Resources

The RC&D Council has compiled several resources to assist municipal governments, industries, and landowners in turning EAB-impacted ash wood (and other urban wood waste) into value-added products.

Where Should I Begin?

For your convenience, we've listed our most commonly requested information at the top of the list. If you don't find what you're looking for at first, please be sure to continue browsing through the complete resource list below or contact us for more help.

Ash Utilization Options Project Flyer (Southeast Michigan RC&D Council)
City of Olympia Wood Waste Recycling Program (An excellent model for city wood use plans.)
Cost Effective Tree Removal and Utilization Strategies to Address Invasive Species Attacks (USDA Forest Service Northeastern Area, SE Michigan RC&D Council, and Michigan DNR)
EAB Community Preparedness Plan (Includes section on planning for wood utilization.)
EAB Toolkit (Wisconsin DNR)
Michigan DNR Wood Products Directory
Michigan Wood Energy (Southeast Michigan RC&D Council)
My Ash Tree is Dead, Now What Do I Do? (MSU Extension, 2007)
Sawmills Serving Southeastern Michigan
Urban Wood Research in Michigan (Southeast Michigan RC&D Council)
Urban Wood Use Planning Worksheet for Communities (Southeast Michigan RC&D Council)
Urbanwood.org (Southeast Michigan's Reclaimed Wood Marketplace)

Emerald Ash Borer Links

Borate and Imidacloprid Treatment of Ash Logs Infested with the Emerald Ash Borer (Nzokou, Petrice, Haack, and Kamdem; 2006)
Compliance Agreement Templates for Movement of Ash Wood (USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS))
Don't Move Firewood (Continental Dialogue on Non-Native Forest Insects and Diseases)
EAB Community Preparedness Plan (Includes section on planning for wood utilization.)
EAB Cost Calculator - Compare costs of various removal and treatment scenarios (Purdue University)
EAB Toolkit (Wisconsin DNR)
Emerald Ash Borer Website (A collaborative effort of the USDA FS, MDA, MDNR, APHIS, MSU, Purdue, and OSU)
Michigan Department of Agriculture
National Ash Seed Collection Initiative (USDA NRCS)
National Ash Tree Seed Collection Initiative (USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service)
Preservative Treatment of Ash Wood from Emerald Ash Borer Infested Trees (Nzokou, Pankras, and Kamdem; 2006)
Sanitization of Logs Infested by Exotic Pests: Case Study of the Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) Treatments using Conventional Heat and Microwave (Nzokou, Tourtellot, and Kamdem; 2007)
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
USDA Forest Service - North Central Research Station
USDA Forest Service - Northeastern Area

Southeast Michigan RC&D Resources

Ash Utilization Options Project
Ash Utilization Options Project Flyer (Southeast Michigan RC&D Council)
Michigan Wood Energy (Southeast Michigan RC&D Council)
Urban Wood Research in Michigan (Southeast Michigan RC&D Council)
Urban Wood Residue Availability for Biomass Energy (Simons, Michigan Renewable Energy Program Biomass Subcommittee Meeting, February 2006)
Urban Wood Use Planning Worksheet for Communities (Southeast Michigan RC&D Council)
Urban Wood Utilization and the Emerald Ash Borer: Increasing the Viability of Wood-Based Industry in Southeast Michigan (Weatherspoon & Simons, SmallWood Conference, May 2006)

EAB & Beyond: Finding Value in Urban Trees

Presentations from the May 23-24, 2007 Regional Conference (held at Weber's Inn in Ann Arbor, MI)

Agenda - EAB & Beyond Conference Overview
Biomass Fuel: Is it in Your Future? (Larry Klope, Messersmith Manufacturing)
EAB & Biomass Energy at the Genesee Power Station (Ted Barrett, Mid-Michigan Recycling)
Green Markets & Urban Wood Products (Jason Bing, Recycle Ann Arbor)
Measures of Wood Resources in Lower Michigan: Wood Residues and the Saw Timber Content of Urban Forests (Dr. Sam Sherrill, Harvesting Urban Timber)
Regional Assessment of Urban Saw Timber Quantity and Quality for Southeast Lower Michigan (Dr. Dave MacFarlane, Michigan State University)
Technical Issues for Communities – Developing an Urban Wood Utilization Plan (Jessica Simons, SE Michigan RC&D Council)
Treatment of Green Logs Infested by an Exotic Pest: Case Study of the Emerald Ash Borer (Dr. Pascal Nzokou, Michigan State University)
Urban Wood Utilization, a National Perspective (Steve Bratkovich, USDA Forest Service)
Urban Wood Utilization: Issues Facing Wood Industries (Anthony Weatherspoon, Michigan DNR)

