英文低碳建筑滅火

FightingWildfires

withLow-CarbonBuildings

MassTimberMadefromColoradoWildfireThinningsIsa

WinforLocalForests,Communities,andtheGlobalClimate

Report/September2024

AuthorsandAcknowledgments

Authors

SatyamMaharaj

AurimasBukauskas

Authorslistedalphabetically.AllauthorsfromRMIunlessotherwisenoted.

Contacts

VictorOlgyay,volgyag@

SatyamMaharaj,smaharaj@

AurimasBukauskas,abukauskas@

CopyrightsandCitation

SatyamMaharajandAurimasBukauskas,FightingWildfireswithLow-CarbonBuildings,RMI,2024,https:///insight/fighting-fire-with-factories-mass-timber-made-from-colorado-wildfire-thinnings-is-a-win-for-local-forests-communities-and-the-global-climate/.

RMIvaluescollaborationandaimstoacceleratetheenergytransitionthroughsharingknowledgeandinsights.Wethereforeallowinterestedpartiestoreference,share,andciteourworkthroughthe

CreativeCommonsCCBY-SA4.0license.

/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

.

Coverimage:ThePlatteFifteenprojectinDenverdemonstratestheuseofglue-laminatedtimberand

cross-laminatedtimberinafive-storyofficebuilding.Thesearejusttwoexamplesofthemanyvalue-

addedproductsthatcouldbemadeusingundervaluedtreesharvestedinwildfiremitigationtreatmentsinColorado.Suchvalue-addedwoodproductscouldhelppayforforestmanagementtreatmentsneededin2.5millionacresofColorado’sforests.PhotocourtesyofThinkWood.

AllotherimagesusedarefromiSunlessotherwisenoted.

Acknowledgments

WewouldliketoexpressoursinceregratitudetotheGatesFamilyFoundation,MightyArrowFoundation,NationalForestFoundation,andtheUSForestServicefortheirgeneroussupport.Theircontributionshavebeeninstrumentalinoureffortstoefficientlyandaccuratelygathertherelevantinformationforthisreport.WealsoacknowledgeandappreciatethevaluablecollaborationoftheColoradoMassTimberCoalitionfortheirtirelessworkinadvancingthisinitiative.

Wewouldalsoliketospecificallythankthefollowingindividualsfortheirinvaluablefeedbackandcontributionstothiswork:AliciaBlake,EmilyDawson,AmandaWestFordham,TomFry,TomGougeon,KyleHanson,TheoHooker,WhitneyJohnson,AndrewKatz,GregKingsley,WillLepry,MattMcCombs,KevinNaranjo,MarisaRepka,MarcusSelig,AdamSmith,TimReader,SteveMarshall,KathrynFernholz,AshleyWoolman,KyleWeber.

FightingWildfireswithLow-CarbonBuildings/2

hARMl

AboutRMI

RMIisanindependentnonprofit,foundedin1982asRockyMountainInstitute,thattransformsglobalenergysystemsthroughmarket-drivensolutionstoalignwitha1.5°Cfutureandsecureaclean,

prosperous,zero-carbonfutureforall.Weworkintheworld’smostcriticalgeographiesandengage

businesses,policymakers,communities,andNGOstoidentifyandscaleenergysysteminterventionsthatwillcutclimatepollutionatleast50percentby2030.RMIhasofficesinBasaltandBoulder,Colorado;NewYorkCity;Oakland,California;Washington,D.C.;Abuja,Nigeria;andBeijing.

FightingWildfireswithLow-CarbonBuildings/3

Contents

ExecutiveSummary 5

ColoradoForests’ChallengingFuture 6

ManagingForests,ManagingFire 9

“EatingtheProblem”withWoodProducts 12

Jump-StartingColorado’sResilientLocalForestEconomies 15

CalltoAction 18

AdditionalInformation 19

Endnotes 20

FightingWildfireswithLow-CarbonBuildings/4

ExecutiveSummary

ForestsarepartofwhatmakesColoradospecial.IndigenouspeoplesusedwildfiretomanageColorado’sforestsformillennia,andthesepracticesarestillrelevant.Todayclimatechange,forestoverstocking

causedbyacenturyoffiresuppression,andpopulationincreasesinthewildland-urbaninterfacemake“uncharacteristic”wildfiresincreasinglylikelyandtheirconsequencesmoresevere.1

