Wanted: Loggers & Purchasers for Arizona Blowdown

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WANTED: LOGGERS AND PURCHASERS FOR ARIZONA BLOWDOWN

On October 6, 2010 a series of tornados touched down in northern Arizona. These storms resulted in over 4,000 acres of blowdown timber on the Coconino National Forest, 1,000 acres on the Camp Navajo Army Depot and 800 acres on Arizona State Forestry lands. The preliminary volume is estimated at approximately 300,000 green tons, which may be broken into smaller sales.

Approximately 80% of the blowdown occurred near Bellemont, Arizona 10 miles west of Flagstaff. The remaining 20% is 50 miles southeast of Flagstaff near Clint’s Well, Arizona.
All three management agencies are currently assessing the possible salvage of much of this timber, in order to reduce the fire hazard and potential for ips beetle breeding in the slash and causing mortality in standing trees adjacent to the tornado area.

The current forest products processing capacity and logging contractor base in northern Arizona is not large enough to handle this amount of timber volume in the short period of time required. Out of state processing facilities and contract loggers who may be interested in purchasing, processing or logging this timber are encouraged to contact representatives of all three organizations for additional information and to be placed on a bidders list for these possible projects, as early as this spring and summer.

All logging would be ground based, slopes range from flat to 40%. Volume is nearly pure ponderosa pine. The area is served by rail with possible reload points at Bellemont and Winslow. Contacts for the three land management agencies are:

Coconino National Forest
Joseph Luttman - (928) 214-2451 jluttman@fs.fed.us

Camp Navajo Army Depot
Bruce Buttrey - (928) 773-3309 bruce.buttrey@fmo.azdema.gov

Arizona State Forestry
Keith Pajkos – (928) 774-1425 keithpajkos@azsf.gov