Our Approach to Logging

At RBM Lumber we believe that the beauty and variety in the forest, as in all realms of nature, is a gift from the Creator and intended to be used respectfully and enjoyed for eternity. The forests have been growing, regenerating, and maintaining their balance for centuries. They successfully respond to all types of diseases, insect infestations, fires, and climate changes. Once set in motion the forest is self-perpetuating. It needs no help from us. On the contrary, we humans are the only living creatures capable of destroying it and the environment and habitat that support the thousands of plant and animal species that exist there.

RBM Lumber, Inc. was founded and developed by the Thompson family. Evelyn, Ben, Roy, Joy, & Malcolm Thompson, with a group of dedicated employees, continue to run the business today. With over thirty years in the industry, the Thompson’s have an unmatched passion for wood and wood products, and for managing the forests without sacrificing the balance and beauty of nature.

Our challenge is to enter this perpetual life cycle without interrupting it. By studying the stories told by the life of trees, and by nature itself, we can learn how to treat the forest and the land. We can learn how to imitate what nature does and how many and what trees to take and when to take them. We believe it is our responsibility to take care of this gift of beauty and that any financial profitability must come from within the bounds of this responsibility. It is this belief that is the foundation of our approach to working in the forest.

Sustainable Logging at RBM

Ben and Malcolm Thompson (son and father) work in the woods with their primary focus on how they can remove trees without destroying or damaging the environment and habitat of the thousands of existing plant and animal species. "We do this by observing what nature does and trying to imitate it. The vast majority of timber we remove is salvage of wind-blown, diseased, insect infested, or fire killed trees. We are dedicated to meeting the needs of the company and our customers without compromising the health and stability of the areas in which we work."

At RBM Lumber, we take a very long-term view of trees, the forests, and the enormous part they play in the natural cycle of life. The forests have been growing, regenerating, changing, and adapting for millions of years. They have responded to devastation by a variety of diseases, fires, and climate changes. They reproduce, survive, and alter their growth patterns over time to adapt to their changing environment. This natural process is proven and is one we believe deserves respect and imitation as we enter the forests to take materials for human uses.

Our forests are home to a myriad of minerals, plants, and animals that today include tiny organisms invisible to the unaided human eye, insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, mosses, lichen, leafy and wood plants, and evergreen and deciduous trees. Any disturbance in the forest can affect its entire ecosystem. We strive to create the smallest amount of disturbance to any location in which we log.

Malcolm (l) and Ben (r) Thompson

(left to right) Malcolm, Evelyn, Ben, Joy, & Roy