Best Management Practices for

Integrated Harvest Operations in British Columbia

 ©2017 FPInnovations. All rights reserved.
Unauthorized copying or distribution prohibited.

2
Best Management Practices for
Integrated Harvest Operations
in British Columbia
SPECIAL PUBLICATION SP-531

Stuart Spencer, RPF

Researcher, Fibre Supply, FPInnovations
Dominik RÖser, Ph.D.
Research Manager, Fibre Supply & Wildfire Operations
August 2017

ISBN 978-0-86488-576-0 (Print)

ISBN 978-0-86488-577-7 (PDF)
ISSN 1925-0495 (Print)
ISSN 1925-0509 (PDF)

FPInnovations would like to gratefully acknowledge the Province of British Columbia, the
BC Woody Debris Management Program and Natural Resources Canada (Canadian Forest
Service) for their guidance and financial support for this research.

The author would like to thank the following grinder and chipper operators for providing
countless hours of access to their operations and for engaging in numerous discussions on
biomass extraction over the years:

Rob Stewart, Stewart Systems Inc.

Marvin Fraser, Jaeden Resources

3
 table of contents
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Integration of Operations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Common End Products Created from Roadside Residues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Hog fuel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Chips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Wood pellets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Firewood. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Residue Composition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Tops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Long butts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Brush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Traditional Piling Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Machinery and Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Machinery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Horizontal grinders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Tub grinders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Electric options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Loaders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Chippers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Microchippers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Machine comparisons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
B-trains. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Walking floors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

4
Best Practices: Primary Harvester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Pile management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Pile formation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Best practices for piling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Road grade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Cutslope height. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Best Practices: Secondary Harvester. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Roads. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Legalities, regulations, guides. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Grind to truck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Grind to ground. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Residue chipping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Unprocessed collection (offsite processing) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Contaminants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Inorganics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Moisture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Post-secondary harvest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Appendix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

5
 Introduction

Utilizing forest harvest

residue is an issue of
growing urgency in the
British Columbia forest
industry. In B.C., forest
residues at roadside have
traditionally been burned
to mitigate fire hazard or,
occasionally, they have
been left to rot. With an
increasing demand for
energy and concern over
climate change and air
quality, burning may no
longer be the most desirable
practice for dealing with
residues. Further, there is
an increasing demand for
harvest residues by both
primary and secondary
users to fuel the growing
bioeconomy in B.C.

6 introduction

Since 2014, the Forestry
and Fibre Working Group,
made up of representatives
from the lumber, pellet,
non-lumber, pulp and
paper sectors and ministry
staff have been working
together to provide the
Ministry of Forests, Lands
and Natural Resource
Operations (MFLNRO)
with recommendations to
streamline and increase the
efficiency and recovery of
low-quality fibre from B.C.
forests.
introduction
This guidebook was
designed to show the most
popular and widely used
methods for integrated
biomass extraction in B.C.
Biomass extraction requires
a “tools in the toolbox”
approach, meaning that
there is no one method
that works for every
eventuality. This guidebook
by no means covers every
possible combination of
methods and machinery
used to extract biomass,
and the author encourages
operators to experiment
and innovate. After all,
the methods described
here could not have been
developed or standardized
without innovators willing
to step outside the box.
7
Integration of OPerations
When it comes to using what
was previously waste material
as a product, operations
generally divide into two main
streams:
1. The primary harvester and
the secondary harvester are
separate entities.
2. The primary harvester is
also the user of secondary
material.
The majority of this
guidebook deals with the
first stream, since it is
more common in current
B.C. practice. The primary
harvester is often what has
been called ‘the licensee’.
The primary harvest is the
removal of trees that are
considered merchantable
(‘merch’). The secondary
harvest is the removal of
material that was (and
sometimes still is)
regarded as waste.
Recently, logging residuals
were piled for burning, and
doing this efficiently meant
making haystack-like piles
8 integration of operations
that facilitate quick burning.
But this piling technique
is very problematic for
extraction by secondary
harvesters. Old ways have to
change. This guidebook deals
largely with providing proper
techniques that increase
efficiency and save costs for
both primary and secondary
harvesters. When they work
together, both benefit.
The second stream involves
one harvester who uses
both primary and secondary
material. Many of the same
techniques apply in this
situation as in the first stream,
especially when the licensee
uses different contractors
or phases for primary and
secondary extraction.
Occasionally, a licensee
deems that it can best
maximize its return by even
more integrated techniques.
This might include the
removal of whole trees with
no cut-to-length processing
and only delimbing.
Sometimes waste material,
such as tops and butts are
more efficiently removed
at the mill site and then
transport of differentiated
material can occur over
shorter distances. If a market
can be found for all types of
fibre, why waste it?
When handling material,
grouping like with like is
often most cost-efficient,
but timing in the overall
process can be critical. In
one situation, chipping after
transporting whole logs to the
mill may be the cheapest way
to get fibre to its respective
users. But in another
situation, transporting chips
directly from the forest may
be more efficient. There may
not be one right answer, but
having a toolbox full of tools
can help operators find the
best solutions.
Common end products created from roadside residues

Hog Fuel
Many products
are created from
roadside residues in
B.C. The most common
Hog fuel is derived by comminution from logging and sawmill
products are hog fuel,
residue. The term “hog fuel” encompasses a large variety
chips, pellet feedstock,
of products, from mountain pine beetle-killed lodgepole
and firewood. This
pine logging residue to old sawmill residue that has been
section describes
stored in the earth for 20 years. The maximum particle size
those products.
is usually used as a descriptor for hog fuel. For example, hog
fuel comminuted by a grinder with a four-inch screen would
be called four inch minus, meaning that the particles are four
inches or less in size.

Woods derived hog fuel can provide users with a plentiful

alternative to mill residues, although usually at a higher cost
due to grinding and transportation costs.

