Forest products of the future | US Forest Service

Forest products of the future | US Forest Service  USDA Forest Service

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Oct 21, 2023 - 14:00
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Forest products of the future | US Forest Service

Sustainable Timber Innovations Supporting the American Way of Life

Dozens of large bags of firewood in white sacks are lined up outdoors, while a backhoe and excavator work in the background.

Bags of firewood are lined up on the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California timber yard in Gardnerville, Nevada. The tribe delivers the firewood to tribal elders and those in need across the state. Thanks to a USDA Forest Service Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance Grant, the tribe expects to double its output over the next year and beyond. (Courtesy photo provided by the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California)

Timber products have been sustaining the American way of life for centuries and are deeply rooted in our culture.

Much has been learned about sustainable forest management, timber harvesting, and forest ecology since federal management began on our forests in 1870, and the evolution of the timber industry remains crucial to meet the demands of modern life.

Wood Innovations Grants for Sustainable Forest Products

One way the Forest Service supports innovation in the forest products economy is through Wood Innovations Grants, which launched in 2015 to support America’s forests by creating and expanding both utilization and markets for sustainable wood products and wood energy.

A thick wooden frame with a diagonal wood-steel brace.

Pictured here is a timber-steel brace frame prototype, created by the University of Utah’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, that is being further developed and tested using USDA Forest Service Wood Innovations grant money. The brace is meant to protect tall buildings during earthquakes and high winds. (Courtesy photo provided by the University of Utah)

Timber for Tall Buildings

In Salt Lake City, the University of Utah’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering received $175,000 to test and certify a sophisticated timber-steel brace designed to shore up tall buildings against earthquakes and high winds.

Currently, there is only one other system on the market to protect tall buildings against such forces, according to Chris Pantelides, a professor with the University of Utah’s Environmental Engineering Department.

So far, professor Pantelides, his colleagues, and students have designed and tested a prototype and now plan to move forward in testing a larger model and eventually a full-scale version. During the tests, they will assess which types of timber and steel are strongest. The team also plans to develop software that seamlessly incorporates the timber-steel braces into architectural plans for industrial buildings.

A construction crew works on the underside of the floor where the Tahoe Forest Products sawmill is being constructed.

Workers at the Tahoe Forest Products sawmill construct the underside of the floor for the sawmill that will process logs salvaged from local wildfires and ongoing restoration projects after receiving a USDA Forest Service Wood Innovations grant last year. (USDA Forest Service photo by Chris Clark)

Scrap Wood for Pallets

Using a $300,000 Wood Innovations grant, Tahoe Forest Products in Carson City, Nevada, will design and install a specialized production line to process small-diameter logs at their new commercial sawmill on land owned by the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California. The small trees that need to be cut and removed from the forest are usually not a marketable material. This new system will use these smaller trees to produce 2x4s or be made into pallet stock, according to Kevin Leary, chairman of Tahoe Forest Products.

Tahoe Forest Products started construction in 2022 and supports work to salvage and clean up timber – large and small – in areas impacted by devastating wildfires.

The Tahoe Basin is located on the Sierra Front, which earlier this year was designated as one of 21 high-risk landscapes in the western U.S. as part of the National Wildfire Crisis Strategy.

Workers feed timber through a firewood processing <p><h2>SDGs, Targets, and Indicators</h2> <ol> <li> <p><h3>SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure</h3> <ul> <li>Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes.</li> <li>Indicator 9.4.1: CO2 emission per unit of value added in manufacturing industries and construction.</li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><h3>SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production</h3> <ul> <li>Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.</li> <li>Indicator 12.2.1: Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP.</li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><h3>SDG 13: Climate Action</h3> <ul> <li>Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.</li> <li>Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have integrated mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning into primary, secondary, and tertiary curricula.</li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><h3>SDG 15: Life on Land</h3> <ul> <li>Target 15.2: By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests, and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.</li> <li>Indicator 15.2.1: Progress towards sustainable forest management.</li> </ul> </li> </ol> <p><h2>Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators</h2> <table> <thead> <tr> <p><th>SDGs</th> <p><th>Targets</th> <p><th>Indicators</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <p><td>SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure</td> <p><td>Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes.</td> <p><td>Indicator 9.4.1: CO2 emission per unit of value added in manufacturing industries and construction.</td> </tr> <tr> <p><td>SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production</td> <p><td>Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.</td> <p><td>Indicator 12.2.1: Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP.</td> </tr> <tr> <p><td>SDG 13: Climate Action</td> <p><td>Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.</td> <p><td>Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have integrated mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning into primary, secondary, and tertiary curricula.</td> </tr> <tr> <p><td>SDG 15: Life on Land</td> <p><td>Target 15.2: By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests, and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.</td> <p><td>Indicator 15.2.1: Progress towards sustainable forest management.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><h2>Analysis</h2> <ol> <li> <p><h3>SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure</h3> <p><p>The article discusses the Wood Innovations Grants, which support innovation in the forest products economy. This aligns with SDG 9, which aims to promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation. The grants contribute to upgrading infrastructure and retrofitting industries to make them sustainable, as stated in Target 9.4. The CO2 emission per unit of value added in manufacturing industries and construction, mentioned as Indicator 9.4.1, can be used to measure progress towards this target. </li> <li> <p><h3>SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production</h3> <p><p>The article highlights the importance of sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources in the timber industry. This relates to SDG 12, which focuses on responsible consumption and production. Target 12.2 specifically aims to achieve sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. The material footprint indicators (12.2.1) can be used to measure progress in this area. </li> <li> <p><h3>SDG 13: Climate Action</h3> <p><p>The article mentions the integration of climate change measures into national policies and planning in the context of forest management. This aligns with SDG 13, which focuses on climate action. Target 13.2 aims to integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning. The indicator mentioned in the article (13.2.1) measures the number of countries that have integrated mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning into their curricula. </li> <li> <p><h3>SDG 15: Life on Land</h3> <p><p>The article discusses the importance of sustainable forest management and the promotion of afforestation and reforestation. This relates to SDG 15, which focuses on life on land. Target 15.2 specifically aims to promote the implementation of sustainable forest management and halt deforestation. The progress towards sustainable forest management (Indicator 15.2.1) can be used to measure progress towards this target. </li> </ol> <p><strong>Behold!</strong> This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together. <p><strong>Source: <a href=fs.usda.gov

 

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