wrote in message
ups.com...
I must take a real strong exception to your statement about the low
availability of wood in Europe. In the early 90's my wife and I went to
Germany to visit and go camping with our son who was stationed there in
the US Army. At one point, near Titisee in the Black Forest of Bavaria,
we went for a long hike into a large forested area. We found hundreds
of cords of wood stacked and rotting in the forest. It was left from
thining operations.

On another occation we were with son's girl friend and her mother near
Rottenberg. We saw a very large sawmill that had not been in operation
for some time. There were huge log decks there with fairly large trees
growing out of the rotting logs.

So, while there are lots of places in Europe with few trees and other
natural energy sources, it sure isn't true generally!

Paul

Paul,
The stacked wood that you mentioned; was is split in one meter lengths? If
so that is firewood that is normally stored in the woods. If it was along
side the trail, than that is exactly what it is.

If it was large thinning operation, what you most likely saw was a
government program on government land (although they will go onto private
land if it is not maintained). Cannot speak for what they did with the
wood, although I can say that it is not always put to good use. I can only
assume that it was not left to rot as one of the largest problems in Germany
are wood beetles that can really do harm. You can confirm this if they were
compete logs, as they most likely were debarked.

Although the thinning operation should give you a clue. They do this to
help preserve the forests, something that is scarce in most of Western
Europe. If you were fortunate enough, you might of been able to see some of
the machines that they use, really impressive.

I think you mean "Rothenburg ob der Tauber", as it is one of the largest
tourist traps in Germany. I use to live and farm within spitting distance
from there. Walk through the woods in that area, it will not take you long.
Or better yet watch how they hunt in that area.
Not very often I used to sell some of the excess firewood. If I remember
correctly it went for something like $240 a sq meter for pine in the late
80s or early 90s. I would guess that 90% of the wood burned was pine in
that area. Do not even want to mention how much I sold two oaks for. Let
us just say that you hold an auction for the larger ones, were they come out
an look at individual trees.

A better tour would of been trying to find a place that sells wood. To be
honest I cannot think of one store that sold a significant amount of wood in
Germany, although I lived in the farming area. Fortunate enough, that when
I needed new timbers for the roof we cut our own.

I am sure there is a number somewhere, but I would completely guess that the
20 times more forest per human in the US as compared to Western Europe..
Not sure either, but I think that Western Europe imports most of the wood
they use in construction.

Ya have to remember that Germany has 80mil people in a land the size of
Colorado, and has been inhabited well before anyone knew the world was
round.

Chris