While it's true the board feet may be the same in two equally sized cutting boards of either edge or end grain that's a fairly moot point. End grain is comprised of far more pieces because of the way the wood is cut. That results in a higher cost. If you think all board feet are the same I would have been VERY happy to sell you timber in the past!
Some woodworkers may be able to tell the difference between most species but that doesn't imply all boards sold as a specific species are from North American or are even the species they are labeled for that matter. As you noted when you buy lumber from a lumber yard the geographical source is unknown. Lumber yards typically purchase exotic woods from a distributor, who purchases from an importer who is buying it over seas from an exporter who bought it from a mill who bought it from a forester.
Culpability for illegal timber harvested in Africa and the Amazon etc often ends at the Mill. No one knows the exact species or sub-species of imported timber in many cases today unless that timber is certified or plantation grown. Geographic location may not be an issue for some woodworkers but I'd much rather have Northern Maple irrespective of how similarly it may be labeled.
How many cooks do you think realize there is both soft and hard Maple let alone the difference between the sub-species of maple?
Board makers like MMB, Boos and I'm assuming Black Loon as well just based on it's location buy Mill direct. This allows those board makers to control not only their source but to control the process and assure that their wood is never kiln dried, stored or transported with pressure treated wood. Visit MMB or Boos and you can see the stacks of wood drying in the yard.
If you can afford all end grain I agree end grain is better but edge grain makes a very good and cost effective butchering surface for most home cooks.
Dave
When I buy a board foot of lumber, I expect a board 12 x 12 x 1 inch. Anything else delivered and I would have an issue with the vendor. That is not a moot point. If you purchase a surfaced plank, you will receive less finished wood as the measurement is taken at the mill. While end grain consists of more individual pieces, a board foot of end grain board is exactly the same quantity as a board foot in an edge grain or flat grain board. My method of producing the end grain is not all that much different in terms of time and labor than an edge grain board. It is one extra step.
Start by ripping 2 x 2 squares the length of the board in question. Ripping into squares is not totally necessary,. but will produce a more attractive board. I generally make mine counter top size, so you will need 12 squares 2 feet long + cutting waste. Glue up a panel 12 squares wide. At this point you have an edge grain board. Crosscut the panel into 2 inch square sticks. Rotate the squares 90 degrees, glue, and you now have an end grain board. If you want a patterned board, say a checkerboard pattern of walnut and maple, you will need to make 2 shorter panels with the pattern reversed. I have access to a wide thickness sander, and the boards are finished on the sander.
When you speak of sustainability of species, that is a different issue and typically does not affect the quality of the board. Most boards made in the US are made from walnut, cherry, or maple. None are endangered in the US. Mahogany is sometimes used, and there are many species labelled as mahogany. Spanish cedar, for instance, is neither Spanish nor cedar, but is a mahogany. Timber labelled as African or Philippine mahogany may be most any brown wood. What you want is Swietina. I can tell the difference between farm raised and naturally grown timber. Farm raised is grown faster, straighter, and is typically softer. Whether one is better than the other is debatable. Hard northern maple and the softer southern maple are also different. I have used both, and there is little difference in board performance. The issue of kiln dried and air dried is also debatable. I purchase green planks and air dry for a few years. Sometimes they will then go into a solar kiln for finishing. There are case hardened boards, This is the result of improper drying. I'm not sure transporting furniture grade timber with pressure treated is a major issue. If they were stacked together and the pressure treated is still wet, as it often is, it could be.
Nuff said about woodworking and lumber purchasing. My recommendations for a home cook is to purchase a board as large as you can handle in terms of price, weight, and space requirements. If an end grain board is too pricy, get an edge grain board from a reputable makers, I am familiar with Boos and Boardsmith, and both produce good boards and the price is not all that much higher than the foreign stuff from Kitchens R Us. It will last for years if cared for. All wet boards should be dried standing on edge. Laying on a counter top is liable to warp the board. Another reason for no feet. A warped board can be turned over and warped back into shape. Wood twists and cracks along the length and cups across the width, so an end grain board, with its 2 inch long sticks, will do less of both.
Jim