Review Of The Logging Residue Problem And Its Reduction Through Marketing

This study notes the increasing concern over logging residue in forest land management and describes the various administrative and technological means for accomplishing reductions of logging residue. Alternative sales arrangements can include such things as reduction of stumpage charges for low quality logs or required yarding of unutilized material to the landing or to some stockpiling or disposal point. Improvements in materials handling can include use of logging systems that create less breakage or that can handle small pieces more efficiently. Specialized chip mills and increased chip markets, including chip exports, can give added incentive for removal of formerly unutilized material. Other potentials for utilization are also indicated.

This study notes the increasing concern over logging residue in forest land management and describes the various administrative and technological means for accomplishing reductions of logging residue. Alternative sales arrangements can include such things as reduction of stumpage charges for low quality logs or required yarding of unutilized material to the landing or to some stockpiling or disposal point. Improvements in materials handling can include use of logging systems that create less breakage or that can handle small pieces more efficiently. Specialized chip mills and increased chip markets, including chip exports, can give added incentive for removal of formerly unutilized material. Other potentials for utilization are also indicated.

This study notes the increasing concern over logging residue in forest land management and describes the various administrative and technological means for accomplishing reductions of logging residue. Alternative sales arrangements can include such things as reduction of stumpage charges for low quality logs or required yarding of unutilized material to the landing or to some stockpiling or disposal point. Improvements in materials handling can include use of logging systems that create less breakage or that can handle small pieces more efficiently. Specialized chip mills and increased chip markets, including chip exports, can give added incentive for removal of formerly unutilized material. Other potentials for utilization are also indicated.

This report provides a general overview of current log sort yard operations in the United States, including an extensive literature review and information collected during on-site visits to several operations throughout the nation. Log sort yards provide many services in marketing wood and fiber by concentrating, merchandising, processing, sorting, and adding value to logs. Such operations supply forest products firms with desired raw materials, which helps improve their bottom line by reducing the number of marginal logs processed. Ultimately, sorting logs leads to better use of the available timber resources. Successful log sort yards are self-sufficient and have well-established markets and a steady supply of wood. Log sort yard concepts and analyses described in this report have broad applications.