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Precision Forestry is:
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using high technology sensing and analytical tools
to support site-specific economic, environmental, and
sustainable decision making for the forestry sector.
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As Washingtonians we have a great
respect and concern for the forests of our state. We want
our forests to provide us with wood products to use, a
place to work, and water to drink, without compromising
on recreational opportunities, aesthetic beauty, and wildlife
habitat.
The ever increasing scrutiny of public
resource protection, as well as regulations such as those that resulted
from the Forest & Fish Report,
have created a need for a new level of detailed information.
The economic need to use forest products to the fullest
has also raised the importance of quality detailed information
about the products and their manufacture. |
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Refining Forestry and Manufacturing Processes
Information
Quality information about forests and the manufacturing
of forest products helps maximize economic return while
meeting environmental regulations.
Precision Forestry believes that there is value in collecting,
analyzing, and storing detailed forest data. New rules
to govern commercial timber land in Washington State were
put into place as a result of the Forest & Fish Report.
These rules require much more intensive, precise, and
documented information about forest resources and landscape
attributes.
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Examples:
- Harvesting When harvesting near a riparian
area, the size, species, and number of trees need
to be known to create a buffer area. This information
is used in a mathematical formula to determine the
species and number of trees that can be harvested.
- Road Maintenance To help prevent sediment
from the ditchline of a road from entering a steam,
a ditch relief culvert must be placed near each stream
crossing to carry ditch water under the road where
this sediment can disperse onto the forest floor.
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These above examples require very
precise information and currently very little of this
type of precise data is being collected and stored in
a consistent, repeatable manor.
Tools
Precision Forestry will provide the tools to make good
decisions. These tools will gather data about trees, animals,
water, and soil in the forest to a higher level of resolution
than previously possible. This supports the development
of more thorough and detailed plans for forest land management
that are being demanded today. At the operational level,
plans with a higher level of resolution can be implemented
and reviewed on the ground to the same level of detail
as designed. This creates a complete loop in the process
making possible documentation of actions and adaptation
of processes as more research is performed and our understanding
is increased.
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Types of tools:
- LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) and
IFSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar).
Can be used to study forest canopy characteristics,
and to develop highly accurate digital elevation models,
which are useful in determining stream channel initiation
points, topography under forest canopy, etc.
- GPS (Global Positioning System) and Inertial
Navigation Systems. Used for navigation under forest
canopies for purposes like electronically mapping
and marking riparian trees
- GIS (Geographic Information Systems)
- RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags
on trees.
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Process
These tools make possible highly repeatable measurements,
actions, and processes to initiate, cultivate, and harvest
trees, as well as, enhance riparian zones, wildlife habitat,
and other environmental resources. They provide valuable
information linkages between resource managers and processors. |
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Opportunities
- Meeting society's growing demands for wood and fiber
products
- Improving productivity
- Best use of raw materials in forest products manufacturing
- Inventory chain of custody controls for forest product
certification
- Providing more and better jobs, mostly in rural
areas
- Profitable companies
- Long-term sustainability of companies
- Meeting society's growing demands for environmental
stewardship
- Proactive management of riparian areas
- Reduced negative environmental consequences of forestry
Results
Precision Forestry will make possible:
Detailed forest engineering, management, and habitat plans
implemented accurately and subject to rigorous review.
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The Precision Forestry Home Page is provided by the College of Forest Resources.
© 2000 - University of Washington, Precision Forestry Cooperative, including all photographs and images unless otherwise noted.
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