Myless Hooper Jr. Comments on Logging Industry Growth in Response to European Energy Needs

PHILADELPHIA, PA, June 10, 2013

According to previous reports from logging industry veteran Myless Hooper Jr., the demand for timber and related logging services has vastly increased as Americans emerged from the recent recession, inciting an increase in housing construction demand. Although the growth of construction rates and housing demands in the United States has subsequently led to new job creation--both in and out of the logging industry--Hooper explains that trends in global commerce have also sparked greater interest in American timber as a profitable export.

Myless Hooper Jr. points to a recent article from Newsmax that reveals there is a strong interest in American-produced timber from energy providers in Europe. The article reports, "A shift in Europe from coal-fired to wood-burning power plants is helping to create jobs in the U.S. logging industry...According to The Wall Street Journal, European energy companies--under pressure from governments there to reduce reliance on fossil fuels--are turning to U.S. forests to harvest wood because of tight restrictions on logging in Europe, where forests are in short supply to begin with."

In response, Myless Hooper Jr. explains, "Hopefully, this interest will lead to not only an increase in revenue for American loggers, but will also help lead to proper planning efforts to sustain this very valuable industry." According to Newsmax, the positive growth is already apparent as "U.S. jobs are being created in an industry where growth had come to a standstill because of the decline in the housing market and less demand for wood products in general."

Although the article notes that conservationists have quickly moved against logging efforts incited by European energy clients, Myless Hooper Jr. notes that there are respectable practices worth investigating in the industry before outside parties become overly critical. Hooper adds, "As a logger, I have experienced that selective cutting and replanting solutions can greatly improve upon, or relieve, the concerns environmentalists have. Not only do these options prompt sustainability in American forests, but they help ensure that our land will continue to offer a product that is worth exporting."

According to the article, "The demand for U.S.-produced wood pellets is expected to remain high for some time in Europe, where the European Union Commission has set a goal of reducing emissions 20 percent by 2020." Given these far projections, Myless Hooper Jr. encourages all logging professionals to focus on the benefits of timber, particularly what the product can offer in terms of efforts to reduce emissions caused by fossil fuels.

ABOUT:

Myless Hooper Jr. is a professional logger, and a veteran of North Carolina's timber industry. Currently based in the Greensboro area of North Carolina, Hooper serves a wide range of clients who represent diverse industries. Hooper and his colleagues offer both clear-cutting and selective cutting services, in order to make sure clients obtain the appropriate amount of timber, while simultaneously protecting the interests of landowners. In addition, services are offered to replant logged regions to provide future growth and stable development of the land. Apart from serving these professional responsibilities, Myless Hooper Jr. remains an outspoken advocate of the timber industry, and of local North Carolina industry.