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Despite the importance of financial outcomes to stand-level forest management decision-making, long-term assessments are rare. We compared the quality and value of mixed, northern conifer (Picea-Abies-Tsuga) stands in Maine, USA, treated with a range of silvicultural systems and exploitive cuttings for 65 years. Ten replicated treatments--single-tree selection and uniform shelterwood systems, commercial clearcutting, fixed and guiding diameter-limit cutting, and no cutting--were assessed for quality and value of standing and harvested trees. Selection systems resulted in good tree quality and high stand value, particularly when applied on a short cutting cycle, but small harvest volumes were not always commercially operable. Shelterwood system resulted in good tree quality, but changes in species values over time influenced financial outcomes. In contrast, commercial clearcutting and fixed diameter-limit cutting resulted in poor tree quality and low residual stand value after multiple harvests. Guiding diameter-limit cutting resulted in high stand value and is more appropriately characterized as a silvicultural system than exploitive harvesting when applied with harvest volume limits and seed tree retention. Overall, treatments focused on short-term financial gain led to degraded stand conditions, while those that sought to grow high-quality trees resulted in desirable outcomes over the long term. Key words: spruce-fir, shelterwood, selection cutting, exploitation, forest management. Malgre l'importance des resultats financiers resultant des prises de decisions en gestion forestiere des peuplements, les evaluations a long terme sont rares. Nous avons compare la qualite et la valeur de coniferes septentrionaux sur pied mixtes (Picea-Abies-Tsuga) dans le Maine, aux Etats-Unis, traites avec un eventail de systemes sylvicoles et de coupes d'exploitation durant 65 annees. Dix traitements reproduits--systemes de coupe progressive uniforme et de jardinage d'arbres individuels, coupes a blanc commerciales, coupes de diametre limite fixes et generales et absence de coupes--ont ete evalues en fonction de la qualite et de la valeur des arbres sur pied et des arbres recoltes. Les systemes de selection ont eu comme resultat une bonne qualite d'arbres et une valeur elevee des arbres sur pied, particulierement lorsqu'ils etaient appliques a un cycle court de coupes, mais les volumes reduits de recoltes n'etaient pas toujours exploitables sur le plan commercial. Le systeme de coupe progressive a eu comme resultat une bonne qualite d'arbres, mais les changements dans les valeurs des especes au fil du temps ont influence les resultats financiers. Par contre, la coupe a blanc commerciale et la coupe limitee a un diametre fixe ont eu comme resultat une mauvaise qualite d'arbres et une faible valeur residuelle des arbres sur pied apres de nombreuses recoltes. La coupe de diametre limite generale a eu comme resultat une valeur elevee des arbres sur pied et elle est caracterisee de maniere plus appropriee comme un systeme sylvicole plutot qu'une recolte d'exploitation lorsqu'elle est appliquee avec des limites du volume des recoltes et une sauvegarde des semenciers. Dans l'ensemble, les traitements axes sur les gains financiers a court terme ont entraine des conditions de degradation des arbres sur pied alors que ceux qui visaient a accroitre une qualite elevee des arbres ont mene a des resultats souhaitables a long terme. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: epinette-sapin, coupe progressive, coupe de jardinage, exploitation, gestion forestiere., Introduction Forest landowners and managers make decisions about whether and how to manage forests based on a number of short- and long-term considerations. For commercial landowners, return on investment or [...]