Thescienceisclear:forestthinning—aforestrypracticethatinvolvestheselectiveremovaloftrees

toreducetreedensity—canimproveaforest’sresiliencetouncharacteristicwildfiresthathavebeen

exacerbatedbyclimatepollution.2ThinningalsoprotectsColorado’sdrinkingwatersupplies,conserves

wildlife,andhelpskeepforestsasforests.However,thinningisexpensive,andthesmall-diametertrees

(lessthan9inches)harvestedinthesetreatmentshavehistoricallyhadlittletonomarketvalue.Thismakesthinningprohibitivelyexpensive,potentiallycostingColoradotaxpayersbillionsinthecomingdecades.3

Forestthinning—aforestrypracticethatinvolvesthe

selectiveremovaloftreestoreducetreedensity—canimproveaforest’sresiliencetouncharacteristicwildfiresthathavebeenexacerbatedbyclimatepollution....

[It]protectsColorado’sdrinkingwatersupplies,

conserveswildlife,andhelpskeepforestsasforests.

Inrecentyears,however,newbuildingtechnologiessuchasmasstimber,aclassofhigh-performance

engineeredwoodbuildingproducts,haveshownpotentialforusingtreesharvestedfromthinnings.

Thiscouldeventuallyhelpoffsetthecostoftreatmentsbysendingrevenuebacktoforests.Because

masstimberhaslowerembodiedcarbonthansteelorconcrete,buildinginthiswaywouldalsoreduce

thecarbonpollutionassociatedwithconstruction—whichcontributes11%ofglobalgreenhousegas

emissions.4Localmasstimberproductioncanalsocreatenewhigh-qualityjobsforruralColoradansinthecommunitiestheyalreadycallhome.MasstimbermadefromColoradowildfirethinningsisawinforlocalforests,communities,andtheglobalclimate.

FightingWildfireswithLow-CarbonBuildings/5

ColoradoForests’ChallengingFuture

Past,Present,andFutureofWildfiresinColorado

ForestsareakeypartofwhatmakesColoradospecial.Formillennia,wildfireshaveplayedanintegralroleinthestate’sforestecology,withIndigenouspeoplehistoricallypracticinglow-intensityburningasapartofmanagingthelandscape.5Thesefiresburnedsmall-diametertreesandbrushwhileleavinglargertreesaspartofthelandscape.In1910,aftertheBigBlowup,itheUSForestServiceadoptedmandatoryfire-

suppressionpolicies.6Thisshiftaimedtosafeguardtimberreservesandsettlementsfromwildfirethreats.However,theabsenceofregularfiresinfire-dependentforestsmeansthattodayColorado’sforestsare

overstockedwithexcessivesmall-diametertreesthatprovidefuelforwildfiresandelevatethelikelihoodofuncharacteristichigh-intensitywildfires.Record-breakingfiresinrecentyears,suchasthoseinthe2020fireseason,havedevastatedColoradocommunitiesandincurredsubstantialcosts.Climatechangeamplifieswildfirerisksandintensities,makingdevastatingfireseasonslike2020upto10timesmorelikely.7

RiskstoLifeandProperty

Humansettlementinthewildland-urbaninterface(WUI),overrecentdecadesinColorado,hasputmore

peopleatriskfromtheimpactsofwildfire.Nearly1millionpropertiesinColoradoarecurrentlyfacinganincreasedriskofwildfiredamageoverthenext30years.Human-causedclimatechangeamplifiesthisrisk,resultingina19%increaseinthenumberofhomes,businesses,schools,andpublicbuildingsatriskduringthisperiod.8TheWUIisaround4.5millionacres—andisexpectedtodoubleto9millionacresby2040.9

RiskstoWatersheds

In2015,80%ofColoradansreliedonforestedwatershedsfortheirdrinkingwater.10High-intensitywildfires

disruptwatershedhealth,affectingwaterqualityandsupply.Increasederosionandrunoffafterafirecanleadtosedimentbuildupinwaterwaysandreservoirs.Restoringreservoirsisaprotractedandcostlyendeavor.The1996BuffaloCreekfireandthe2002HaymanFireledtomorethan$27millionindamagestowatersources.11

ThreatstotheColoradoWayofLife

OutdoorrecreationiscentraltothelifestyleofColoradansaswellasthestate’stourismindustry.In2022,Colorado’stourismindustrygeneratedarecord$27.7billionintravelspending.12Thestatewelcomed90 millionvisitors,whichincluded38.4millionovernightvisitors.Thissubstantialtourismactivitysupported

iTheBigBlowupwasa3millionacreforestfireinwesternMontanaandnorthernIdahothatkilled85people,78ofwhomwerefirefighters.

