United States

Department of

Agriculture

Forest Service

Pacific Northwest

Research Station

General Technical

Report

PNW-GTR-616

September 2004

Contemporary Wood

Utilization Research

Needs in the Western

United States

Robert A. Monserud, Eini C. Lowell, Dennis R. Becker, Susan

Stevens Hummel, Ellen M. Donoghue, R. James Barbour, Kenneth

A. Kilborn, David L. Nicholls, Joe Roos, and Randall A. Cantrell
Authors

Robert A. Monserud is a research forester, Eini C. Lowell is a research forest

products technologist, Susan Stevens Hummel is a research silviculturist, Ellen

M. Donoghue is a research sociologist, R. James Barbour is a research forest

products technologist, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland Sciences

Laboratory, 620 SW Main St., Suite 400, Portland, OR 97205; Dennis R. Becker is

a research sociologist, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 2500 S Pine Knoll,

Flagstaff, AZ 86001; Kenneth A. Kilborn is a forest products technologist, David

L. Nicholls is a research forest products technologist, Joe Roos is a research

marketing specialist, and Randall A. Cantrell is a research economist, Pacific

Northwest Research Station, Alaska Wood Utilization Research and Development

Center, 204 Siginaka Way, Sitka, AK 99835.

The Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is dedicated to the principle of

multiple use management of the Nation’s forest resources for sustained yields of wood,

water, forage, wildlife, and recreation. Through forestry research, cooperation with the

States and private forest owners, and management of the National Forests and National

Grasslands, it strives—as directed by Congress—to provide increasingly greater service to

a growing Nation.

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and employees
Abstract

Monserud, Robert A.; Lowell, Eini C.; Becker, Dennis R.; Hummel, Susan

Stevens; Donoghue, Ellen M.; Barbour, R. James; Kilborn, Kenneth A.;

Nicholls, David L.; Roos, Joe; Cantrell, Randall A. 2004. Contemporary

wood utilization research needs in the Western United States. Gen. Tech. Rep.

PNW-GTR-616. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service,

Pacific Northwest Research Station. 49 p.

Contemporary wood utilization research needs in the Western United States are

examined in this problem analysis. Key focal areas include: A. Changes in forest

management actions and policies affect forest conditions and people, which in turn

affect wood quality and wood utilization opportunities. B. Effects of natural

disturbances (e.g., wildfire, insect outbreaks) on wood quality, wood utilization,

and people are poorly understood. C. Regional differences throughout the Western

States are poorly understood in the context of wood utilization. D. Technical

assistance and feasibility analyses are needed by resource managers, technical

organizations, users of natural resources, and others interested in the physical

characteristics, processing, and marketing of forest products.

Keywords: Wood utilization, forest products, forest management, wood quality,

small-diameter wood utilization.

Summary

There are two wood utilization teams within the USDA Forest Service Pacific

Northwest Research Station. The Ecologically Sustainable Production (ESP) of

Forest Resources team focuses on wood utilization and its relation to forest resource characterization in the Western United States, including Alaska. The Alaska

Wood Utilization Research and Development Center (WUC) in Sitka addresses

research needs only in Alaska, with a strong emphasis on marketing and processing

Alaska wood products. Together our work provides information to clients on the

relations between forest management practices, wood quality, and product options.

This problem analysis serves to focus and prioritize the research conducted by

these two teams.

The ESP and WUC teams are successfully addressing a wide range of wood

utilization issues throughout the Western United States. Of particular note is an

estimated 190 million acres of federal forests and rangelands in the United States

that face high risk of catastrophic fire (GAO 1999, USDA FS 2003). As a result,

there are increasing calls for ways to use wood from trees that have traditionally
been underutilized—material that previously went to chips, was left as slash, or

was left untouched. And where products or markets are not available, there is also

a need to find cost-effective and efficient methods for disposing of or removing the

material, thereby reducing fire hazard.

The ESP and WUC teams have a significant role to play in this effort. We have

a continuing focus on finding solutions to problems related to utilization of smalldiameter trees. We seek solutions that are ecologically, economically, and socially

sustainable. Research in this area addresses new technologies such as composites,

biofuels, biomass feedstock for heating and energy, small-scale portable and

semiportable sawmills, as well as more traditional research on deterioration of fireand insect-killed trees, and the effects of thinning on residual tree development and

quality. There is also the effect current management practices will have on the

wood quality of trees harvested years from now. The interface between utilization

and community development is addressed through cooperative efforts with groups

such as the Greater Flagstaff Forests Partnership and Alaska’s Denali Commission.

The ESP and WUC teams are poised to expand our efforts in small-diameter wood

utilization in response to new programs such as the Healthy Forests Restoration Act

of 2003 and to emerging public and partner needs.

Different people push different wood utilization technologies, with little

integration of financial, social, or forest management implications. Because many

of these technologies will rest, to a large degree, on private investment, we need to

understand the implications of using various technologies for improving wood

utilization. We envision a three-pronged approach. First, develop and transfer

technologies adapted to the scale of the problem. Second, develop and deliver

marketing strategies to promote improved wood utilization. Third, link wood

utilization to forest management objectives over a range of ownerships throughout

the Western United States. Research that includes one or more of these three

elements should lead to successful accomplishments with our various partners.
Contemporary Wood Utilization Research Needs in the Western United States

1

Background

Contemporary questions about the utilization of wood are best addressed within

the context of social, economic, and ecological systems because forest management activities have widespread effects. These effects, and their interactions,

compel us to identify and study wood utilization problems by using an approach

that is more interdisciplinary than in the past.

One contemporary but nontraditional area of utilization research focuses on

forest management when the objective is to reduce fire hazard or improve wildlife

habitat in the most efficient and socially acceptable manner. Recent episodes of

catastrophic wildfires and insect or disease epidemics in Colorado, Arizona,

Oregon, Alaska, California, and other Western States have led to the enactment of

the National Fire Plan and passage of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (2003),

which significantly affect management of national forest land. Research is urgently

needed on how to effectively remove large amounts of forest biomass as quickly

and cost-effectively as possible. Utilization research is needed on new technologies

and products such as wood composites, biofuels, biomass feedstock for heating

and energy, and small-scale semiportable sawmills, as well as more traditional

research on degradation of fire- and insect-killed trees, the effects of thinning on

residual tree development and quality, and development of value-added products.

In recent years the forest management debate in the United States has become

increasingly contentious, with the result that forest management practices on

public and private land are diverging strongly (Haynes et al. 2003). This divergence in management has the potential to create sufficient differences and variation

in wood characteristics to influence the value and marketability of trees harvested

by different landowners (Barbour et al. 2003).

In the 1990s, for example, shifting public perceptions about the role of forests

as reservoirs of biological diversity resulted in new land management strategies for

the Northwestern United States (USDA USDI 1994). Changes in public expectations, and the regulations resulting from them, make it difficult for landowners to

focus solely on commodity production, as was the case in earlier decades. Human

demands have amplified the differences between resource management objectives

on public and private lands in the West, which has led to an expanded scope for

research on forest resource characterization and wood utilization (Monserud et al.

2003). Thus, there is a need to understand the relationships among resource

management goals, wood products opportunities, and the values and products that

people desire from forested landscapes.

Human demands

have amplified the

differences between

resource management objectives on

public and private

lands in the West.
GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-616

2

Although commodity production is no longer the primary focus on many public

lands, there remain research questions about management practices that remove

trees from a site. For example, management objectives to provide habitat for

endangered species or to restore degraded sites require information on how removing trees affects key forest structures and if such removals can provide income

from wood products to offset the costs of restoration (Hummel et al. 2001). Questions abound in current forest management debates related to wildland fire riskreduction treatments and opportunities to use wood removals to recover cost of

treatments. In addition, changes in forest management, commodity production, and

processing options affect the socioeconomic well-being of forest-based communities in ways that are not well understood. This gives rise to questions about how

innovative combinations of forest engineering and wood processing options (e.g.,

wood composites) can accomplish management objectives while supporting human

communities.

Variation in tree size, age, physical properties, and species distribution of the

current forest resource along with the uncertainty of a consistent supply of raw

material make it difficult for some producers, especially those in remote locations,

to compete in regional, national, and global markets. Those processors located

closer to retail markets, existing infrastructure, or with access to less expensive

sources of supply are at a competitive advantage (Braden et. al. 1998). Much of the

available old-growth and unmanaged second-growth forest in the West that was

suitable for manufacturing high-value products has already been harvested or is

unavailable for harvest (e.g., wilderness areas and preserves). As a result, most of

the West, with the exception of southeastern Alaska, now has extensive areas of

suppressed, small-diameter trees. Because these suppressed trees have small

branches, are generally straight, and have wood that contains little juvenile wood,

they have average or even desirable wood properties. However, harvesting costs are

often quite high for this small-diameter material. Even where larger, high-value

trees can be harvested, market premiums still may not be available because of mill

closures and the restructuring of the wood products industry to process smaller

second-growth trees. The shift toward harvesting smaller material with a lighter

touch on the land has created tremendous technical challenges for both resource

managers and forestry contractors searching for acceptable, cost-effective treatments.

A second line of emerging resource characterization and wood utilization

research addresses the needs of private landowners and conventional mill operators

who grow and process timber in the West. These landowners and mill operators

must find ways to compete in global and regional markets while at the same time

Suppressed trees...

have average or even

desirable wood

properties.
Contemporary Wood Utilization Research Needs in the Western United States

3

adjusting to changing land use regulations. Although increased regulation of forestry activities continues to alter the economic climate for Western forest products

firms, other factors that are largely unrelated to regulation also have contributed to

the restructuring of the Western wood products industry. The increase in the availability of plantation-grown wood (both here and in other timber-producing regions

such as the South), a gradual change in forest resource characteristics (forest succession, invasive species), and dispersal of human populations in the Western

States to the forest wildland-urban interface are important drivers of this change.

