Some considerations in planning a mobile logging operation

The vast timber resource of the Pacific Northwest has been dwindling rapidly particularly in those areas of good accessibility close to the markets. This, together with the increased demand of a buoyant market and a rapidly expanding forest products industry,has made it necessary to recover the greatest possible amount of timber from the accessible forest acreages, and to utilize those areas previously considered inaccessible or uneconomic. In order to accomplish this, the logging industry has changed from its former role as exploiter of a large natural resource and is approaching its future role of forest manager, in which it will stress conservation and increased utilization of the available timber previously considered unmarketable. During the last decade logging operators have had to modify the traditional logging methods designed to cope with large volumes on accessible timber tracts. This has been achieved by increasing the mobility of operations, in order to cope with scattered stands of lower timber volume growing on land that is more difficult to log. Also by introducing a variety of methods for handling smaller logs, a greater wood volume per acre is being recovered. This thesis is a discussion of the planning of a modern mobile logging operation in order to take the maximum advantage of the new machines and methods of logging that have been developed. A comparison is made of the advantages and limitations of the machinery introduced recently to logging operations in order to outline the methods of operation whereby these machines may be used most effectively. The method of planning a layout is considered so that logging engineering, economics, and silvicultural considerations may be balanced in order to get the most effective utilization of the present forest crop, and to provide for the rapid regeneration and protection of the future crop.Forestry, Faculty ofGraduat