Hog fuel has a number of uses:

• Fuel in heat and power facilities
• Animal bedding
• Compost creation
• Primary feedstock for pellet production

Hog fuel comes in many forms, depending on various factors:

• Particle size
• Wood species
• Moisture content
• Portion of the tree the fibre came from (ie bark, needles,
whitewood)
• Contamination

Common end products created from roadside residues 9

Chips
Comminuting pulp chips from logging residues is a
relatively new practice in B.C. There are generally two
methods of processing chips from logging residues: hauling Chips can also be used as a
unprocessed residues to a stationary mill site, and chipping substitute for hog fuel.
residual tops directly into a truck for transport to the mill.
Chips are sometimes preferable to hog fuel because when Pulp chips are mostly
they are piled, they tend to heat less. This is due to the composed of whitewood,
cleaner nature of a chipped product versus a ground hog because bark, branches, and
fuel. needles are not suitable for
use in the pulping process.
Residue-derived chips are used to create a variety of pulp
Contaminants can cause
and paper products:
problems when pulping, so
• Newsprint care and attention are used
• Kraft pulp to eliminate contaminants
• Tissue such as plastic, rocks, and
• Pellet feedstock metal during the chipping
process.

10 Common end products created from roadside residues

Wood pellets
Pellets have traditionally been made from sawmill residues,
but as competition for these residues has increased,
manufacturers have been looking to the woods to provide
the volume they require. Pellet manufacturers usually acquire
pellet feedstock in the form of hog fuel, which requires a re-
grind to a smaller particle size before pellets can be produced.

Pellets are used for heating of residential and industrial

buildings, and as an alternative to coal, natural gas, and hog
fuel in cogeneration facilities.

Pellets are valued because they:

• Have high energy value
• Have high combustion efficiency
• Are cheaper to transport than wood because they are
denser
• Are a renewable energy source
• Produce less ash than wood
• Have consistent size and properties

Common end products created from roadside residues 11

Firewood
Firewood has been collected from the forest, and specifically,
logging residues, for decades. Some interior communities
have even combined the harvest of firewood with FireSmart
treatments, providing a long term fuel source and protecting
their communities from wildfire.

Firewood is one of the most traditional uses of logging

residues. In remote communities, logging residues provide an
easily accessible source of firewood.

Firewood can be harvested and processed by simple means,

such as a single person with a pickup truck, chainsaw, and axe,
or on a larger scale, where pieces are loaded onto hayracks
or into bins and processed with large firewood splitters at a
central location.

12 Common end products created from roadside residues

residue composition

This section of the guidebook describes the specific

components typically found in residue piles.

Residue pile composition varies due to a number of factors:

• Merchantability specifications
• Harvest prescriptions
• Operator technique
• Species harvested
• Terrain

Tops
Tops are the uppermost part of a harvested tree, usually
below merchantability specifications. If trees are processed at
roadside, they are usually located a single full-tree length or
two to three short-log lengths from the road, as the processor
typically drops them after extracting the merchantable logs.

Butt diameter and length can be highly variable depending

on merchantability standards. In most residue piles, tops
contribute the highest percentage of volume.

Tops can be ground into hog fuel, chipped, or transported

unprocessed in bins or hayrack trucks. The amount of
branches attached to tops varies greatly due to species,
harvest prescription, and operator technique.

residue composition 13
 long butts
Long butts are derived from the bottom of harvested trees.
They are removed because of excessive flare and rot and are
usually found after harvest between the pile of tops and the
road.

Long butt diameter and length can be highly variable

depending on merchantability standards and tree species. In
most residue piles, long butts contribute 10 to 15% of residual
volume.

Long butts can be ground into hog fuel, chipped if debarked

first, or transported by bin trucks in an unprocessed state.

14 residue composition
brush
Brush is generally classified as the material that doesn’t fit in the tops or long butts categories.
Brush is usually composed of branches, fines, and needles. It is usually located immediately in
front of where the processor was sitting during harvest.

In some cases, brush may be a desirable product; however, sometimes it contains fine
inorganics, such as sand, silt, or clay, which can be detrimental when burned.

Delimber-debarker chippers create brush that is similar to that created by a roadside processor.
This brush can be utilized as hog fuel or can be spread back into the cutblock.

Some observers believe that brush should be left in the woods to provide nutrients for the next
crop of trees.

residue composition 15
 Traditional piling practice

Traditionally, logging debris has been piled at roadside after

processing. Piles are formed into a haystack shape to facilitate
burning of the residue.

Logging residue was burned to eliminate or reduce the fire

hazard created by the presence of the residue. However, in
recent years, burning of residue has fallen out of favour due to
the particulate matter formed in the burning process.

Residue that has been piled for burning is very difficult

for secondary harvesters to extract, as the pieces become
tangled and break easily. Components of the pile that may be
considered undesirable by certain operators may be difficult to
isolate when they are mixed together.

Further sections in this guidebook describe alternative

methods of piling for biomass extraction.

16 Traditional Piling Practice

Machinery and Transportation

machinery
A variety of machinery is utilized in B.C. to harvest logging
residues. The type of machinery used is heavily dependent on
the secondary product that is desired.

grinders
Grinders are the workhorses of residual extraction in B.C., as
they possess the ability to produce large volumes of hog fuel
in short amounts of time. However, grinders demand a lot of
fuel and maintenance time. Horizontal grinders (tracked and
wheeled) are the most common type.

Grinders use a system of hammers attached to a drum that

smash residue into small pieces.

Information on grinding best practices can be found on page

39.

loaders
Loading machines are required to place residues into grinders
or bin trucks (in unprocessed collection systems). The type of
attachment used by the loader is critical for keeping hungry
grinders well fed.

machinery and transportation 17

chippers
Chippers are less commonly used for residue extraction;
however, they have been proven effective in locations
where residual tops are long (>3 m). Chipper operators
need to take care that inorganic debris such as rocks and
sand are not fed into the chipper, as chipper knives are less
resistant to damage than grinder hammers.