Research that recognizes the linkages among the divergent aspects of forest management will provide integrated and more effective solutions to today’s forest

operations, resource characterization, and wood utilization information needs.

Recent changes in public perceptions and attitudes regarding forestry, and the

regulations resulting from them, create a need for understanding the relationship

between wood products production and the values and products people desire from

forested landscapes (Monserud et al. 2003). This research is focused on the interconnectivity among forest management, wood quality characteristics, forest

products, and communities. The diagram in figure 1 and the following list of

research needs illustrate the integrated nature of the utilization research that we

envision today and in the near future.

Figure 1—Wood utilization problems have social, ecological, and management dimensions that affect forests, products, and people.
GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-616

4

There are two wood utilization teams within the USDA Forest Service Pacific

Northwest Research Station (PNW). The Ecologically Sustainable Production

(ESP) of Forest Resources team focuses on wood utilization and forest resource

characterization in the Western United States, including Alaska. The Alaska Wood

Utilization Research and Development Center (WUC) in Sitka addresses research

needs only in Alaska, with a strong emphasis on marketing and processing Alaska

wood products. Together our work provides information to clients on the relations

between forest management practices, wood quality, and product options.

Over the next 5 to 10 years, we anticipate that wood utilization and resource

characterization research needs in the Western United States are likely to focus on

the following topics:

A. Changes in forest management actions and policies affect forest conditions and

people, which in turn affect wood quality and wood utilization opportunities.

B. Effects of natural disturbances (e.g., wildfire, insect outbreaks) on wood

quality, wood utilization, and people are poorly understood.

C. Regional differences throughout the Western States are poorly understood in

the context of wood utilization. These include biophysical and ecological (e.g.,

species, stand structure, climate), technical (e.g., infrastructure, manufacturing

capacity), and social (e.g., communities, institutional) differences and the

interactions among them.

D. Technical assistance and feasibility analyses are needed by resource managers,

technical organizations, users of natural resources, and others interested in the

physical characteristics, processing, and marketing of forest products.

Additional research and development topics focused on Alaska include:

E. Products and markets for Alaska’s underutilized species, including value-added

products.

F. Community-level business development, including niche markets and opportunities for family-based enterprises.

G. Complete resource utilization, including solid wood products, wood residues,

and nontimber forest products.

Organizational Context

Wood utilization and forest resource characterization research, established at the

PNW Research Station in the late 1950s, continues to be an important component

of the PNW Research Station’s strategic plan. The ESP team, under the Human and

Natural Resources Interactions Program (HNRI), examines relations among

planned (e.g., harvesting) and unplanned (e.g., insect epidemics) disturbances and
Contemporary Wood Utilization Research Needs in the Western United States

5

their impacts on the characteristics of goods and services that people desire from

forested landscapes. The ESP team has been conducting research on all aspects of

wood utilization for well over 40 years throughtout the West.

The WUC team in Sitka, established in 1998 in response to the loss of an

integrated wood products industry in Alaska and its impact on associated communities, is also under this HNRI charter. The WUC researches processing, economics,

and marketing, and disseminates information to broad audiences through workshops and other technology transfer activities in Alaska. Additionally, WUC

focuses resources on industry outreach. The team has sponsored several small

business workshops covering topics such as developing value-added products,

marketing strategies, and international trade.

Strategic Plan

Our research fits under the broader umbrella of the PNW Research Station’s

strategic plan (USDA FS 2002). Both the PNW Station in general and the ESP and

WUC teams in particular seek to:

• Find interdisciplinary and integrated solutions.

• Work at multiple scales and ownerships to solve increasingly complex natural

resource issues that society faces.

• Develop a balanced portfolio of long- and short-term research.

• Inform the debate about controversial natural resource policy issues.

Specific Station goals and priorities that are relevant to the ESP team’s research

include:

Goal 1. Develop a fundamental understanding of ecological, social, and

economic systems and their interactions.

Priority 1.3 Improve the understanding of social and economic processes

and their interaction with natural resource values and uses.

Goal 3. Develop science-based options that enhance management.

Priority 3.1 Restore ecosystems at risk and reduce the risks people face.

Priority 3.4 Produce wood within sustainable frameworks.

Goal 4. Communicate science findings and enhance their application.

Priority 4.1 Respond to emerging issues.

Priority 4.2 Bridge the gap between information generation and its use.
GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-616

6

Program Charter

While operating under the broad guidelines of the PNW Research Station strategic

plan, the Human and Natural Resource Interaction (HNRI) Program charter provides much more specific guidelines for the ESP and WUC teams. There are five

broad problem areas that have evolved from existing work within the Station and

with the public that are documented in the HNRI charter. The first is the need for

understanding economic market processes at multiple scales and their role in the

forest sector. Market processes provide a powerful framework for policy studies

and to understand how processes work in the forest sector. The second problem

area is economics of land management. This is a broad problem area that includes

the economics of selected management regimes, links between land management

and rural communities, the integration of economic and ecological values in

decision processes, and the supply and demand for natural-resource-based commodities, amenities, and other values. The third problem area concerns the institutions for natural resource management. This problem area is interpreted broadly,

including both formal and informal institutions, and links to the first problem area

where markets are seen as one type of institution. The fourth problem area deals

with the community and natural resource interactions at multiple scales. The

fifth problem area covers characterizing forest resources and evaluating their

uses. This problem area links to issues associated with timber supply and demand,

rural development, and ecosystem management. Each of these problems includes

issues that deal with the interface of science and policy.

The ESP team focuses heavily on problem 5, but also has partial responsibility

for addressing certain elements of research problems 2, 3, and 4 from the research

charter of the HNRI Program:

Problem 2: The shift in management emphasis from stands to ecosystems

poses challenges of how to reframe much of the existing information that has

been done in the context of stand and forest (region) levels to dealing with

linked and multiple scales.

Element 2.2 Develop methods for evaluating the costs and benefits of

alternative land management regimes, cultural practices, and policies to

provide a range of commodity, amenity, and ecosystem values within the

context of sustainable forest management.

Element 2.3 Develop methods for understanding land use and land cover

changes and their effects on biodiversity, timber supply, forest carbon, and

other goods and services.
Contemporary Wood Utilization Research Needs in the Western United States

7

Problem 3: Effective, responsive, and efficient resource management requires

information that identifies and evaluates alternative institutional (both formal

and informal) structures and processes.

Element 3.3 Identify and evaluate the role that institutional barriers and

opportunities play in resource management policymaking, implementation, and evaluation.

Element 3.4 Given different social and political contexts and scales,

develop theory, frameworks, methods, and mechanisms to assess and

evaluate existing and emerging institutional structures, processes, and

arrangements.

Problem 4: There is a need to expand our understanding of community and

natural resource interactions at multiple scales.

Element 4.1 Improve understanding of the interdependencies between

public knowledge, values, and uses of natural resources (e.g., wildlife,

forests, water) and how they are managed.

Element 4.2 Improve understanding of communities (both interest and

place based) and how they are related to natural resources and their

management.

Element 4.3 Develop and evaluate frameworks and tools for understanding

and assessing the role of places important to people with respect to natural

resource values, uses, and management of those resources.

Problem 5: There is a need to use forest resources more effectively.

The missions for both the ESP and WUC teams concentrate heavily on research

problem 5. This problem contains four elements and corresponds closely with

Priority 3.4 in the PNW Research Station’s strategic plan (USDA FS 2002):

Produce wood within sustainable frameworks. The ESP and WUC teams

complement each other and address all five research problems, either indirectly or

directly as appropriate, given the interdisciplinary nature of resource characterization and wood utilization research.

Research conducted under research problem 5 examines fundamental relations

among forest management alternatives and the availability and characteristics of

the goods and services that humans desire from forested landscapes. Development

activities consider the application of concepts in resource characterization and

support efficient and wise use of forest resources.

This is a critical time for understanding what role wood removals play in the

broad set of outputs people desire from forests. Society will pay for a subset of

these goods and services; our research will help individuals and society quantify,

characterize, and assign worth to the possible mixes of outputs from forests. In

Our research will

help individuals and

society quantify,

characterize, and

assign worth to the

possible mixes of

outputs from forests.
GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-616

8

situations where wood products are the desired output, our research evaluates

current and future wood removals. We provide information on the potential of

primary and secondary products from the available resource, evaluate how communities might benefit from processing the resource, and provide technical support to

assist in matching utilization options to community needs. When the primary

output is something other than wood products, our research illustrates how different management strategies may alter forest structure through time and at various

scales, and how wood removals might offset management costs or help to attain

other resource objectives. The types of information generated during these efforts

are suitable for use by researchers, resource managers, and members of the public

interested in a variety of questions about the future of our forests. Work in this area

builds on the long history of successful collaboration between resource characterization (this problem) and economics of forest management.

Elements of the ESP and WUC research programs are highly useful in ongoing

knowledge development, as well as in making forest management decisions. For

example, the ESP team’s long history in conducting wood product recovery studies

continues to play a central role in our research (e.g., Christensen and Barbour 1999,

Christensen et al. 2002, Fahey et al. 1991, Lowell and Plank 1997, Lowell and

Willits 1998, Stevens and Barbour 2000). Furthermore, WUC has examined the

potential increased profitability gained through increased Alaska sawmill efficiency

(Kilborn 2002). These studies also provide applicable information that can be used

by government, industry, and private landowners. Activities like technical assistance to forest-based communities are effective in providing critical information,

although the usefulness of that knowledge is also dependent upon the capacity of

the communities to adopt, adapt, and apply that information. Continued research is

required in this vein, and to expand and aggregate our base of knowledge from the

scale of individual trees and forest stands to that of broad landscapes and ecosystems. Similarly, the ability to integrate information about resource characterization

and utilization with other disciplines is necessary to generate new ways of looking

at forest management. Success in this area will require a high level of knowledge

discovery, interpersonal skills, and the ability to understand the way scientists in

other disciplines approach problems and evaluate information.

