Economic and operational feasibility of short rotation hardwood inventory

Abstract

Procuring wood during the winter months for a pulpmill in the Southeast has some difficulties, especially in hardwood. Soft ground reduces the operational feasibility of many sites, forcing companies to store hardwood in woodyards for retrieval during wet weather. Intensively managed, short rotation hardwood grown on dry sites could economically supply a pulpmill during a wood shortage and thereby eliminate stop-gap measures taken by procurement organizations.

This paper will discuss the pro's and con's associated with short rotation hardwood plantations, along with its potential. A comprehensive study plan is presented that includes using wood cost from three southeastern pulpmills over a three year period. The study will determined whether short rotation hardwood could be economically substituted for purchased wood.

Citation

Gallagher, Tom; Shaffer, Robert. 2002. Economic and operational feasibility of short rotation hardwood inventory. In: Forest engineering challenges: a global perspective: Proceedings of the 25th annual Council on Forest Engineering meeting; 2002 June 16-20; Auburn, AL. Corvallis, OR: Council on Forest Engineering: 4 p. [CDROM].