Information on residual chipping best practices can be

found on page 40.

microchippers
Microchippers are relatively new on the residual extraction
scene. Microchippers produce a very small chip that is
appropriate for pellet production. Like their pulp chipper
cousins, operators need to take care that inorganic debris
is not fed into the chipper.

18 machinery and transportation

Horizontal grinders
Tracked
Tracked horizontal grinders are the preferred version of the horizontal grinder for most
operators in B.C. due to their versatility on many terrain types. Tracked grinders tend to be
more expensive than their wheeled counterparts; however, they do have one major advantage.

The track system allows the grinder to move independently, eliminating the need for residue to
be brought to the grinder.

Most tracked grinders are controlled by the loader operator through a remote control system,
allowing for fine adjustments when grinding into a truck to create a better load balance.

machinery and transportation 19

Wheeled
Wheeled grinders are sometimes used at roadside, but are more commonly found at landing
locations or at the mill site. Wheeled grinders are generally cheaper than their tracked
counterparts, but they are less versatile at roadside.

Wheeled grinders are also controlled by the loader operator, although the operator only has
control over the grinder’s engine and the conveyor height.

The loader is the primary source of locomotion for wheeled grinders (by lifting the front and
either pushing or pulling), although it is possible to use a self-loading truck and grapple in areas
where off-road driving is permissible.

20 machinery and transportation

tub grinders
Tub grinders are usually wheeled machines and are rarely used
at roadside. Tub grinders work well for material that is short in
length, such as previously ground material or long butts and
brush.

Long pieces, such as tree tops, have a tendency to get stuck

inside the tub and block other material from being fed into the
hammermill.

Tub grinders have largely fallen out of use in Canadian

forestry.

Electric options
Virtually all grinders have an electric option that is available
from the manufacturer. Electrically powered grinders are
up to 50% cheaper to run than traditional diesel powered
options because they have fewer moving parts (requiring less
maintenance) and the cost of electricity is lower. However,
they are stationary and must be located near a power source.

machinery and transportation 21

Loaders
In almost all biomass extraction operations, a loader is
necessary to feed the primary machine (grinder, chipper) or to
load bins or hayracks (unprocessed collection).

The most common loading machines used are the butt ’n’ top
loader or the excavator. The butt ‘n’ top loader is valued for its
high cab and the excavator for its lower operating cost.

The preferred attachment for almost all biomass extraction

operations is the power clam grapple. This grapple gives the
operator the power and flexibility needed to feed grinders and
chippers and to load bins. Buckets and single-tine grapples,
while cheaper and more common, have problems manipulating
residue into machines.

22 machinery and transportation

chippers
Chippers are used to create pulp quality chips and lower
quality “fuel chips” from logging residues.

Delimber-debarker chippers are used when debarking is

necessary, although these machines have difficulty gripping
shorter pieces and need them to be at least three metres long.

Chips can still be produced from shorter pieces (long butts)

in the woods with a drum-style chipper; however, without a
debarker, the operation can produce only fuel-quality chips
(which are similar to hog fuel).

Chippers tend to be stationary machines that require residues

to be brought to them by a chipper, forwarder, loader, or
hayrack.

machinery and transportation 23

 microchippers
Microchippers have found a home within the pellet industry in
B.C. as a result of their ability to provide the product size and
quality desired by manufacturers. Microchips tend to dry and
grind faster than standard chips

Microchippers also save pellet manufacturers the cost of the

secondary grind, when using hog fuel or standard- sized chips.

Most microchippers employ chip accelerators, or “blowers,”

for loading or piling chips. Blowers typically blow chips into
the back of a truck, although some models allow for side
loading.

Microchippers are available in both wheeled and tracked

versions.
machine comparisons
Primary Delimber-
Grinder Drum chipper Microchipper
machine debarker chipper
Log loader Log loader Log loader
Secondary (skidder possible Skidder, forwarder, (skidder possible (skidder possible
machine if machine is or log loader if machine is if machine is
wheeled) wheeled) wheeled)
Wheeled, Wheeled and
Wheeled, tracked, Wheeled, tracked,
Mobility tracked, stationary (tracked
and stationary and stationary
and stationary is rare)
Final product Hog fuel Chips Chips Microchips
Maintenance level High High Moderate Moderate

24 machinery and transportation

 transportation
A wide variety of truck and trailer configurations are
used throughout B.C. to transport both comminuted and
unprocessed logging residues. This section describes three
of the most common configurations.

b-trains
B-trains are chip vans that consist of two trailers. In B.C.,
legislation permits B-trains to haul the heaviest loads.

Most B-trains require a “tipper” for unloading and are

known as end dumpers. Some B-trains are side dumpers,
although these are much rarer.

B-trains are the most fragile of the hauling units used for
biomass extraction, and operators must take care not to
damage them on rough resource roads.

machinery and transportation 25

walking floors
Walking floors, or shuffle floors, are the most common biomass hauler in the interior of B.C.

Walking floors consist of a series of metal strips that, when powered, move back and forth in a
rhythm that expels the biomass from the back of the truck.

Walking floors are less fragile than B-trains, but still require operators to take care in order to
avoid damage.

bins
Bin trucks are the smallest of the biomass haulers in B.C. and are mostly found on the coast.
There are numerous configurations of bin trucks found throughout B.C., including custom-made
models built specifically for individual operators.

Bin trucks usually employ a hydraulic lifter and dump from the rear of the bin after the rear
doors have been opened.

Bin trucks are popular on the coast because they are generally easier to turn around than
walking floor and B-train chip vans. They also tend to have a heavier construction and can
withstand rough, coastal roads.

26 machinery and transportation

Best practices: primary harvester

planning
Planning is critical for all stages of residue management for
maximizing logistical efficiency and minimizing costs; for
initial harvest, planning should begin prior to layout. Early
planning is essential in determining where and how much
residue is available, how it will be utilized, and how and where
it will be transported.

