Logging utilization in Idaho: Current and past trends

A study of commercial timber-harvesting activities in Idaho was conducted during 2008 and 2011 to characterize current tree utilization, logging operations, and changes from previous Idaho logging utilization studies. A two-stage simple random sampling design was used to select sites and felled trees for measurement within active logging sites. Thirty-three logging sites and 815 felled trees were measured. Results of the 2008/2011 study indicated that harvesting efforts removed 1,011 cubic feet (cf) of timber volume from growing stock for every 1,000 cubic feet (mcf) delivered to the mill, created 24 cf of growing-stock logging residue, and that 13 cf of non-growing-stock (stump wood and tops above 4 inches diameter outside bark (dob)) were delivered to the mill. This compared to 1,086 cf of growing-stock removals that created 95 cf of growing-stock logging residue and utilized 9 cf of non-growing-stock per mill-delivered mcf in a 1990 study. This study confirmed two long-term timber harvesting trends in Idaho: declining diameter at breast height (dbh) of harvested timber, and declining amounts of logging residue generated per unit of mill-delivered volume.