About Us

About Jefferson State Forest Products, LLC

Jefferson State Forest Products is located in Hayfork, California, in a rural mountainous area of the Pacific Northwest.  As the only secondary wood manufacturing company in Trinity County, we employ 30 people in the production shop and 10 in the office.

Jefferson State is committed to the production of quality wood products obtained from responsibly managed forests.  We are committed to purchasing our raw material, whenever possible, from small independent sawmills who produce lower volumes of lumber harvested from private lands.

We believe that the forest management ethic that recognizes bio-diversity and overall stewardship responsibility for the forest is more easily achieved by rural land managers and small producers.  Material purchased from those sources supports their continued success in responsible forest management as well as supporting the rural communities in which they live.

We primarily use western hardwoods in our retail fixtures.  Our selection of hardwoods includes White Oak, Big Leaf Maple, and Pacific Madrone, along with a variety of soft woods such as Cedar, Ponderosa Pine and Suppressed Douglas Fir.

We are actively involved in several organizations that promote socially responsible use of our natural resources.  We are a founding member of the Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities Partnership.  Sustainable Northwest is co-founder, along with The Watershed Research and Training Center, of the The Healthy Forest, Healthy Communities Partnership.

Patrick Saaf, CEO 

Our Mission

"To design and manufacture innovative retail fixtures that create an inviting consumer experience, maximizing space and store profits, while preserving our commitment to sustainable economic, environmental, and social practices."

About Our Commitment to Sustainability

Jefferson State Forest Products is located in Northern California in the heart of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Our facility is surrounded by both breathtaking snow-capped mountains and abundant wildlife.

When you live in the national forest as we do here in Hayfork, protecting the environment is not just politically correct - it is a necessity. We strive to protect our forest because it is our home. It's not much of a stretch to realize we need to protect other forests as well, because those forests surround other towns just like ours.

Part of the way we do that is by using wood harvested from responsibly managed forests. In doing so, we can contribute to clean air, clean water and healthier forests. All wood species are not available from our local forest. When it is necessary to get wood from other regions, we hold to the same principles that we endorse locally. We purchase responsibly harvested wood, often FSC Certified, insuring the continued support of sustainable practices.

Through our parent company we are beginning to access softwood that is being removed from our national forest to help reduce fire danger. This small-diameter material, smaller than is wanted by large sawmills, nevertheless has great characteristics in durability, hardness, machinability and beauty. Over the next year we will be introducing fixture products made from this material. When you buy products made from this material, you will be helping to improve the health and the safety of our forests. We look forward to your feedback.

Environmental awareness not only makes good sense, it's good for business. We work hard to serve not only our customers and neighbors, but our environment as well. We are dedicated to the green movement and contribute to it on a daily basis-from heating our facility with sawdust generated by our manufacturing process, to making our wood scraps available to local community members for heating their homes. In all aspects, we strive to achieve sustainability and resourcefulness.

About Restoration Forestry Practices

The management policy of public forests of the west has recently undergone drastic changes in emphasis. Now, instead of being managed primarily for timber production, the national forests are being managed for forest health. New forest management involves restoring the forest to a more balanced ecosystem with emphasis on bio-diversity, wildlife, and clean water. Although there is still disagreement with some new forest practices, there is consensus among all stakeholders, citizens, timber companies and environmentalists, about the need to prevent forest fires.

The historic practice of preventing natural fire has caused a massive build-up of fuels in the forest. The result has been frequent catastrophic fire. The lack of federal funds for forest restoration, especially for fuels management, has caused Jefferson State Forest Products to focus on establishing values for forest health by-products-that is, values for those unutilized materials that must be removed to reduce overcrowding, to reduce the fire hazard and to improve the overall health of the forest.

One such forest health by-product is suppressed Douglas Fir. These trees are called "suppressed" because they grow in dense thickets so close together that they cannot thrive. The result is unhealthy stands of trees from 4 to 10 inches in diameter that are 80 years old or older. The removal "thinning" of these stands of smaller trees is part of improving forest health. The largest, healthiest trees are left with increased spacing and less competition for available water, nutrients and sunlight. Such activities encourage the remaining trees to move more quickly to an "old-growth" state.

The material removed has been declared to be of no value in the present timber market. Jefferson State Forest Products has developed a line of value-added products from this material, including moldings, paneling and flooring. Because of the extremely tight grain, this material is not only beautiful in appearance, but also durable. These are products that are unique in the wood products market. Because of their high value, these products will improve the economic feasibility of fuels management.

About Upstream 21

Upstream 21 Corporation has been created to put investors' capital to work in local communities by purchasing small, successful companies whose products and services are part of a shared vision for a sustainable future. A founding principle of the company is that corporations should not be required to maximize wealth for shareholders at the expense of employees, the community and the environment. The company has even written its corporate charter and governance structure to focus on the multiple constituents that make companies thrive--employees, the environment, customers, suppliers, communities and shareholders. Upstream 21 is positioned to be a catalyst for advancing local economies that build, rather than erode, natural, social and economic capital in communities.

Based in Portland, OR, the company was formed in 2004 by Progressive Investment Management and Bryan Gooch Redd. Progressive's President, Leslie Christian, and its Chairman, Carsten Henningsen, serve on the Board of Upstream 21 along with Bryan Redd.

The company's mission is to create a family of businesses by acquiring them and operating them as wholly-owned subsidiaries. These companies will be diverse in the types of products and services they offer, but will share principles and business practices designed to improve their performance as companies and as members of their communities.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Bryan Gooch Redd, CEO, Upstream 21 Corporation
bryan.redd@upstream21.com
503-221-9883

2007 CECIL D. ANDRUS LEADERSHIP AWARDS FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND CONSERVATION

PORTLAND - This Friday night, March 16th, Portland-based Sustainable Northwest will celebrate its second-annual sustainability auction and awards gala. Governor Cecil D. Andrus will present the 2007 Andrus Leadership Awards to two northwest leaders in sustainability and conservation.

The 2007 Andrus Awards recipients are exemplary companies - Celilo Group Media of Portland, Oregon and Jefferson State Forest Products of Hayfork, California. The award recognizes each company's demonstrated success in sustainable entrepreneurship; their commitment to stewardship of the environment and service to the community; their ongoing ability to adapt and innovate while pursuing the highest standards of excellence; and their willingness to share their knowledge and insights with others who wish to pursue a similar sustainable path.

"Governor Andrus has always been a leader ahead of his time, and so are the 2007 Andrus Award recipients. They are ground-breakers in conservation and sustainability and their leadership deserves to be recognized," says Martin Goebel, President of Sustainable Northwest. Governor Andrus will speak at the event, and present the awards.

"I think Sustainable Northwest is precisely the kind of environmental organization we need for today and tomorrow - one that addresses both environmental and economic challenges and opportunities, one that actively bridges rural and urban interests. Tonight we are honoring this year, Celilo Group Media and Jefferson State Forest Products, embody those values and pursuits," said Governor Andrus. Brief descriptions of the two awardees are attached along with contact information.