FightingWildfireswithLow-CarbonBuildings/6

morethan176,800jobsandcontributed$1.7billioninstateandlocaltaxrevenues.Uncharacteristic

wildfiresjeopardizethehealthandscenicbeautyofColorado’snaturallandscapes,adverselyaffectinglocalcommunitywell-beingandthevitalityofColorado’stourismsector.

RiskstoCleanAir

WildfiresareacriticalthreattoColorado’sairquality,primarilythroughthereleaseoffineparticulatematter(PM2.5)insmoke,whichcanaffectlungandhearthealthbypenetratingthelungsand

bloodstream.13Recentstudieshavedocumentedanincreaseindayswithsmoke,linkedtotheburningofdenserfuelsandtheemissionsofmoreharmfulparticulates.14Thisexposurehasbeenassociatedwithasurgeinhospitalvisitsforasthmaandrespiratorydiseases,aswellasanuptickinprematurebirths.

HiddenCostsofFire

TheeconomicburdenofwildfiresinColoradoissignificant,withtheGrizzlyCreekandEastTroublesomefiresin2020incurringcombinedcostsexceeding$600million,largelyduetoimpactsonrecreation,

watershedhealth,andsiterehabilitation.15Together,thesefiresburnedmorethan220,000acres.ThesefigureslikelygrosslyunderestimatethetruecostsofuncharacteristicwildfireinColorado.Furthermore,someofthebenefitsforestsprovidetoColoradans,suchasculturalvalue,areliterallypriceless—thereisnoknownreplacementatanycost.

Exhibit1WildfireburnareasintheUnitedStatesfrom1985to2023

Millionsofacresburned

10

8

6

4

2

19851990199520002005201020152020

RMIGraphic.Source:NationalInteragencyFireCenter

FightingWildfireswithLow-CarbonBuildings/7

Exhibit2WildfiresuppressioncostsintheUnitedStates

from1985to2023

Responseexpenditures(inbillionsofdollars)

4

3

2

1

19851990199520002005201020152020

RMIGraphic.Source:NationalInteragencyFireCenter

FightingWildfireswithLow-CarbonBuildings/8

ManagingForests,ManagingFire

ReducingFuelLoadswithPrescribedBurnsandThinning

Twotime-testedstrategiesexisttoreducewildfireriskinColorado’sforests:prescribedburnsandmechanicalthinning.Incombination,thetwostrategiesmitigatetheriskofhigh-intensitywildfirebyreducingfuelloadsinforests.Thinninginvolvesselectivelyremovingtrees,oftenonesthataresmall,weak,ordead,whichcan

contributetouncharacteristicwildfires.Thisprocesscanyieldmarketablesmall-diametertimberthat,despiteprocessingchallenges,canbeusedforproductslikewoodpellets,furniture,andconstructionmaterials.16

Prescribedburnsinvolvetheintentionaluseofcontrolledfiretoreducefuelloads,controlpestpopulations,andpromotethegrowthofcertainplantspecies.

Thinningoperationsarelabor-intensiveandrequiresubstantialinvestmentinequipmentandpersonnel.

Prescribedburnsaregenerallylessexpensiveperacre.Mechanicalthinningisoftenconductedbeforea

prescribedfiretolowerpotentialfireintensity.However,prescribedburnsareoftenconstrainedbyweather,airquality,andproximitytopopulatedareas.AspopulationscontinuetoincreaseintheWUIandclimate

changeshiftsweatherpatterns,mechanicalthinningmaybetheonlyfeasibletreatmentoptioninsomecases(seeExhibit3).

Exhibit3ForestconditionsbeforeEuropeancontact,currentlyin

Coloradoforests,andafteraprescribedthinningtreatment

?Fewertrees.

?Treesaremoremature.

?Periodicfiresusedto

managehabitat.?Lowerfuelloads.

BeforeEuropeanContact

?Manytrees.

?Treesaresmall-diameter.

?Neartotalfire-suppression

resultsinbuildupoffuelloads.

Current

?Fewertrees(50%–75%basalareareduction).

?Lowintensityfireusedtoreducefuelloads.

