Mayor: Fight Over Boardwalk Wood Not Worth Risking Memorial Day Reopening
Belmar switches from rainforest timber
Belmar was motivated by a ticking clock and not environmentalists when it chose to drop rainforest timber as its boardwalk decking, Mayor Matt Doherty said. The Sierra Club was prepared to fight over the use of ipe rainforest timber, saying the wood is harvested, causing great damage to rainforest ecosystems. Doherty said the borough was using timber that was certified as more environmentally sound, and that the company that harvested ipe was also reforesting the species there. However, Belmar switched from the use of ipe after seeing that a legal fight over its use would slow boardwalk construction, Doherty said. "We'd likely win a fight, but it could last as long as 60 days," Doherty said. "We're not going to stop construction for 60 …
Dame Bridgid
5:18 pm on Monday, January 21, 2013
IPE wood was chosen for some very specific properties. It is extremely dense; that makes it so durable, it can blunt the tools used on it. That is why IPE is known as "ironwood". The US Department of Agriculture & Forestry rates this wood as highly resistant to decay, fungi, & termites. IPE looks like teak, but is much less expensive than teak or any plastic alternative. It sands quite smoothly, … more ›