Intern Journal Sample

Read on for an example of some of the work completed by a COEC intern. . .

Project Background:  In the Fall of 2006, the ReStore /Bend Area Habitat for Humanity began the process of establishing a sustainable lumber salvage program to complement their current mission of selling used and surplus building supplies to support the construction of affordable homes for deserving families in Central Oregon.  Once established, the program would generate increased revenues for BAHFH from the sale of used building materials and provide benefit to the local community by decreasing the amount of usable building materials otherwise disposed of in Knott Landfill.

The Salvage Lumber program was divided into two phases.  Phase I consisted of research and development and Phase II focused on implementation.  Callahan Dillon, a COCC student, became the ReStore Salvage Lumber Intern during the Winter 2006-07 term and completed a second internship with ReStore in the Spring of 2007.  The following report is a summary of his duties and accomplishments during Phase I of the project.

Establishing the ReStore Salvage Lumber Program:  by Callahan Dillon

After I was briefed on what exactly I was supposed to accomplish with my Lumber Salvage internship, I started researching possible participants. I soon discovered the Central Oregon Builders Association (COBA) website, along with the Greenspot website, and they both were very helpful resources. I compiled a list of over seventy builders and contractors, and then e-mailed each of them our business plan.  From that email, I only got three responses - two saying yes, and the other requesting that I take his name off the e-mail list. One week later, I went back through the list and called each one of them to try and gain more participants. I also visited a few job sites on the West side of town and talked with contractors and builders about their businesses. After talking with them, I compiled a spreadsheet of all the businesses that were interested in the participating, included their contact names, numbers, and schedules. Finally, I felt that I had connected with enough businesses and the word about the salvage program was out. I then moved on to researching other angles and possibilities of the Lumber Salvage Business.

I found racking systems in Portland, OR from a business called Norlift. This was a cantilever racking system consisting of three stands at $400 each. Three new arms were also available for $20-30 dollars each; with each arm holding 500lbs, and two arms holding 1,000lbs, these would more than suffice. This system could be placed against the back of a building and the arms can be adjusted low or high. You can also place multiple arms on one stand to create shelving. For the set it was around $1,300.

Throughout the four months of my internship, I got in touch with lumberyards and inquired about their farmer loads. Harry’s lumber, which actually donated to us in the past, said they would continue donating and would let us know the next time they had a load. Miller lumber and Lumberman’s were also willing and would let us know when they had a load for us. I also contacted Deschutes Recycling about possibly salvaging usable lumber from their scrap lumber pile. Deschutes Recycling was not open to the idea.  

While investigating other salvaged lumber businesses, I came across Cart’m Recycling. They are located outside of Manzanita, OR on the coast. They started by simply collecting recyclables until they outgrew their capacity and eventually took over a city- run transfer station. At Cart’m, they collect garbage, recyclables, computers, scrap wood, yard waste, clothing, etc. They have created a business out of garbage that is fully self-sustaining. Their profits from lumber sales and recyclables help to pay for the rest of their operation. I spoke with a manager at Cart’m, named Richard, to see if he could help with our small lumber salvage program. His advice was this, “Go to the dump where contractors drop off their building waste. If you go to the main source, this is where you will find the most materials, which will in turn, maximize your profits”. That advice forced me to think about our program in a whole new light. Instead of making the contractors change their daily routine, by having them separate the lumber, and having them drop it off at an entirely new place, I decided that we should investigate separating usable lumber from the dump. This idea turned me onto a whole new track.

After speaking with Cart’m the whole idea of what I thought was possible was quickly turned upside down.  Richard pointed me in the direction of Susan Christiansen at DEQ. She informed me that DEQ regulates Solid Waste. Solid Waste manages Knott Landfill, and DEQ has imposed a 45% diversion rate from Deschutes County Waste stream. This means that out of the entire Deschutes County waste stream the DEQ would like to see Solid Waste diverting 45% of it away from the landfill. This can be done through recycling, salvaging, raising consumer awareness - basically any way Solid Waste can come up with.  Currently there is around a 35% diversion rate.

After meeting with Tim, one of the managers of Solid Waste, I found out that Knott Landfill is currently constructing a new transfer station, but only for household trash.  They also had a construction and demolition materials transfer station planned, but it fell through.  Solid Waste had a C & D transfer station slated to be built but isn’t under construction anymore because they don’t have anyone to run it. Talking about possible places to build a transfer station with Tim, I introduced the idea that building a transfer station at Knott Landfill would be very appealing because the land is already zoned for it. Even though it wasn’t Tim’s place to say so, he backed the idea of a transfer station being built on the Knott Landfill property. He was adamant that the materials that could not be salvaged would be taken to Knott landfill and no other landfill.

Eric Stobal, from Bend Economic Development, filled me in on the Bend 2030 project. He informed me that a C&D transfer station was included within the project. He also put me in touch with Cylvia Hayes who works for 3EStrategies.  Ms. Hayes talked of a Pronghorn Development that would include an eco-industrial development. An eco-industrial development is a factory that has the capability to melt down and reform tin cans, glass, sheet rock, and other recyclables. There was also talk of Pronghorn building a transfer station. The 2030 project and the possibility of Pronghorn building an eco-industrial area reflect strong community support and demand for a lumber salvage program and a transfer station.

I researched a recycling ordinance I heard about up in Portland that mandated contractors to incorporate how they proposed to recycle a certain percent of there waste stream within their building plan before they began a project of a certain value. An ordinance such as this would help support the birth of a new transfer station, as well as our lumber salvage program. With this in mind, I contacted Nick Sneed, a city planner, and Jim Clinton, a City Council member. Both concurred that there was no regulation in place and there had never been a proposal similar to this. Both were enthusiastic about the idea and thought that it was the right time to introduce a similar idea to the Bend community.

As my internship draws to a close, I feel I’ve made great progress with the Salvage Lumber Program.  By the end of Phase I, I was able to create a large pool of participants, compile logistics for how the program may run, and develop relationships with community leaders who are willing to help.  Even though there wasn’t a lot of physical evidence of what I accomplished I feel the groundwork for advancement has been laid, and the next phase of the internship will materialize more of these ideas.