TREE OWNERS NEWS
Winter 1994
Sherry and I want to begin
this newsletter by sincerely thanking every one of you very much for being such a vital
part of this unique project. Thank you for joining us, and for telling your friends and
neighbors about Tropical American Tree Farms. Your support, your energy and enthusiasm,
and your kind words have been invaluable.
Together we have been able
to accomplish a great deal in a relatively short time.
- we now have planted more than 400,000 tropical
hardwood trees
- these include 43 species of beautiful tropical
hardwoods, including several rare and endangered species
- we are adding two more species of beautiful hardwoods
that we will grow for our tree owners - Cocobolo and Brazilian Cherry
- we have now converted three farms, more than 3,300
acres, into tropical hardwood tree farms
- we are protecting more than half of the land in
conservation areas - more than 1,000 acres of rainforest and an additional 700 acres of
conservation areas on the steeper hillsides and along the rivers and stream banks
- we have planted more than 10,000 fruiting, flowering
and shelter trees for the birds and animals - trees that will never be harvested
- we are now Smart Wood certified - the first tree farm
in the world to receive this certification
As you read this
newsletter, we want you to be very proud to be part of this unique project.
A very happy tree owner with her teak trees on Campo Real
We are now Smart Wood
certified by the Rainforest Alliance.
The Smart Wood program is
the oldest and largest, and perhaps the most thorough, certification program for tropical
hardwood sources.
Our Smart Wood certificate
reads "Tropical American Tree Farms and T.A.T.F., S. A. are hereby certified by the
Smart Wood Program of the Rainforest Alliance as well-managed tropical hardwood
plantations whose planting and harvesting provides a source of tropical hardwoods that
contributes to the preservation of the world's tropical rainforests."
The Smart Wood people have
reviewed forestry operations in more than 30 countries. We are one of only six tropical
forestry operations in the world to have met all of their requirements and received their
Smart Wood certification. We are the only Smart Wood certified tree farm in the world.
The objective of the Smart
Wood certification program is to encourage the sustainable management and environmentally
sound production of tropical hardwoods by identifying and certifying qualifying sources of
tropical hardwoods and then promoting the consumption of the wood from these certified
sources.
In evaluating us for
certification, the Smart Wood people conducted a thorough field audit of our operations,
our tree farms and our trees. They counted trees, measured growth, and checked to see that
we had properly matched species' requirements to individual site conditions.
They checked our
silvicultural programs, our environmental practices, our employee relations, and even how
we are regarded in the communities near the tree farms. They then submitted their findings
to a committee of peer reviewers - all tropical forestry experts. They all voted for our
certification.
After this exhaustive
process it was particularly gratifying to have these independent experts tell us that our
operation is a "shining star" of tropical forestry operations.
Being on the Smart Wood
list is bringing us and the woods we will be producing to the attention of wood buyers
throughout the world.
As an example, the Smart
Wood people arranged and hosted a trip to our tree farms by a group of architects from New
York City as well as the chief wood buyer from Ethan Allen Furniture. They were all very
excited to learn about Tropical American Tree Farms as a future source of environmentally
produced hardwoods.
Several weeks ago I
answered the phone and the person on the other end of the line said "Hi, this is
Kirsten Hertz with Warner Bros. Studios." I thought it was a joke - but it wasn't. In
making movie sets, Warner Bros. each year uses thousands of sheets of plywood made of
luan, a disappearing species of tropical hardwood. Kirsten's job is to find an
environmentally sound alternative. She called us because we are on the Smart Wood list.
Consumers large and small
are becoming increasingly environmentally aware. It is very possible that we may be able
to receive a premium price for our hardwoods because they are Smart Wood certified.
Since our last newsletter,
we completed the purchase of our third farm. Thank you for your support.
Named for the small
community nearby, Rio Blanco is about 700 acres nestled in a beautiful valley along the
Savegre River, about eight miles upstream from Santo Domingo, our second farm.
Rio Blanco was an important
acquisition because it has about 120 acres along the river that is ideal for teak and 230
acres of gently sloping pastures perfect for planting our native species.
We planted all of the teak
land this year and will plant the native areas over the next two years.
Rio Blanco was also
important to us because it lies at the eastern end of the large forest that we want to
protect. We have about 200 acres of virgin rainforest on the farm, including a beautiful
waterfall we saw for the first time in June, and another 130 acres of secondary forest we
are protecting.
When the former owners
cleared the Rio Blanco farm there were no roads in the area. They floated logs down the
Savegre to get the wood to market.
The farm is now accessible
in the dry season by either of two dirt roads, one from San Isidro and the other road
running inland from the coastal road. Neither road is presently passable by vehicle in the
rainy season.
Our plan was to make the
farm accessible year round by improving one of the two roads, or by building a bridge
across the Savegre which would then connect us to the road to our Santo Domingo farm.
We had planned to wait
several years before improving the access to keep from boosting surrounding land prices
should we decide to add to the farm.
Not too long after we
bought the farm however, we learned that the community had gone together to build the
bridge. Work has now begun and the bridge may be complete by the end of the coming dry
season.