Thinned

RMIGraphic.Source:ColoradoPublicRadio

FightingWildfireswithLow-CarbonBuildings/9

TheCalwoodFiresburndownthefoothillsofColorado’sFrontRangewithnearbyhomesunderthreat.ThelargestwildfireinBoulderCountyhistoryburned10,113acresinNovember2020rackingupanestimated$6Mincosts.17

ScienceofForestThinning

Asmallbutvocalminorityofscientistshaveclaimedthatthinningshavenetnegativeimpactsonwildlife

habitat.18Thisworkisoftencitedbylocalenvironmentalgroupsthatbelieveforestthinningsaresimplyarebrandofhistoricalexploitativeloggingpractices.However,amajorityofforestscientistshavereiteratedtheirconsensusthatthescienceisclear:thinningscombinedwithprescribedfirescanhelpreduce

uncharacteristicwildfires,preservewatersheds,conservewildlife,andhelpkeepforestsintact.19Inaddition,thinningsopentheforesttoenablethegrowthofgrasses,forbs,andshrubsthatarefavorabletowildlife.iiAlthoughthinningsinfire-proneforestsmayresultinnear-termemissionsiftheharvestedthinningsare

leftintheforestorburned,thispracticehelpsensurethattheseforestscancontinuetosequesterandstorecarboninthelongterm.20

WhatIfWeLetNatureTakeItsCourse?

Forestscientiststellusthatthe“precautionaryprinciple,”orcommonlyheldassumptioninecologicalmanagementthatdelayingactioncanreducehazards,isnotappropriateformanagingfire-dependentforestsintheAmericanWest.21Althoughtoacasualobservertheymayappear“wild,”Colorado’sforestshavebeenshapedbyhumansforthousandsofyears.Thegreatestchangeshaveoccurredoverthepast

iiForbsareherbaceousfloweringplantsthatarenotgrasses,sedges,orrushes.Examplesofforbsincludewildflowerslikedaisies,clovers,andsunflowers.

FightingWildfireswithLow-CarbonBuildings/10

century,asfactorssuchasfiresuppression,climatechange,invasivepests,andconstructionintheWUIhaveputColorado’sforestsatsevererisk.Urgentactionisneededtohelpforestsadapttoahotterfuturethatisexpectedtohavemorefrequentwildfires.

Althoughtoacasualobservertheymay

appear‘wild,’Colorado’sforestshavebeenshapedbyhumansforthousandsofyears.

ManagingForestsforWildfireIsExpensive

The2020ColoradoForestActionPlanshowsthatmanagingforestsiscostly,requiringanestimated$4.2

billiontotreat10%(2.5millionacres)ofColorado’smostcriticalsub-watersheds.22TheUSDepartment

oftheInteriorhasrequested$1.94billionforwildfiremitigationandforestmanagementfor2025,with

theForestServiceplanningforesttreatmentsinhigh-priorityfireshedsinColorado.23However,unlikea

commercialtimberharvest,75%ofthetimberharvestedinawildfiremitigationthinningissosmallin

diameter(lessthan9inchesatbreastheight,whichis4.5feetabovetheground)thatithaslittlemarket

value.Thesesmaller,youngertreesmayhavereducedstrengthandstiffnesscomparedwitholdertrees.

Thismeansthatmuchofthetimberharvestedinthinningsisleftintheforestorburnedinpileson-site.Theresultisthatverylittleofthistreatmentcostcanbeoffsetbytimbersales.

FightingWildfireswithLow-CarbonBuildings/11

“EatingtheProblem”withWoodProducts

NoMarkets=NoManagement;StrongMarkets=StrongManagement

Alackofrobustmarketsforwoodharvestedinforestmanagementresultsininsufficientmanagement,

leadingtoforeststhatareecologicallyunsustainableandatriskofuncharacteristicwildfireanddisease.

High-valuemarketsforthinningscouldhelppayforfuelreductiontreatmentswhilecreatinglocaleconomicvalue.Whensoldinshort-lived,low-valueapplications,suchasbiomassforfueloragriculturalbedding,

thinningsyield$30–$40perbonedryton.24Whensoldinvalue-addedapplicationssuchasmasstimber,thinningscouldfetchhighervalues,potentiallyoffsettingharvestingcosts.

“Timberisusedinstructuresinavarietyofforms,includingengineeredwoodproductscommonlyreferredtoas“masstimber.”

