Maple for Final Four floor harvested by Menominee Nation

Wednesday, March 28, 2012  

The maple wood used for the floor of the Final Four tournament was harvested by the Menominee Nation in Wisconsin.

The tribe has a long history in the timber industry. Chief Oshkosh, who negotiated a treaty that prevented his people from being forced to move to Minnesota, urged sustainability.

"He's the one who said to cut only the sick and the dead and the dying trees. You cut only the worst, and over time your forest gets better and better," Joe Besaw, a sales representative for the Menominee Tribal Enterprises, told USA Today.

The maple harvested by the tribe was turned into a floor by Connor Sports Flooring.

Get the Story:
Final Four floor makers courting perfection (USA Today 3/27)