It is crucial that there is communication between primary

harvesters and secondary users to ensure maximum efficiency
for both operations. A secondary user’s operations can be
subjected to significant costs if residue is piled for burning, or
if roads are deactivated before residual extraction can take
place. Integrating and streamlining operations as much as
possible should be the goal. If both users can reduce material
handling, both will save costs.

Best Practices: Primary harvester 27

 LOCATION MAP
With Gravel Source

F.L.A55578 CP 199

In an ideal scenario:
LEGEND
Borrow Pit

Gravel Pit

Quarry

Proposed Culvert (CMP)

Active Culvert (CMP)
Bridge Existing
Bridge Proposed
Stream Classes (Trim II)
River/Stream Definite

1. During the primary user’s cutblock planning stage, the

River/Stream Indefinite
Road Classes (All)
Paved Road
Road permit
Unpaved Highway

YA
secondary user identifies a target area showing which

ec.
Main Road A40873

3S
d
Operational Road 7 8R CP 71C A40873

36
22
180- CP N28

R03
Blk 71C001

S6
Spur Road Blk BOB525
Access Trail

NCD
Proposed Road d

NCD
7R NC

cutblocks are within range of its operations and are

7 D D
BC Road Atlas 22 NC
0-

9Rd
Linear Features 18
19

180-227
9-3 0 7 2Rd
Cut Line

NCD
Transmission Line S6
NC
D
19
Pipeline 9-3

likely to contain desirable residue attributes.

07
Fence Line 1 3
A40873 -S

R
LOGGING PLAN MAP

Rd
District Lot Line WTP S.U. A SA

d
CP 80B S.U. A

R0
7 12

91
L&M’s Proposed CP 199 Blk 80B002

99
180-22

KD
Reserve; Wildlife Tree Patch
FL A55578 Existing Disturbances NC
D 180

m
- 2 2 7 10 Rd

7k
Landings

- 6.
Rd
CP 199 BLK 308
Mapsheet Boundary 20k

0
40
Waterbody A40873
WTP
Wetland S6 CP 436
Blk 210

2 7 6Rd

c.BB
First Nations Reserve

S4
S.U. A 84

3 Se
Private Land 1 B

0 -2
.A

36
ec
Woodlot CP 199 3S

18

R03
D 36
Blk 308 NC R03
79
80 82 83
81

4
3

B
4
1 0.5 0 1 2 3 A55578 4

c.C
-S A40873

d
7R
CP 180
SA CP 71C

63 Se
Kilometres Dec 19.0 E Blk 227

08
72 73 400 Rd-7km Blk 71C002

-3
9
74 19

R033
71 75 76 77 78

1
8

11
6

NCD
4

10

1
REFERENCES 3
10 1 6

WTP

NCD
Projection UTM Zone 10 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70

4
28

4
10
Datum NAD 83

4
4

REFERENCES S.U. A

6
Base Source TRIM I CP 199
Scale 1 : 50,000

d
Blk 308

8 5R
58 S.U. A
52 53 54 55 56 57 59 60 61
Forest Region DateNorthern
Drawn Interior Forest Region
2/11/2015 9

4
12 6

30
180 -228 2 R d

8
6

3
2. Once the primary user has determined the location and
CP 199

9-
6
Avison1 - E.Williamson

4
Drawn By

19
-S
Forest District Vanderhoof Forest District Blk 308

S6
SA
49 51
FL CP Block Forest Region Forest District Geographic Location Mapsheet Latitude/Longitude UTM Coordinates
Geographic Location Bobtail 43 44 45 46 47 1 48 50

1
10 1
306 53 46 10 123 47 39 6

13
A55578 199 Northern Interior Forest Region Vanderhoof Forest District Bobtail 93G.072 447664 5958170

d
S.U. B

8 4R
Opening No. 16 5
A55578 199 307 Northern Interior Forest Region Vanderhoof Forest District Bobtail 93G.072 53 44 45 123 45 54 449549 5955508

-3 0
S.U. A

amount of harvest in the secondary’s target area, the

Mapsheet 93G.072
A55578 199 308 Northern Interior Forest Region Vanderhoof3 Forest District Bobtail 93G.072 53 43 49 123 463852 448471 5953783
WTP

99
W 39 40 41 42

51
-

2
B
A55578 199 309 Northern Interior Forest Region Vanderhoof
W Forest District Bobtail 93G.072 53 43 12 123 47 48 447424 5952662
Photo Number 180-22

2
8 3R
d

NCW
S4
Projection UTM Zone 10

199-308 6Rd
NC
33 34 35 36 37
Datum NAD 83 WA - W3

1
2

6
4

secondary commits to specific blocks from which to

8
Base Source TRIM II NC
D

Elevation (min. & max.) 960 1020 29 30 31 10 32

3
8

1
Merchantable Area (ha): 198.9 S.U. B
UTM Coordinates 448471 5953783

extract residues, and to do this in a timely manner that

D 25 27 28
NC S.U. A 26 5
Latitude/Longitude 53 43 49 123 46 52 A55578

4
4 180-228 4Rd

4
99 0
CP 180
1:10,000

S6
Scale Blk 228

D
NC
S.U. B
24
Date Drawn 7/28/2015 NCD
21 22 23
8

will not cause undue hardship for the primary.

