Partnership Promotes
Business and Forest Health

Fencing Using Dip-Diffusion Treated Spruce Posts in southeastern Utah

To reduce devastating forest fires like those that swept the country in 2000, the US Forest Service has funded a pilot program that supports existing revolving loan funds (RLFs), placing an emphasis on forest products small businesses in the Four Corners region of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. Administered by the Four Corners Sustainable Forests Partnership, the program is designed to increase employment, help diversify local economies, lessen energy dependency, and reduce the risk of forest fires by providing loans to small diameter tree utilization businesses that contribute to hazardous fuels reduction and sustainable forestry.

The partnership was established in 1997 by the state foresters of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. In 1999, the partnership received funding from the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service State and Private Forestry Economic Action Programs to address forest health and ecosystem restoration challenges in 50 counties immediately adjacent to and impacted by public lands management.

The goal of the partnership is to mitigate forest loss through insect and disease outbreaks and catastrophic wildfire. To achieve this, the partnership works to strengthen and diversify rural economies by supporting community-led projects that achieve forest restoration and create high-value manufacturing opportunities with the byproducts. Priorities of the partnership include: a demonstration grants program, a public education and information campaign, a forest products utilization and marketing program, and most recently, a revolving low-interest loan program to assist rural forest products business with capital equipment upgrades.

The new loan fund will be supported by other partnership programs, which include the following:

• The Community-based Forest Restoration Demonstration Program — Examples include Zuni Pueblo forest restoration and small diameter timber products development, region-wide double diffusion wood treatment demonstrations, and organizational development of the Southern Utah Forest Products Association.

• The Region-wide Utilization and Marketing Technical Assistance Program — Provides technical assistance to forest-based businesses through workshops, site visits and consulting services.

• The Public Information Campaign Linking Community Well-being to Ecosystem Health — Provides information about forests and sustainable forestry.

• Regional Education and Network — Encourages information sharing about forestry issues, including the Taos, New Mexico Strategic Action Roundtable and the Ponderosa Pine Ecosystems Restoration and Conservation Conference at Northern Arizona University.

Since the summer of 2000, the partnership, in cooperation with the Colorado State Forest Service, has funded a full-time position in forest products utilization and marketing. The goal of the utilization and marketing program is to link the ecology and economy of forest health and restoration by assisting southwestern rural communities with forestry and forest product business retention, expansion and creation. According to Tim Reader, the Utilization and Marketing Forester for the program, during the program’s initial year, over 50 forest products businesses (sawmills) were visited to discuss challenges of product and market development of plentiful small diameter ponderosa pines. Recent efforts have demonstrated potential for increased mill residue use, finger and edge-glued product and market development, and structural roundwood applications. An alternative wood preservative treatment has been particularly well-received by forest products manufacturers. Reader notes, “Compared to conventional pressure treatment, this innovative method offers the potential for lower cost, comparable treatment effectiveness and performance, and has relatively low regulatory burdens.”

By William Amt, NADO Research Foundation Program Manager
For information about the loan fund and the partnership, contact Bob Dettmann of the US Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Region at (303) 275-5741 or bdettmann@fs.fed.us. For information on the utilization and marketing program, contact Tim Reader at (970) 247-5250 or treader@fone.net.

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