The four elements contained in research problem 5, including a discussion of how

our work addresses each, are:

Element 5.1 Assess the technical feasibility of new technologies, of

producing primary and secondary wood products, and producing

nontimber forest products through empirical studies and simulation.
Contemporary Wood Utilization Research Needs in the Western United States

9

The issues that compel wood utilization and resource characterization research

topics are broad. They include physical characteristics of the resource, existing

harvesting and processing infrastructure, skills available in a community, location

of the resource, and design of management activities; all interact to create positive

or negative net financial returns. Some of the most important research is on the use

of simulation techniques. These involve a variety of approaches: the modeling of

wood quality in stand simulation models (ORGANON), the development of log

diagramming techniques (Barbour et al. 1999), the adaptation of the AUTOSAW

sawing simulator (Todoroki 1990) for use in North America, veneer peeling

simulators (Mothe et al. 2004), and use of the ROMI Rip and ROMI Cross

(Thomas 1997, 1999) simulation software with small-diameter softwoods (Lowell

et al. 2004). Both ESP and WUC work in conjunction with the Ketchikan Wood

Technology Center. Recent research examines the potential for machine-stressrated (MSR) graded lumber from Alaska species.

Element 5.2 Evaluate the influence of alternative forest management

options on the abundance and characteristics of forest-based goods and

services.

There is a research need to quantify how different management objectives balance

against each other and to illustrate opportunities for achieving multiple goals.

Timber production is no longer the primary objective on public land; for most

private landowners, timber production is no longer the only objective. Most

landowners need information that displays how management for commodities, such

as timber, can enhance or detract from management for noncommodity outputs

from forests, such as water or wildlife. Work with partners such as the members of

the Stand Management Cooperative, based at the University of Washington, helps

to evaluate the effects of stand management practices on wood quality characteristics (Fahey et al. 1991).

Element 5.3 Characterize resource outputs at multiple scales associated

with different management practices.

Land management agencies and landowners need to understand how different forest management activities affect forest outputs over time and at different geographic scales. This understanding should include the financial costs of activities as well

as the quantities of commodity and noncommodity outputs. This raises the issue of

what mix of these outputs we, as a society, want and can afford both financially

and ecologically. Implementation of land management decisions influences the

There is a research

need to quantify

[and]...illustrate

opportunities for

achieving multiple

goals.
GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-616

10

morphological characteristics of trees or logs that, in turn, may affect both ecological function and wood quality. Comprehensive consideration of these issues

requires that we link our work with that of biologists, ecologists, physical scientists, and other social scientists. In doing this we enhance integrated learning and

understanding of opportunities for achieving joint production of goods and services

from forested landscapes.

Element 5.4 Provide technical assistance to natural resource managers,

technical organizations, users of natural resources, and others interested in

the physical characteristics, processing, or marketing of forest resources.

The WUC has research and development responsibilities for Alaska that are

addressed under this element, especially the marketing aspect. The ESP team also

plays a technical assistance role, with responsibility across the entire Western

United States.

The issues that compel wood utilization and resource characterization research

topics differ by geographic region because the characteristics of the resource and

the economic and business climates differ by region. The two teams focus select

studies where the results can be broadly applied or adapted by similar groups or

organizations. Delivery of technical information is often difficult when working

with local processors who have limited experience with types of products for

which emerging resources are suitable. Work can be complicated by risks associated with lower economic incentives to enter markets in certain areas, particularly

those where the federal government is the predominant landowner.

Research Focus

The ESP and WUC teams are charged with conducting research under the broad

guidelines of the PNW Research Station’s strategic plan (USDA FS 2001) and the

more specific guidelines of the HNRI Program charter. Our approach is multidisciplinary (see fig. 1). We approach questions about wood utilization in the context

of ecological, social, and economic systems. The ESP team conducts research on

each of the four focal areas discussed below (A through D). Each crosses boundaries among the PNW Station’s goals and both problems and elements in the HNRI

Program charter. The WUC team conducts research and development (i.e., marketing and technology transfer) primarily within focal area D, but also in area C.

We approach questions about wood

utilization in the

context of ecological,

social, and economic

systems.
Contemporary Wood Utilization Research Needs in the Western United States

11

A. Changes in forest management actions and policies affect forest conditions and people, which in turn affect wood quality and wood utilization

opportunities.

The geographic scale and intensity of management actions depend on their objectives. For example, actions taken to change the severity and behavior of wildfire

would likely involve treating (e.g., mechanical thinning or prescribed burning) a

collection of forest stands because in much of the Western United States wildfire is

a widespread phenomenon (NCASI 2004). In contrast, actions taken to control

branch size might involve promoting self-pruning by keeping stand densities

relatively high. The ESP team studies the effects of management actions by using

scale-appropriate techniques that include in-woods and mill studies (Christensen

and Barbour 1999, Christensen et al. 2002, Fahey et al. 1991, Lowell and Green

2001, Stevens and Barbour 2000 ) and simulation models (Barbour et al. 1999,

Hummel et al. 2002, Todoroki 1990, Wykoff et al. 1982). The simulation models

are tools that enable us to estimate the effects of management actions at scales

ranging from individual boards to many thousand acres, and include AUTOSAW

(Todoroki 1990), ORGANON (Hann et al. 1997), and the Forest Vegetation

Simulator (FVS) (Wykoff et al. 1982) and its Fire and Fuels Extension (FVS-FFE)

(Reinhardt and Crookston 2003). Figure 2 shows a Stand Visualization System

(SVS) image (McGaughey 1998) of a stand before treatment and after thinning and

burning in an FVS simulation. The FVS allows us to evaluate the species and

dimensions of cut trees for wood products and also to predict how the residual

stand will grow over time to meet forest management objectives.

Figure 2—A Stand Visualization System image (McGaughey 1998) of a stand before treatment and

after thinning and burning, created by using the Forest Vegetation Simulator.
GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-616

12

Management actions to restore forest conditions over extensive areas could

include treating stands that have considerably different characteristics (Hummel et

al. 2001). This might include suppressed stands exhibiting a narrow range of tree

diameters but multiple species and ages, single-species plantations of young trees,

and naturally regenerated multispecies stands with a range of tree diameters and

ages. Variation in forest conditions and in treatments applied implies variation in

the social acceptability of treatments (Wooley and McGinnis 2000), the quality

of wood generated by them (Barbour et al. 1998, 2003), and associated product

opportunities (Han et al. 2002, Spelter et al. 1996) and community impacts

(Shindler et al. 2002) of using the wood.

Changes in forest management, commodity production, and processing options

affect the socioeconomic well-being of forest-based communities in ways that are

not well understood. Social science that clarifies the relations between communities and forests may help identify opportunities for economic development linked

to forest products. Communities have different capacities to adapt to changing forest management policies and take advantage of economic development opportunities. Community capacity is a dynamic property of community life. It is made up

of related social, economic, and physical attributes that are continually being

eroded or built. Attributes, such as leadership, community cohesion, equity, economic diversity, and education are often used to represent dynamic components

of social capital (Coleman 1988, Flora 1994, Putnam 1993), human capital (Becker

1975, Pretty 2000), and physical capital (Flora and Flora 1993). Community

capacity is often referred to as the ability of a community to meet local needs and

expectations, respond to internal and external stresses, and take advantage of

opportunities of all kinds (Doak and Kusel 1996, Harris et al. 2000).

Although social scientists generally agree on the notion of community capacity,

there is no definitive set of indicators used to measure attributes. One challenge is

identifying measures that reflect the dynamic as well as multidimensional properties of community capacity while at the same time producing measures that can be

compared across large regions. As forest management practices and forest conditions change, so too will opportunities for developing forest product industries. A

better understanding of community capacity will help managers, residents, development specialists, and others who are looking for ways to assist and partner with

communities to provide economic development opportunities that jointly meet

forest management objectives.
Contemporary Wood Utilization Research Needs in the Western United States

13

Research questions under focal area A:

1. How can empirical wood product recovery studies be used to answer management and policy questions about timber harvest, timber valuation, timber

measurement systems, community assistance, and basic wood properties?

2. What are techniques to simulate recovery of primary and secondary wood

products? Can stand and landscape simulation models make the connection

between management practices and resultant wood quality and wood properties? Can AUTOSAW be modified to simulate curve sawing and link primary

and secondary simulations systems? Can other processing simulation models

(e.g., veneer) be used to make the connection between management practices

and product quality?

3. How can we increase our understanding of how different spatial arrangements

of trees influence the production and characteristics of wood and other outputs

at the stand level? Can we expand this to the landscape level?

4. How does management for noncommodity objectives on public land influence

the quantity and quality of wood that can be harvested many years from now?

5. How is the socioeconomic well-being of forest-based communities affected by

changing forest conditions that result from management actions? How do

changes in forest management policies and practices affect forest product

industries in communities? What are the links between changes in forest

products industries and other socioeconomic changes in communities?

6. What indicators and measures are most appropriate for assessing the capacity

of communities to engage in opportunities related to small-diameter wood

utilization, wood and nonwood forest product utilization, and wildfire preparedness?

B. Effects of natural disturbances (e.g., wildfire, insect outbreaks) on wood

quality, wood utilization, and people are poorly understood.

A history of fire suppression, changes in the intensity and type of land management

activities, and prolonged periods of climatic change (e.g., drought) have contributed to conditions in national forests that make them prone to insect epidemics and

uncharacteristically severe wildfires.