Private forest land policies in the U.S. differ by state and range from regulatory to non-regulatory. The state of California has a highly regulatory policy system to ensure sustainable forest management, and the state's family forest landowners, who hold 20% of the state's forests, navigate this regulatory system to achieve their management objectives. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 33 family forest landowners to better understand their perceptions of state forest policies, including the policies' efficacy and how they impact landowner behavior. We found that participants voiced general acceptance of California's forest policies, though they described significant concerns because of financial burdens and regulatory uncertainty. They had nuanced views regarding how the policies protect public trust resources and private property rights, suggesting that landowners' public responsibilities and private rights are not always at odds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the northeastern United States, eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) is a leading species in the forest products industry. The native pathogen Caliciopsis pinea Peck is associated with Caliciopsis canker of white pine, with symptoms including excessive resin production and cankers. This study processed 28.0 m3 of white pine lumber to (i) quantify losses resulting from Caliciopsis canker, (ii) assess how damage varies between Caliciopsis canker symptom severity and thinning, and (iii) quantify economic loss resulting from damage. Caliciopsis canker damage was present in 37% of lumber, yet only 10% was downgraded due to canker damage. Of the downgraded lumber, the vast majority (77%) lost one grade. Additionally, severely symptomatic trees consistently had more damage, and their lumber was more likely to be downgraded than trees with low symptom severity. Caliciopsis canker damage resulted in average revenue losses of 2.3%, yet much of the sampled lumber had other, more significant damage that resulted in downgrade: highly symptomatic trees averaged 63% of the revenue of low or asymptomatic trees. Caliciopsis canker, therefore, can be used as an indicator of poor quality trees. We recommend thinning Caliciopsis canker symptomatic trees to meet low-density stocking guidelines, which may minimize revenue loss while simultaneously minimizing stress to residual stock. Key words: eastern white pine, Caliciopsis canker, Caliciopsis pinea, forest products, value loss, forest pathogens. Dans le nord-est des Etats-Unis, le pin blanc (Pinus strobus L.) est une espece tres importante pour l'industrie des produits forestiers. Le champignon pathogene indigene Caliciopsis pinea Peck est responsable du chancre caliciopsien du pin blanc dont les symptomes incluent la production excessive de resine et la formation de chancres. Dans cette etude, 28,0 m3 de bois d'reuvre de pin a ete examine pour (i) quantifier les pertes causees par le chancre caliciopsien, (ii) evaluer de quelle facon les dommages varient selon la severite des symptomes et l'eclaircie, et (iii) quantifier la perte economique resultant des dommages. Des dommages causes par le chancre caliciopsien etaient presents sur 37 % du bois mais seulement 10 % du bois a ete declasse a cause de ces dommages. Parmi le bois declasse, la vaste majorite (77 %) a perdu un grade. En outre, les arbres avec des symptomes severes avaient constamment plus de dommages et leur bois avait plus de chance d'etre declasse que les arbres avec des symptomes moins severes. Les dommages causes par le chancre caliciopsien se traduisait par des pertes moyennes de revenus de 2,3 %. Par contre, la plupart du bois echantillonne avait d'autres dommages plus importants entrainant un declassement: les arbres tres symptomatiques representaient en moyenne 63 % du revenu des arbres qui avaient peu ou pas de symptomes. Par consequent, le chancre caliciopsien peut etre utilise comme indicateur de tiges de mauvaise qualite. Nous recommandons l'eclaircie pour eliminer les arbres qui montrent des symptomes du chancre caliciopsien afin de respecter les recommandations qui pronent une faible densite relative, ce qui peut minimiser les pertes de revenus tout en minimisant par le fait meme le stress chez les tiges residuelles. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: pin blanc, chancre caliciopsien, Caliciopsis pinea, produits forestiers, perte de valeur, pathogenes forestiers., Introduction Forest pests and pathogens are a leading cause of damage and value loss in North American forests (Ayres and Lombardero 2000; Dale et al. 2001; Flower and Gonzalez-Meler 2015). [...]

