Understanding Key Issues of Sustainable Wood Production in the Pacific Northwest
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United States Department of Agriculture Understanding Key Issues of Forest Service Sustainable Wood Production Pacific Northwest Research Station in the Pacific Northwest General Technical Report PNW-GTR-626 January 2005 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. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W. Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. EDITORS Robert L. Deal is a research forester and Seth M. White is a science writer- editor, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Focused Science Delivery Program, 620 SW Main St., Suite 400, Portland, OR 97205. White is also a graduate student in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331. Cover photo: Tom Iraci, USDA Forest Service. Understanding Key Issues of Sustainable Wood Production in the Pacific Northwest Robert L. Deal and Seth M. White Editors ABSTRACT Deal, Robert L.; White, Seth M., eds. 2005. Understanding key issues of sustain- able wood production in the Pacific Northwest. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-626. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 67 p. Researchers involved with the Pacific Northwest (PNW)`Research Station Sustainable Wood Production Initiative have outlined some of the barriers and opportunities for sustainable wood production in the region. Sustainable wood production is defined as the capacity of forests to produce wood, products, and services on a long-term basis and in the context of human activity and use. The collective findings of these papers suggest that in the future, the region’s wood supply will primarily come from private land, and the barriers and opportunities related to sustainable wood produc- tion will have more to do with future markets, harvest potential, land use changes, and sustainable forestry options than with traditional sustained yield outputs. Private lands in the PNW should be able to sustain recent historical harvest levels over the next 50 years, but regional changes in sawmilling capacity and uncertain market conditions may affect wood production in the region. Public perceptions of forestry, land use changes, and alternative forestry options are also discussed. These papers present preliminary findings and proposals for future work designed to help us understand the key issues related to sustainable wood production. Keywords: Pacific Northwest, sustainable forestry, wood production, timber harvest, land use changes, economics. CONTENTS 1. Sustainable Wood Production: What Are the Issues for the Pacific Northwest? by Robert L. Deal and Seth M. White 2 Literature Cited SECTION A: SUSTAINABLE MARKETS 2. Timber Harvest Potential From Private Lands in the Pacific Northwest: Biological, Investment, and Policy Issues, by Darius M. Adams and Gregory S. Latta 4 Introduction 6 Baseline Harvest Projections 9 Age and Size of Harvested Wood 10 Effects of Public Policies on Harvest Potential 11 Discussion 12 Metric Equivalents 12 Literature Cited 3. Will Markets Provide Sufficient Incentive for Sustainable Forest Management? by Richard Haynes 13 Introduction 17 Discussion 18 Conclusion 19 Literature Cited 4. A Preliminary Assessment of the Lumber Manufacturing Sector in Washington State, by John Perez-Garcia 20 Introduction 20 Existing Mill Surveys 21 Number of Sawmills, Their Capacity and Log Use 24 Future Demand for Timber 24 Survey Development and Database Creation 25 Metric Equivalents 25 Literature Cited SECTION B: SUSTAINABLE LAND USE 5. Land Use Changes That Impact Sustainable Forestry, by Ralph J. Alig 28 Introduction 28 Land Base Changes Over Time 32 Projections 32 Implications for Sustainable Forestry Options 33 Acknowledgments 33 Metric Equivalents 33 Literature Cited 6. Research Methods to Address the Economics of Forest Habitat Fragmentation, by David J. Lewis and Andrew J. Plantinga 36 Introduction 37 Research Methods 39 Application to the Pacific Northwest Region 39 Conclusions 40 Acknowledgments 40 English Equivalents 41 References SECTION C: SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY OPTIONS 7. Seeing the Forest for the Trees: Visual Resources Research in the Capitol State Forest, by Gordon Bradley, Anne Kearney, and Seth M. White 44 Introduction 44 The Capitol State Forest Study 45 Concluding Remarks 45 Acknowledgments 45 Literature Cited 8. A Proposal for Evaluating Alternative Approaches to Implementing Sustainable Forestry Practices in Western Oregon, by Claire A. Montgomery 47 Introduction 48 Older Forest Structure 49 Previous Studies 50 Implementing Older Forest Structure Management 51 Concluding Remarks 51 English Equivalents 51 Literature Cited 9. A Sustainable Solution for Riparian Management, by Kevin W. Zobrist, Kevin R. Gehringer, and Bruce R. Lippke 54 Introduction 54 Importance of Alternative Plan Templates 56 Overstocked Stand Example for Western Washington 60 Conclusions 61 Metric Equivalents 61 Literature Cited 10. Wood-Plastic Composite Extrusion Technology for Sustainable Economic Development of Local Communities, by Vikram Yadama and Steve Shook 63 Introduction 63 Raw Materials, Processing, and Performance of Wood-Plastic Composites 64 Wood-Plastic Composite Markets 65 Proposed Study 65 Approach 66 Workshops to Disseminate Information 66 Conclusion 66 Equivalents 66 Literature Cited UNDERSTANDING KEY ISSUES OF SUSTAINABLE WOOD PRODUCTION IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST 1. SUSTAINABLE WOOD PRODUCTION: WHAT ARE THE ISSUES FOR THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST? Robert L. Deal and Seth M. White USTAINABLE FORESTRY, SUSTAINABLE WOOD there has been public interest in assuring that forests are production, and sustainability in general are major being sustainably managed as well as a desire by landown- Sconcerns of forest managers in the Pacific Northwest ers and forest managers to demonstrate their commitment (PNW) and at the national and international levels (Aplet et to responsible stewardship. al. 1993, Bruntland 1987, Floyd 2002, Maser 1994, Oliver To address concerns about sustainable forestry in the 2003). Sustainability is difficult to define; it means different region, the PNW Research Station is sponsoring a 3-year things to different people. In the words of Floyd (2002), Sustainable Wood Production Initiative (SWPI). To identify defining sustainability is “like trying to define justice or and understand important issues for sustainable wood democracy. There are many definitions and some consensus, production, we conducted a series of client meetings and but agreement over the specifics is elusive.” Sustainability invited a wide array of forest landowners and managers is a value-laden concept, but most people agree that the representing forest industry, small private forests, state term generally includes economic, ecological, and social forestry, and others interested in growing and producing components. The World Commission (Bruntland 1987) has wood. The most pressing need mentioned by almost all broadly defined sustainability as “development that meets forest landowners and managers was the need to identify needs of the present without compromising the ability of and understand barriers to sustainable forestry. Our focus future generations to meet their own needs.” Sustainable groups identified six major topics as priorities. These topics forestry is a little more specific. A useful definition by and the associated objectives of the SWPI are: the Society of American Foresters (Helms 1998) is “the • Identify and understand the major economic, ecologi- capacity of forests, ranging from stands to ecoregions, to cal, and social issues relating to wood production in maintain their health, productivity, diversity, and overall the PNW in the broad context of sustainable forestry. integrity, in the long run, in the context of human activity • Identify barriers to sustainable forestry and assess and use.” Here, we further define sustainable wood produc- the impacts of market incentives and environmental tion as the capacity of forests to produce wood, products, regulations on sustainable forest management. and services on a long-term basis, and in the context of • Develop a regional assessment of resource trends and human activity and use. Sustainable forestry is related to market conditions including the long-term economic but different from sustained yield—the amount of wood viability of forestry in the region. that a forest can produce continually. Sustained growth • Identify and assess niche market opportunities