One of the services provided by NARA affiliate, The University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER), is publically available forest industry data. Much of the information they provide and compile contributes to NARA’s efforts to produce supply chain, environmental and economic sustainability analyses, models and GIS applications useful to an emerging wood-based biofuels industry in the Pacific Northwest. Listed below are two sources of information provided through the BBER’s Forest Industry Research Program that may be of interest to our readers.
2011 Idaho Forest Products Industry Census
Recently, the BBER, in conjunction with the Interior West Forest Inventory and Analysis (IW-FIA) Program of the US Forest Service, conducted a census of Idaho’s timber processors that operated during calendar year 2011. Through a written questionnaire or phone interview, timber-processing and residue-utilizing facilities provided information about their 2011 operations. The information provided includes:
• Plant location, production, capacity, and employment
• Log lengths, small- and large-end diameters
• Volume of raw material received, by county and ownership
• Species of timber received and live/dead proportions
• Finished product volumes, types, sales value, and market locations
• Volume, utilization, and marketing of manufacturing residue
To obtain a summary, tables and figures articulating the findings, access the following link: http://www.bber.umt.edu/pubs/forest/fidacs/ID2011wip.pdf
Timber Harvest Data for WA, OR, MT, ID and CA
Timber harvest data for five western states is available at the following link: http://www.bber.umt.edu/forest/Harvest.asp. The data is compiled from information provided by multiple agencies and spans years 2002 to 2011. Harvest volumes can be accessed by county level and are segregated by land ownership (federal, state, tribal, industry).
To find additional regional reports relevant to the timber industry, visit their webpage at: http://www.bber.umt.edu/forest/regionalreports.asp
NARA Contributions
NARA partially funds the BBER’s Forest Industry Research Program. They provide NARA data needed to understand how forest resources are being used and how much wood residuals are available. The map highlighted in this newsletter relied upon data from the BBER and is instrumental for planning a regional supply chain.
To meet this task, the BBER continually updates the primary mill residue and capacity information for the 4-state region, consults with other NARA members, and has conducted extensive logging utilization fieldwork to provide residue estimates. To date they have measured more than 1700 felled trees at 73 logging sites across the NARA 4-state region.
To meet this task, the BBER continually updates the primary mill residue and capacity information for the 4-state region, consults with other NARA members, and has conducted extensive logging utilization fieldwork to provide residue estimates. To date they have measured more than 1700 felled trees at 73 logging sites across the NARA 4-state region.