Lee Fong Biomass Pole Pavilion
A stunning new structure with a gleaming copper-colored roof sits in the center of Lee Fong Park in Weaverville. Built this autumn from locally harvested logs, it is designed to provide shade for at least two picnic tables during the summer months as well as a reprieve from rain during inclement weather. The log pavilion is located adjacent to a beautiful rock BBQ.
The 16-foot by 24-foot open-sided structure is the result of a grant from
the U.S. Forest Service to promote biomass utilization -- the use of
smaller logs -- in Trinity County. It is a project of the Northwest
California Resource Conservation and Development Council in collaboration with the Trinity County Resource Conservation District.
Originally, the demonstration project was planned to provide a large shelter over the amphitheater stage, but costs to engineer that structure and budget constraints caused the project to be scaled down to this stout and sturdy picnic pavilion.
The majority of the materials were purchased locally, with some poles coming from the Watershed Research and Training Center in Hayfork and other materials purchased from local businesses. The largest logs in the structure are from a Chico log home company. The expert craftsmanship and forethought of the three lo-cal builders who constructed the pavilion are evident in the beauty of the structure. Their attention to detail makes this a perfect example of what can be done with timber removed from forest lands during fuels reduction projects, which ultimately reduce the catastrophic effect of wildland fires.
In the past, smaller trees would have been considered to have no commercial value, but the smaller poles used here have enormous economic potential, as demonstrated by the pavilion. Another example is the new transitional housing recently completed by the Human Response Network. Its design incorporated small timber from Hayfork for attractive railing on the duplex as well as for ornamental features throughout the project.
The new Lee Fong Park pavilion was made possible by funding from the US Forest Service and the McConnell Fund of the Shasta Regional Community Foundation. Special thanks go to contractors Eric Blomberg of Fine Line Building, to David Hazard, and to James Casebolt. Schmidbauer Lumber generously donated use of its crane truck which helped get the large logs placed, and the Watershed Research and Training Center in Hayfork donated poles.
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