Fact Sheets

Fact Sheet #44: Eastern Washington Biomass Accessibility. Forest residuals represent the largest unexploited source of biomass feedstock for energy in Washington.  Understanding the accessibility of biomass feedstock becomes a critical criterion in making the new investments which will be required to reach both state and federal energy goals. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #43: Wood to Energy in Washington:  Imperatives, Opportunities, and Obstacles to Progress - Summary Brief of Findings and Recommendations. At the request of the Washington State Legislature, a thorough investigation into the barriers to increasing utilization of woody biomass for energy production in Washington has been conducted by University of Washington scientists.  Identifying barriers and recommending solutions required an assessment of how the broader energy policies of the state and nation impact biomass energy opportunities. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #42: Eastern Washington Biomass Accessibility Study – Chattawood Case Study. In 2007 the Washington State Legislature directed the University of Washington College of Forest Resources to undertake a study of forest biomass availability as prior studies had identified forest residuals as the largest unexploited source of biomass feedstock for energy in Washington. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #41: The Economic Cost for Silvicultural Management to Restore or Enhance Habitat. Thinning treatments, i.e. Biodiversity Pathways to attain old forest conditions, have been shown to be much better than just long rotations as they reduce both the time necessary for the stand to take on old forest attributes and provide revenue to the landowner along the way. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #40: Update on Eastern Washington Mortality Trends with Implications for Eastern Washington Timber Supply. Because of the magnitude of changes that eastern Washington pine forests are experiencing, specific analysis of forest health trends for lodgepole and ponderosa pines were targeted for detailed study. This paper summarizes the nature of the problem and its implications for long term timber supply. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #39: Combine Digital Media Technologies to Produce an Interactive Distance Learning Tool. The Rural Technology Initiative (RTI) implemented a web browser-based distance learning tool to convey information across the internet, closed networks, and on local computers using a free Microsoft® PowerPoint® add-in (Microsoft Producer®) to combine video, audio, slides, images, HTML links, and an interactive table of contents. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #38: Management Templates for Increased Biodiversity and Economics in Intensively Managed Loblolly Pine Plantations. To promote increased biodiversity on private ownerships, management strategies should be identified that balance biodiversity and economic goals. Using an RTI template for Washington as the framework, an example template has been created for increasing biodiversity in southern loblolly pine plantations. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #37: Increasing Biodiversity in Intensively Managed Loblolly Pine Plantations: A Literature Review. Most of the forestland in the South is in private ownership, and much of it is comprised of intensively managed plantations of fast-growing loblolly pine. This fact sheet summarizes a review of the literature that identifies a spectrum of practices for supporting increased biodiversity in intensively managed loblolly pine plantations. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #36: Technology Transfer from Research to Forestry Applications: Using the Landscape Management System (LMS). LMS enables users to understand the complex impacts of treatments and disturbances and the tradeoffs between different outcomes in order to select strategies that produce the most desirable future conditions. This Fact Sheet summarizes who has been using LMS and their applications. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #35: The Economics of Forest Health in Eastern Washington. Numerous studies and annual monitoring indicate that outbreaks of insects and disease coupled with increasing fire risk in unburned areas will continue and become increasingly severe. Analysis of potential treatment regimes for two common stand types was undertaken to determine likely forest health outcomes with and without incentives and education regarding forest health issues. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #34: A comparison of riparian regulation effectiveness in Western Washington and Oregon. Ten case studies of small forest ownerships located west of the Cascade Mountains were used to examine the comparative costs and effectiveness of the WA and OR regulations Alternative riparian management plans are allowed under the regulations in both states and were included as part of this study to examine management options for better achieving riparian habitat objectives at a lower cost to landowners. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #33: The LMS Fire Scoping Tool: Stand- and Landscape-level Fire Assessments using LMS. The Landscape Management System (LMS) with the Fire Scoping Tool and the Fire and Fuels Extension for the Forest Vegetation Simulator growth model (FFE-FVS) provides an easy-to-use platform for stand- and landscape-level simulations of stand growth with and without silvicultural treatments, fire effects and behavior estimation, assessment (scoping) of fire potentials, and analysis in support of fuel treatment planning. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #32: Agency Retirements and Enrollment Declines Create Shortage of Natural Resource Professionals. Reports from the Renewable Natural Resources Foundation and the National Association of Professional Forestry Schools and Colleges warn of a growing shortage of qualified natural resource professionals needed to fill positions vacated by retiring baby boomers. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #31: Measures for Forest Health in Eastern Washington Habitat Types. By using a measurement of stand vigor called growth basal area (GBA), the inherent site carrying capacity in eastern Washington can be better measured than by using density, relative density, and basal area. (Save or print a PDF copy)

