Using FPS for Harvest Scheduling and Long-term Silvicultural Planning
Oct. 19-20, 2022 Portland, OR

The Forest Biometric Research Institute will hold an in-person 2-day FPS planning workshop on October 19-20, 2022 at the Double Tree Hotel in Portland, OR. This session will provide hands-on instruction on using FPS for harvest scheduling and long-term silvicultural planning. Each participant will come away with a thorough understanding of using FPS to develop long-term forest management operational plans through step-by-step instruction and class exercises.

The workshop will emphasize the importance of FPS harvest scheduling when combined with inventory and silvicultural methods, alternative silvicultural regimes, site productivity, and regeneration. Detailed examples in FPS will identify impacts of stand versus forest-wide optimization strategies. Each attendee will be provided with a laptop for instructional purposes, but attendees are also welcome to bring their own laptop and databases for one-on-one consultation with FBRI staff.

The instructors are: Dan Opalach, FBRI President and Senior Forest Biometrician and Brock Purvis, FBRI technical support. The registration fee is $645 for FBRI members and $850 for non-members. The DoubleTree is located at 1000 NE Multnomah St, Portland, OR 97232 (503) 281-6111.

AGENDA

October 19: 9:00am – 12:00pm (SECTION 1 PDF)

Fundamentals of Cruise Design
An overview of FBRI’s standard procedures for conducting a timber cruise will be provided which will discuss plot intensity, trees per plot, subsampling, the relevance of specific measurements, and the differences between cruising for inventory versus cruising for a timber sale.

FPS Table Review
Participants will be provided with an overview of the required table structures for compiling, expanding, growing, and harvest scheduling process within FPS. Additionally, the relationship between the Species and Sorts Tables will be discussed and how these tables influence volume and log merchandizing.

Compiling, Growing, and Expanding
Using a standardized database (to be provided), participants will run the cruise compiler and review the associated output tables. Additionally, FBRI will discuss how best to manage any volume variations that may exist between tables, and why they might occur.
Using the compiled database FBRI will provide step-by-step instructions for growing all stands to a common report year, including the effects of growing with natural regeneration or excluding natural regeneration.
A discussion of the cruise expansion process including the significance of vegetation labels and the role they play in FPS and using FPS to expand cruised stands into uncrusied stands for a working forest inventory.
Noon: lunch provided

October 19: 1:00pm – 4:00pm (SECTION 2 PDF)

Site Index
An overview of FBRI’s recommended procedures for estimating Site Index will be provided which will cover the FPS SiteGrid, FPS compiler supplied site index, and optional integration of Jim King’s/Robert Monserud site index into FPS. Additionally, the CASH card and its relationship to FPS growth will be discussed.

Treatments vs Regimes
The difference between treatments and regimes when planning silviculture prescriptions, and why it is an important distinction. Understanding the Silvics Table and how to define treatments and regimes within FPS. Using FPS to analyze the effect of different silviculture treatments. Using FPS to analyze the effect of different silviculture regimes. This will include discussion on what to consider when timing silviculture activity and how it can influence the future of a stand.

October 20, 2022: 8:00am – 12:00pm (SECTION 3 PDF)

Forest Planning
FBRI will provide step-by-step instructions for both uneven and even-aged silviculture regimes for long term forest planning.

Yield Table and the Harvest Scheduler
The Yield table will be reviewed and populated for use with even-aged regimes. The FPS Harvest Scheduler will be utilized in conjunction with the growth projections to develop a long-term harvest plan. Additionally, an overview of the Schedule Table outlining the relationship it has on reporting periods and future available harvestable volume will be discussed.

Noon: Lunch provided

October 20, 2022: 1:00pm – 3:00pm (SECTION 4 PDF)

Harvest Constraints and Integration with GIS
The effects of regulatory constraints (wildlife/green-up) on long-term forest planning will be analyzed. This will include using GIS to spatially track the changes and stands scheduled for harvest.

3:00PM Adjourn