Harvest Products

The primary product harvested during first thinnings is pulpwood (generally 6” & up DBH) and is primarily used for wood pulp in making paper products. Pulpwood is also used for other products including oriented strand board (OSB), bio-energy, and wood fluff. 

The products harvested during second thinnings can include pulpwood, chip-n-saw, and small sawtimber. The pulpwood products are the same as mentioned above. Chip-n-saw (generally 8-11” DBH) comes from mid-sized trees and the outer portion of the log is chipped for chips while the inner portion of the log is sawn for small dimension lumber. Sawtimber (generally 12” & up DBH) comes from larger trees and is sawn into lumber. Waste material from chip-n-saw and sawtimber is used for fuel at the mill or sold to paper mills in the form of chips and bark. The product harvested during final harvest ideally will be majority sawtimber if the first and second thinnings have been performed correctly. 

There are also specialty products that can fall between classes. These include superpulp, veneers, and poles. Superpulp is larger sized pulpwood from which one 2 x 4 board could be cut. Superpulp is more valuable than regular pulpwood, but markets for this product are not always available. Veneers are peeled from larger sawtimber logs and used for plywood and furniture. Veneers are more valuable than regular sawtimber. Poles are the best of the sawtimber logs and must meet certain criteria to be designated as a pole. The bole of the tree must be straight with no defects and must contain a minimal amount of taper. Poles can be used for telephone poles, utility lines, marine pilings, support beams, and structural timbers. Poles are the most valuable end products. 

Good timber management provides landowners with regular cashflows during the management regimes and generates good returns when proper management produces optimal final harvests.