| GUEST
EDITORIAL
Cruise Data is Valuable for More than Just Stumpage Appraisal or Valuing Timber "With more assurance as to the nature of the logs that they will receive, mills can manufacture the products which are in most demand, make firm product delivery commitments with less inventory, and obtain premium prices. The dollars involved may be substantial" Director HALCO Software Systems Ltd. www.halcosoftware.com  Forest
companies typically spend substantial amounts of money cruising timber.
In British Columbia, an operational cruise of crown timber is a requirement
for stumpage appraisal. In the U.S. Pacific Northwest, companies
cruise the timber before making a competitive bid.
Operational cruise data is valuable for more than just stumpage appraisal or valuing timber. It can be used to predict the log populations that one or more mills will receive when the timber is harvested. If the mill has a good forecast of the log mix that it will receive, it is better able to manage its log-yard inventory, and feed the mill a steady log diet. This in turn makes it easier to identify and relieve bottlenecks and maximize production. It is also easier for the mill to predict and control its product mix accurately in advance. With more assurance as to the nature of the logs that they will receive, mills can manufacture the products which are in most demand, make firm product delivery commitments with less inventory, and obtain premium prices. The dollars involved may be substantial. To predict log mixes, the traditional simulated bucking of stems into 16' or 5m logs and tops is not sufficient for many purposes. To predict log mixes accurately, and to be able to forecast product mixes, a more detailed simulation is needed. The actual utilization of small trees and tops, and the actual lengths to which the stems and logs will be cut need to be taken into account. For instance, in British Columbia bucking is normally to a 4" top, so there should be one 4" log for every tree that is harvested. Typically there will be many fewer than this. The effect on the actual volume delivered may be small, but the effect on the lineal measure, which will affect mill productivity, may be substantial. If predicted results are compared to actual, factors can be developed to allow good predictions to be made. Where different diameter logs go to different mills or processing lines, the volumes will depend on the diameter break-points between sorts. This too can be simulated. Different species will have different proportions of butt and distributed decay, and long-butting may remove a significant amount of the larger diameter wood upon which the mill may be relying. Decay may significantly affect the volumes and diameters of peelers, for instance, that can be produced. So the effect of decay needs to be simulated carefully, and not just treated as a deduction. In the U.S. Pacific Northwest, the way the stems are bucked will affect the Scribner scale, and thus the price paid for the logs. Sometimes, for long stems, it may be best to cut a short log first, whose best length is easier to determine in the woods, and to leave it to the mill to decide how to buck the remainder of the stem. So for given cruise data, the ability to make realistic simulations of alternative methods of bucking the stems and sorting the logs, can have a substantial effect on how smoothly the operation will run, and the ultimate product value that is obtained. Good predictions make everyone's life easier, and lead to increased profits. For more information,
see the WOODSIM™ program description at www.halcosoftware.com.
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 INFORM
Network for Management Systems Limited (INFORM) is pleased to announce
that it is now a member of Trimble's Mapping and GIS System Integrator
Business Partner Program. The partnership facilitates the integration,
packaging and support of Trimble mapping and GIS hardware and software
into INFORM's customer solutions. "At INFORM we look forward to this
new partnership as we continue to design and deliver solid solutions to
our clients," said Harold Hunt, Vice President.
INFORM is looking forward to integratingTrimble GPS technology into these solutions. "INFORM is highly regarded in Canada as a GIS consulting company that provides customized solutions to many different industries. Our new relationship will provide INFORM's customers with additional solutions that integrate Global Positioning Systems'' - Ron Earle Trimble Canada" Visit INFORM
at www.informgis.com
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| On
The Web
earthobservatory.nasa.gov
www.cme-mec.ca
www.policyalternatives.ca
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Saskatchewan
Implements a New Forestry Monitoring Program
Saskatchewan is taking a major step forward with an active program to collect data for effective landscape management Saskatchewan Environment Environment and Resource Management News Release - Prince Albert, SK Saskatchewan forest companies now have a new tool to help them do a better job of managing the forest. The new program has been developed collaboratively by Saskatchewan Environment (Saskatchewan Environment), forest scientists and industry. The Forest Management Effects Monitoring Program, to be paid for and implemented by the forest industry, will be phased in over the next two years. Companies will collect and share information on a series of environmental indicators, including wildlife and vegetation patterns. Initially, the information collected will be used to establish the Natural Range of Variation in the forest - the normal range of natural disturbances, such as the size of wildfires. This information will provide a sound ecological basis for forest management activities. More indicators will be added to fill any gaps identified as the program is implemented. "The Provincial Science Advisory Board and the forest industry have worked with Saskatchewan Environment in the development of the monitoring program,"Saskatchewan Environment Minister Buckley Belanger said. "Their participation has made the program much stronger and we hope this level of involvement continues in the future." The exact cost of the program to the forest industry is still being assessed. Preliminary estimates indicate that implementation costs will be more than balanced by the increased revenues from a healthy, productive forest. A comprehensive forest monitoring program is a key component of environmental certification. Monitoring
results will be shared with government and made available to the public.