RTI Progress and Impact Statement: A Collaborative University of Washington/Washington State University Technology Transfer Center Serving Rural Timber Communities. RTI has compiled a short activity report that summarizes what we have done while also trying to convey more directly what impacts we have had. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #30: LMS Economatic: The “Economatic” is a spreadsheet-based economic and financial analysis companion program for the Landscape Management System (LMS). LMS is a free software package that integrates forest growth, visualization, and spatial models in a user-friendly environment. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #27: Wildlife Habitat Modeling and Assessment using LMS: Using the Landscape Management System, which links habitat models with current and future forest inventories, projected with forest growth and yield models, to give current and potential future habitat conditions created by forest growth and management. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #26: Washington State's Forest Regulations: Family Forest-owners' understanding and opinions: This paper explores the current knowledge of WA family-forest owners regarding the following state environmental regulations: the Forest Practices Rules, the Forests and Fish Law, and the Road Management and Abandonment Plan; and how those regulations are expected to impact the economic viability and long-term objectives of forest owners in Washington State. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #25: Alternate Planning for small forest landowners in eastern Washington under the Forest and Fish Rules: An alternate plan approach was developed using stand density index (SDI) to integrate the economic, riparian function, and biological criteria necessary to reduce riparian stand susceptibility to infestation by Mountain Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae, Hopkins). (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #24: The Emerging Consensus for Active Management in Young Forests: Scientific evidence has shown that thinning of younger forests can accelerate the development of old growth characteristics. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #23: An integrated process for developing alternate plan templates for overstocked stands: It addresses the issue of creating templates to facilitate the development of alternate riparian management plans for family forest owners in Washington State. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #21: Forest Landholders and Fire: A Case Study in Two Counties in Northeastern Washington State: This study focuses on the role of fire both as a perceived threat and a management tool of NIPF and Tribal forestland owners/managers in two counties in northeastern Washington state. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet#20: Impacts of the Forest and Fish Rules on Non-Industrial Private Forest landowners in north eastern Washington: Some key consequences from riparian zone case study evaluation: shows economic effects of Forest and Fish Rules in Eastern Washington. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet#19: A Systems Approach to Sediment Reduction from Forest Roads with Cross Drains - CulSed: a new decision support tool for cross drain culvert design developed by research assistants and staff at the RTI. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #18: The Use of Forestry Education Programs by Small-scale Family Forest Landowners in Washington State: Does Ownership Size Make a Difference in Their Educational Needs? (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #17: The Role of Forests and Forest Management on Carbon Storage: The Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM) confronts the question of the forests role in storing carbon and the impact of forest management on carbon storage. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #16: Ecosystem Management and Non-industrial Private Forest Landowners in Washington State: gives results of a mail survey taken by Washington State NIPF landowners. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #15: Advanced Quality Control and Standardization Technology for Better Special Forest Products Management: Looks at the steps being taken in the development of special forest products as a profitable non-industrial activity. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #14: An Examination of the Potential for Riparian Buffers on Agricultural Lands to Augment Farm Incomes, Increase Hardwood Inventories, and Protect Streams: Examines different plans that are being implemented and studied on agricultural lands. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #12: Economic impacts of RMAPs and required road upgrades on small forest landowners in Eastern Washington: The nature of the economic impacts from RMAPs and the associated road upgrade costs are different for Eastside landowners compared to the Westside. This fact sheet demonstrates the potential economic hardship of road upgrade costs for individual small forest landowners in Eastern Washington. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #11: Economic impacts of RMAPs and required road upgrades on small forest landowners in Western Washington: Forest landowners, regardless of size, are required to prepare a Road Maintenance and Abandonment Plan (RMAP) that outlines how their forest roads will be brought into compliance with the new regulations. This hits on the economics behind these new rules. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #10: Integration Across Disciplines: Investing in Technologies to Produce Products, Energy, and Restoration of Forest Health in Fire Prone Forests of the Inland West: This fact sheet gets into the economics of thinning small diameter trees as protection against catastrophic forest fires. (This Fact Sheet has been updated. The more recent information can be found in Fact Sheet #28).

Fact Sheet #09: The Impact of Riparian Forest Management on Large Woody Debris (LWD) Recruitment Potential: Large woody debris (LWD) recruitment plays an integral role in the production and maintenance of riparian and aquatic habitat. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #08: The Impact of Riparian Forest Management on Shade Production: Discusses the impact of forest management on shade production. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #07: Will Low Prices for Large Logs Mean Shorter Rotations on Private Forestlands? Investigates the effects of regulations since 1989 on log prices and stand rotations. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #06: Defining and Using Biologically Based Targets in Forest Management: Incorporating Forest Structure and Variability: A technical report using biologically based targets to better predict regulatory effects. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #05: The Washington State Small Forest Landowner Database: House Bill 2091 of the Washington State Legislature authorized the creation of a database on non-industrial private forestland (NIPF) that could provide reliable reports assessing ownership patterns such as information on watershed coverage, forest management, and housing. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #04: NIPF Road Upgrade and Stream Crossing Costs under Washington Forest and Fish Regulations: Information on stream crossing and road maintenance costs were collected for the Small Business Economic Impact Statement (SBEIS). (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #03: Case studies examining the economic impacts of the Forests and Fish rules on NIPF landowners in Eastern Washington: Examines the economic impacts of new forest regulations in Stevens County and Pend Oreille County. (This Fact Sheet has been updated. The more recent information can be found in Fact Sheet #20).

Fact Sheet #02: Case studies examining the economic impacts of the Forests and Fish rules on NIPF landowners in Western Washington: Examines the economic impacts of new forest regulations on 10 Western Washington case studies. (Save or print a PDF copy)

Fact Sheet #01: Impact of the Forest Sector in the Washington State Economy: Over 20,000 owners in WA State manage forestland for commercial, recreational and resource protection objectives. (Save or print a PDF copy)

RTI Associated Fact Sheets

For more Fact Sheets from other disciplines within the UW College of Forest Resources, click here.