One challenge to the research community is to identify how the effects of these

and other natural disturbances influence utilization opportunities on a temporal

scale. Predisturbance stressors associated with competition and changes in structure in mixed-conifer forests may influence postdisturbance wood deterioration and

the rate at which it occurs. Previous work (Lowell and Cahill 1996) and current
GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-616

14

observations (see Stevens and Barbour 2000) indicate an accelerating rate of wood

deterioration in fire-killed Western tree species (fig. 3). Identifying the factors that

are influencing this change could lead to development of alternative land management practices to reduce this effect and aid in understanding postdisturbance

restoration options involving wood utilization.

Insect infestations are also observed more frequently and are prolonged in their

cycle. These infestations can result in extensive forest mortality over millions of

acres (Spruce Bark Beetle Task Force 1998). Infestations typically will follow fire

and are not confined to trees that have been killed by the fire. Many species will

attack stressed trees and even adjacent green trees leading to delayed morality.

Pathogens (wood decay fungi) are an additional factor in determining product

opportunities for affected trees (fig. 4). Rapid, onsite determination of the suitability of wood for specific products early in the postdisturbance planning process will

allow managers to better understand the range of options available to them if they

choose to remove dead or dying trees.

Figure 3—Log end showing extent of larval galleries in ponderosa pine tree harvested

1 year after fire kill.

Rapid, onsite determination of the

suitability of wood for

specific products will

allow managers to

better understand the

range of options

available.
Contemporary Wood Utilization Research Needs in the Western United States

15

Figure 4—Decay fungi fruiting

body and sap rot in Douglas-fir log

2 years after fire kill.

 Information is lacking on the suitability of dead or dying trees as an input raw

material for several new and emerging wood processing technologies. Wood

unsuitable for solid wood appearance-grade or structural-grade products could be

suitable for engineered wood products. Biomass energy can also play an important

role in using this material while meeting the energy needs of communities and

contributing significantly to the economic development of rural areas. In Alaska’s

Kenai Peninsula, a spruce bark-beetle (Dendroctonous rufipennis Kirby) infestation

has affected over 1.5 million acres, resulting in lost value for lumber (Lowell and

Willits 1998) and other solid wood products (Lowell 2001). The real concern, however, is catastrophic fire risk with all the dead material greatly increasing fuel loads.

Researchers at the WUC have completed biomass energy and resource feasibility

evaluations for communities in south-central and southeast Alaska. Both studies

indicated favorable economic and environmental benefits from using local waste

resources for small-scale energy to meet community heating needs. Additional

work will include evaluations of beetle-killed material for manufacture of woodplastic composites.
GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-616

16

The small-diameter timber resource is also important in many regions of

Alaska. Boreal forests experience wildfire and disease hazard associated with

prevalent species such as white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and black

spruce (Picea mariana (P. Mill.) B.S.P.)—trees that often can have breast-height

diameters of less than 9 inches. Harvested coastal forests, especially in southeast

Alaska, experience robust regeneration that is often thinned early (precommercially). However, the Alaska small-diameter roundwood problems, to date, have

received less publicity than those associated with the Rocky Mountain West or

Southwest because there is little wildland-urban interface in Alaska.

Effects of natural disturbance are felt at the personal level (loss of lives) and

the community level (wildland-urban interface and the loss of homes, perceived

risk of wildfire) in both economic (cost of containment) and social terms (loss of

natural resources and amenities) (fig. 5). Reactions to natural disturbance reflect

the diversity of values toward and uses of natural resources, including economic,

recreational, amenity, water quality, spiritual, and cultural. A better understanding

of values and how people are affected by, and engage in, management practices in

response to disturbances may help with developing policies that are more relevant

to the people closely associated with natural disturbances.

Research questions under focal area B:

1. How can we conduct watershed-scale analyses of management alternatives that

reduce risk of major disturbances such as fire and insect outbreaks? How can

analyses be structured to include different spatial arrangements of treatments

over space and time and consider several resource values?

2. When does wood utilization make sense? Does removing the wood create

conditions that are different than when the wood is left on the site or burned on

the site? Are the benefits of removing the wood greater than the costs?

3. What are the time constraints and the tradeoffs made in waiting to use fire- and

insect-killed or damaged trees?

4. How does the timing and intensity of disturbance (e.g., wildfire or insect

infestation) affect the wood in trees? How do the effects differ by tree species,

size, and time following the disturbance?

5. Are there new or emerging technologies that can use wood damaged by fire

and insects for a higher value product?

6. How do forest-based communities perceive and understand natural disturbances (including fire and insect outbreaks), and how does this shape reaction

to disturbances and engagement in collaborative stewardship resource management processes (e.g., fire preparedness)?
Contemporary Wood Utilization Research Needs in the Western United States

17

C. Regional differences throughout the Western States are not well understood

in the context of wood utilization. These include biophysical and ecological

(e.g., species, stand structure, climate), technical (e.g., infrastructure, manufacturing capacity), and social (e.g., communities, institutional) differences

and the interactions among them.

The Western United States is a vast area with considerable variation in biophysical

characteristics, climate, population density, sociocultural traditions, transportation

systems, processing infrastructure, and other factors that interact to affect the

feasibility of resource utilization. We need to understand these differences if our

research findings are to be successfully applied to localized problems. For example, the volume of forest resource available for harvest may be greater in southeastern Alaska than in northern California, but it might be easier to develop a wood

processing industry in northern California because of its proximity to markets, an

existing road network, and availability of a skilled workforce. Similarly, the

physical characteristics of tree species in Idaho and Montana may be different than

those in the Southwest, dictating the available range of utilization options. We need

to improve our ability to characterize forest resources and evaluate uses that are

compatible with regional differences in the resource. We also need to improve our

ability to link management objectives and actions with human values and uses of

natural resources in various times and places.

Resource extraction, management, and conservation issues often involve complex interactions of human desires, technical feasibility, and economic constraints.

As a result, resource management decisions affect individuals from different regions differently, with the desires of individuals in a specific region sometimes

Figure 5—Fire in the wildland-urban interface is an increasing hazard to homeowners.
GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-616

18

outweighed by the costs and benefits to society as a whole. What people do, what

they know and care about, what values and perceptions they hold, and what they

find acceptable affect natural resources and are affected by natural resource management. Yet, this dynamic process is poorly understood. The use of natural

resources can alter natural systems in ways that are not easy to predict. There is

continual uncertainty about how to define “best” management practices. Furthermore, the distribution of costs and benefits within and across regions can differ

greatly.

Effective, responsive, and efficient resource management requires information

that helps to identify and evaluate alternative institutional (both formal and informal) structures and processes. Informal institutions, such as social norms, may

have strong local context. Formal institutions, such as management policies for

harvesting wood and nonwood products, may have local and regional implications.

A better understanding of the institutional opportunities and barriers to integrating

human values and uses of natural resources with forest management may expand

the options for forest management and may produce outcomes that are more

socially acceptable.

The geographic scope of responsibility for the ESP team is the Western United

States (Forest Service Regions 1 through 6) and Alaska (Region 10). The WUC

team in Sitka has research and development responsibility for Alaska. Sources of

variation across regions are numerous:

• Tree characteristics: species, size, age, relative density, stand history, stand

composition, and stand structure.

• Scale: temporal (annual, decadal, century), spatial (tree, stand, landscape/

watershed, region, community, individual).

• Forest health condition: managed stands and densely stocked, insect-infested,

and burned areas.

• Ownership: federal (Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of

Indian Affairs), state and private (industry, nonindustrial private) land.

• Proximity to human populations: rural and forest-based communities, urban

areas, wildland-urban interface, demographic changes.

To illustrate this wide range of variation, we examine several regions in detail.

Alaska

Alaska covers a large area, including several major forest types ranging from

boreal forests to temperate rain forests, and includes at least six commercially

important hardwood and softwood timber species. Forest-based businesses in
Contemporary Wood Utilization Research Needs in the Western United States

19

Alaska (fig. 6) are often confronted with significant economic barriers, including

relatively high costs for transportation, wages, and materials compared with their

counterparts in other regions.

The coastal forests of southeastern Alaska make up the northernmost temperate

rain forest in the world (Peterson and Monserud 2002). Although there are considerable second-growth stands in the accessible areas that were harvested in the past

century, the region is dominated by extensive old-growth stands. A quarter-century

ago, Harris and Farr (1974) reported that these old-growth stands were quite defective and decadent, with the defect averaging 30 percent of volume. Nevertheless,

this resource can have unique physical characteristics that might be desirable for

high-end appearance markets (Nicholls 2001). Even in these markets the costs of

operations in southeastern Alaska could make profitable operations difficult. A

major challenge will be finding markets for the moderate- and low-quality material

that is produced when processing old-growth timber. This is partially true because

there no longer are pulp mills or other appreciable markets for chips or other residues in southeastern Alaska, but also because high costs make it difficult for

Alaska sawmills to compete even in the “domestic” (within Alaska) market for

framing lumber. The overall grade of the logs being harvested from the Tongass

National Forest for the five quarters from January 1999 to March 2000 is shown

in the following tabulation (R. Griffen. 2000. Personal communication. Computer

programmer analyst, USDA Forest Service, Alaska Region, 709 W 9th Street, P.O.

Box 21628, Juneau, AK 99802-1628).

Figure 6—Log rafts at Smith Cove, Prince of Wales Island, ready for rafting to the sawmill in

Ketchikan, Alaska.
GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-616

20

Percentage of log volume in various grades for timber sold by the Tongass

National Forest from January 1999 to March 2000

No. 1 Special No. 2 No. 3 No. 4

Peeler/Select Saw log Mill Saw log Saw log Saw log Utility

0.9% 4.6% 4.6% 43.8% 27.9% 3.8% 14.5%

In an earlier analysis for Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco) in

Washington and Oregon, Fight and Chmelik (1998) illustrated how small volumes

of clear lumber or veneer can dramatically alter net returns from a resource. This

analysis, however, assumed that there were markets for all products, including

residues. That is unlikely to be the case in southeastern Alaska. There is a need to

conduct a similar economic analysis for southeastern Alaska mills to determine if

these mills would be profitable over the long term. Over the next several decades,

handling low-grade material in southeast Alaska will present a challenge that might

outweigh the benefit from the high-grade portion of the resource.