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| Timberline has a new website! Still at www.timberline.ca, we are excited about providing you more detailed information about services and products available, our company and partners as well as news, links, and upcoming events. |
| Inventory...A
History: Part 1
"remote sensing practices consisted of the timber cruisers climbing the tallest suitable trees and using a telescope/binoculars" Mike Sandvoss Timberline, Prince George Inventories, regardless of type, share a common goal; to quantify, qualify, and as accurately as possible within the realms of available technology, spatially identify the location of whatever is being inventoried. With respect to forest inventories, its roots in most provinces shared a focus on a general examination of the province with a focus on locating the highest quality and most accessible timber for purchase and sale, and later by the granting of Crown leases and licences.
Early in the 20th century it became apparent that the merchantable and accessible timber ‘inventories’ available to provincial bodies tasked with the management of this crown resource were woefully inadequate, as only a limited amount of information of questionable and varied quality was available. By the 1910’s with the start of established ministries tasked with forest management (in those provinces with ‘suitable’ timber to mill), did the true pre-cursors of forest inventories begin to take shape. The inventories were still being completed at the reconnaissance level with tens of millions of hectares being ‘inventoried’ on an annual basis by only a few individuals using relatively primitive modes of transportation. Despite this, the puzzle started to come together. By the 1920’s, with for the first time, reasonably accurate surveyed base maps inventory work could be completed with much more detail in select areas of interest. One thing these inventories had in common with their predecessors was the focus. The inventories were still being completed with the determination of species composition, average diameters, height, approximate age (including some periodic increment measurements) and merchantable volume in mind. What was changing was the inventories were not solely interested in the standing merchantable timber suitable for present day mills, but also on future yields from immature stands and determining regulated yield sustainability. By the late 1930’s provinces were moving away from the ‘crop surveys’ of the timber cruisers, to the more economics focused forest surveys able to provide a level of information to enable a forest to be managed for sustainable fiber production; the focus was still on forest (tree) management. Next issue: From the reconnaissance level inventories of the 1930’s to full forest cover inventories. Back to top. |
Market
Intelligence for the Forest Industry
Information on capital projects before it becomes common knowledge…which is often too late.  Hychea
Lim
Market Intelligence Officer Forest Industry
Suppliers & Logging Association
The Forest Industry Suppliers and Logging (FISLA) is an independent Canadian-based non-profit industry organization devoted to the sustainable development of all forest industry sectors. One of FISLA's primary services to its forestry supplier and logging company members is to search for domestic and international Market Intelligence as it relates to Forestry-Related Capital Projects. The Market Intelligence Service was launched in fall of 2001 to provide forest industry supply and services companies with specific information on relevant forestry capital projects across the globe before it hits the newspaper or before it becomes common knowledge…which is often too late. FISLA tries to home in on the ‘What’ or ‘Who’ of every forestry capital lead and pinpoint direct or key contracts relevant to the specific projects. The intent of the Market Intelligence information is to help create business opportunities for our member companies. Examples of
Market Intelligence information include:
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In
its infancy, in the 19th century, ‘inventories’ were conducted almost exclusively
by timber cruisers, and were not much more than searches for and assessments
of easily accessible stands of prime timber that were staked, much like
mineral claims, and sold to mills. The better cruises (inventories)
included a breakdown of the species composition (important information
as many species currently milled were considered unsuitable), a very rough
approximation of available volume, a qualification of the timber itself,
and some commentary on extraction potential. For lack of aircraft
to scout valleys for the extent of prime timber, ‘remote sensing’ practices
consisted of the timber cruisers climbing the tallest suitable trees and
using a telescope / binoculars and compass to determine the direction and
approximate position of suitable timber. On successfully negotiating
their way back down the tree, they would set off with the crew to stake
the timber. As these ‘inventories’ were completed, a picture of the timber
in the provinces began to unfold, but only for the stands of timber that
sawmills of the day were interested in (only a select few species of trees
and a minimum utilization of approximately 60 cm diameter breast height
and larger); it was a puzzle with key pieces missing.
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