Mechanical forest thinning treatments are implemented across the western United States (US) to improve forest health and reduce hazardous fuels. However, the main challenge in thinning operations is low financial feasibility. This study synthesized the stump-to-truck cost of forest thinning operations in the western US based on operations research articles published over the last 40 years (1980–2020). We systematically selecte...

We surveyed forestry contractors in three sectors (logging, mastication, and trucking) across the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. Our survey sought to gather current demographic and background information on contractors as well as establish how a forest operations training center might address their employee training needs. Most of the businesses surveyed were small, with owner ages tending to be high (over 50) bu...