Pacific Northwest Research Station

Title: Knock on wood: Is wood production sustainable in the Pacific Northwest?

Author: Thompson, Jonathan.

Date: 2006

Source: Science Findings 84. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 6 p.

Description: The Pacific Northwest is one of the worldÂ’s major timber-producing regions, and its capacity to produce wood on a sustained-yield basis is widely recognized. Nonetheless, there has been increasing public interest in assuring that forests are being sustainably managed, as well as a desire by landowners to demonstrate their commitment to responsible stewardship.

Scientists from several universities and the PNW Research Station recently completed an initiative to synthesize existing research on wood production in the region. The initiative was guided by the needs of forest landowners and managers representing forest industry, small private forests, and state forest lands. They concluded that forest fragmentation and land use change, stagnating timber prices, and unfavorable public opinion regarding the scenic quality of intensive forest management were among the largest challenges to sustainable wood production in the region. New technologies and products in wood manufacturing, sustainable harvest levels, niche market opportunities, and underutilized tree species were identified as opportunities for landowners and managers interested in sustainable forestry.

Keywords: Wood, timber, sustained yield.

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Citation

Thompson, Jonathan.  2006.  Knock on wood: Is wood production sustainable in the Pacific Northwest?.   Science Findings 84. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 6 p.