacity to supply western juniper material?                                                                           Answer  -                                                                                                                                                                                                   Our mill can produce over one million board feet of lumber per year! West Coast Juniper has flooring, decking, paneling, moulding, lumber and more, immediately available. Truckload shipments of lumber, flooring and decking are also available. Stonewood Galleries has many fine products, including furniture and gift items made from juniper which can also be viewed on our website at www.westcoastjuniper.com.

Question  -   Are any West Coast Juniper Distributing products processed overseas?                                               Answer  -                                                                                                                                                                                                  The only product sent overseas is our Pre-finished flooring of four different types: Handscraped/Solid/Gunstock color, Smooth/Solid/Natural color, Engineered/Smooth/Natural color and Engineered/Smooth/Gunstock color. Samples of these products can be viewed on our website at www.westcoastjuniper.com.                                                                               Unfinished flooring is processed locally.