Initial Planning Steps in Support of a New Composite Wood Panel Production Facility in Northern California

West Forest, LLC (WF) has retained TSS to assist with development of a composite wood panel (CWP) production facility. Examples of CWP products include particleboard, medium density fiberboard and oriented strand board. TSS is supporting WF with candidate site selection, woody feedstock supply and cost assessment, feedstock supply chain development, environmental permitting plan, workforce development and community outreach. Current plans are to site one (or possibly several) commercial-scale facilities in Northern California. A key driver for WF is creation of a market-based solution to reduce overstocked conditions in Northern California forests, thus mitigating wildfire behavior. The CWP facility (or facilities) will provide a value-added use for traditionally non-merchantable timber (small or fire damaged trees with little to no current value). The facility (or facilities) will be strategically located to source sustainably available forest residuals (sawmill residuals, small logs, forest restoration residuals) from a range of forestland ownerships – both public and private.