Wood production from ecosystem management activities in the Western United States: COntributions form the USDA froest Service PNW Research Station

摘要

Managing forests for non-timber objectives such as habitat for threatened or endangered species, water quality, recreational opportunitites, aesthetic features, and other outputs need not preclude production of wood products. In fact, removal of some trees is often necessary to accomplish these non-timeber objectives. In the Western United States, Federal, State and private land managers often consider management strategies that help maintain healthy ecosystems and restores damaged ones. Management strategies for federal land are now developed at the landscape level and stand level actions are linked to the landscape strategy. Developemnt of proposed actions often includes input from a host of interest groups and requires balancing management objectives with political realities. Much of the wood removed during the resulting treatments is from small-diameter trees. Although the costs of removing it are high, the wood quality is often good and pilot studies suggest this resource is suitable for many traditional nad non-traditional products. This paper summarzies results of multidisciplinary work coordinated by the Ecologically Sustainable Productin of Forest Resources team at the USDA forest service. PNW research station .The ESP team's focus is to investigate the technicaal and economic feasibility of utilizing wood removals to help finance ecosystem maagement activities. This work helps fedrral and other land managers understand forest management effects on wood quality and the accomplishing desired ecological objectives by its removal.