Words are sometimes
inadequate to describe the people of Costa Rica. A simple act of kindness we experienced
on our most recent trip prompted me to try to convey this essence of Costa Rica to you.
Marilyn, one of our tree
owners, was on her first trip to Costa Rica. We had all gone to Santo Domingo to see her
trees there. She was almost in tears as she stood among her trees which, at one year old,
some were already twice as tall as she.
That afternoon Marilyn
asked if we still had time to go to Rio Blanco.
From Santo Domingo the
shortest way to Rio Blanco, and the only way in the rainy season, is to follow the Savegre
upstream. The first part is a beautiful drive on a narrow road along the rushing river,
winding through tropical greenery, sometimes dipping nearly level with the water and at
others climbing up high for wonderful vistas of the river below.
We stopped several times to
capture the beauty on film and in our minds.
After a few miles, the road
ends.
On our left is the Savegre,
about 50 yards wide. A thick cable stretches across the river about thirty feet above the
water, tied between two large trees. A wooden box hangs below the cable, suspended on
pulleys and connected by a smaller rope to a large tree on either side. This is the cajón
(big box in Spanish). It takes some strong pulling but it is the only means to cross the
river.
Sherry and I had crossed
twice before in the past year, but there had been noone around.
Today there were clusters
of men working on both sides of the river. On our side some of the men were hauling sand,
some were mixing concrete by hand, others were carrying the concrete in buckets and
pouring the slurry into a very large hole, others were carrying large rocks from the river
up to the lip of the hole, and still others were down in the hole placing the large rocks
and steel reinforcing rods in the wet mix. They were all working hard.
The people of the community
had decided they wanted a bridge and men from nearby farms had come together to build it.
They had raised the funds from surrounding farm owners (we had contributed also but none
of them knew it.)
The people who live on the
other side of the river would benefit much more from the bridge than those who live along
the road we had just arrived on, but they all pitched in and were working together.
We didn't recognize any of
them, nor they us, but as is so natural in Costa Rica, we said "buenas tardes" -
good afternoon - to these men as we walked to the cajón. They all responded with a warm
buenas tardes.
As we settled into the
cajón, two men on each side of the river stopped their work, walked over to the cajón,
put callused hands to the rope and quietly helped these strangers across the river - a
simple act of kindness, a generosity to someone they had never met and from whom they
asked or expected nothing.
As we thanked the men on
the other side who had helped us across and talked with them about the bridge, a Tico
needed to cross. Men on both sides of the river helped him just as they had us five
minutes before.
Self-reliance, cooperation,
community, ingenuity, resourcefulness, industry, warmth, non-discrimination, kindness,
quiet generosity - the essence of the Costa Rican people. It touches your heart.
Two tree owners enjoy a beautiful waterfall on Campo Real
One of the great pleasures
in our work is meeting our new tree owners and introducing you to your trees and the
farms. It has been exciting to watch as tree owners see their trees for the first time.
All want to have their
picture taken with their trees. One enthusiastic owner climbed one of his trees.
On our last trip, one owner
who sings professionally - and has two wonderful CD's out - began singing to his trees in
Spanish.
If you want to know more
about visiting your trees, Sherry has information available, including what to pack, what
to expect as you arrive at the airport in San José, a location map and detailed driving
instructions to the farms.
We would love to be there
when you visit the farms, but it certainly isn't necessary. Beto Salazar, our farm
manager, and all of our workers are very proud of their work and will be happy to guide
you to your trees and the other beautiful sights on the farms. If they know ahead of time,
they can have horses ready for you to ride.
Be sure to plan your trip a
couple months ahead, especially if you plan to stay at Cabinas Punta Dominical near Campo
Real. Please call us if you have any questions at all.
By the end of this year's
planting season in late August, our team had planted a little over 150,000 tropical
hardwood trees this year, bringing our total to just over 418,000.
We changed our planting
procedure a bit this year and improved our efficiency.
In the 1992 and 1993
plantings, our workers dug the holes as they were planting the little trees.
This year we asked Beto if
he thought we could get most of the holes dug before the planting season and then simply
loosen the dirt and re-clear the holes at the time of planting to reduce the intensity of
the work at planting time.
His answer, as it often is
when we ask him if he can get something done, was "porque no?" - why not.
By the first of June, the
beginning of the planting season, our team of workers had dug 75,000 holes on Campo Real
and 50,000 holes at Rio Blanco, all in nice straight lines and at the proper spacing,
ready for the rains and the seedlings.
Everyone was proud of the
improved efficiency.
Again this year, we planted
a bit out ahead of orders so we have some trees available that are in the ground and
growing - both teak and some of our native species.
We have now planted all of
the teak land we have. So if you have thought of owning more trees, right now would be a
good time to order - especially if you want teak. Please call if you'd like to reserve
trees.
We continue to monitor
trends in tropical hardwood prices. A recent Wall Street Journal article about teak
harvests in Burma said that a single teak log about two feet in diameter can now bring as
much as $20,000.
