New York Heartwoods

NYH’s mission is to regenerate forest vitality and local economies by maximizing the value of urban, fallen and diseased trees. By recovering logs that would otherwise be reduced to landfill, wood chips or firewood, we reduce the burden on our waste stream, create local jobs, strengthen resiliency in our community, serve the growing demand for sustainable wood products, and keep healthy trees thriving in our forests.

New York State is home to one of the highest concentrations of forest pests in our country. Restrictions on the movement of infested timber, such as quarantines on ash trees and all firewood due to Emerald Ash Borer infestations, necessitate kiln drying wood locally. Forest pests paired with an increase in severe weather events, have created an abundance of downed and weakened trees. By partnering with area tree services, NYH attains usable sawlogs, potentially offsetting some of the environmental and financial costs for landowners and municipalities, while harnessing an underutilized resource to fill a market need for quality lumber.

The trees we collect, and the means by which we procure them, surpass the guidelines of any sustainable lumber certification. Most of our logs travel less than 5 miles before being milled by us or other local vetted sawyers and dried in our Nyle dehumidification kiln. NYH offers green, air- and kiln-dried lumber as well as finished goods such as cutting boards and custom furniture. Our primary clients include designers, furniture makers, retailers and restaurant owners in New York City and the Hudson Valley.

The work we do at New York Heartwoods reflects our desire to be in balance with the resources that nature provides, and our belief that humans can work intelligently with the environment to the benefit of both.