2
5

15
S.U. B
10 5 2

Drawn By Avison1 - E. Williamson

ain
lM
LEGEND

btai
D
NC
16 17 18 19 20
A40873 6 5

Bo
CD
199-30 4 99 0

2
CP 80B Rd

3
8 R0

d
1R336

2R
Blk 80B003 199- d 3
CP 199 Sec.G

12-49
30

08
Fish Data L&M's CP 199 Block 308 8 3R B S.U. D

9-3
d Blk 308
10 180 -22 8 1Rd

19
Sample Site - Fish or Fish Habitat Reserve; Wildlife Tree Patch NCD
12-4 11 12 13 14 15

12
Machine Free Zone (MFZ) 9C 4
Reach Break Rd 0

3
6

4
Reach Break - Stream mouth Standard Unit 10 2 5

S.U. D
Reach Break - Upstream Limit Harvest Season

1Rd
WA - W1

100 0
S.U. B
06 07 08 09
99 0

Reach Break - Downstream Limit Winter Harvest

4
199-309

d
8

BR
RES S.U. A 6

W3
Summer Harvest

1000
Beaver Dam

2
-4

9
12

180-228 8Rd
Intermediate Harvest
Falls
Harvest Units S.U. A Rd 03 04 05 S.U. A
Road Classes (All)
12- 49A

2
Cutblock: Existing & label

6
Paved Road 12
Existing Disturbances
Road permit 1 80-228 6Rd
Landings
Unpaved Highway 14 02 1 0 00
First Nations Reserve A40873 01 S.U. C

13
Main Road CP N99
Private Land

d
5

R
Operational Road Blk BOB21 8
Woodlot 22
Spur Road 0- A
R0336 18 S.U. C C
Borrow Pit
Access Trail Blk

3
Gravel Pit

Se
Road Permit Road

c.
R 09199 LD 0

D
Quarry

B
98 5

Proposed Road

18

NC
A40873
Bridge Existing

0-

D
BC Road Atlas

22
CP N99

8
Bridge Proposed Blk BOB21

7R
FTEN Road Segments d
00
Proposed Culvert (CMP)
Trail

0
1
Rd

3. The primary then performs the primary harvest, leaving

Active Culvert (CMP) 00

10
Linear Features 49

D
- A55578

NCD
Contour 12 S.U. A
Cut Line CP 171
Contour - Intermediate (20m) 12
-49E Blk 977
Transmission Line
Contour - Index (100m) Rd
Pipeline
Stream Classes (Trim II) R ib b o n an d Pain t C o lo u rs AREA SUMMARY TABLE NCD METHOD
Ha
wk
-HARVESTING
.3 k
m
Fence Line Rd 5 0 0 R d -1 k m
Season of S3
River/Stream Definite Boundary / W T P-
O range G low Labeled "L&M LU MBER SU Area (ha) Processing

the residues in the state desired by the secondary.

District Lot Line HU Harvest LEAVE TREE SPECIFICATIONS: Where operationally fe
River/Stream Indefinite A40873 Felling Skidding
Ridge Line BD R Y" and Blue Marking Paint BlkACP70A002
70A Location timber (understory spruce and sub-alpine fir and pine) will
Waterbody 193.1
Slope Arrow H1 and structural diversity in the future stand.Individual aspen
SUMMER Feller/
R oad C enterlinePink
- G low R ibbon Roads 5.8 Rubber Tired
Roadside
larger than approximately 30cm are to be stubbed up to 5m

1541
Buncher Grapple Skidder use.
Skid T rail/Skid Bridges - G low Labeled "SKID T R AIL" NP Nat
Pink 0.6 H2 WINTER

The state of the residues will be determined by the

R A40873 S6 A40873
FS
WTPs 21.6
CP 70A -2km
R oad R /W and Landings
Yellow
- /R ed Stripped R ibbon il Blk 70A002 SOIL HAZARDBlk
RATING
CP N30 COARSE WOODY DEBRIS: CWD will be 500
retained
Rd throug
bta A40873 BOB518
there will be an average of 4 logs per hectare retained (mi
Bo CP N99
Machine F ree Z oneYellow
- R ibbon Labeled "MAC H IN E Total 221.1 Potential Blk BOB21 Surface diameter at one end). CWD will be retained where it does
SU Disturbance Compaction Displacement Erosion or timber utilization standards.
F R EE Z O N E"
C ruise Strips LinesBlue
- R ibbon A 5 VH M M

secondary’s usage of the residues.

SOILS: The block contains mostly well drained soils with m
C hainages MarkersBlue/Yellow
- R ibbon area which contains small 'pocket' swamps that have poor
100 50 0 100 200 300 400 compaction hazard but are not individually stratfiable, the g
C ruise Plots and PO C / PO
Blue/Yellow
T R ibbons and be harvested under winter conditions.
Metres
Dec. 18.4 E Baselines and Striplines
O range
- Painted Blaze

4. Once the secondary user has completed a timely

harvest, the secondary notifies the primary so that the
primary can complete any outstanding obligations to
the primary’s permit(s).

28 Best Practices: Primary harvester

Roads
In 2011, FPInnovations published Biomass Trucks and
Resource Road Standards: A Guidebook for Field Planners. The
comprehensive guidebook explains topics such as:
• Biomass truck configurations
• Trailer off-tracking
• Gradeability
• Vertical road alignment
• Turnaround dimensions
• Bridge loading
• Field measurements

As turning chip vans around is more difficult than traditional logging trucks, it has been
discovered that the implementation of loop road systems can decrease cycle time by as
much as 10 minutes per load.

Best Practices: Primary harvester 29

pile management
This section outlines how primary harvesters should pile residue for biomass extraction based
on the type of secondary extraction being performed. The piling techniques for the three most
common methods of extraction (grinding, chipping, and collecting residue in its unprocessed
form) are explained below.

Best practices for piling of individual pile components can be found on pages 32 to 33.

Note: A copy of the “Roadside residue handling” operator card is available in Appendix 1. This
card was produced by FPInnovations to assist operators in the field.