During the next few years, forest managers in southeastern Alaska will face

difficult decisions about how to manage young-growth stands. There are basically

two management scenarios. The first is to manage for rapid volume growth and

shorter rotations. This requires techniques such as precommercial thinning and

possible intermediate commercial thinnings and prunings that concentrate growth

on fewer crop trees but have the unintended effect of keeping crowns long, which

promotes branch diameter growth. The advantage of this management strategy is

that rotations are shorter so investments are returned faster. The disadvantage is

that trees with long crowns and large branches cannot typically be used to manufacture high-value lumber or veneer. Whether or not this is a good strategy for an

individual landowner requires an analysis that involves specific management

objectives. High harvesting, transportation, manufacturing, and shipping costs in

southeastern Alaska combined with the relatively low product potential of these

trees might make it difficult to demonstrate profits under normal forestry accounting procedures.

The second strategy is to manage extensively to reduce expenses for stand

tending at the cost of slower growth. The possible advantage of this strategy is that

stand conditions will result in reduced crown length and smaller average branch

size. Christensen et al. (2002) recently conducted a lumber recovery study on this

type of material and found that for Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.)

the yield of clear lumber was 6.7 percent of total lumber volume and for western

hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) it was 3.7 percent. In addition, because

the trees were relatively young, about 95 years old, they had very little defect so

that even though logs were not graded, it is safe to infer that there was little or no

High harvesting,

transportation,

manufacturing, and

shipping costs in

southeastern Alaska

combined with the

relatively low product

potential of these

trees might make it

difficult to demonstrate profits under

normal forestry

accounting

procedures.
Contemporary Wood Utilization Research Needs in the Western United States

21

volume in No. 4 Saw log and Utility log grades. The disadvantage of this strategy is

that rotations would be from 50 to 100 percent longer than the rapid growth scenario.

Individual landowners and managers need to conduct economic analyses that

are appropriate to their needs and conditions before choosing between these two

general scenarios. The interesting point is that because of the unique circumstances

in southeastern Alaska, e.g., high production costs with low opportunity costs for

the land, there might be few nonforestry alternatives for private landowners.

Because of the desire to manage for nontimber values such as wildlife, fisheries,

and recreation, public management agencies might already be managing all or parts

of their land in ways that are conducive to producing nontimber values (Wipfli et al.

2003). As a result, the economics of timber production might play a less important

role in decisionmaking than the ability to provide economic activity in remote

communities.

Coastal Oregon and Washington

More industrial private land exists in coastal Oregon and Washington than elsewhere in the West, which is dominated by public land. In coastal Oregon and

Washington, industrial forest land accounts for about 18 percent of the total forest

land area. The remaining land is in private nonindustrial ownership (27 percent)

and public ownership (55 percent) (Powell et al. 1993). A key issue in this region is

the emerging divergence in the distribution of forest age classes across land ownership groups, and the potential implications for the properties of wood available for

utilization in the future (Haynes et al. 2003, Spies et al. 2002). In general, private

industrial landowners have wood production as a primary management objective

and they use more intensive forest management practices than do public landowners. Nonindustrial private landowners have a variety of objectives, and thus their

management practices are highly variable.

Landowners in the region have different needs with respect to information on

wood utilization opportunities. Public landowners, for example, face questions

about wood quality over a broader range of tree species and sizes than do private

industrial landowners, who typically manage for a narrower range of species and

rotation lengths. Nonindustrial private landowners might seek information on

technology available to add value to small volumes of wood.

Rotation lengths have been declining in coastal Oregon and Washington for

several decades, and private land managers are trying to find a mix of improved

seed stock, initial stocking density, thinning, and fertilization that meets their

objectives for growth yet still results in trees with acceptable wood characteristics.
GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-616

22

Essentially all the industrial wood grown in this region is either processed domestically into structural products and pulp or it is exported as logs (Warren 2002). The

domestically manufactured products require good mechanical properties and

dimensional stability, but appearance-related characteristics such as knot frequency

and distribution, grain texture, and color are not particularly important.

Work by Barrett and Kellogg (1989) and Fahey et al. (1991) suggest that it is

possible to grow Douglas-fir with wood characteristics that are acceptable for

structural products, especially when combinations of visual and mechanical

grading systems are combined to select the lumber or veneer with the best properties under each system. There is, however, some cause for concern when Douglasfir rotation ages drop below about 40 years (Briggs and Turnblom 1999). Results

from the same study suggest that there is more cause for concern about the wood

properties and product potential of young western hemlock trees managed for rapid

growth. About half of the lumber volume of trees less than 40 years old was graded

as No. 3 or Economy under visual lumber grading rules (WWPA 1998). Although

the situation improved for trees 40 to 60 years old, the proportion of No. 2 and

better lumber was still only around 80 percent, well below the >90 percent rule-ofthumb that mills in this region expect. The situation for machine-stress-rated

lumber yields for hemlock managed for rapid growth was even less optimistic. If

these preliminary results for western hemlock are confirmed by future work, they

illustrate important challenges that processors will face when trying to convert

young-growth hemlock into traditional structural wood products.

The Interior West

Nearly 70 percent of the commercially viable forest land in the interior West

(Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming)

is managed by federal or state agencies, 26 percent is owned by nonindustrial

private landowners, and approximately 5 percent is owned and managed by the

forest products industry (Powell et al. 1993). Moreover, there exists an abundance

of private and public woodlands throughout the region that are dominated by

noncommercial tree species such as pinyon (Pinus edulis Engelm.) and juniper

(Juniperus spp.). Essentially all of the industrial private land is located in Idaho

and Montana. This ownership pattern creates a different set of wood quality issues

than those seen for other parts of the West. Forest products manufacturing facilities

in this area have traditionally depended on the federal government for their wood

supply. Keegan et al. (1997, 2001a, 2001b) report that the milling capacity in the

interior West has dramatically declined over the past decade coinciding with a

dramatic drop in the removal of timber from federal land.

Processors will face

challenges when

trying to convert

young-growth

hemlock into traditional structural

wood products.
Contemporary Wood Utilization Research Needs in the Western United States

23

The remaining milling capacity and technology to efficiently process smalldiameter wood is highly variable across the interior West (Lowell et al. 2004). In

many areas, the cost associated with the transport of small, raw logs is prohibitive

because of diminished solid wood and biomass processing capacity and long haul

distances between manufacturing facilities. In areas where there is little or no

milling capacity, only trees with the highest value can be harvested with a positive

net return given traditional wood product markets. The problem is further compounded by the fact that there is an abundance of suppressed small-diameter wood

across the entire inland West region owing to decades of fire suppression and

reduced logging activity.

In most areas within the region, the focus has necessarily shifted to finding

new markets for products made from less-desirable, small-diameter timber

(Barbour 1999a, LeVan-Green and Livingston 2001, Paun and Jackson 2000). The

goal is to offset the costs of harvesting and processing, to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire in drought- and insect-prone landscapes, and to create jobs and

generate income in traditionally natural-resource-dependent communities. The success of these endeavors will significantly influence future forest stand structures

across the region and the livelihoods of rural communities. We discuss the northern

interior (Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming) and the southern interior (all other Rocky

Mountain and Southwest States) separately because of differences in wood products manufacturing infrastructure, species composition, wildland fire risks owing

to insect infestations and drought conditions, and other factors influencing perceptions of wood quality.

Northern interior—

The wood processing infrastructure in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming consists

mainly of sawmills, but there are still a few veneer mills operating within reasonable haul distance of this region. The pulp market in the northern interior West is

limited to very few mills (mostly in the north), so the disposal of low-value, smalldiameter trees is a problem (Barbour 1999b). During market peaks, it is possible to

sell chips to mills in western Oregon and Washington, but typically there is only a

limited market.

There is a considerable body of literature on the wood characteristics and

product potential of Douglas-fir, true firs (Abies spp.), western hemlock, lodgepole

pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud.), and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa

P. & C. Lawson), the major species that exist in the Northern region (Erickson et al.

2000, Koch 1996, Myers et al. 1997, Willits et al. 1997). With the exception of

ponderosa pine, the properties of this small-diameter timber are typically as good
GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-616

24

as or better than the traditional resource (Barbour 1999a, Lowell et al. 2004). The

primary resource harvested in the region is mixed conifers from suppressed stands

of an age where juvenile wood is not a significant factor. The major quality issue

is size. These trees are too small to manufacture many of the products traditionally

sold from these species. Small piece size also significantly increases harvesting

and processing costs (Barbour 1999a; Barbour et al. 1995; Christensen and

Barbour 1999; Wagner et al. 1998, 2000). Without substantial processing capacity

in the energy, chemical, fiber, or composite product streams, it is unlikely that

forest thinnings and fuel reduction treatments will pay for themselves.

Not surprisingly, mitigation of fire hazard is becoming the dominant management objective on public lands and many of the proposed treatments remove only

small-diameter trees. There have been a few successful sales of small-diameter

trees in the northern interior that were designed to mitigate fire hazard or otherwise

remove the understory in densely stocked stands to meet wildlife aesthetic objectives. However, these activities achieved a positive net return only when they were

located near manufacturing facilities that could take advantage of the smalldiameter trees or were able to additionally harvest larger trees (Han et al. 2004). As

a result, high-speed, technologically advanced small-diameter-log sawmill processing has become a focus in the region, but with the need to process large volumes of

wood. Consistent access and the ability to purchase this material from within an

acceptable transportation radius have been problems stunting the use of new

sawing technologies. Emerging authorities (possibly the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003) to secure long-range contracts for the purchase of forest resources

will be key in establishing a viable industry using small-diameter trees.

