"If only these markets existed," they lamented, "more timber management would be practiced and financial returns would be improved."
In some areas, the introduction of scragg mills in the early 1980s provided markets for short bolts. However, the mills wanted mainly oak so the minor species were ignored by cutters. Thinnings and timber stand improvement did not increase significantly, but the harvest of pole-size timber did.
Today, more than 80 percent of the total volume of wood harvested in Missouri is oak. This percentage has increased steadily since 1987.
In 1990, Missouri's new forest survey attracted the attention of large paper companies needing hardwood chips. They were also attracted by Missouri's river transportation access, and an annual growth surplus. However, lack of experience in harvesting pulpwood and the absence of mechanized logging equipment created doubt that enough pulpwood could be delivered to a market.
Companies determined that Missouri's forest resource would be able to provide both the volume required by existing wood industries and that needed to support a chip manufacturing facility. Yet it was 1996 before there was a commitment to construct a chip mill in southeast Missouri by Willamette Industries. That plant is now providing hardwood chips to its parent pulp and paper mill in Hawesville, Ky.
Following closely on the heels of Willamette Industries, Canal Wood Corporation announced construction of a chipping facility near Scott City. A large portion of Canal's hardwood chips will be exported for paper production. Combined, the two plants will produce 500,000 to 600,000 tons of chips annually.
Immediately after the announcement of a second chip manufacturing plant, environmental groups questioned the sustainability of production for the two plants and their impact on the traditional sawlog-oriented wood industry. There were also unsubstantiated rumors about the location of several other chip mills across southern Missouri.
Media coverage has been constant since that time and the two companies have come under scrutiny from several regulatory agencies as a result. The message generally coming from the media is that the volume of wood required to feed these two plants will cause the clearcutting of all of southern Missouri in only a few years. That kind of information tells only one side of a broader story.
Pulpwood markets can generate income when a landowner needs to clear land of timber and convert it to other uses. Exploitation of the forest resource happens daily: by agriculture, by urbanization and by the wood processing industry. But the positive aspects of hardwood pulpwood markets for Missouri forest landowners are being largely ignored. Timber management options increase with the addition of these markets. Shorter term financial return opportunities increase. Competition for wood fiber generally means that landowners receive higher prices for their wood commodities. And lastly, management for high quality sawlogs and veneer logs is more desirable than ever because it will produce lots of pulpwood and other intermediate products during the rotation. The expense of timber stand improvement will no longer be necessary because commercial thinning will be economically possible. Why wouldn't forest landowners be excited about the increased opportunities of these new markets? It is a win/win situation for both landowners and forest management.
Here is a challenge for you. How many forest owners do you know who are not convinced that they should be using a stewardship ethic and the best scientific management practices available? The number of professional foresters is relatively small when it comes to reaching nearly 300,000 landowners. Think how many people could learn from you if you took the initiative to talk with them on the subject. Chip mill markets can positively influence forestry in Missouri if timber owners know how to fit the harvest practices into their management objectives. The next time you see a negative article or news clip about chip mills, ask yourself about the other side of the story. There is always another side!
- Shelby Jones, consulting forester