Also doing business as Elwood Systems, Forest Concepts is a small bioenergy feedstocks and environmental restoration research and development company. The firm began with a simple mission to design, manufacture and distribute wood products that make it easier to do salmon habitat restoration in urban and suburban areas. The firm's launch product became known as engineered large woody debris ("ELWd"). ELWd® (pronounced "el-wood") structures are designed to accommodate readily available wood materials, low-tech manufacturing methods, and work-crew-based installation. The original ELWd® kit was a large hollow log structure that replicated the form and function of native remnant large wood in streams. Customers encouraged development of other specialized habitat and bioengineering structures. The firm now manufactures and distributes a broad assortment of functional wood products and related materials to make it easier to successfully complete projects involving: rivers and streams, lakes and ponds, wetlands, forests, rangelands and wildlands, landscapes and naturescapes, erosion control and post wildfire emergency response (BAER-ESR-EWP), Roundwood construction. Products provide value-added outlets for smallwood and forest biomass that otherwise would go to waste. Production by licensees in rural communities provides much-needed jobs and economic activity in areas hard hit by change. Products include: ELWd® stream logs & log jams ELWd® pond rafts & lake habitat ELWd® wildlife and amphibian habitat WoodStraw wood-strand erosion control material FlowCheck log erosion barriers SlopeCheck landscape terrace softscape Critter Condos and watchable wildlife habitat Wildlife Friendly Fence Functional Roundwood Tools and Equipment