Urban Wood Utilization Resources, Assessments & Guides

Biomass Resource Estimates (Walsh, Oak Ridge National Laboratory)
California Urban Woody Green Waste Utilization Report (Plumb, Wolf, & Shelly; Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute, 1999)
Cost Effective Tree Removal and Utilization Strategies to Address Invasive Species Attacks (USDA Forest Service Northeastern Area, SE Michigan RC&D Council, and Michigan DNR)
Forestry Forum (Urban & Community Forest Utilization Message Boards)
Harvesting Urban Timber (Sherrill, 2003)
Measures of Wood Resources in Lower Michigan: Wood Residues and the Saw Timber Content of Urban Forests (Sherrill & MacFarlane, 2007)
Quantifying Urban Saw Timber Abundance and Quality in Southeastern Lower Michigan, U.S. (MacFarlane, 2007)
Recycling Municipal Trees: A Guide for Marketing Sawlogs from Street Tree Removals in Municipalities (Cesa, Lempicki, & Knotts; USDA Forest Service; 2003)
Secondary Mill Residues and Urban Wood Waste Quantities in the United States (Fehrs, Northeast Regional Biomass Program, 1999)
Successful Approaches to Recycling Urban Wood Waste (USDA Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory, 2002)
Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute - UrbanWood Website (California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention)
Urban Tree and Woody Yard Residues: Another Wood Resource (McKeever & Skog, USDA Forest Service, 2003)
Urban Wood Use Planning Worksheet for Communities (Southeast Michigan RC&D Council)
Urban Wood Utilization and Why It Matters (Steve Bratkovich, Dovetail Partners)
Urban Wood Waste in Michigan: Supply and Policy Issues (Public Policy Associates, 1994)
Utilizing Municipal Trees: Ideas from Across the Country (Bratkovich, USDA Forest Service, 2001)
Wood Residue Utilization Links (West Virginia University Appalachian Hardwood Center)

Other Urban Wood Use Initiatives

California Integrated Waste Management Board
Citilog (Pittstown, NJ)
City of Olympia Wood Waste Recycling Program (An excellent model for city wood use plans.)
Community and Urban Forest Inventory and Management Program (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the UFEI at Cal Poly)
Horigan Urban Forest Products (Chicago, IL)
Joinery Structures (Oakland, CA)
Oak Leaf Wood 'N Supplies (Moweaqua, IL)
Rising from the Ashes (Chicago Furniture Designers Association Exhibition)
Urban Forestry at Palomar College (San Marcos, CA)
Urban Hardwoods (Seattle, WA)
Urban Tree Salvage (Scarborough, Ontario)

Guides for Homeowners

Emerald Ash Borer and Your Woodland (MSU Extension, 2005)
Is My Yard Tree Worth Money? (Minnesota DNR)
My Ash Tree is Dead, Now What Do I Do? (MSU Extension, 2007)

Marketing Urban Trees

Grading (Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute)
Marketing Yard Trees (Gretter, Louks, & Nelson, Indiana DNR, 2003)
Use of Urban and Development Site Trees for Lumber (Cassens & McKenzie, Purdue University, 2002)

Urban Tree Inventories

California's Community & Urban Forest Inventory and Management Program
Includes a utilization component.
i-Tree: Tools for Assessing and Managing Community Forests
A free, state-of-the-art, peer-reviewed software suite from the USDA Forest Service that provides urban and community forestry analysis and benefits assessment.
Street and Park Tree Inventory Templates with Instructions (USDA Forest Service Northeast Center for Urban & Community Forestry)
Tree Identification (Virginia Tech Dendrology)
USDA Forest Service Guide to Street Tree Inventory Software
Volunteer Training Manual - (USDA Forest Service Northeast Center for Urban & Community Forestry)

Woodlot Management, Timber Sales, and Timber Values

Cutting and Selling Timber From Your Farm Woodlot (Solomon, MSU Extension, 1988)
Getting the Mo$t From Your Farm Woodland (Kidd & Potter-Witter, MSU Extension, 1999)
Getting the Most Return From Your Timber Sale (Heiligmann & Bratkovich, OSU Extension, 2001)
How Much are My Hardwoods Worth? (Potter-Witter, MSU Extension, 2003)
Managing Your Woodlot - West Virginia University
Marketing Timber (Hoover, Purdue University, 2002)
So, You Need Some Cash From Your Farm Woodlot? (Solomon, MSU Extension, 1988)
The Timber Buyers Network - Log Rules & Calculators
Timber Sale Bids (Potter-Witter & Kidd, MSU Extension, 1996)
Timber Sale Contracts (Heiligmann & Bratkovich, OSU Extension, 2002)
Timber Sales Contracts (Szydzik & Gunter, MSU Extension, 1993)
Timber Tree Quality (Indiana DNR Stewardship Notes)
Tips on How to Get the Most from Your Timber Harvest (Hoover & Seifert, Purdue University, 2002)
To Sell or Not To Sell? Important Considerations When Harvesting Hardwoods for Income (Michigan DNR, 2002)
What is my Timber Worth, and How Do I Sell it? (USDA Forest Service)
You've Been Asked to Sell Your Timber: What Do You Do Next? (Potter-Witter, MSU Extension, 1993)

Measuring Timber

Guidelines for Grading Hardwood Logs (University of Wisconsin Extension)
How Much Lumber is in That Tree? (Peterson, MSU Extension, 2004)
Log & Tree Scaling Techniques (Cassens, Purdue University, 2001)
Measuring Standing Trees: Determining Diameter, Merchantable Height, and Volume (Heiligmann & Bratkovich, OSU Extension, 2002)

