Biometrics & Modeling

Forest Planning and Timber Harvest Scheduling Modeling for Multiple Private Sector Clients

May 17, 2017 |

Forest Planning Projects and Timber Harvest Modeling MB&G has completed numerous large-scale forest planning projects that incorporate harvest modeling or sustainable yield analysis for public agencies, private clients, and tribal organizations. Over the past 15 years, we have built over 100 timber harvest scheduling models in support of long-term forest management planning and/or appraisal purposes covering over 45 million acres. Each modeling effort is unique, reflecting the analytical objectives of the assignment, the form of the available data, and the time and budget available. Most of these properties are in the West, although we support other forested US regions, as well as South America. Inventory data ranges from complete stand-based inventories to much detailed and summarized data. We recognize that collecting inventory data is costly, and we make as much use of the available data as we can. Where inventory data are not detailed, we are careful not to attribute more precision or specificity than can be supported by the underlying data. Remsoft Expertise Most of our forest planning models are linear programming models and we currently use Woodstock — a commercial linear programming harvest scheduling model published by Remsoft (www.remsoft.com). We find that formulating a problem in terms of objectives and constraints is a natural approach to forest management problems and lends itself to creating and evaluating alternatives. We also have the capability to build heuristic planning models. Project CategoriesForestry Projects Forest Managment Forest Planning Biometrics & Modeling Appraisals Investment Management Due Diligence Forest Economics International Projects Environmental Projects Botanical Resources Wildlife Resources Fish & Aquatic Resources Wetlands Water Quality Restoration Permitting Construction Support Geospatial Projects Data Management Data Development...

Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Forest Planning

May 17, 2017 |

Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Sustained Yield Calculation and Habitat Conservation Plan Support MB&G developed a timber harvest scheduling model and performed a sustained yield calculation for the the 700,000+ state forest trust acres managed byMontana DNRC. MB&G then enhanced that model and performed the forest management modeling to support the DNRC’s effort to develop a habitat conservation plan, which was completed in 2010. Some years prior, the agency had completed a planning process that established objectives and management guidelines, but had not yet made a harvest calculation. We worked closely with DNRC’s silviculturalist, inventory forester, and fish and wildlife biologists to complete that work. DNRC had an extensive stand-level inventory – polygons delineated and typed across a wide variety of characteristics. We developed a variety of management regimes for each type, ranging from high-intensity even-aged regimes (plant, PCT, CT, final harvest) to low-intensity uneven-aged regimes designed to create a more complex forest structure. Several regimes were designed to create and maintain old-growth characteristics, or conditions for specific wildlife habitats such as lynx denning habitat, elk winter range, riparian areas, etc. Using data layers provided by DNRC, MB&G prepared all of the GIS layers needed to represent the land base in the forest management model. There were about 15 layers that were important in various parts of the modeling effort. We helped DNRC select and calibrate a growth model to meet expectations and observations. MB&G built a timber harvest scheduling model using the USFS Spectrum program. The linear programming-based model used an extensive set of constraints to represent a wide variety of management objectives and regulatory constraints....

Montana Fish & Willdlife Forest Inventory and Sustainable Yield Project

May 8, 2014 |

MB&G was contracted by the Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks to complete two phases of a forest inventory and sustainable yield study. The second phase included the development of an integrated Esri geodatabase to monitor and track timber inventory and infrastructure maintenance.