Progress 09/01/03 to 08/31/06
Outputs
Work over the past year has been focused on the analysis and publication of previously collected data. I have also been working on updating the my processing capacity database for eastern Washington and will finish a new manuscript focusing on this region in the near future.
Impacts
This research has provided policy makers and analysts with the first comprehensive analysis of changes in timber processing capacity across the western United States since the mid 1990's. Interestingly, Washington State is the only western state that has experienced a significant increase in processing capacity over the past decade. Most states have experienced dramatic declines as a result of sharp declines in federal timber harvests during this period. Washington's increase, in part, reflects the comparatively large amount of private forest land in the state and the highly productive character of these lands.
Publications
- Keegan, C., J.P.Brandt, and K.A.Blatner. 2006. Timber Processing Capacity and Capabilities in the Western United St. Journal of Forestry. 104(5):262-268.
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Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05
Outputs
During 2005 a capacity utilization study for eastern Washington wsawmills was completed. This work documents the capacity of the sawmill sector to proces logs of different sizes. This work compliments a similar study for US Forest Region I (Northern Idaho and Montana), which was published in 2005. This body of work is unique that it looks at the mill capacity from the perspective of raw martial capacity instead of output capacity. This type of information is critical to understanding the abilty of the region's mills to utilize increased volumes of small diameter logs resulting the thinning of forests of the interior West to reduce risk of wildfire. The results of this study demonstrate that sawmills in eastern Washington have the ability to utilize additional quanitities of small diamter logs. However, policy makers need to recogize that mills need to a mix of species and diameters to remain profitable. Further research was completed during 2005 focused on the affects
of urban sprawl on forest fragmentation and the associated impact on future timber supply and other values attribuatable to the forests of the state. Additional research on the affects of increased forest regulation on private land is also underway.
Impacts
Washingtons total timber harvest accounts to nearly 4 billion board feet. Washingtons gross domestic product included $4.415 billion from lumber and wood products according 1997 U.S. manufacturing census. Even with these significant contributions from forestry and forest products industry to the states economy, the importance of these sectors is often over looked and thus their growth is retarded. Information on status of the wood products industry in the state and its contributions to its economy is essential for local, state, and nations policy makers in their decision making process.
Publications
- Mittelhammer, R. C., K. A. Blatner, E. Weiner and M. S. Carroll. 2005. Effects of Changing Technology on Washingtons Sawmill Industry in the Pre-Spotted Owl Period. Forest Products Journal.55(12):105-112.
- Blatner, K A., R Fight, N.Vance, M Savage and R.C. Chapman. 2005. A Model to Estimate Noble Fir Bough Weight. Western Journal of Applied Forestry 20(1):44-49.
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
Research efforts during 2004 were focused in two areas. The first was centered on the capability of the forest products industry in the northern Inland West to respond to an increased supply of small diameter logs primarily from public lands as well as an assessment of the extent to which harvest levels on the region's national forests are likely to change as result of passage of the Healthy Forests Initiative in late 2003. Further work centered around the changing character of the non-industrial private forestland (NIPF) owners in western Washington State. One of these projects looked at the factors affecting forest fragmentation in the rapidly urbaning western part of the state along Interstate 5. Accomplishments included the preparation of three papers which submitted during 2005 devoted to issues of intergenerational transfer of land, the changing character of private property rights and role of attachment to place related to the management of these lands.
Additional work was started which focused on the affect of the Washington State's Forest and Fish Agreement on the ability of NIPFs owners to manage their lands within the riparian areas. It is expected that this project will be completed during 2005.
Impacts
The largest single impact of my ongoing as well as research published during 2005 has been to develop documented support for the hypothesis that the forest products industry of the northern Inland West is well positioned to respond to potential increased harvest levels of small diameter material as a result of recent efforts to reduce stock levels on public and private lands in order to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire.
Publications
- Carroll, Matthew S., Patricia J. Cohn, and Keith A. Blatner, 2004. Private and Tribal Forest Landowners and Fire Risk: A Two County Case Study in Washington State. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 34(10):2148-2158.
- Higgins, Stuart, Keith A. Blatner, Becky Kerns and Alexis Worthington, 2004. Relationship between Xerophyllum tenax and Overstory Canopy Coverage in the Southern Cascades of Washington. Western Journal of Applied Forestry 19(1):82-87
- Stewart, Hayden, Keith A. Blatner, and Charles E. Keegan III, 2004. The Economic Feasibility of Processing Small-Diameter Sawtimber in the US West: Part II OSB and Market Pulp. Forest Products Journal 54(12):104-108
- Stuart, Hayden, Keith A. Blatner, Francis G. Wagner and Charles E. Keegan III, 2004 The Economic Feasibility of Processing Small-Diameter Sawtimber in the US West: Part I Structural Lumber. Forest Products Journal 54(12):97-103
- Yoder, Jonathan and Keith Blatner, 2004. "Incentives and Timing of Prescribed Fire for Wildfire Risk Management." Journal of Forestry (September):38-41
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