After a storm like Vaia, the forest communes of Aloplano, Italy are happy to sell their windthrown wood at a good price. Via Italian intermediaries, the logs go to Austria, but also Germany, France and China who appreciate the certified wood. 

Located in the foothills of the Dolomites in northern Italy, Altopiano is one of the seven municipalities which were hit hard by the storm Vaia. 

"At present, more than 90% of the stormwood fell by Vaia has been sold and the rest should be sold soon," said Emanuele Munari, Mayor of the municipality of Gallio and President of the community of municipalities of Altopiano. 

"Things are progressing better than expected, sales have been made quickly and at optimal prices, with a peak of 27 euros per cubic meter. This is due to the fact that the wood is certified and therefore popular especially abroad. There are still scattered lots in other municipalities but we can think that they will be marketed in the coming months," Mr. Munari said.

Where does the stormwood from Altopiano go? All over the world, including China where it is well suited, as the Chinese require logs with a standard length of 4.5 m for shipping. The trees that fell on the town of Gallio, 60 000 m3, were bought by a company that owns two biomass plants and that will use windfall for various uses.

The mayor believes that the fight against the clock has been won even though much remains to be done. The community opted for a quick sale and not for log storage.