• Field, David B.
  Cooperative Forestry Research Unit, The University of Maine
  
• Shottafer, James E.
  School of Forest Resources, The University of Maine
  

The project on which this report is based was designed to identify what problems, if any, wood processors are encountering in milling spruce and fir timber damaged by current spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.)) epidemic in Maine. It was to have combined a synthesis of literature on similar problems elsewhere with a personal-contact survey of Maine mill operators to determine what further research might be appropriate, both to estimate future impacts and to identify ways of dealing with the problem.

We have found that the situation in Maine is still too new for operators to have gained much experience will milling damaged timber. There is still enough raw material to full demands. This, our survey found primarily opinions and attitudes on expected, rather than experienced, difficulties.

Accordingly, this report consists mostly of literature review of problems encountered in harvesting and milling insect- and disease-damaged timber elsewhere in the U.S. Our intent is to offer some idea of comparable difficulties Maine mills may face in the future. The review has been extensive, but not exhaustive. In addition to research earlier in this project into literature on the degree of decay of spruce-fir timber following spruce budworm attack (Lee and Field, 1978), we have scanned the 2275 annotated references listed in the Institute of Paper Chemistry's bibliography on "changed in the value and utility of pulpwood, sawlogs, and veneer bolts during harvesting, transport, and storage" (Weiner et al., 1974), and the 1533 annotated listings of the recent CANUSA "Spruce Budworms Bibliography" (Jennings et al., 1979).

The literature review is followed by the results of out mill operator survey and recommendations for further research.