When you run your hand over a plank of hardwood flooring, you can feel the story etched in its grain.
Growth rings. Mineral streaks. The dense strength that only time and patience can yield.
But hidden beneath the warm glow of hardwood lies a harder truth. How that board was harvested matters. A lot.
In the hardwood industry, choices made deep in the forest shape everything downstream, from wood quality to environmental impact. And too often, those choices are overlooked.
Unsustainable forestry is not a distant, abstract threat. It’s a quiet force, altering the health of America’s forests and the future of quality hardwoods alike.We spoke with Chris Figgs, a forester at Stoltzfus Forest Products, to uncover what many hardwood buyers never hear: the real cost of poor forestry and how purchasing sustainable flooring can help protect and restore our forests.
The Threat You Don’t See: Unsustainable Forestry in America
America still has vast woodlands, but they aren’t all thriving. 2022 Congressional Research reports that private forest lands supply nearly 90% of the hardwood used in the United States. These forests are not protected preserves; they are working lands, often in the hands of families, small timber companies, or investors.
And the way they are managed varies wildly.
“Too many harvests are what we call ‘high-grading,’” explains Figgs. “They take all the most valuable trees from the area at once. All that’s left are the undesirable, often invasive species. And they just take over.”
Over time, this practice depletes the forest’s genetic strength, reduces biodiversity, and makes it more vulnerable to pests, drought, and fire. It also harms the long-term value of the land.
“High-grading is a perfect way to make one our greatest, and most valuable, renewable resources non-renewable. Treating trees like coal – mining them once and depleting the land, rather than growing trees like the long-term crops they are.”According to the U.S. Forest Service, forests that are mismanaged, or not managed at all, face declining health. Invasive species, overgrowth, and a lack of regeneration reduce forest resilience and function. Without active, informed stewardship, the forest begins to fray.
What That Means for Your Floor
To many buyers, a hardwood floor is judged by color, price, and durability. But the source of the wood and how it was harvested play a huge role in all three.
“Sustainable forestry leads to better lumber,” Figgs says plainly. “If the forest is healthy, the wood is dense, stable, and consistent. If it’s been overcut, mismanaged, or stressed, you’ll see that in the boards. Warping. Inconsistency. More defects. Less yield.”
That’s not just opinion, it’s backed by science. Research from the University of Tennessee shows that forest management directly influences wood properties, including moisture resistance, density, and grain pattern.
And yes, the milling and drying process matters too. That’s why, at Stoltzfus Hardwoods, all hardwoods are precision-milled and kiln-dried in controlled environments, reducing the risk of shrinkage or swelling after installation.
But good milling and drying can’t fix poor timber. “Start with low-quality logs, and you’re stuck. No amount of drying or planing will save it,” Figgs says.
In other words, high-quality hardwood flooring starts with high-quality sustainable forestry.
And that’s why Stoltzfus handles both– to ensure sustainability and quality throughout the entire journey. From the forest to your floor.
What Is Sustainable Forestry?
Sustainable forestry is not just about planting trees. It’s about harvesting in a way that ensures the forest remains healthy, diverse, and productive for future generations.
That means:
- Selective harvesting instead of clear-cutting or high-grading
- Leaving seed trees and strong stock for regeneration
- Controlling invasive species and disease
- Maintaining habitat diversity for birds, mammals, and pollinators
- Protecting soil and water by minimizing erosion and runoff
“Sustainable forestry is slow work,” says Figgs. “You have to walk the land, read the canopy, know what to cut and what to leave. We take the time to mark each tree and to provide a clear soil and erosion plan for every plot we harvest.”
At Stoltzfus Forest Products, every tract of timberland is approached with this mindset. Each tree marked for harvest is chosen based on its role in the ecosystem, not just its size or commercial value. And each cut is planned with regeneration in mind.
The result is a better quality hardwood, a more sustainable forest, and a healthy payout for landowners that can payout again in 10-15 years.
Why It Matters Now
According to the World Resources Institute, North America lost over 432,400 square miles (112 million hectares) of tree cover between 2001-2024. That’s the size of Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico combined. While national forest acreage has remained relatively stable, the quality and function of those forests are under pressure, especially on private lands.
Add to that the rise of cheap imports, where oversight is weaker and illegal logging is harder to trace, and the stakes grow even higher.
“This isn’t just about trees,” says Figgs. “It’s about clean water, wildlife habitat, and jobs. It’s about rural communities who rely on forests, and the character and beauty of our woods. If we buy cheap wood without asking questions, we all pay for that in the long run.”Consumers often don’t realize that some flooring labeled “hardwood” is sourced from overseas, where deforestation and illegal logging remain rampant. Choosing domestic, responsibly harvested hardwood helps keep money in American communities, protects forests, and ensures a long-term supply.
How to Buy Sustainable Flooring
If you care about forests, your floor should reflect that. But navigating what’s truly sustainable can be confusing. Here are a few key tips from forestry experts:
1. Know the Source
Ask where the wood was harvested. Local or regional sourcing, especially from known forest product companies, is a good sign. Transparency is key.
2. Ask About Forestry Practices
Does the company practice selective cutting? Do they have a forester on staff? Do they work with landowners on long-term plans? The answers will tell you a lot.
3. Look for Certifications (But Dig Deeper)
Certifications like FSC® or SFI® can be useful, but they’re not the only way to verify sustainability. Many small, family-owned operations use excellent practices but aren’t certified due to the cost of certification. Always ask for details.
4. Support Companies That Harvest and Mill Their Own Wood
When a company manages the full cycle, from forest to kiln to final board, they are more likely to prioritize long-term sustainability. Stoltzfus Forest Products is one such example.
5. Choose Species That Are Regionally Abundant
In the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, species like oak, ash, hickory, and maple are common and well-managed. Choosing local species reduces transportation emissions and supports native ecosystems.
Real Sustainability Is Rooted in Stewardship
Sustainability is often used as a marketing word. But in the woods, it has weight.
It means walking through stands of mixed hardwoods and knowing which trees to leave for the next generation. It means waiting twenty, thirty, even fifty years for a stand to mature, because the forest is not a crop to be harvested once and forgotten.
“Sustainable forestry isn’t quick. It’s not flashy. But it’s good work,” says Figgs. “And the good news for consumers is, it also makes better floors, better cabinets – better hardwood all around.”At Stoltzfus Forest Products, the commitment to sustainable forestry and supplying sustainable hardwood flooring begins long before the first board is sawn. It starts in the woods, with boots on the ground, and a quiet promise: to leave the forest better than we found it.
Final Thoughts
Every time you choose a hardwood floor, you cast a vote. Through our methods, we all cast a silent but visible vote for a kind of forestry, a kind of economy, and a kind of future. Sustainable forestry is not just about trees. It’s about the land, the people who care for it, and the quality of what we build from it.
If we want sustainable flooring, we need forests that can sustain us.
And that begins, not at the hardware store, but deep in the woods, where the first cut is made with care, and the next generation of trees is already taking root.
To learn more about the sustainable forestry practices used by Stoltzfus Hardwood Products, give us a call or stop by our headquarters to see what sustainable forestry looks like in person.
