More lumber plantations coming to West?

[rnnlv succESS by a relatively new western hardwood I-llspecies may lead other producers to emulate its production and marketing game plan with alder and other established western hardwoods.

The newcomer is hybrid poplar marketed as Pacific Albus. Planted as an irrigated plantation crop for providing chips to the pulp industry, it has since been allowed to grow and become saw timber. It takes eight or nine years to be a chip crop and 12 to 13 years for saw timber.

The dominant western hardwood species remains alder, marketing throughout the world for over a half century. The demand for alder is sreater than the available har- vestable supply, even though the growing stock inventory gets bigger every year. The difference between growing stock inventory and that which is available for harvest is the restrictions from governmental agencies to purportedly protect water quality and fish populations. Sound science does not show a direct correlation between harvesting and fish/water issues. It seems obvious that restricting harvesting is leaving more fuel in the forests to burn, causing runoff into the streams, and polluting the water and fish habitat.

Now, alder is taking a lesson from Pacific Albus and looking more at agriculture plantations as well as forestry applications. A superior alder seedling is now available in limited quantities that are expected to grow faster and straighter without sacrificing strength and outstanding workability characteristics associated with alder. The clones would have a longer planting window in the spring because of their reduced susceptibility to late frost and early sun scald. Saw timber growth could be under 20 years, compared to the 30 years for today's alder crop.

Other featured western hardwood species would include big leaf maple, California black walnut, chinquapin, Oregon white oak, Pacific madrone, tanoak, western ash, western birch, and western red oak.

The trend will be one of many studied in May 2013 during the Western Hardwood Association's international convention and exposition in Portland, Or. Buyers from offshore and the U.S. East Coast will be exposed to a smorgasbord of western hardwoods from primary producers, secondary producers, wholesalers, importers and exporters.

More than 30 exhibitors will be available to show more than a dozen western hardwood species. Lumber, millwork, and finished products will be highlighted. Information and training seminars will also be featured during the two-day event.

Partners with WHA in this endeavor include the American Hardwood Export Council, Oregon State University-Wood Innovation Center, Washington State University, University of Washington, Washington Hardwoods Commission, and Washington Farm Forestry Association. More partners are welcome.

Western Hardwood Association was started in 1955 to expand the world's knowledge of western hardwoods. Its recently revised mission statement is "authoritative resource for a sustainable, profitable, and growing western hardwood industry."

- Dave Sweitzer is secretarylmanager of the Western Hardwood Association, Camas, Wa. Reach him at (360) 835I 900 or w ha@ we sternhardwood.org.