WhatIsMassTimber?

Masstimberisacatchalltermforaclassofhigh-performanceengineeredwoodbuildingproducts.Theseproductsjoinlumber,veneers,strands,orfibersintocompositestructuralelements,usingglue,nails,or

woodendowels.Thisapproachallowsmasstimberproductstousetreesofsmallerdiameterandabroaderrangeofspecies,strengths,andstiffnessesthanconventionalsawndimensionallumber.25Cross-laminatedtimber(CLT)combinessawnlumberintostructuralpanelsthatcanreplaceentirereinforcedconcreteandsteelslabsinmultistorybuildings.

FightingWildfireswithLow-CarbonBuildings/12

ClimateBenefitsofMassTimber

Usingthinningsinlong-livedproducts,suchasmasstimber,ratherthanallowingthemtoburnor

decomposecanfurtherimprovethenetclimatebenefitsofthinningforests.Whenusedefficiently,mass

timberhasalowerembodiedcarbonfootprintthantraditionalbuildingmaterials,likesteelandconcrete.26Asreducingembodiedcarbonbecomesahigherpriorityforindustryandgovernmentsseekingtohit

climatetargetsandmeetcorporatedemands,thelow-embodied-carboncharacteristicsofmasstimberwillbecomeincreasinglyattractive.27

Inadditiontoitslowerembodiedcarbon,masstimberalsostoresbiogeniccarbonsequesteredinforests,potentiallyhelpingturnbuildingsintocarbonsinks.Quantifyingtheclimateimpactsofbiogeniccarbonstorageinmasstimberisatopicofongoingscientificstudies.However,minimizingwasteinproduction,maximizingreusepotential,andensuringthehealthofsourceforestsareallwidelyacceptedstrategiestomaximizethebenefitsofcarbonstorageinmasstimberbuildings.

FasterConstruction

Masstimberoffersotherperformancebenefitsoverbusiness-as-usualconstructionandmaterials.Mass

timberproductscansignificantlyspeedupconstructiontimescomparedwithcast-in-placeconcrete.28Masstimberisalsousuallyprefabricatedinfactoriesoff-site,whichmeansitcanbequicklyassembledon-site,reducingconstructiontimeandlaborcosts.

FireResistanceandGoingTall

Duetofiresafetyconsiderations,conventional“stick-framed”buildingsusingdimensionallumberare

limitedtofivestories.CLTandothermasstimberproductscanbebuilttallerbecausetheycanbespecifiedwiththickercrosssectionsthanconventionalstick-framedconstruction.Unlikedimensionallumber,whenmasstimberelementswithlargecrosssectionsburn,theyformaninsulatingcharlayerthatprotectsaninnercoreofwood,whichremainsstructurallystrong.Thismeansmasstimberproductscanfindmarketsintallerconstructionprojects,wheresteelandconcretehavebeentheonlypermittedconstruction

materials.29Masstimberconstructionispermittedupto18stories(or270feet)inthe2024InternationalBuildingCode(IBC).Masstimber’slightweightcomparedwithreinforcedconcretealsomakesitidealforverticaladditionstoexistingbuildingsindenseurbancenters.

Biophilia

Masstimberenvironmentsmaypromotephysicalandmentalhealthbenefitsforoccupants,potentiallycontributingtolessabsenteeismandmoreproductivityinofficesettingsandprovidinghealing

environmentsinhealthcarefacilities.30Thisisachievedthroughthenaturalaestheticofwood,whichislinkedtostressreductionandimprovedoccupantwell-being.High-profilemasstimberprojectsliketheT3towerinDenverhaveshownthatmasstimberbuildingscancommandrentpremiumsbecauseoftheincreaseddesirabilityofthebuildingattributabletobiophiliaandmasstimber’ssustainabilitybenefits.31

FightingWildfireswithLow-CarbonBuildings/13

Cross-laminatedtimbermanufacturingprocess.PhotocourtesyofSterlingStructural.

LocalEconomicDevelopment

Coloradoimports90%ofitswoodproducts.32AsofMarch2024,34masstimberbuildingshavebeenbuiltorareunderconstructioninthestate.33Nearlyallofthesehaveusedimportedmasstimber.Meeting

Colorado’sdemandforwoodconstructionwithlocalbusinessesthatsupplyvalue-addedwoodproductscouldkeepmoreofthesedollarsinthestate,andevenattractrevenuethroughexportstonearbystatesandregions.ThiscouldcreatemorejobsandincomeforColoradobusinessesacrossthefullvaluechain,rangingfromharvest,transportation,andmillingtomanufacturingandinstallationinbuildings.

