Full Project Title: Tools to address market and policy challenges to successful timber harvests, thinnings, and fuel treatments for the Wildfire Crisis Strategy

Project Identification Number: WCS12

Thinning and removing trees from dense forest stands can mitigate wildfire risk, but sales offerings of small-diameter trees face market and policy challenges. 

This project seeks to understand the needs, current tools, organizational innovations, and successes of National Forest System (NFS) managers involved in fuel treatments and timber sales, using a case study approach.

Researchers will assess how historic market demand changes have impacted past timber sales outcomes and potential for future policy-driven market demand changes, using econometric modeling. The research team will estimate the response of private landowners to increased wildfire risk in the western U.S. to support cross-boundary cooperation. 

The project will provide information to help NFS managers better account for markets and demand in forest planning, accurately assess market conditions to better prepare timber sale packages, and potentially assess where future sales can occur. The team will create a data dashboard for NFS managers to use in the planning process.

This project was funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Provision 40803. This research supports the agency's Wildfire Crisis Strategy.