Markets

Logging and sales of whole logs provide income to landowners and workers in forest communities. Depending on the size of this market share, the sales may also contribute to the state tax rolls.

Measure the potential for biomass facilities to facilitate fuel treatments that lower the risk faced by officially designated high fire risk communities. Communities At Risk were initially created under the auspices of the National Fire Plan, and represent officially designated high fire risk communities. Biomass facilities can provide an economic incentive for treating areas at risk or damaged by fire or pests, including areas in and around these communities. Many areas in need of treatment do not have this incentive available due to travel time between project areas and biomass facilities.

Measure the potential for biomass facilities to facilitate fuel treatments for communities that are active in planning and conducting projects to reduce community fire risk. A CWPP is a collaborative strategic plan, developed by the community together with relevant agencies, to reduce its risk of losses from vegetation fires by managing hazardous fuels and structure vulnerability. Communities with a CWPP are likely to be more active in conducting pre-fire projects, and to be given priority for funding of hazardous fuels reduction projects carried out under the auspices of the federal Healthy Forest Restoration Act. Biomass facilities can provide an economic incentive for treating areas at risk or damaged by fire or pests, including areas in and around these communities.

Measure the number of biomass facilities that potentially facilitate treatment of forested areas to reduce fire and/or pest risk or existing damage, and contribute to local economies. The number of biomass facilities in California has been fairly dynamic, and has included new facilities as well as closures. Biomass facilities can provide an economic incentive for treating areas at risk or damaged by fire or pests. Many areas in need of treatment do not have this incentive available due to travel time between project areas and biomass facilities.

One dominant idea is that the path to sustainability includes, or consists entirely of, people's consumption choices. The idea is that as people choose the products of more sustainable pathways, total sustainability will increase. As the percent of people making these choices goes up, sustainability becomes more likely. This depends on the total population consumption also being sustainable and supportable by local, regional, or global production.

Certification of forestry operations was developed to provide assurance to wood consumers/users that the operations are not destructive to forest ecosystems or nearby communities. There has been debate over whether or not certified operations are actually sustainable (e.g., allowing clear-cutting). One advantage of certified operations is that there may be more transparency about the types of operations.

This provides a measure for the degree to which landowners are compensated for the provision of ecosystem services. This revenue could contribute to profitability of operations to keep lands in forest and range uses, for promoting management that emphasizes important ecosystem services, and for contributing to local economies. There are examples in California of programs that provide direct and/or indirect compensation to landowners for providing ecosystem services. Each of these provides a metric, which can be summed to get total dollar value.

This indicator will produce tabular and graphical reports on trends in timber growth, planned and projected timber harvests, and actual timber harvests.

Wood products range from processed logs to finished retail products (e.g., furniture). The value increases as production continues and economic benefits to a region from wood products increase as more production is carried out.

Wood products of varying types are traded among regions within the US and among countries. The net flow of wood into or out of a state and sources of wood are important types of information about sustainability of wood use within the state.