As previously stated, most private industrial forest lands in the interior West

are located in the northern interior. Large companies own most of this forest land

and provide a significant amount of employment to residents in rural communities.

However, their role in using small-diameter material also has been limited by poor

product markets and long distances to processing facilities, even for those owned

by the companies that own the land (Han et al. 2004). The prevalence of smalldiameter trees on these private lands is perhaps not as vast as on federal lands

because of more intensive logging, but they do exist in great numbers as a result

of decades of fire suppression. As on federal lands, the abundance of these smaller

trees threatens forest health (USDA FS 2003).

The ability to develop value-added products made from small-diameter material in the northern interior is contingent upon the availability of processing infrastructure within an acceptable distance, but also on the quality of products that can
Contemporary Wood Utilization Research Needs in the Western United States

25

be developed and a consistent supply of raw materials. Integrating mobile processing operations with quality end products has the potential to offset associated costs

of harvesting, handling, and delivering. It also has the potential to economically

remove an abundance of small-diameter trees that threaten communities at risk

from catastrophic wildfires.

Southern interior—

Public forest land of the southern interior (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona,

and Nevada) is dominated by ponderosa pine forests, but can include extensive

areas of lodgepole pine, Douglas-fir, mixed conifers, aspen (Populus tremuloides

Michx.), and pinyon-juniper. Years of fire suppression have resulted in dense stands

with low structural diversity and low species diversity. More recently, much of the

region has been affected by severe drought, insect epidemics, and frequent occurrences of catastrophic wildfire. Environmental regulation and upper limits on the

size of material that the public wishes to be harvested will continue to affect forest

management in the region, as will the continued conversion of forests as a result

of catastrophic wildfires and insect outbreaks. As a result, public forest managers

are faced with the dual objectives of reducing the threat of wildfire while simultaneously improving forest health (NCASI 2004, USDA FS 2003). The management

options available generally focus on forest thinning in the wildland-urban interface

and the reintroduction of low-intensity fires to the ecosystem, but not necessarily

on timber production. One objective is to restore and maintain conditions that favor

the threatened and endangered species associated with old-growth forests. As a

result, a majority of material available for wood production will be small diameter

with limited product potential, given traditional markets.

The difficulty in finding suitable markets for this small-diameter material is

magnified by the poor structural qualities of some species. In the Southwest, for

instance, small-diameter ponderosa pine has mechanical properties that make it

unsuitable for all but the least demanding structural uses (Erickson et al. 2000). It

is characterized by suppressed growth, but with low tension and strength owing to

a high ratio of juvenile wood and difficulty in product drying (Voorhies and Blake

1981). Research of the region will need to focus on finding competitive uses for

small-diameter ponderosa pine (Lowell and Green 2001, Paun and Jackson 2000).

Finding suitable markets is further complicated by the fact that there are

virtually no outlets for the types of timber that will be harvested. New processing

facilities will have to match the types of wood material available with contemporary utilization techniques. To be successful, more wood processing facilities are

required in areas close to the available resource, and consideration will need to be

Integrating mobile

processing operations with quality

end products can

offset associated

costs of harvesting,

handling, and delivering and can remove

an abundance of

small-diameter trees

that threaten communities at risk.
GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-616

26

given to the types of activities possible in a given location. A primary focus on

rebuilding the wood processing infrastructure of the region and the contribution

of research in this endeavor will be on finding ways to collocate different types of

processing facilities that are compatible with local resource characteristics and

community desires (fig. 7).

Nonindustrial private land managers, in general, face a different set of wood

utilization challenges. A majority of private forests and woodlands in the Southwest are characterized by dense stands of pinyon-juniper that are managed more for

livestock grazing than for timber production. In fact, little attention has been given

to restoring grasslands across the West in the context of forest management. Yet,

these forests and woodlands provide a unique opportunity for increased biomass

utilization, particularly within remote areas. Wood chips and pellets are being used

to produce electricity and for district heating systems. Renewable portfolio standards (RPS) have been established or are being debated in many states within the

southern interior that mandate purchases of energy from sustainable fuel sources,

of which biomass from forest thinnings has received considerable attention. Research needs from this perspective focus on finding cost-effective uses of biomass

by examining removal systems, consumer demands, and institutional incentives for

renewable energy production.

Figure 7—Hand peeling bark for exposed ponderosa pine latillas in Arizona.
Contemporary Wood Utilization Research Needs in the Western United States

27

Other private lands predominately within or adjacent to the wildland-urban

interface pose an added problem. Many of these lands are smaller than 40 acres but

have sustained a significant portion of property damage from catastrophic wildfire

in the past several years. Recent efforts to increase thinning in the wildland-urban

interface have focused on landowner assistance and education, as well as federal

funds to thin lands adjacent to communities and private lands. Forest byproducts

generated from the thinning of these stands will be significant and provide a unique

opportunity to create value-added processing close to the resource base. Research

needs from this perspective focus on citizen perceptions of wildfire risks, on

acceptability of thinning prescriptions, and on developing strategies for building

effective community partnerships that encourage collaborative planning.

Finding and developing markets for niche products is another area requiring

significant research. Lowell and Green (2001) suggest that appearance-grade lumber might be a more valuable alternative than dimension lumber when processing

logs in the 5- to 10-inch small-end-diameter (SED) classes. Much of the timber

harvested in the region is also a competitive raw material source for wood chip and

pellet heating. High-quality oriented strand board (OSB) can be made from smalldiameter ponderosa pine because of unique species characteristics. In addition, a

recent focus in the region is on engineered and composite wood products for signs,

guardrails, laminated beams, and other value-added products (fig. 8).

Figure 8—Researchers tallying grade recovery of cants from small-diameter ponderosa pine from

northern Arizona.

Forest byproducts

generated from the

thinning can provide

a unique opportunity

to create value-added

processing close to

the resource base.
GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-616

28

California—

Timberlands represent almost one-fifth of the state’s entire land area, about half of

which is privately owned (Smith et al. 2001). The remainder is on pubic land, managed by state and federal agencies. Already over 35 million people, California’s

population will continue to undergo rapid growth in coming decades. The population is projected to increase by 50 percent by 2025 and nearly double in the next

50 years (USDC Bureau of the Census 2004). This growth will not be distributed

evenly over the state. Rate of population increase in the wildland-urban interface

is likely to exceed statewide rates. With expanding population, demands on

California forest land for commercial and noncommodity benefits will continue

to intensify, especially in more urban southern California.

Higher population levels, increases in incomes and leisure time, and changing

social preferences, will lead to ever-increasing demands on public forests for uses

other than timber production. These collective demands and expectations of forest land portend unprecedented pressures and dilemmas. Development of viable

strategies for accommodating multifaceted human demands will require the continuance of collaborative initiatives that have sprung up throughout the region. The

benefits of these sustainable-timber-harvesting initiatives are inextricably linked to

social and economic well-being.

The threat of catastrophic fires was evident in the most recent fires of 2003.

More than 739,000 acres burned (90,000 acres of forest) with 22 civilian lives

lost, 3,600 homes destroyed, and $250 million spent in containment. Public reaction to this catastrophe is likely to increase pressure to reduce fire risk, and to

change the perception that fire risk is only a rural problem. Fuel reduction calls for

the removal of brush and small-diameter material, with the consequent problem

of either disposal or use as some product or energy source. A challenge of forest

restoration in California is the lack of consensus over how to improve forest health

and the role of timber harvesting in that process. Developing or maintaining an

infrastructure capable of handling byproducts from these treatments is also a key

to their success.

Fire risk reduction is not the only issue surrounding forest land in California.

In rural areas, technical questions are being asked about processing underutilized

species such as tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus (Hook. & Arn.) Rehd.) and madrone (Arbutus menziesii Pursh). In the past, the ESP team worked on utilization of

black oak (Quercus kelloggii Newberry) (Lowell and Plank 1997). Now northern

California is faced with the more widespread problem of sudden oak disease

(Phytophthora ramorum) and the associated effects of the disease on utilization of

trees infected by this pathogen and the subsequent invasion of wood decay fungi.
Contemporary Wood Utilization Research Needs in the Western United States

29

Decreased harvest on federal land, consolidation and buyouts within private

industry, and the disappearance of wood products manufacturers, have changed the

infrastructure of the wood products industry in California. The challenge is to

develop a capacity to process a variety of material that includes small-diameter

trees removed in fire-risk-reduction treatments and also to maintain the capability

of processing other species, such as the native hardwoods, for use in high-end

wood products.

Research questions under focal area C:

1. What are the regional differences in the forest resource base (tree characteristics, scale, condition, and ownership)? How do these differences and their

interactions influence utilization options in different types of communities?

2. How can wood product recovery studies be used throughout the Western States

to answer management and policy questions? How much variation should be

expected in a typical wood product recovery study?

3. What types of utilization options are most suitable for forest-based communities given different workforce skills, capacities to entice financial investment,

and the physical characteristics and distance to the nearest resource supply?

4. What will be the long-term social and economic impacts of new small-diameter

processing on forest-based communities? Will emerging markets and related

industry provide a sustainable source of jobs to community residents?

5. How do institutional processes and structures create or modify barriers and

opportunities for alternative forms of forest management, including those that

have unique regional or local context?

6. How do classifications of rural forest-based communities across the West

change with different measures of socioeconomic well-being and communityforest relations?

D. Technical assistance and feasibility analyses are needed by resource managers, technical organizations, users of natural resources, and others interested

in the physical characteristics, processing, and marketing of forest products.

Much of the needed forest operations, resource characterization, and wood

utilization research in this area will focus on improving the efficiency of harvesting

and processing of economically marginal resources. There is, however, a need by

private landowners, whose primary objective is income from timber-related activities, to develop and test new harvesting technologies that efficiently remove timber

under increasingly intensive management regimes.

