Moving away from Clearwood regimes - A practitioner’s view

Authors: Mark Dean
Publication: New Zealand Journal of Forestry, Volume N.Z.J.For. 2012, Issue N.Z.J.For. 57(2) 2012, pp 28-30, Aug 2012
Publisher: New Zealand Institute of Forestry

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Abstract: It was late 1992, and the FOB export price for pruned logs made its first sustained crossing of the $200/m³ threshold. The run was good it lasted 14 quarters and peaked at over $400/m³. Was this the prophesised premium of Fenton & Sutton that would make the disciples of “value not volume” foresters wealthy? Now almost 20 years later the reality of two decades of diminishing returns for pruned logs makes it increasingly hard for clearwood devotees to remain true to the faith. Taking the biblical metaphor another step, this southern forester, once an ardent practitioner of intensive pruning and thinning finds himself – like the doubting disciple Thomas – needs to see hard evidence that value of pruned clearwood logs are indeed to be realised once again before he is prepared to once again invest in pruning. What are the alternatives? How do we retain flexibility whilst maximising potential profitability?

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