“Forêtxcellence”: this is the name of a project intended to enhance the presence of resonance wood in the Jura Arc. It comes from ForêtNeuchâtel, the association of forest owners. This high value-added wood comes from spruces that are at least 200 years old, and more rarely from maples. It is intended for the manufacture of stringed instruments.
It was an old farmhouse in La Brévine built with tonewood that caught the ear of ForêtNeuchâtel. The Association carried out a two-year study, between 2016 and 2018, to determine whether the softwood forests of the Jura Arc contained a significant quantity of this exceptional quality wood. Its selling price is ten to fifteen times higher than normal quality wood. It is a niche market. Indigenous production exists, particularly in Risoux, but it currently remains modest. According to forestry engineer François Godi, coordinator of the “Forêtxcellence” project, the production potential of the Jura Arc amounts to 600 cubic meters per year. This represents 2 to 3 trees out of 10,000. It is little and very interesting at the same time.
Valuing the Jura Arc’s resonance wood is one thing, selling it is quite another: according to François Godi, demand exists and it is even very high from China. It also invites the few luthiers in the region to buy local, according to a very current trend.
In a second step, ForêtNeuchâtel will highlight the resonance wood of the Jura Arc through a xylotheque which will in principle be open from next autumn on the Evologia site, in Cernier. President of the association, Jean Wenger explains to us that this showroom will be aimed at luthiers as well as the general public, curious to discover this wood which is so precious and so rare. This will be presented in the form of planks.
This project to promote resonance wood in the Jura Arc has received financial support from the cantons of Neuchâtel, Vaud and Bern, but not from the Jura. /mine