At the retail level, we use
The Woodworkers' Store catalog as a guide. We have been tracking their teak prices for the
last five years. Their newest catalog was just published and the price is up another 30%.
Catalog Price per
Board Ft. % Increase
1990-91
$ 9.95
1991-92
$12.95
30.2%
1992-93
$15.95
23.2%
1993-94
$19.95
25.1%
1994-95
$25.95
30.1%
Every bit of information
that comes across our desks keeps pointing to the same two trends - the declining
availability of tropical hardwoods and the increasing world demand.
Every country with tropical
rainforest is experiencing continuing deforestation, some of them at a very rapid pace.
Many tropical countries,
like Bangladesh, El Salvador, Haiti, and Sri Lanka, that once had extensive rainforests
now have no exploitable forests left. Other countries, including some of today's most
prolific producers, will exhaust their forest resources in the next 5 to 8 years. Ivory
Coast for example in 1973 was the world's fifth largest exporter of tropical hardwoods.
Today it has very little wood left to export.
According to estimates by
the World Bank, of the 33 countries that were net exporters of tropical hardwoods in 1987,
only 10 countries will have timber left to export by the end of this decade.
Both because of the unique
opportunity for profit this creates and because of the environmental benefits of planting
tropical trees, we are very motivated to plant as many trees as possible.
A group of tree owners take a break to enjoy lunch
One of the most beautiful
and rare tropical woods is cocobolo. It is one of the true tropical rosewoods and has been
exploited nearly out of existence. In Costa Rica cocobolo is so scarce that when it is
available it is sold by the pound.
Here in the U.S. The
Woodworkers' Stores just raised their retail price from $24.95 per board foot in their
1994 catalog, to $39.95 per board foot in the new 1995 catalog, a 60% increase, and about
1-1/2 times the price of teak.
A number of you have been
asking for cocobolo and we have been trying since 1991 to find seeds or seedlings. In 1992
we were able to plant only a few hundred for our own account. We weren't able to find any
in 1993.
This year we have found
enough to make 1,700 cocobolo trees available. They will be at the same price as teak, and
will be available to tree owners first. We have also decided to limit the quantity to 500
to any one person or family, so that more of you can share in this opportunity.
Cocobolo grows more slowly
and has a tendency to have a number of smaller trunks and branches, but it is this
character wood that brings the highest prices. Please call if you would like to own some
cocobolo trees or want more information.
It has been a little over
two years since we removed the cattle from Campo Real and began planting trees. Already
the differences are remarkable. There is now shade where there was none. Eroded areas are
beginning to recover. There is a new greenness as pastures that had been regularly
herbicided are now either planted with trees or, if the hillside is steep, simply let go
back to natural habitat.
Beto, who lives on Campo
Real, said that it is cooler now on the farm.
Sherry and I have noticed
more animals and birds, both in number and variety. On a recent trip we saw a jaguarundi,
a rare small member of the cat family that I had not seen before in my twenty years in
Costa Rica.
We see more and different
birds. We recently saw tiny hummingbirds not much larger than a bumblebee, and a different
kind of parrot.
Life is returning to the
farms and it's wonderful.
Your trees are all growing
beautifully. We would love for all of you to see your trees in person, but for those of
you who can't visit right now, Sherry and I are going to try to take photos of each field
and species of trees and send copies of the photos to all of you who own trees in each
field.
This is not a promise, but
Sherry and I will try to take the photos when we are in Costa Rica in January/February.
As you think about gifts
for the holidays, consider a gift of tropical trees.
Children, grandchildren,
nieces and nephews, valued employees, customers or clients (group certificates are
possible), your church or university - all would enjoy and appreciate your unique and
generous gift for the next 25 years.
Call if you have any
questions.
For orders in to us by
December 5th, we can still get your tree certificates to you in time for the holidays.
A number of our tree owners
own their trees in their IRA. If your present IRA is not achieving your objectives,
consider tropical hardwood trees. If you have any questions about owning trees in your
IRA, just call.
Sherry and I have given a
number of talks and slide presentations this year to students, and environmental and civic
groups, about tropical deforestation and the role that tropical tree farms can play in
helping to solve the problem.
We both enjoy speaking and
sharing what we feel are important values.
- Problems always bring opportunities, large problems
create large opportunities.
- Profit is an important part of developing permanent
solutions.
- Environmental objectives and profit can be
compatible.
- One person, or in our case two, can make a
difference.
- Working together we can really accomplish a lot.
We recently spoke at the
Krohn Conservatory in Cincinnati and several of our tree owners attended, some of whom we
had never met. We all enjoyed getting to know each other after the talk.
Sherry and I have been
invited to give slide presentations about Tropical American Tree Farms to the Cleveland
Sierra Club on Wednesday, December 21st and the Cincinnati Sierra Club on Monday, January
2nd. If any of you would like to attend, please call.
We are still very motivated
to get as many trees planted as possible. So please continue to share this unique
opportunity with your friends and neighbors.
And please let us know if
you have any suggestions at all.
Thank you all again for
being such an important part of this unique and worthwhile project. |