Commercial thinning (CT) is an important silvicultural practice in the northeastern United States. Relatively little is known, however, about the interaction of harvest system and treatment (removal intensity or timing of entry) on the overall profitability of CT. To address this question, 10-year measurements from a controlled CT experiment across six sites in Maine were used to project the long-term effect of removal intensity (33% and 50% relative density reduction) and timing of entry (no delay, 5-year delay, 10-year delay) on (i) maximum net present value (NPV), (ii) timing of maximum NPV, and (iii) the effect of three harvesting systems (cut-to-length, whole-tree, hybrid systems) on maximum NPV. A regional growth and yield model was used to project individual-tree growth and mortality into the future. Harvest costs for the harvesting systems were estimated using regional cycle-time equations. No difference was found in maximum NPV between the CT and non-CT areas or the timing of CT entry. Stand age at time of maximum NPV differed between delays but not between the two removal intensities. Our results indicate that there is no economic benefit in delaying a CT or removing more volume at the time of thinning for the range of stand conditions evaluated. Key words: commercial thinning, New England, net present value, harvesting system, spruce and fir. L'eclaircie commerciale (EC) est une pratique sylvicole importante dans le nord-est des Etats-Unis. Toutefois, on connait relativement peu l'effet de l'interaction entre le systeme de recolte et le traitement (l'intensite de recolte ou le calendrier d'application) sur la rentabilite globale de l'EC. Dans le but d'etudier cette question, des mesures prises dans un dispositif controle d'EC vieux de 10 ans et etabli dans six stations du Maine ont ete utilisees pour projeter l'effet a long terme de l'intensite de recolte (33 et 50 % de reduction de la densite relative) et de la periode d'application (pas de delai, delai de 5 ans, delai de 10 ans) sur (i) la valeur actualisee nette (VAN) maximale, (ii) le moment ou la VAN maximale est atteinte et (iii) l'effet de trois systemes de recolte (bois tronconne, arbre entier et systeme hybride) sur la VAN maximale. Un modele regional de croissance et de production a ete utilise pour projeter la croissance et la mortalite des arbres individuels dans le futur. Les couts relies aux systemes de recolte ont ete estimes a l'aide d'equations regionales pour la duree totale du cycle. Il n'y avait pas de difference de VAN maximale entre les superficies eclaircies ou non ni entre les periodes d'application de l'EC. L'age des peuplements au moment ou la VAN maximale est atteinte etait different selon le delai d'application, mais pas selon l'intensite de recolte. Nos resultats indiquent que pour la gamme de conditions de peuplements qui ont ete evaluees, il n'y a pas d'avantage economique a retarder une EC, ni a prelever plus de volume lors de l'eclaircie. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: eclaircie commerciale, Nouvelle-Angleterre, valeur actualisee nette, systeme de recolte, epinette et sapin., Introduction The management of forests for timber production generally includes a series of treatments aimed at improving stand growth and yield. Herbicide application, precommercial thinning (PCT), and commercial thinning (CT) [...]

In 1950, the US Forest Service initiated a cutting practice level (CPL) study on the Penobscot Experimental Forest in Maine on the basis of findings of a national appraisal of forestland management. Silvicultural treatments, including the selection system with 5- and 15-year cutting cycles, fixed diameter-limit cutting, and variants of commercial clearcutting, were chosen to represent "High-order," "Good," "Fair," and "Poor" cutting practices as then defined for eastern spruce-fir (Picea-Abies; northern conifer) forests. After 60 years, selection treatments have maintained a wide distribution of tree sizes, increased the proportion of mature spruce, and decreased the proportion of hardwoods; selection cutting on a 15-year cycle resulted in the highest current stand value. Fixed diameter-limit cutting resulted in the greatest harvest revenue but degraded residual stand composition, structure, and value. Outcomes of commercial clearcutting varied as a function of treatment (none, repeated harvest, or rehabilitation) after the first harvest. After 60 years, the proportion of acceptable growing stock was highest in selection and rehabilitation treatments and lowest in fixed diameter-limit and commercial clearcut treatments. Findings confirm that long-term outcomes of silvicultural treatments with attention to residual stand condition surpass those managed for short-term financial gains with regard to residual stand structure, value, and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the optimal timing and type of entry in mid-rotation, unthinned stands can be complicated by a variety of economic and biological factors. In this analysis, long-term data from the Commercial Thinning Research Network was used to project spruce-fir (Picea spp.—Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) stand growth on six different sites across Maine following six alternative thinning treatments (33% and 50% relative density removal paired with low, crown, and dominant thinning methods). Results showed that the low-thinning treatment performed best in terms of maximum net present value, stand age at time of maximum net present value, and average merchantable stem size. Although the low-thinning resulted in a 10% mean reduction in maximum net present value when compared to the control, the average merchantable stem size more than doubled. Overall, results of this analysis indicate that it may be financially responsible to commercially thin these stands using a low-thinning method and a light removal intensity, as the average merchantable stems size was increased and a mid-rotation financial return provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]