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Chip-and-Ship Project2020-08-14T21:02:17+00:00

Chip-and-Ship Project

A pilot project led by ERI’s professor Han-Sup Han and research associate Jeff Halbrook has the potential to unlock a critical bottleneck in forest restoration and wildfire prevention efforts across northern Arizona.

The pilot project tested the logistics and efficacy of chipping and shipping wood products via railway transportation. The goal is to expand forest product markets domestically and internationally. If successful, the project will create markets for restoration byproducts, like boards, shavings, sawdust, and wood chips from small-diameter trees, and protect communities from catastrophic wildfire and post-fire flooding by speeding forest restoration efforts in Arizona.

The first phase of the project took place at Camp Navajo over the course of eight days in August 2019. It included chipping 1,150 tons of small-diameter logs extracted from forest restoration projects like the Four Forest Restoration Initiative, which has struggled to find markets for the low-value wood removed from its thinning efforts. The wood chips were then loaded onto 58 shipping containers and transported to South Korea via railway and cargo ships.

A report on findings was released December 2019, and can be accessed here. For more information, contact Director of Forest Operations and Biomass Utilization Dr. Han-Sup Han at Han-Sup.Han@nau.edu.

Read more about the project in the news.

The Chip and Ship crew receiving the first shipping container to fill with chips
Shipping container full of chips, being loaded on to a train to be shipped
Chipped trees put in shipping container ready to load on to the train
Shipping container full of chips about to be loaded on a train to be shipped out
A shipping container full of wood chips
Industrial Chipper
Shipping container full of chips and ready to load
Trees being chipped and placed into shipping container

Chip-and-Ship Fact Sheet

READ THE FACT SHEET

Chip-and-Ship: Technical Report

READ THE REPORT

Recent Publications

Long-term ecological responses to landscape-scale restoration in a western United States dry forest

Tree thinning and prescribed surface fire are common forest restoration strategies in the dry forests of the western United States. These treatments are often assessed at small scales rather than across large areas. This study evaluated forest structure, regeneration, old-tree mortality, and tree growth over 21 years in a large (2114 ha) Ponderosa pine-Gambel oak forest in northern Arizona. By the end of the study, tree density and basal area in the treated area were reduced by 56% and 38%, respectively, compared to the untreated control. Conifer seedling densities generally declined while hardwood sprouting increased post-treatment. Old oak tree mortality was higher in the treated area, likely due to fire injury. The mean annual basal area increment of individual trees was 93% higher in the treated area than in the control. These findings offer valuable insights for large-scale restoration efforts in dry, fire-dependent forests.

READ MORE

Fact Sheet: Indigenous Biomass Use for Forest and Community Well-Being: A Case Study of Wood For Life

Indigenous Nations have long used forest biomass to maintain forest health and provide for heating, cooking, building, and cultural purposes. Globally, forest biomass is becoming vital for reducing fossil fuel reliance and enhancing energy sovereignty. Historical increases in fossil fuel use, fire suppression policies, and Indigenous land dispossession reduced Indigenous biomass use, resulting in overstocked, wildfire-prone forests. Recently, support for forest restoration and energy sovereignty has led to new partnerships between Indigenous Nations and federal land agencies. However, knowledge gaps remain about Indigenous biomass use, including partnership roles, sustainability barriers, and successful organizational structures. This study aims to address these gaps.

READ MORE

Return on investments in restoration and fuel treatments in frequent-fire forests of the American west: A meta-analysis

Arid forests in the American West are overly dense and need fuel reduction and fire regime restoration. Forest restoration efforts, such as thinning and prescribed burning, aim to reduce wildfire risks. Despite their importance, the cost-effectiveness of these programs is not well understood. This study conducted a meta-analysis of 120 observations from 16 studies over the past two decades to evaluate the benefits and costs of forest restoration and fuel treatments. Results showed significant variation in benefits, from enhanced ecosystem services to avoided wildfire costs. In high-value, at-risk watersheds, every dollar invested in restoration yielded up to seven dollars in benefits, achieving a 600% return on investment.

READ MORE

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Northern Arizona University sits at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, on homelands sacred to Native Americans throughout the region.
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ERI's research is funded by many sources, including the USDA Forest Service and the AZ Board of Regents through the Technology, Research and Innovation Fund (TRIF).



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