THE AUTHORS 



RESEARCH SUMMARY 



JOHN R. HOST received his B.S. in forestry from the 

 University of California, an M.E. in logging engineering 

 from the University of Washington, and an M.B.A. from 

 the University of Montana. He has many years experi- 

 ence in the forest industry and is currently a research 

 forester at the Forestry Sciences Laboratory in Missoula, 

 Mont. 



DAVID P. LOWERY is a research wood technologist at 

 the Intermountain Station's Forestry Sciences Labora- 

 tory, Missoula, Mont. He has authored several reports on 

 wood utilization. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 



These studies depended upon the cooperation and 

 work of many individuals and concerns. Champion Inter- 

 national Building Products Division provided log recovery 

 data; the company's Timberlands Division provided a 

 study area, equipment, and personnel; and the Packaging 

 Division provided the chipper and other personnel. Other 

 cooperators included the E-L Ranch; the Montana Forest 

 and Conservation Experiment Station, University of Mon- 

 tana; the K and L Sawmill; and the Weyerhaeuser Timber 

 Company. The guidance, participation, and assistance of 

 these cooperators is gratefully acknowledged. 



Management of small-diameter (less than 9 inches 

 diameter at breast height) timber has long been a major 

 problem. Costs of operating conventional harvesting 

 equipment in these stands have generally exceeded the 

 value of the recovered products. In addition, the equip- 

 ment has often irreparably damaged residual trees. The 

 Northern Rocky Mountain area has many thousands of 

 acres in need of thinning, and the utilization of these 

 trees would enhance the area's present and future timber 

 supply. 



This report describes and discusses a harvesting 

 system made up of commercially available equipment 

 and modified farm tractors that has been successfully 

 used to salvage and thin second-growth ponderosa pine 

 stands. Commercial equipment consisted of feller- 

 bunchers, a skidder, and a chipper. Farm tractors were 

 equipped with grapples and metal reinforcings to adapt 

 them to forest use. 



Two studies made in the same general area are de- 

 scribed, as well as procedures for recovering multiple 

 products. Hog fuel, stud logs, saw logs, house logs, 

 fenceposts, and pulp chips were the products evaluated. 

 Economic analyses indicate that if suitable markets are 

 available within a reasonable distance wood can be 

 harvested in these small-size tree stands at a profit. 



The use of trade, firm or corporation names in this 

 publication is for the information and convenience of 

 the reader. Such use does not constitute an official 

 endorsement or approval by the U.S. Department of 

 Agriculture of any product or service to the exclusion 

 of others which may be suitable. 