Timber Price Reports

Indiana Forest Products Price Report and Trend Analysis (Hoover & Preston, Purdue University, 2005)
Michigan Stumpage Price Reports (Michigan DNR)

Wood Products, Processing, and Handling

A Simplified Procedure for Developing Grade Lumber From Hardwood Logs
Add Value to Your Lumber (Gene Wengert for Wood-Mizer)
Air Drying of Lumber (USDA Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory, 1999)
Air Seasoning (Drying)
Bark and its Possible Uses
Buck Your Logs to NHLA Rules? (Cassens, Purdue University, 2001)
Compliance Agreement Templates for Movement of Ash Wood (USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS))
Dehumidification Drying for Small Woodworking Firms and Hobbyists - Building your own lumber dry kiln (UW Extension and WI DNR)
Don't Move Firewood (Continental Dialogue on Non-Native Forest Insects and Diseases)
Drying Small Quantities of Hardwood Lumber--Understanding The Effects of Moisture on Wood (Cassens, Purdue University, 1992)
Drying Wood (University of Kentucky Extension, 1997)
Forest Products Laboratory Publications
Log Sort Yard Planning, Economics, and Feasibility
Lumber Drying: Overview of Current Processes (University of Vermont Extension, 2000)
OSHA Safety Standards for Log Handling, Receiving, and Storage
Uses for Sawdust, Shavings, and Waste Chips
UW Forestry Extension Publications (Includes many guides for increasing sawmill productivity.)

Woody Biomass Energy

Biomass Energy Basics (NREL)
Biomass Energy Resource Center
Clean Energy from Wood Residues in Michigan (Simpkins, 2006)
Exploring Woody Biomass Retrofit Opportunities in Michigan Boiler Operations (CTA Architects and Engineers, Emergent Solutions, Christopher Allen + Associates, and Geodata; 2007)
Fuel Value Calculator (USDA Forest Service)
Fuels for Schools
Michigan Biomass Energy Program
Michigan Energy Contractors (Courtesy of the Michigan DLEG Rebuild Michigan Program)
Michigan Wood Energy (Southeast Michigan RC&D Council)
Primer on Wood Biomass for Energy (NACD)
Wood Biomass for Energy (USDA Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory)
Wood Fueled Boiler Financial Feasibility Manual (University of Wisconsin)

Marketing Wood Products

Branding and Marketing Toolkit: Community-Based Businesses and Products - Lessons from the Ford Foundation Community-Based Forestry Demonstration Program, 2000-2005 (Virtue, Aspen Institute, 2005)
Dovetail Partners Reports
Marketing for Wood Products Companies (Smith & Ola, Virginia Tech, 2000)
Urbanwood.org (Southeast Michigan's Reclaimed Wood Marketplace)
Vermont Wood Products Brand Manual (Ravdin, 2Ns Structural Marketing, 2006)
While this guide focuses on using the "Vermont Brand" for wood products, many of the concepts here are entirely relevant for other companies.

Wood Properties

A Guide to American Hardwood Species (American Hardwoods Information Center - Hardwood Manufacturers Association)
Hardwood Lumber of the Central Midwest (educational CD available for purchase from Purdue University)
Identifying Trees of Michigan (Koelling, MSU Extension, 2003)
Using Local Woodlot Lumber (Gurney, OSU Extension, 2003)
This includes a guide to general wood requirements for a variety of uses and typical workability characteristics for common species.
Wood Properties (Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute)

Finding Wood Industry Partners - Sawmills & More

Ace Sawmill (Belleville, MI)
Freier Forestry (Ann Arbor, MI)
Krupa's Custom Cutting (South Rockwood, MI)
Log 2 Lumber (Farmington Hills, MI)
Lumberjacks Tree Service (Ann Arbor, MI)
Michigan Conservation District Foresters
Michigan DEQ Recycled Materials Market Directory
Michigan DNR Wood Products Directory
MSU Extension Offices
These county offices often maintain lists of local wood industries.
Quinn Mobile Saw Works LLC (Harrison Township, MI)
Raven Farm Sawmill (Bath, MI)
Sawmill John (Whitmore Lake, MI)
Sawmills Serving Southeastern Michigan
Ullmann Urban Sawmill (Dexter & Troy, MI)
Urbanwood.org (Southeast Michigan's Reclaimed Wood Marketplace)

General Forestry & Wood Product Sites

Dovetail Partners (A non-profit that promotes sustainable and "green" wood products manufacturing. Their website includes many helpful guides and reports.)
Forest Landowners Guide to Internet Resources (USDA Forest Service)
Forest Landowners Guide: Michigan (USDA Forest Service)
Forestry Forum
Michigan Forest Pathways
Smallwood Utilization Forum
Smallwood Utilization Network
Timber Buy Sell
Tree Link
USDA Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory
USDA Forest Service Wood Education & Resource Center
Wood Industry Education
Wood Web

Ash Utilization Options Project of Southeast Michigan