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Bark's Worsening Bite

Bark dust used to be dirt cheap, particularly in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon and Washington were blessed with an abundance of Douglas fir forests being harvested for lumber to build houses. The milling process produced a byproduct of special interest to nurseries — inexpensive hark dust that could be used as a soil substrate and in landscaping. "There was a day not too long ago when we were paid to take (hark dust) away from the sawmill, because they didn't know what else to do with it," said Rusty Rexius, president of Rexius Inc., a major bark dust producer in Eugene, Ore. Growers rejoiced at their good fortune. And life was good. Not anymore. A nationwide plunge in the housing market has meant homebuilders aren't buying as much lumber. Accordingly, Northwest lumber mills have slowed their production or shut down entirely.


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Author(s): C. Kipp