Case in Point: Communication and Adaptive Management

Communication and education are needed all across the board at both the project and the programmatic levels. This is the second big challenge of the Jobs and Biodiversity Coalition, Gordon West believes.

The coalition actually advocates creating a timber program that utilizes small diameter and saw timber entirely separately. West says the Forest Service and anyone involved in CBF should treat big trees and small diameter trees as different things, not lump them together.

“A small-diameter processing facility will look very different from a lumber mill,” West said. “The trick is to get the highest value for the least amount of processing.”

For example, the small diameter facility will process small trees, rough sawn lumber and architectural details. West is experimenting with developing a house kit that utilizes logs that retain some of their curve. He is selective, but processes the logs as little as possible in order to reduce the cost of handling.