The wood product potential defines the ability of manufacturers to process raw

material into products they can market at a profit. Although resource characteristics

define and constrain a region’s ability to convert resources into valued products, a
GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-616

30

stable, high-quality supply of timber is not, by itself, sufficient to ensure a viable

forest product industry in a given region. Wood products from the Pacific Northwest are sold in world markets at prices that reflect both world demand conditions

and our competitors’ costs and productivities. When analyzing a region’s product

potential and competitive position, understanding the nature of the present and

potential competition is essential. In addition to the quality of raw material and

timber supply, the competitive position of a region’s wood-producing industry is

dependent upon the perceived differentiation of quality, price, service, relative cost

and productivity position, technological position capacity and resource utilization,

transportation cost and distance to markets, distribution systems, entrepreneurial

ability, and harvest and export regulations.

Producers face increasing competition from relatively low-cost wood products

from the Southern region of the United States, the South Pacific, northern Europe,

Russia, and Canada. Given the characteristics of much of the material currently

removed from public land, an appropriate question might be, “If a manufacturer

were provided this material free of charge, could resources be profitably converted

to end products while meeting social goals or objectives?” Some of the other

pertinent research questions involve technical capabilities, scale of operations, and

access to markets. Areas where research questions still exist include identifying the

range of products for which conversion technologies exist, providing information

about the resource needed to implement these technologies, identifying technological advancements needed to process this type of resource, and size and scale

requirements for competitive production consistent with the political and ecological landscape.

Much of the research needed under this heading is geared toward evaluation of

the characteristics of different resource segments. Private landowners need information about the mechanical and physical properties of the younger, more quickly

grown material they are now producing. Public land managers need capabilities to

recognize meaningful differences in the characteristics of the economically marginal resources they now tend to offer for sale. For example, how can you distinguish between a small-diameter resource that is only suitable for use as biomass

and one that has potential for higher value products like posts and poles or even

sawn lumber or veneer? The answer to this question includes elements of resource

characterization as well as information on location, harvesting systems, and local

processing infrastructure. Most other questions in this area will require consideration of an equally complex set of interactions, and we need to become skilled at

recognizing and isolating the contributing factors for study, then combining them to

provide answers that are meaningful to our clients.

Private landowners

need information

about the mechanical

and physical properties of the younger,

more quickly grown

material that they are

now producing.
Contemporary Wood Utilization Research Needs in the Western United States

31

The mission of the WUC team presents an additional research challenge. The

recent economic events within Alaska, including the closure of two major pulp

mills, have made it difficult for wood products businesses to compete in domestic

and global markets, underscoring the need to continue a transition from commodity-based products to differentiated (niche) products designed to serve more

specialized markets. Assistance is needed in product differentiation and identification of market structures and barriers, determining potential for differentiating

Alaska products from competitors’, examining existing market structure and

barriers to entry for the differentiated product, and determining competitive position of producers within the market. Feasibility studies are needed that address how

much material is required and over what timeframe to make a specific technology

feasible and whether implementation of new or existing technologies can be done

profitably. Given the distance from markets and other cost disadvantages that

Alaska producers face, effective product processing and marketing is an important

component of business success. Marketing research by the WUC has included

consumer preference studies for secondary wood products from Alaska hardwoods

(Donovan and Nicholls 2003b). It was found that well-defined niche markets exist

for specific types and grades of lumber, and that higher grades of lumber are not

always associated with the most valuable products.

An array of value-added wood products can be manufactured from commercially produced lumber in Alaska. Value-added processing of products such as

furniture may involve several manufacturing stages, including drying, planing,

moulding, sanding, and/or staining. By contrast, other value-added products may

require little or no processing, and could include compost products, bioenergy

products (heat and/or electricity), and nontimber forest products.

Currently, value-added processing in Alaska mainly comprises sawmills,

several of which are now producing kiln-dry lumber instead of green lumber. The

WUC has been instrumental in establishing dry kilns in Alaska, an effort that is

predicted to double the state-wide lumber drying capacity. Much of the planned

WUC research in this area will focus on drying techniques for maintaining lumber

quality so that value-added products can be manufactured to the standards needed

for domestic and export markets. Other work has considered testing softwood

species for use as railroad ties, timber bridges, and fence posts.

To better explore opportunities and stimulate interest in utilization of Alaska

small-diameter roundwood, the WUC, in collaboration with the Juneau Economic

Development Council (JEDC), was represented at a small-diameter structural

applications conference at the University of Iowa in November 2003. As a result,

JEDC recently acquired the necessary joint connectors from the conference’s

Establishing dry

kilns in Alaska is predicted to double the

state-wide lumber

drying capacity so

that value-added

products can be

manufactured to the

standards needed for

domestic and export

markets.
GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-616

32

structural designer so that a mobile prototype (model) of the latest small-diameter

roundwood structural applications technology can be transported and displayed

throughout Alaska. Partnerships between the Wood Utilization Center and outside

cooperators led to successful technology transfer of new methods and technologies.

Research questions under focal area D:

1. What new and emerging biobased product technologies are available that could

enhance utilization of small-diameter material?

2. Can product recovery studies be expanded to include secondary manufacture

of wood products or value-added opportunities such as cut stock or engineered

products from small-diameter timber, kiln drying, and preservative treating of

lumber in Alaska?

3. What is the best way to develop a vertically integrated forest products industry

in a region?

4. How can technology transfer be improved to assist local communities, regional

governments, the state, business, and private individuals in developing more

efficient uses of forest products?

5. What information do forest-based communities need to expand or retain

existing wood products processing infrastructure? Which utilization options

and scale are most appropriate for community needs?

Comparative Advantages

The Ecologically Sustainable Production of Forest Resources

(ESP) Team

We have a long history of conducting product recovery (mill) studies, with well

over 100 completed in the past 40 years across the West (e.g., Christensen and

Barbour 1999, Christensen et al. 2002, Fahey et al. 1991, Lowell and Plank 1997,

Lowell and Willits 1998, Stevens and Barbour 2000). This tradition will continue

as new questions arise. We are building a database that summarizes these studies

by key variables. This will afford us several advantages. First, we will be able to

quickly fill requests for information on specific topics (e.g., thinning effects on

Douglas-fir). Second, we can use meta-analyses to test broad hypotheses covering

many studies. Third, we can identify knowledge gaps, as well as identify areas

where our knowledge is sufficient and no further study is needed.

The ESP team conducts research on forest operations, resource characterization, and wood utilization aimed at supporting and benefiting all landowners,

public and private. Such topics can include characterization of the types and

volumes of various products manufactured from plantations and other forests

managed for timber production, the examination of new harvesting and processing
Contemporary Wood Utilization Research Needs in the Western United States

33

technologies, and finding solutions to specific processing problems such as rate

and degree of deterioration of fire-killed trees. They also include collaborative

research that examines ways to conserve biological diversity and provide other

nontimber values while minimizing fire risk.

Our general strategy is to approach problems in a multidisciplinary manner.

We try to make the connections among wood utilization, wood quality, resource

characterization, resource management, products, and people. Although it is difficult to integrate all these dimensions into a given research study, we always try

to include at least two of the following three general elements: forest management,

wood utilization, and people.

We also have a long history in evaluating new technologies. Current work

involves wood-plastic composites that can be manufactured from small-diameter

material. Another project involves portable and semiportable sawmills that can

move to the resource for relatively short periods while fuel reduction and other

thinning operations are active1

 (fig. 9).

The ESP team is quite responsive to research problems and requests posed by

our clientele and partners. These cover a broad spectrum of research topics and

Figure 9—MicroMill outfeed after sawing small-diameter logs in Flagstaff, Arizona. (The use of trade

or firm names is for reader information and does not imply endorcement by the U.S. Department of

Agriculture of any product or service.)

1

 Becker, D.R.; Hjerpe, E.E.; Lowell, E.C. [In review]. Economic feasibility study of using

a mobile MicroMill for processing small-diameter ponderosa pine. On file with: Dennis

Becker, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 2500 S Pine Knoll, Flagstaff, AZ 86001.
GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-616

34

come from diverse organizations. Current examples include studying the effect of

precommercial thinning in southeastern Alaska (Tongass National Forest), evaluating the utility of a new grading rule for fire-killed, worm-infested logs (Region 6

and the National Cubic Committee), the effect of juvenile wood in wood composites (Washington State University), suitability of using beetle-killed spruce on the

Kenai Peninsula (Alaska) in wood composites (Washington State University), inwoods processing technology to reduce transportation costs (Joint Fire Science

Program and the Greater Flagstaff Forests Partnership), prediction of wood quality

in individual tree simulation (Oregon State University, University of Idaho), wood

properties as affected by thinning and long rotations (Port Blakely and

Weyerhaeuser), and testing wood strength properties (Wood Technology Center,

Ketchikan), to name but a few.

We are also expanding our capacity to use simulation modeling to advantage.

The AUTOSAW sawing simulator (Todoroki 1990), which is currently being

expanded for use in U.S. mills, is a powerful interactive tool that efficiently

addresses a wide range of questions that cannot otherwise be addressed. Recent

examples using AUTOSAW include analyzing the effect of systematically increasing sweep in logs2

 and predicting internal lumber grade from log surface knots.3

We are also using stand and landscape simulation models to address a variety

of research problems. The effect of silvicultural treatments and management

regimes on wood quality can be investigated by using ORGANON (Hann et al.

1997). Expansion of this capacity to FVS (Wykoff et al. 1982), the national standard of the USDA Forest Service, is currently underway. We can also address

similar questions at the larger landscape scale by using tools such as the landscape

management system (LMS) (McCarter 1997) that use both ORGANON and FVS

(e.g., analysis of treatments to reduce fire risk in late-successional reserves). These

simulation models are valuable tools that efficiently allow us to examine a broad

range of questions relating forest management to wood quality and utilization.

