In western New Brunswick Eastern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) is a very common tree. It will grow on many different sites, common in swampy areas it also will grow on upland sites and even rock. Some of the nicest I have ever seen have been growing on upland sites. Cedar from these sites appear almost as a different subspecies. Taller, larger diameter, less sweep, less but rot and less branching. These stands also have very high basal areas, often approaching what you would expect to find on the west coast. ABOUT THE WOOD - My families property has several acres of cedar, some grows in the swamp and we do have some upland cedar. We often mill this on our woodmizer and have used it to build decks, board and batton siding, interior trim, strawberry crates and hobby projects. You will look hard to find a species with so much versatility. We cut most of our cedar in the winter and the logs are easy to care for. If you keep them off the ground they will keep a very long time before sawing, I have seen 2 plus year old logs saw out nicely however I wouldnt suggest this. Logs don't tend to end check much however you always have to remember that sweep is common in these logs, shorter logs will saw out much larger volumes. Many trees will have butt rot and butt flare so you may lose some of your butt log. Outside projects require very little drying time however anything going inside or where shrinkage may be a factor will take a little longer. Still dries faster than any other species here. Same as any other species, sticker it with your lowest quality cuts on the bottom and top with your best lumber in the middle. Ooops almost forgot to mention you should mill your decking at a thicker thickness than spruce or fir as it has a lower structual strength. Depending on the distance between your joists and if you are going to plane it you may want to go to 6/4. Properly cared for cedar will give you a long service life, while cruising woodlots I often come across or follow cedar rail fence lines. Many were built by the early settlers some 150 plus years ago.
