Wood Utilization Potential of Beetle-Killed Lodgepole Pine for Solid Wood Products

Several areas in the Rocky Mountains are experiencing bark beetle attacks in lodgepole pine stands. Removing dead and dying material and thinning to advised prescribed stocking levels is necessary to reduce wild fire hazards and restore vigor to the stands. The silvicultural practices required to cope with this problem call for developing appropriate markets for this resulting material. In this study the technical suitability of this material for traditional and potential products was evaluated. As a basis for comparing the dead and small thinning material with that cut from living sawtimber, various physical tests were conducted on selected 2 by 4’s. The test results were then combined into property groupings that were considered to represent the most important qualities for a given product. In all, 13 products were considered. All values for dead trees and small thinnings were expressed as a percentage of the accepted value for live lodgepole pine sawtimber. The summary of properties produced a comparative index value for each material class for the various products considered.

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