Pile formation
Grinding
When the secondary user plans to grind, residue should be arranged as illustrated on the upper
right. The processor operator should try to keep tops relatively neat, meaning they should be
dropped so that they are oriented together in the same direction and not thrown away from
the processor. Long butts and brush should be piled to the side of the tops. If the secondary
harvester plans to use the fibre for hog fuel, long butts
and brush can be piled together. If the secondary Brush Tops Long butts
harvester plans to use the fibre for pellet feedstock,
brush should be piled separately from the long butts
and left behind because:
• brush contains a lot of dirt and sand, which are
problematic to pellet producers;
• brush contains a lot of nutrients that help with forest
regeneration.

If grinding will be the means of comminution, there is

no need to move the residue closer to the road because
the grinder creates a bridge between the residue and the
truck.

30 Best Practices: Primary harvester

 in-woods chipping
Tops
When the secondary user plans to chip, residue should be
arranged as illustrated below. The processor operator should
try to keep tops relatively neat and oriented together in
the same direction, meaning they should be dropped and
not thrown away from the processor. As the long butts and
brush cannot be chipped by a delimber-debarker chipper, it is
unnecessary to pile them. However, piling operators may wish
to break up the concentrations to allow reforestation and to
prevent a buildup of fire fuel, or simply pile the brush and long
butts for burning.

unprocessed collection
Tops Tops Tops When the secondary user plans to collect unprocessed
residues (for comminution at another site), residues should
Long butts Long butts
be arranged as illustrated below. The processor operator
Long butts
should try to keep tops relatively neat and oriented together
in the same direction, meaning they should be dropped and
not thrown away from the processor. As brush is less dense
than tops and long butts, it is preferable to most secondary
harvesters to leave this material in the woods if unprocessed
collection is planned. Brush should be scattered to ensure
there are no reforestation problems, unless it is excessive and
requires piling and burning.

Best Practices: Primary harvester 31

best practices for piling
tops
Best practices for creating ”decks” made from tops should not
require processor operators or piling operators to deviate too
much from their traditional practices.

Processor operators: As tops are created by the processor,

they should be dropped rather than thrown away from the
processor. An effort should be made to keep tops roughly
parallel to each other. Crossed tops create problems when
trying to pick them up later.

Piling operators: When piling tops, operators need only loosely

pile tops into a deck-like shape, with tops roughly parallel to
each other. Trying to pile tops too neatly may result in costs to
the primary harvesters that are higher than those associated
with traditional piling for burning and should be avoided. If
residue extraction is planned for winter in areas with snow, an
effort should be made to pile tops higher to avoid drifting of
snow over the top of the pile.

long butts
Best practices for piling long butts should not require
processor operators or piling operators to deviate too much
from their traditional practices.

Processor operators: Processor operators should attempt to

keep long butts in front of the tops decks. Operators do not
necessarily have to pile the long butts during processing, but
should make sure they are not mixed into the tops and brush.

Piling operators: The piling operator should collect and place

long butts into a pile located to the side of the tops deck. The
operator should try to avoid mixing dirt and rocks into the
long butts during collection.

32 Best Practices: Primary harvester

brush
Best practices for piling brush should not require processor operators or piling operators to
deviate too much from their traditional practices.

Processor operators: Processor operators should not have to deviate from their traditional
practices while processing.

Piling operators: Where brush is considered acceptable for extraction, piling operators should
collect and place brush into a pile located to the side of the tops deck. The operator should try
to avoid mixing dirt and rocks into the brush during collection. If brush is not a desired product,
piling operators should pile brush for burning or disperse it throughout the cutblock (making
sure not to create an impediment to reforestation).

Best Practices: Primary harvester 33

road grade
Road grades can limit areas accessible to the secondary harvesters.
The guidelines below outline the limits for most secondary harvesters.

Note: If the road grade is too steep to allow access for the secondary harvester, primary
harvesters should simply pile residue for burning.

Road Grade Piling Instructions

<10% Pile for grinding
10-15% Pile with secondary harvester agreement only
>15% Pile for burning if 15% pitches are longer than 50 metres

Chip vans used in extraction operations may have difficulty accessing piles located beyond a
road grade of 10%. Some operations may feel that they can access piles beyond a road grade
between 10 and 15%, providing the grades are not sustained. Most operators will not be able
to access piles beyond a sustained road grade of 15%, so piles beyond this grade should be
prepared for burning (haystack piles).

grinding in-woods chipping unprocessed collection

34 Best Practices: Primary harvester

cutslope height grinding
grinding
The height of the cutslope above the road or fill slope below
the road can determine whether secondary extraction can
occur or whether residue piles should be piled for burning.

Cutslope
Piling Instructions
Height
<3 metres Pile for grinding
3 to 5 metres Pile with secondary harvester agreement only
>5 metres Pile for burning

When grinding at roadside, it is difficult for the grinder to

situate itself perpendicular to the truck when the cutslope
is higher than three metres. When the fill slope is more than
three metres, the grinder has difficulty raising the conveyor
high enough to sit over the truck. However, there may be
situations when the grinder can gain access to cutslopes
between three and five meters (i.e., gaining access where the
slope is shorter and then working along the top of it). Primary
harvesters should consult with the secondary harvesters to
determine whether these moderate cutslopes are accessible
for that particular operator.

Safety: As a general rule, if residue is located on top of a

cutslope that is five metres high or greater, the primary
harvesters should either leave the residue without piling it or
pile for burning (but only if it is safely accessible to a loader).

Best Practices: Primary harvester 35

chipping
Cutslope in-woods chipping
Piling Instructions
Height
<3 metres Pile for in-woods chipping
3 to 5 metres Pile with secondary harvest agreement only
>5 metres Pile for burning

Delimber-debarker chippers usually sit at a landing or on the

road itself, so cut and fill slopes usually don’t affect them
directly. However, the machines that collect residues for them,
such as skidders and forwarders, can be restricted by large
cut and fill slope heights. As with grinders, collecting machines for the chipper may be able to
collect residue on cutslopes between three and five metres in height, but primary harvesters
should discuss this with secondary harvesters before deciding which type of piling is necessary.