Theprefabricatedmanufacturingandconstructionapproachcommontomanymasstimberproductsprovideshigher-qualityandmoreinclusivejobopportunitiesthansite-builtconstructionmethods.Workinginafixed-location,temperature-controlledfactoryenvironmentwithergonomicaidsandareliableincomeismoreinclusiveofworkerswithawiderdiversityofgenders,ages,physicalabilities,skilllevels,andfamilysituations.

BeyondMassTimber

Thehigh-valuecommercialopportunitiesfortreesharvestedinfuelreductiontreatmentsextendbeyondmasstimber.Nonstructuralproducts,suchasinsulation,interiorfinishproducts,andfurniture,couldalsooffermarketsforthinningsfromColoradoforests.34

FightingWildfireswithLow-CarbonBuildings/14

Jump-StartingColorado’sResilientLocalForestEconomies

ScalingresilientlocalforesteconomiesinColorado(seeExhibit4)requiressimultaneouslyaddressinganumberofinterconnectedchallenges.

Exhibit4Stepstoscaleresilientlocalforesteconomies

Resilientlocalforesteconomiescouldbringdollarstoruralcommunitieswhilehelpingpayforforestwildfire

mitigationtreatmentsandcreatingsustainablebuildings:

Forest

Logger

Sawmill

Distributor

Manufacturer

Developer

Targetstreesduring

Checksand

Receives

Purchaseslumber

Purchases

harvesttoimprove

gradesthelogs

processed

andveneer

masstimber

foresthealth

forprocess-

lumberandother

accordingto

productsfor

andresilience.

abilityinto

primarywood

strengthand

construction

Resultingfeedstock

sellablewood

productsand

sizecriteriato

ofbuildings.

issubjecttoforest

product(lumber,

groupsthemby

manufacturemass

managementneeds.

veneer,etc.).

differentsources.

timberproducts.

Fiberfromwildfiremitigationtreatments

<Revenuetosupportwildfiremitigationtreatments

>

RMIGraphic.

PublicSupportforForestThinnings

PublicreactionstoforestthinningsinColoradoaremixed.35Althoughsomevaluethewildfiremitigationandforesthealthbenefitsassociatedwiththesetreatments,avocalminorityhas,insomeinstances,

opposedandsubmittedlegalchallengestothinning.Thesechallenges,whilewell-intentioned,candelayurgentmanagementwork,consumeForestServiceresources,andhurtlocalwoodproductsbusinessesthatdependonconsistentwoodsupply.

Localenvironmentalgroupsandforestcollaborativeshavetheopportunitytoeducatethepublicaboutthebenefitsofforestthinningaspartofanintentional,ecologicallymotivatedforestmanagementstrategythatiswellalignedwithadvancingclimatemitigationandadaptationgoals.36Sustainedrelationshipbuildingandcommunicationamonglocalcommunities,theforestproductsindustry,andtheconstructionsectorisneededtoearn“sociallicense”foractiveforestmanagementofpubliclandsinColorado.

FightingWildfireswithLow-CarbonBuildings/15

TimberAgeSystems,aDurango-basedmasstimbermanufacturerhasbuiltanumberofstructures,suchasthisAccessoryDwellingUnit(ADU)inColoradowithmasstimberusingwoodfromforesttreatmentsinthestate.PhotocourtesyofTimberAgeSystems.

ManufacturingandMilling

DecadesofdisinvestmentinColorado’sforestresourcesupplychainshaveresultedinreducedmanufacturingcapacity.37ThislimitstheabilitytoeconomicallyprocessthinningsfromColoradoforestsintomasstimber

products.Newinvestmentsareneededinmills,manufacturing,andmasstimberconstructioncapacitythatis“rightsized”tothevolumeoftimberharvestedinforestmanagementtreatments.

Workforce

LikemuchoftheUnitedStates,Coloradofacesashortageofworkersintheforestproductsindustryand

theconstructionsector.Thislimitsscalingofwoodproductssupplychains.Morelocalhighschools,

communitycolleges,anduniversitiesshouldengagewiththewoodproductsindustrytodeveloppathwaystocareersinwoodproducts