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Partnership Profile
Forest Thinnings Produce Thermomechanical Pulp and Quality Lumber
A research collaboration among FPL, University of Idaho (Moscow), Pacific Northwest Research Station, Colville National Forest, Ponderay Newsprint Company (PNC), and Ponderay Valley Fiber (PVF) has addressed two forestry-related issues, one of environmental and one of economic concern: overcrowding of forests in the western United States and a diminishing supply of pulpwood from public and private lands in the same region.Preliminary FPL research showed that small-diameter, thinned trees, once thought to be inferior, are in fact suitable for lumber and pulp production. Furthermore, less refining energy was required to produce pulp from forest thinnings than from conventional wood supplies. To convince the pulp and paper industry that thinnings are a good alternative source of wood fiber, researchers demonstrated their findings at Ponderay Newsprint company and Ponderay Valley Fiber. Results of this study show that lumber produced from forest thinnings meets or exceeds the saw mill specification. Chips generated from forest thinnings as either whole logs or sawmill residuals produced commercial-quality thermomechanical pulp for newsprint. This collaboration with the Pacific Northwest Research Station and Colville National Forest continues, now evaluating bark-beetle-killed pines for use in pulping and paper products. |