Forestry
The vigorous growth has in the past earned it the designation of a "trash tree" by the timber industry. Herbicide spraying of red alder over large areas of coastal Oregon and Washington has resulted in a number of lawsuits, with the claim this spraying has caused health problems, including birth defects and other side effects.
Increasing value of the wood, combined with a better understanding of the species' benefits to other trees, has largely led to a cessation of this practice.
Read more about this topic: Red Alder