Tinker Air Force Base Natural Resources Program Manager John Krupovage and Natural Resources Technician Donna Nolan with the 72nd Civil Engineering Directorate believe “waste not, want not” when it comes to harvesting timber from the trees that have been removed or fallen on base.
Instead of sending the trees to a landfill, Tinker AFB is selling most of the wood from the downed trees for use as furniture or firewood.
Once the money is collected, it is sent to the U.S. Department of Treasury, funds are later available to help the base with its urban forestry program. Krupovage said he wants Team Tinker to know that wood is available for purchase.
“We have oak, walnut, silver maple, sycamore, pine, elm, oak, ash, crepe myrtles, post oak, blackjack oak and others,” Krupovage said. “We have a wide variety of different wood products available for such uses as crafts, furniture and firewood.”
A Department of Defense instruction states that “agricultural and forest products shall not be given away, abandoned, carelessly destroyed, used to offset contract costs or traded for services, supplies or products, or otherwise improperly removed.”
Krupovage said prior to starting the timber sales program approximately three years ago, Tinker AFB’s trees, like the ones recently removed on Arnold Street, were hauled to area landfills and expenses were incurred.
“We’ve sold a lot of big logs. One man wrote on a to-be-felled sycamore tree with a Sharpie that he wanted the tree and left his phone number on it,” Krupovage said. “We could not just give it to him, but it was put out for bid and he won. I’m glad we’re keeping this wood from going to landfills and we’re putting it to good use.”
He said a Team Tinker member who owns Don’s Chainsaw Creations created a bench for the base chapel from a large dead walnut tree felled on the base.
Nolan said the downing of a tree can occur due to weather-related events like an ice storm, a tornado or they can be downed if they pose safety or security risks.
“We sell the marketable wood to area sawmills, woodworkers, hobbyists and others, many of whom belong to Team Tinker,” Nolan said. Some people use the wood for fire pits and another person is making a dining room table from a sycamore tree that came down on a recent street-widening project.”
“It is amazing how many trees come down. To offset this loss of trees, the base has a 2:1 replacement policy. For every tree removed, two are planted.
She said volunteers from the 76th Aircraft Maintenance Group are trained sawyers who process the firewood and other wood products.
Krupovage said some of the felled trees are used in the base’s ponds to enhance fish and wildlife habitat.
Seasoned firewood, both split and rounds, are available for immediate purchase at ¼ cord, ½ cord and full cord. If you would like to bid on larger logs, you can be placed on a prospective bidder list, and will be notified as logs become available. To buy timber or firewood, contact Nolan at 739-7062 or 739-7074.