Following a 150-year company legacy, Longyear will prioritize locally sourced and carbon-friendly building materials.
MARQUETTE, Mich. (February 2, 2023) As Longyear begins the planning and design of Forestville, a proposed Marquette-area neighborhood, the team aims to design a “forest-to-home” community that offers high-quality products harvested from regional timber. Forestville residents will be surrounded by healthy forests and have access to the area’s largest all-season, silent sport trail network. Forestville will begin to unveil designs for its new homes in the coming months.
Throughout the building materials procurement process, Longyear will remain conscious of its carbon footprint and environmental impact, the project’s effect on the local economy, and above all else, quality. Longyear will prioritize sourcing local materials, hiring local talent, and partnering with suppliers from the region that share the company’s environmental values and best practices.
The Forestville architecture team, 42° North, is specifically designing residences with local materials in mind. Longyear will leverage connections with building products companies in the Upper Peninsula, Michigan, and the Great Lakes region to build homes that have incorporated as many sustainably sourced wood products as possible.
Longyear will source a portion of Forestville’s wood products from its production company, Northern Hardwoods. Northern Hardwoods sources timber from selectively harvested and naturally regenerated sites that use no chemicals, an approach that allows the forest to naturally replenish and protect younger, healthy trees so they can continue to grow and store carbon.
As part of its commitment to sustainability, Longyear has hired consultant Lynn Wilson to develop a supply chain and procurement processes that will reduce the project’s environmental impact. Wilson has more than three decades in leadership roles at top-tier forest products and manufacturing companies, including Plum Creek, Rayonier, and most recently, Louisiana Pacific, where she led the supply chain, public policy and sustainable forestry efforts in conjunction with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI®).
Throughout the life of the project, Forestville will track its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices. ESG tracking encompasses matters such as materials selection, construction methods, community impact, accessibility, procurement, and local engagement. Forestville will be directly connected to the Noquemanon Trail Network’s North system and trails into the City of Marquette.
The Forestville team is currently preparing to submit the project to Marquette Township Zoning and is supporting efforts by Marquette Township and Marquette County Road Commission to develop plans for safe and effective access to the Forestville area.