Lumber grading issues often serve as a point of confusion, and at times, frustration to the small sawmills of Colorado. Although lumber grade stamp requirements are often narrowly seen as a barrier to entry into certain markets, they actually provide utility to buyers, sellers, and users of lumber. This Technical Bulletin is provided to explore some of the basics behind lumber grades, such as: how they are developed, how mills can implement lumber grading programs, and when lumber grade stamps aren't required.
The Forest Stewardship Program (FSP) Spatial Analysis Project (SAP) was developed to evaluate the impact over the landscape that the FSP has had over the last decade and identify areas of stewardship suitability to allow for strategic delivery of the FSP. The SAP has two main components: the historic spatial database of stewardship plan tracts, and the 12-layer suitability analysis. Both components are used together in a GIS analysis to categorize areas within a state according to the areas stewardship potential, and evaluate how effective the state has been at delivering the FSP in those priority areas.
