Investing in Innovation: Safe, Sustainable, Tech-Driven Forestry

The Western US’s massive forests face unprecedented wildfire and insect disturbances, while the society experiences a critical affordable housing crisis. Forest restoration treatments are proposed to mitigate overstocked forest conditions, with the utilization of restoration wood for mass timber construction offering a potential solution to housing affordability. However, the forestry sector confronts two major obstacles: the high cost of restoration hindering essential forest management, and a shrinking, aging workforce, especially in forestry-dependent rural areas, leading to labor shortages.

To address these challenges, our research leverages technology to enhance logging efficiency, add value to restoration materials, improve worker safety, create rural employment opportunities, and attract a new generation to forestry. This presentation highlights our ongoing efforts to modernize forest production systems through cutting-edge technologies. Key discussion areas include: 1) optimizing restoration wood utilization through supply mapping and in-woods quality detection, 2) evaluating the safety, efficiency and environmental impact of mechanized harvesting operations on steep slopes, 3) implementing computer vision and simulations for enhanced harvesting operations, 4) investigating wearable assistive technologies for worker’s health and safety, and 5) developing technology-based workforce training programs. 

Our research aims to integrate advanced technologies into forestry to improve efficiency, maximize value recovery, enhance worker safety, stimulate economic growth in forest-dependent rural communities, cultivate a skilled and diverse workforce, and promote healthier, more resilient forest ecosystems