Potential for using small-diameter ponderosa pine: a wood fiber projection

Abstract

A projection is made here on the quantity of wood fiber that might be available for conversion to value-added products ifa large-scale forest restoration plan were initiated. The analysis is limited to the ponderosa pine forests of Arizona and the adjacent Gila National Forest in New Mexico. The fiberprojections were obtained by comparing small forest plot samples and National Forest surveys against a logical and well-documented forest treatment configuration. The point-in-time analysis suggests that thinning for restoration could generate approximately 1,004 million ft. 3 of wood fiber derived from extra trees in the 5- to 16-inch diameter at breast height size classes. The estimated cost of harvesting and delivery, however, appears to exceed the value current users may be willing to pay for the resource.