Characterizing wood properties of small diameter Northwest trees

Abstract

Forest lands of the Rocky Mountain region of the U.S. have many timber stands consisting of overgrown, densely stocked trees that create a fire hazard and are prone to disease. These stands need to be thinned, but the cost of harvesting often exceeds the value of the timber produced. However, because of the dense stocking and the resulting slow growth these trees may produce lumber with desirable mechanical properties. One method for sawmills to more fully utilize the potential grade yield and realize greater economic return from such lumber may be to produce Machine-Stress- Rated (MSR) lumber instead of visually graded dimension lumber.

Citation

Gorman, Thomas M.; Green, David W. 2002. Characterizing wood properties of small diameter Northwest trees. Small Diameter Timber Symposium Proceedings, 2002 : Resource Management, Manufacturing and Markets, 2002 February 25-27, Spokane, WA. Pullman, WA : Washington State University, 2002