Safety: As a general rule, if residue is located on top of a cutslope that is five metres high or
greater, the primary harvesters should either leave the residue without piling it or pile for
burning (but only if it is safely accessible to a loader).

unprocessed collection unprocessed collection

Cutslope
Piling Instructions
Height
<5 metres Pile for unprocessed collection
>5 metres Pile for burning.

When collecting residue in its unprocessed form (not ground

or chipped), the loader is usually limited by the reach of the
machine’s boom. Therefore, if the cut or fill slope is less than
five metres high, the primary harvesters can usually pile the
residue for biomass extraction.

Safety: As a general rule, if residue is located on top of a cutslope that is five metres high or
greater, the primary harvesters should either leave the residue without piling it or pile for
burning (but only if it is safely accessible to a loader).

36 Best Practices: Primary harvester

Best practices: secondary harvester

planning
communication
It is imperative that the secondary harvester speak to the primary
harvester about the needs of his/her operation. The secondary
harvester should explain any physical limitations of road grades and
cutslope heights to the primary harvester, so that operability limits
are clear in the processing phase of the initial harvest.

The easiest way to ensure that residue is piled in a way preferable

to the secondary harvester is to visit the site during the piling phase
and explain to the piling operator exactly what is needed, including
which pile components are desired or which areas are unworkable
due to road grade or cutslope height.

Roads
The secondary harvester should drive the road system (take
initiative) prior to harvest to make sure there are no impediments
to a successful harvest. The FPInnovations Biomass Trucks and
Resource Road Standards guidebook discussed on page 29 can help
clarify the road limitations for various trucking configurations.

Chipper operators should visit the site prior to harvest to determine

appropriate chipper locations and whether any road upgrades will
be needed to facilitate loading.

Best Practices: secondary harvester 37

 Legalities, regulations, guides
It is usually not possible for secondary harvesters to simply
head out to the woods and start harvesting. Secondary
operators should make sure that all local laws regarding
tenures, royalties, highway regulations, and forestry
regulations have been thoroughly researched before harvest.

The B.C. government has provided the following important

As with those who perform
traditional logging practices
(primary harvesters,
licensees, etc.), secondary
harvesters should be
knowledgeable about other
issues critical to maintaining
a healthy forest ecosystem,
such as:
• Soil disturbance
• Reforestation
• Fish and wildlife value
• Air quality
• Coarse woody debris
• Road use restrictions
documents that both primary and secondary harvesters
interested in biomass extraction should familiarize themselves
with:
• Fibre Recovery Process https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/ftp/HTH/
external/!publish/web/timber-tenures/fibre-recovery-
tenures/Fibre-Recovery-Process.pdf
• Improving Fibre Recovery: Administrative Guide https://
www.for.gov.bc.ca/ftp/HTH/external/!publish/web/timber-
tenures/fibre-recovery-tenures/Improving-Fibre-Recovery-
Admin-Guide.pdf
Note: Operators should contact the MFLNRO in their local
district for further information on the rules and regulations
regarding biomass extraction.

If the secondary harvester

is unfamiliar with the rules
and regulations pertaining
to these issues, they
should contact the primary
harvester, the licensee,
or the MFLNRO for more
information.

38 Best Practices: secondary harvester

techniques grind to ground
Grinding directly to ground
is a technique sometimes
used when an operation
grind to truck does not have sufficient
Grinding (or chipping) directly into a chip van is widely
trucks to maintain
considered to be the most efficient means of biomass
productivity of the grinder
extraction. Usually, the grinder (or chipper) will be situated
or chipper.
in front of a residue pile and the truck drives underneath
the conveyor belt. The machine operator then adjusts the Chips or hog fuel are
conveyor belt so that it is centred on the trailer. loaded at a later date. This
technique can lead to higher
Most operations load the front of the truck first and work
levels of contamination in
backward. The truck driver watches the load gauges on the
the feedstock, as there is an
truck axles to determine when to move, or the machine
increased probability of the
operator tells the driver to move forward when the trailer is
loader scooping up soil with
full.
the bottom of the pile.
To grind to truck effectively, the secondary harvester needs to
FPInnovations trials have
ensure there is a sufficient supply of trucks to keep the grinder
demonstrated that to
or chipper productive. Grinding (or chipping) directly to truck
eliminate the possibility
reduces contamination compared to the grind to ground
of contamination,
technique.
approximately 10% of the
feedstock near the bottom
of the pile should be left on
site.

Best Practices: secondary harvester 39

residue chipping
Residue chipping is a relatively new technique in B.C. This technique involves having machines
(skidder, forwarder, loader, hayrack) bring residual tops to a chipper for processing.

Usually, the chipper chips directly into the truck. Some waste is created in the delimbing and
debarking process; a skidder can disperse the waste throughout the cutblock or it can be piled
beside the road for later grinding or burning.

Operators wishing to chip residues should be open to various options for residual tops
collection. Sometimes, chipper pad sites are difficult to find and residues may need to be
gathered from long distances. This makes machine selection critical, as skidders, while effective
at delivering residues located close to the chipper and keeping the landing clear, are not
effective at transporting large volumes over long distances. Forwarders and hayracks/loader
combinations are better suited to medium and long distance delivery.

40 Best Practices: secondary harvester

Unprocessed
collection
(offsite processing)
Offsite processing can be a
successful method of extraction in
areas where haul distances are very
short (<30 km). Short distances are
necessary for this method because
the load size is usually much smaller
than walking floor or B-train loads.

Popular methods of unprocessed

collection include:
• Numerous bins, independent of
trucks (illustrated on the right)
• Hayracks for collection of tops
(illustrated below)
• Trailer-mounted bins

When collecting unprocessed

residues, the principle of collecting
“like with like” is key. This means
that long and short pieces should
not be mixed into the same bins,
as mixing can create large air
spaces that decrease load volume
significantly.

