Improved Smallwood Harvesting

Many western forests face extreme fire risk as a consequence of the accumulation of ladder fuels, highly flammable materials that quickly carry a fire from the understory to the canopy.  In these forests, fuel reduction is critically important, and the accumulation of fuel often makes prescribed burns impractical.  We need improved ways to process these accumulated fuels, probably without the use of fire.  Historically, mechanical fuel reduction has been labor intensive, dangerous, and expensive.  Many of the areas with the most extreme fuel accumulation are steep or remote.  What new technologies might help with fuel reduction?  Are there ways to make smallwood harvesting safe and rapid?  When should the harvested material be chopped and scattered, and when should it be removed for energy or construction materials?