Silviculture Sea

Global demand for mature timber and raw lithium - both slated as critical material assets and sources of renewable energy - is projected to compound exponentially over the next century. These regenerative resources offer a glimmer of hope, but also a harsh reality, as current extraction far outpaces their respective regrowth rates. The Pacific coast of the U.S. - rich in old-growth timber and untapped lithium deposits - is positioned to become a battleground for extraction and global energy production models, offering an opportunity for more sustainable harvest through better energy infrastructure design and management.

One site of opportunity is the Salton Sea in Southern California - a shallow artificial lake that lies above deposits of naturally occurring lithium brine. The Sea is adjacent to Joshua Tree National Park, in an arid region that supports desert agriculture. A new, hybridized extraction infrastructure that commandeers the Salton Sea could support annual harvest of both of these resources - joshua tree timber and raw lithium - through concentric production rings of brine mining, phytomining, and logging. Silviculture Sea is a radical architecture of extraction that increases resource security for both immediate demands and long-term sustainability.