Best Practices: secondary harvester 41

contaminants
Contaminants can easily be introduced in the
pile preparation and secondary harvesting
phases, although with proper care, these
contaminants can be reduced or avoided.

inorganics
Inorganics are usually the most common contaminant in
logging residues and include clay, silt, sand, pebbles, cobbles,
and metal.

Large rocks or pieces of metal can damage comminution

machinery. At processing facilities, excessive soil, sand,
and gravel accelerate wear and can damage the conveying
equipment, cause lagging and fouling in boilers, or wear pellet
dies quickly, resulting in expensive maintenance and repair
costs.

Care should be taken in the primary and secondary harvests

to minimize the incorporation of inorganics in the residues.
Stumps, dirt clods, and old cables should be moved away
from residue piles. Primary harvesters should take care not
to introduce plastics into residues destined for secondary
collection, as they may cause problems in chip pulping. Even
if residues are destined for grinding (as hog fuel), plastic can
blow from hog piles into chip piles at mill sites.

42 Best Practices: secondary harvester

 moisture
The inclusion of snow
can decrease the volume
of residual material
transported in each
load and can lead to the
truck reaching its weight
threshold before it reaches
its volume threshold.

Moisture from snow creates

a problem for the user of
residual material because
energy is spent driving
the moisture from the
feedstock. In the case of
pellet manufacture, the
feedstock must be dried
to approximately 10%
moisture content before it
can be used.

Primary harvesters should

also minimize incorporating
snow into residue piles
at the time of harvest by
building piles higher in areas
that are prone to heavy
snowfall.

Best Practices: secondary harvester 43

post-secondary
harvest actions
Secondary harvesters need to make sure that residue has been cleared to ensure that there
are adequate plantable spots for reforestation and that the fire hazard has been mitigated. If
secondary harvesters are unclear about how much they should clean up after extraction, they
should speak to the licensee and/or the MFLNRO.

Secondary harvesters have a number of options to ensure that the reforestation and fire hazard
goals are met:
• Break up concentrations and disperse material throughout the cutblock
• Create windrows so that trees can be planted in between rows
• Pile the leftover residue for later burning

Secondary harvesters should also ensure that residue from their own comminution efforts
(chips or hog fuel) does not accumulate near creeks or ditches. This residue should be spread
throughout the dispersed area.

44 Best Practices: secondary harvester

glossary
B-train chip van—Two trailers
linked by a fifth wheel; designed to
transport chips or hog fuel.
Chip van—Used generically as a
vehicle than can haul chips or hog
fuel.
Chipper pad—The in-woods site
where a chipper is positioned to
create chips. Usually a large, flat,
landing-type area.
Cogeneration—The generation of
electricity and heat. In this guide it
specifically refers to cogeneration
“facilities” which provide heat and
power for a pulp or sawmill.
Comminution—The reduction of
solid materials from one average
particle size to a smaller, more
uniform average particle size
by crushing, grinding, cutting,
vibrating, or other processes.
glossary
Hog fuel—Wood chips or shavings, Tipper—A large device used to
residue from sawmills, comminuted empty a B-train truck, lifting the
logging residues, etc., that are front end of the truck so that the
used for fuel, pellet feedstock, chips or hog fuel can slide out the
composting, landfill, animal feed, or back.
surfacing paths and running tracks.
Walking floor trailer—A trailer
Pellet feedstock—Hog fuel or designed to self-unload using a
chips specifically designated for the series of moving pieces along the
creation of pellets. floor.
Primary harvest—The harvest
of trees that are considered
merchantable.
Re-grind—Further comminution
of chips or hog fuel for the purpose
of making fibre particle smaller
enough for pelletization.
Secondary harvest—The
removal of material that was (and
sometimes still is) regarded as
waste.
45
 appendix 1
Operator card
Roadside Residue Handling
GRINDING IN-WOODS CHIPPING UNPROCESSED COLLECTION

Brush Tops Long Butts Tops Tops Tops Tops

Long Butts Long Butts Long Butts

PILE
FORMATION

ROAD GRADE PILING INSTRUCTIONS ROAD GRADE PILING INSTRUCTIONS ROAD GRADE PILING INSTRUCTIONS

<10% Pile for grinding (above) <10% Pile for in-woods chipping <10% Pile for unprocessed collection
(above) (above)
10-15% Pile with secondary harvester 10-15% Pile with secondary harvest 10-15% Pile with secondary harvest
agreement only agreement only agreement only
ROAD
GRADE >15% Pile for burning if 15% pitches >15% Pile for burning if 15% pitches >15% Pile for burning if 15% pitches
are longer than 50 metres are longer than 50 metres are longer than 50 metres

CUTSLOPE HEIGH T PILING INSTRUCTIONS CUTSLOPE HEIGHT PILING INSTRUCTIONS CUTSLOPE HEIGHT PILING INSTRUCTIONS

<3 metres Pile for grinding (above) <3 metres Pile for in-woods chipping <5 metres Pile for unprocessed collection
(above) (above)
3 to 5 metres Pile with secondary harvester 3 to 5 metres Pile with secondary harvest
agreement only >5 metres Pile for burning
CUTSLOPE agreement only
HEIGHT >5 metres Pile for burning >5 metres Pile for burning

46 Appendix 1: Operator card

 Best Piling Practices
R

TOPS LONG BUTTS BRUSH

AVOID CREATING PILE CONTAMINATION PILE RESIDUES HIGHER IF SECONDARY HARVEST TO

OCCUR IN WINTER

Dirt and sand Rock Metal Snow

Appendix 1: Operator card 47

 Head Office
Pointe-Claire Québec
570 Saint-Jean Blvd. 319 Franquet
Pointe-Claire, QC Québec, QC
Canada H9R 3J9 Canada G1P 4R4
T 514 630-4100 T 418 659-2647

Vancouver
2665 East Mall
Vancouver, BC
Canada V6T 1Z4
T 604 224-3221