Development and Implementation of a Red Alder Tree Farm Program

1
Development and Implementation of a Red Alder
Tree Farm Program

• Western Hardwood Association
• Annual Meeting
• 26-27 June, 2005

2
Key Topics

• Introduction
• History of red alder
• Drivers and Needs
• Tree Farm Program Development
• Plant Material
• Management Approaches and Strategies
• Key Program Issues
• Next Step

3
GreenWood Resources Introduction

• GWR Specializes in high yield fast growing tree
  farms
• Primary hardwood species is poplar where we are
  managing over 15,000 acres of poplar tree farms
  in the Pacific Northwest for multiple markets
  such as solidwood, chips for pulp and paper, and
  biomass energy
• Internationally recognized for our tree
  improvement program on superior poplar clones and
  expanding this work into red alder
• Company initiative on a red alder tree farm
  program
• Expanding into China and Chile

4
History of Red Alder

• Weed tree versus crop tree
• History has been about conversion of red alder
  stands to conifer stands

5
History of Red Alder

• Move towards a different understanding in
  managing red alder

Long-term trend analysis suggests a growing market
6
Red Alder Tree Farm ProgramDrivers and Needs

• Export Markets

US red alder lumber exports, by destination,
1989-2004
Red alder
CBM
CBM
Total 2004 117.5 MMBF
7
Red Alder Tree Farm ProgramDrivers and Needs

• Domestic markets have seen a steady increase in
  both use of alder and geographic reach

8
Red Alder Tree Farm ProgramDrivers and Needs

• Supply and Demand
• Historical management
• Regulation
• Sources of alder supply
• Standing Inventory
• Milling capacity and market demand

9
Red Alder Tree Farm ProgramDrivers and Needs

• Historical management
• Regulation

Riparian Management AreasMedium to Large
StreamsFish habitat or Domestic waters
Total Riparian Buffer width No-cut buffer width
Oregon 50 to 100 ft (15 to 30 m) 20 ft (6 m)
Washington 90 to 200 ft (27 to 61 m) 50 ft (15 m)
British Columbia 164 to 328 ft (50 to 100 m) 0 to 164 ft (0 to 50 m)
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Red Alder Tree Farm ProgramDrivers and Needs

• Sources of alder supply and standing inventory

Source USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis, BC
Ministry of Forests 1995-2000
Source USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis
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Red Alder Tree Farm ProgramDrivers and Needs

• Sources of alder supply and standing inventory
• 9,000 mmbf

Source 2002 GIS results - Washington Hardwoods
Commission
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Red Alder Tree Farm ProgramDrivers and Needs

• Milling capacity and market demand
• 350 - 500 mmbf annual capacity
• More demand than supply

13
Red Alder Tree Farm ProgramDrivers and Needs

• How do we define the need for a tree farm
  planting program?
• Regional milling capacity
• Market demand
• Inventory and Sustainable yield
• Estimated milling 500 mmbf/yr
• Demand ?
• Sustainable yield - 250 mmbf/yr
• Additional supply need 250 mmbf/yr

Annual Vol. Growth
Removals
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Red Alder Tree Farm ProgramProgram Development

• Plant material
• Management Approaches and Strategy
• Key Program Issues

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Red Alder Tree Farm Program Plant Material
current supply

• Native forest seedlings
• Quality of seedlings
• Limited availability of supply

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Red Alder Tree Farm Program Plant Material
cloning through selection

• Cloning through selection and vegetative
  propagation to achieve superior genetics
• Weyerhaeuser has been working on vegetative
  propagation of alder and has been field testing a
  large number of selected clones in the last 5
  years

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Red Alder Tree Farm Program Plant Material
hybrid red alder

• Hybrid red alder
• Using techniques perfected in poplar breeding
• Testing to determine if
• Achieve superior growth characteristics
• Resistant to insects and diseases and frost
  damage
• Understanding changes to wood properties
• Techniques for cost effective scale up of
  selected hybrid clones

18
Red Alder Tree Farm ProgramManagement Approaches
and Strategies

• Alder has to compete with other hardwoods
  particularly in the southern hemisphere
• Key factors for success
• Be disease and cold tolerant
• Be grown to sizes that can be economically
  processed in shorter rotations
• Have consistent stem form and predictable,
  consistent, and desirable wood properties
• Survive and grow consistently when planted on
  prepared sites and managed intensively

19
Red Alder Tree Farm Program Management
Approaches and Strategies

• Intensive management on natural forest setting
  through natural regeneration or replanting
• Target 20 mbf/acre, 20-25 yr rotation
• Tree planting on agricultural land
• Target 20-25 mbf/acre, 18-20 yr rotation

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20
Red Alder Tree Farm Program Management
Approaches and Strategies
KEYS TO A SUCCESSFUL RED ALDER PLANTATION

• Site Selection
• Quality Seedlings and Timing of Planting
• Density management
• Thorough Weed Control
• Pruning strategy
• Good Management Oversight

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Red Alder Tree Farm Program Management
Approaches and Strategies

• Examples of Strategy
• Intensive management of natural stands
• 400 mmbf/yr 25 yr rotation 20 mbf/acre yield
• 20,000 acres harvested per year 500,000 acres
• Tree farming on agricultural land
• 400 mmbf/yr 18 yr rotation 25 mbf/acre yield
• 16,000 acres harvested per year 288,000 acres

22
Red Alder Tree Farm ProgramKey Program Issues

• Approaches
• Industrial landowners
• Non-industrial landowners- small landowners
• Forest lands
• Agricultural lands
• Plant Material Improvement and Supply
• RD, Education/Information
• Growth and yield
• Inventory
• Sustain yield

23
Red Alder Tree Farm Program
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Red Alder Tree Farm ProgramKey Program Issues

• Leadership and Industry support
• Capital structure/financing
• Other species?

25
Red Alder Tree Farm ProgramKey Program Issues

• Poplar Tree Farm
• Example
• 20-35 mbf/acre rotation 10-12 years
• 400 mmbf per year 30 mbf/ac, 11 yrs, 150,000
  acres
• Current developments in the region for solidwood
  gt30,000 acres
• Wood properties
• Market development
• Sustained yield and FSC model
• Future potential volume gt70 mmbf per yr

26
Red Alder Tree Farm Program Next Steps and
Action Items

• Focus on the Overall Goal
• Continue to build a strong and sustainable
  hardwood industry for the region