The article quotes Palin as saying:
"The evergreens would be put to good use to build and heat homes, . . ."
Apparently you did not read the text of the article closely enough so as to follow Palin's argument regarding the value of pine to the early colonists. Th value of pine wood for home heating is negative, not positive as Palin claims.
Go back and read Post #6, whose import you may have missed.