The development of a timber allocation model using data envelopment analysis

A timber allocation model using data envelopment analysis (DEA) was developed to test the capability of DEA to assist with multicriteria timber allocation decisions. The resulting DEA Timber Allocation model is able to allocate forest stands, referred to as stewardship units, to different forest products companies without the need for weighing or prioritizing the allocation criteria. The allocation procedure was demonstrated in a case considering two allocation criteria: profit and employment. The allocation generated by the model was compared with random, profit-based, and employ- ment-based allocations. The results showed that the model was capable of producing practical solutions and balancing the two allocation criteria. However, adding other allocation criteria was complicated by procedural concerns. Despite its current limitations, the model opens the door to future applications of DEA in forest resource allocation problems. Resume : Un modele d'allocation des bois qui utilise la methode d'enveloppement des donnees (DEA) a ete developpe afin de tester le potentiel de cette methode comme outils d'aide aux decisions multicriteres d'allocation des bois. Le resultat est le modele DEA d'allocation des bois qui permet d'allouer les peuplements forestiers, appeles unites d'amenagement, aux differentes entreprises de produits forestiers, sans necessiter une ponderation ou un classement par ordre de priorite des criteres d'allocation. Une demonstration de la procedure d'allocation est faite pour un cas impliquant deux criteres d'allocation : le profit et le niveau d'emploi. L'allocation generee par le modele a ete comparee a des allocations au hasard favorisant respectivement les profits et l'emploi. Les resultats montrent que le modele peut produire des solu- tions applicables qui equilibrent les deux criteres d'allocation. Toutefois, des soucis d'ordre procedural complexifient l'ajout d'autres criteres. Malgre ses limites actuelles, le modele permet d'entrevoir des applications futures de la me- thode DEA dans la resolution de problemes d'allocation des ressources forestieres. (Traduit par la Redaction) Marinescu et al. 2315

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