Colorado Statewide Forest Resource Assessment

They also are important partners in facilitating forest management. Withoutthis harvesting and processing infrastructure to add value to woody materialsremoved from the forest, it may not be cost-effective to conduct some foresttreatments needed to improve forest ecosystem health, protect homes andinfrastructure, and maintain the aesthetic and recreational resources of theforest.Although millions of acres of forest exist in Colorado, only a small portionis harvested each year. As a result, the state’s forest industry comprisesonly a minor portion of Colorado’s gross domestic product, and existinginfrastructure for processing wood products has been reduced by close tohalf since 1980 (CSFS 2007). A 2001 study by Colorado State University andthe USFS found that Colorado uses more than $4 billion in wood productseach year, yet only 8 percent of these products are from Colorado’s forests(Lynch and Mackes 2001). 40 The remaining 92 percent is imported from otherstates, Canada and Mexico. New ways to use harvested wood, especiallysmall-diameter trees, are needed. According to the CSFS, much of the state’sdemand for wood products could be met by small-diameter timber and otherwoody material produced by forest restoration projects. This could include:$62 million in roundwood for fencing, utility poles, etc.; $32 million in woodenergy such as fi rewood and wood pellets; $14 million in mulch, chips andsawdust; and $1.6 million in Christmas trees. 41Colorado uses extensive amounts of wood products annually, but it dependson imports from other states and countries to meet its needs. As a result,signifi cant amounts of money from Colorado’s economy are transferredelsewhere to purchase and transport wood. Despite the presence of abundantforests capable of providing many types of wood products and seriousconcerns about forest health and catastrophic fi res, Colorado continues toimport more than 90 percent of the wood it uses. In many cases, the woodbeing used is transported great distances from forests that are similar incomposition to Colorado’s forests and even less capable of producing woodfi ber. Thus excellent opportunities exist for using trees from Colorado forests.In particular, small-diameter trees removed to improve forest health andreduce fi re hazard could be utilized for some products. Additionally, policyand management questions related to Colorado’s use of imported woodshould be addressed (Lynch/Mackes 2001 42 ).Analysis: Forest management can contribute to a sustainable wood productsindustry by providing local contractors and businesses with job opportunitiesand materials for processing. The wood products industry, in turn, canfacilitate the accomplishment of forest management objectives by supplyinghuman resources to do the work and, often, by reducing the cost of neededtreatments. To identify those forested lands most suited to managementfor timber, biomass and other wood products, the CSFS recommendedhighlighting available acres by developing an analysis screen that removesdesignated wilderness areas, designated roadless areas, national parks andmonuments and lands with a slope greater than 50 percent.40This study did not include woody biomass used for bioheating and renewable energy.41Please see the Colorado Forest Products website at http://csfs.colostate.edu/cowood/cfp.html.42Wood Use at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century, Lynch and Mackes, 2001 is available at http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_rp32.pdf.52