Combined with our expertise in community dynamics, we can use these tools to

develop methods to characterize not only the resource but also the region as a

whole so that we can understand what types of activities are possible and which

are likely to be successful in a given location.

2

 Monserud, R.A.; Parry, D.; Todoroki, C.L. [In review]. Recovery of simulated sawn logs

with sweep. On file with: R.A. Monserud, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 620 SW Main,

Suite 400, Portland, OR 97205.

3

 Todoroki, C.L.; Monserud, R.A.; Parry, D.L. [In review]. Predicting internal lumber grade

from log surface knots: actual and simulated results. On file with: R.A. Monserud, Pacific

Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 620 SW Main, Suite 400, Portland, OR 97205.

Simulation models

are valuable tools that

efficiently allow us

to examine a broad

range of questions.
Contemporary Wood Utilization Research Needs in the Western United States

35

We are quite adept at collaboration and forming partnerships to conduct and

complete a given research problem. Our long history of mill studies is a clear

testimony that we have established good working relationships with commercial

sawmills and veneer mills to conduct our product recovery studies. We frequently

form research collaborations with scientists from the Forest Products Laboratory

(FPL) and other research laboratories, with university researchers (via joint venture

agreements), and with scientists and managers from private industry (see app.). If

the needed expertise is only available abroad (e.g., AUTOSAW in New Zealand,

hybrid crown/tree modeling in Finland), then we will go abroad to form a partnership with the expert. The inverse also holds: we collaborate with the FPL and other

labs to bring additional dimensions (e.g., wood engineering and product development) to bear on the problem at hand. We frequently participate in partnerships,

associations, and cooperatives in order to reach resolution on complex research

problems (e.g., Four Corners Sustainable Forests Partnership; Stand Management

Cooperative). This strategy is particularly useful when addressing integrated questions that span wood technology, forest management, and community response and

capacity.

The Wood Utilization Center

The Alaska Wood Utilization Research and Development Center in Sitka has

several comparative advantages that allow it to use its strengths to identify opportunities for wood products businesses in Alaska. These include the diversity of staff

expertise, the range of research topics that it pursues, and its ability to communicate research findings through a variety of outlets to client groups throughout

Alaska.

The WUC is a relatively new research center, having become fully staffed in

2000. It has identified primary and secondary manufacturing, wood products

marketing (fig. 10), and economics research as tools for increasing wood utilization

and technology transfer in Alaska. The many potential benefits to Alaska’s wood

products industry include higher market values for Alaska lumber under new

grading rules and enhanced opportunities to supply domestic and export markets.

The strengths enabling the WUC team to identify opportunities for wood products

business in Alaska relate to its marketing and economics expertise. This greatly

assists the team in developing strategies particularly important for many Alaska

manufacturers because of the distances to and limited size of markets (Donovan et

al. 2003). Recent studies have examined consumer preferences, willingness-to-pay
GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-616

36

evaluations, and product attribute assessments (e.g., Donovan and Nicholls 2003a,

2003b; Nicholls et al. 2003b). Other research has considered opportunities for

lower grades of lumber (containing knots and other defects) for making higher

value specialty products (Nicholls et al., in press). Several marketing efforts have

identified global markets for Alaska forest products (Eastin et al. 2003), including

niche product opportunities for the specialized markets (e.g., birch crafts) that

many Alaska producers serve (Eastin et al. 2003, Nicholls 2001). Recent smalldiameter wood research identifies the problems and opportunities in using the

resource as a structural building material (Cantrell et al., in press). Both the WUC

and ESP teams cooperate with the Ketchikan Wood Technology Center in a lumber

strength testing program that includes in-grade testing of commercially important

Alaska softwoods and extensive testing for machine-stress-rating of lumber.

Technology transfer activities have played an important role in the WUC

team’s work and have included technical reports for trade journals, research

Figure 10—Trade-show preference study by the Wood Utilization Center team.
Contemporary Wood Utilization Research Needs in the Western United States

37

summaries for clients, and online material for distribution via the team’s Web site

(http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/sitka/). Technology transfer efforts have been directed

toward a wide audience, including wood products entrepreneurs and natural

resource professionals (Rapp 2003). The team has worked closely with many of

Alaska’s primary and secondary wood products businesses, including evaluations

of sawmill efficiency (Kilborn 2002), lumber drying (Nicholls and Kilborn 2001),

lumber moisture content (Nicholls et al. 2003a), and bioenergy potential from

wood residues (Nicholls and Crimp 2002) (fig. 11). The team has sponsored several statewide conferences and workshops, and published newsletters highlighting

WUC research and its benefits to end users (Rapp 2003). An important part of the

technology transfer effort has been Web-based delivery, and has featured project

descriptions, research summaries, and complete publications. The team has

cooperated with numerous partners in hosting workshops and conferences, in

particular the University of Alaska system. The WUC technology transfer efforts

have also included site visits to wood products companies, interactions with

Figure 11—Sawmill manufacturing residues, found in abundance in southeast Alaska, can be

used for energy or biobased products.
GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-616

38

product consumers (e.g., at home shows), and interactions with wood products

manufacturers (e.g., at industry trade shows).

Conclusions

The ESP and WUC teams are successfully addressing a wide range of wood

utilization issues throughout the Western United States. Of particular note is an

estimated 190 million acres of federal forests and rangelands in the United States

that face high risk of catastrophic fire (USDA FS 2003). Decades of accumulating

dense undergrowth, along with drought conditions, insect and disease infestations,

and invasion by exotic species make forests and rangelands in many areas of the

West vulnerable to environmentally destructive wildfires. Through the Healthy

Forests Initiative tools and the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 authorities,

land management agencies are expected to manage public forests and rangelands to

reduce the risk of catastrophic wildland fire. As a result, there are increasing calls

for ways to use wood from trees that have traditionally been underutilized—

material that previously went to chips or was left as slash. And where products or

markets are not available, there is also a need to find cost-effective and efficient

methods for disposing of or removing the material, thereby reducing fire hazard.

The ESP and WUC teams have a significant role to play in this effort. We have

a continuing focus on problems related to utilization of small-diameter trees that

are ecologically, economically, and socially sustainable. Research in this area

addresses new technologies such as composites, biofuels, biomass feedstock for

heating and energy, small-scale semiportable sawmills, as well as more traditional

research on degradation of fire- and insect-killed trees, and the effects of thinning

on residual tree development and quality. There is also the effect current management practices will have on the wood quality of trees harvested years from now.

The interface between utilization of such material and community development is

addressed through cooperative efforts with groups such as the Greater Flagstaff

Forests Partnership and Alaska’s Denali Commission. The ESP and WUC teams

are fundamentally poised to expand our efforts in small-diameter utilization in

response to new programs such as the Healthy Forests Initiative and check on to

emerging public and partner needs.

There are increasing

calls for ways to use

wood from trees that

traditionally have

been underutilized.
Contemporary Wood Utilization Research Needs in the Western United States

39

Different people push different wood utilization technologies, with little

consideration of financial, social, or forest management implications. Because

many of these technologies will rest, to a large degree, on private investment, we

need to understand the implications of technologies for improving wood utilization.

We envision a three-pronged approach. First, develop and transfer technologies

adapted to the scale of the problem. Second, develop and deliver marketing strategies to assist in improving wood utilization. Third, link wood utilization to forest

management objectives over a range of ownerships throughout the Western United

States. Research that includes one or more of these elements should lead to successful accomplishments with our various partners.

Metric Equivalents

When you know: Multiply by: To get:

Inches 2.54 Centimeters

Acres .405 Hectares

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AppendixCurrent collaborators and partners of the Ecologically Sustainable Production (ESP) of Forest Resources teamState and federal Partnerships andgovernment Universities, domestic Private industry associationsForest Products Laboratory Northern Arizona University, MicroMill, Inc. Greater Flagstaff Forests PartnershipColorado State Forestry Ecological Restoration Institute Skyline Forest Resources Arizona Sustainable ForestSouthern Research Station Southern Oregon University Perkins Timber Harvesting Partnership

Pacific Southwest Research Station Fort Lewis College High Desert Investment Southwest Sustainable ForestsNortheastern Research Station Colorado State University Savannah-Pacific Corporation Partnership

Joint Fire Science Program Oregon State University Jefferson State Forest Products White Mountain Small Diameter WoodForest Service Regions 1-6, 10 University of Washington Fremont Sawmill Products AssociationRocky Mountain Research Station University of Montana The Collins Company Four Corners Sustainable ForestsArizona Department of Commerce Washington State University Weyerhaeuser PartnershipArizona Governor’s Council University of Wisconsin Port Blakely Tree Farms Escalante Heritage CenterBonneville Power Administration University of California-Berkeley Stand Management CooperativeBureau of Land Management University of Idaho Hayfork Watershed and ResearchBureau of Indian Affairs University of Alaska CenterWashington Department of Natural North Carolina State University

Resources Iowa State University

Idaho Department of LandsAlaska Department of ForestryNorth Central Research StationJuneau Economic Development

Council

State and Private ForestryUSFS Collaborative Forests

Restoration Program

Nongovernmentalorganizations (NGOs)

International organizations Universities, international and nonprofitsNew Zealand Forest Research University of Bodenkultur-Vienna, Sonoran InstituteDanish Forest and Landscape Austria Forest Trust

Research University of Greenwich (UK) Grand Canyon Trust

Government of Alberta University of Joensuu, Finland Sustainable NorthwestBC Ministry of Forests University of Helsinki, Finland Pinchot Institute for ConservationForintek-Quebec American Forests

Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberia National Forest FoundationIIASA-Laxenburg, AustriaFinnish Forest Research Institute,

 Helsinki, Finland

IUFRO working parties 
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