Bureau of Business and Economic Research, Forest Product Research, Timber Capacity

Managing forests to reduce fire hazard and restore ecosystem function has increased the need for accurate information on timber-milling capacity and the capability of mills to process trees of various sizes. Implementing treatments to restore desired ecological conditions can require removing both larger, more valuable trees, as well as smaller trees with limited value and markets. Quantification of current milling capacity and elucidation of the sizes and types of materials that existing mills are capable of using are key components of financial analyses of timber sales, fire hazard reduction treatments, and ecosystem restoration programs.

• Montana Challenge: Forest Management and the Forest Products Industry
• Montana Challenge Presentation

Milling capacity and capability for 13 western states Forest Service Report 2004

• Full report (pdf)

Detailed reports of Timber Processing Areas and Capacity and Capability of Mills for each of the National forests in Forest Service Region 1

• Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest Timber-Proecessing Area
• Bitterroot National Forest Timber-Proecessing Area
• Clearwater and Nez Perce National Forest Timber-Proecessing Area
• Flathead National Forest Timber-Proecessing Area
• Idaho Panhandle National Forest Impact Zone
• Kootenai National Forest Impact Zone
• Lolo National Forest Timber-Proecessing Area

(See also the published article: Keegan, C.E., T.A. Morgan, F.G. Wagner, P.J. Cohn, K.A. Blatner, T.P. Spoelma, and S.R. Shook. 2005. Capacity for utilization of USDA Forest Service, Region I Small-diameter Timber. Forest Products Journal 55(12):143-147.)

Timber-milling Capacity in the Western United States

• Link to Society of American Forester published article
• Presentation slide show (pdf)