POTENTIAL FOR USING SMALL-DIAMETER PONDEROSA PINE - A WOOD FIBER PROJECTION

A projection is made here on the quantity of wood fiber that might be available for conversion to value-added products ifa large-scale fores t restoration plan were initiated. The analysis is limited to the pond erosa pine forests of Arizona and the adjacent Gila National Forest in New Mexico. The fiber projections were obtained by comparing small fo rest plot samples and National Forest surveys against a logical and we ll-documented forest treatment configuration. The point-in-time analys is suggests that thinning for restoration could generate approximately 1,004 million ft.(3) of wood fiber derived from extra trees in the 5- to 16-inch diameter at breast height size classes. The estimated cost of harvesting and delivery, however, appears to exceed the value curr ent users may be willing to pay for the resource.