Building Markets for Western Juniper

1. Name - Building Markets for Western Juniper

Context | Objectives | Treatment Specifics | Utilization | Targets | Pre Treatment data | Post Treatment data | Links

This is the first of three projects profiled on this website from the Gerber Stew Stewardship Contract on the BLM's Lakeview District. This project provides an example of how a local contractor has worked with a local secondary products facility, Collins Products, as well as with the BLM, to test and then build a market for western juniper clean chips. In lieu of burning thousands of acres, the BLM has been working with the stewardship contractor to remove cut and piled juniper and supply the local hardboard plant with clean chips.

The main goals of the project were forest and rangeland health and restoration; watershed improvement, wildlife habitat improvement, employment opportunities, and product development. Although rangeland restoration was the primary goal for cutting and piling the juniper, fuel loads were reduced by utilizing the juniper in lieu of burning it. Over the four years since initiation of the contract, approximately 1,400 acres have been implemented and another 500 acres are scheduled for treatment.

Many of the treatment areas had already been cut, piled, and were scheduled for burning. The BLM has been using the stewardship contract as a tool and opportunity to utilize, or in a sense "salvage", the material in lieu of burning it. The stewardship contractor has played a large role in finding a market for the material.

In the ponderosa pine/juniper woodlands, the primary objective is to improve resiliency of ponderosa pine forests and native shrub/forb habitat by reducing encroaching western juniper. Western juniper has encroached on millions of acres of rangeland in eastern Oregon and northern California as a result of fire suppression as well as other past management treatments. Well-established juniper stands are impacting the function, structure, and composition of native vegetation. The primary treatment is to cut and burn the material, or yard it to a loading point. Generally, all old-growth western juniper are reserved, and there is diameter limit of 24 inch DBH.



To assess utilization feasibility in lieu of burning, an analysis considered site variables, including access, ecological rangeland condition, slope, soils, and juniper density, along with other parameters. If the site is determined feasible for yarding, the material is yarded to a loading point, chipped, and hauled away in clean chip form to the local secondary manufacturing facility. Treatment to date has resulted in some timber stand improvement in areas where the juniper is removed from commercial ponderosa pine stands. In addition, there is a hope that the treatment will result in rangeland restoration improvement by reducing the competition with desirable grasses, shrubs, and forbs. Improving native habitat also brings wildlife and hydrologic benefits.

The ground-base yarding of the western juniper does result in some soil and vegetation disturbance. Monitoring is being done to determine the short and long term results of removing (yarding) the juniper in lieu of burning it. The project is designed to keep soil impacts, skid trails, and landing down to less than 20% of the area. Disturbance of native rangeland vegetation and increase of noxious weeds (cheat grass, medussa head, rubber bitterbrush) are being monitored closely and represent potential ecological constraints on increased utilization. Since the initiation of the contract, the Stewardship Contractor and the BLM have experimented with alternative methods of yarding the juniper to reduce impacts. Different yarding methods include; rubber-tired grapple skidders using one-end suspension, rubber-tired grapple skidders using full-suspension, and rubber-tired forwarders. Although full-suspension does result in less impact, yarding costs are higher.

One end suspension

full suspension

A limited number of contractors are willing to utilize western juniper because of the difficulty in cutting, yarding, delimbing, and grinding it. In addition to the fact that juniper does not produce large yields, ground conditions at the site of removal can be rocky. Equipment costs are generally high for a low-value product. Hence, some of the operations must be subsidized, which was stated by a number of the contractors at the pre-proposal solicitation meetings.

Cutting costs are normally paid out of fire funding and range from $118 to $190 per acre. If the site is determined feasible for yarding, costs are paid out of fire or forestry accounts. Yarding costs range from $80 to $1110 per acre. Delimbing, chipping, and hauling costs are covered by the contractor. Whatever material is not utilized is burned. Burning costs generally range from $15 to $35 per acre. Hauling costs are $2.00 per mile. The BLM's minimal price for clean chips of western juniper is $0.25 per ton. For juniper sawlogs it is $0.10 per ton. The pond value of western juniper at the present time does not cover the cutting, yarding, delimbing, chipping, and hauling costs. Hence, the government subsidizes at least the cutting and yarding of the material to a loading point. The stewardship contractor is responsible for covering the delimbing, chipping, and hauling costs.

In the surrounding area, including northern California, western juniper historically had been used primarily for firewood or hog fuel at some biomass plants. In the past 6 to 7 years, there has been a small but rapidly expanding market for juniper sawlogs where a variety of manufactured products were marketed. Only in the last 3 or 4 years has there been a sustainable demand for clean juniper chips. Western juniper under the Gerber Stew Stewardship Contract is primarily utilized as a clean chip. The woody biomass that is being generated, i.e. clean chips, meets the utilization requirements because a product is manufactured from the material.

• Lakeview District of the Bureau of Land Management