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Gene Wengert

Gene Wengert, “The Wood Doctor” has been training people in efficient use of wood for 45 years. He is extension specialist emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Wood Explorer

Western spruces: Englemann and Sitka have similar properties

Two major spruces are found in the western forests of the United States. Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) is found throughout the Rocky Mountains, from Alberta to Arizona. It’s named after George Englemann, who discovered this species in the mid-1800s. Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) is found primarily within 50 miles of the Pacific Coast, from Alaska to northern California. The name comes from Sitka Island, where the tree was discovered in 1892; Sitka spruce is also Alaska’s state tree.