~

.If this researcher

has his way,these machines

and techniques willquadruple the

utilization of woodsfrom southern forests

L IKE HIS pioneer forefathers,Peter Koch sees opportunitywhere othen see obstacles. And

his vision is helping to reshape thewood industry.

Since 1963 Koch has directed re-search on processing southernwoods for the U.S. Forest Service'sSouthern Forest Experiment Stationin Pineville, Louisiana. In that time,he has invented six revolutionarymachines, developed techniques forprocessing wood with less waste andreduced energy requirements, pub-lished an authoritative text onsouthern pine, found uses for'low-quality hardwoods once consideredworthless and demonstrated how theSouth can quadruple the woods-products output from its forests.

His achievements reveal the sameresourcefulness, the same determi-nation to reach a goal that charac-terized his immigrant anceston, wholeft Denmark to settle fint in Missis-sippi and later in the wild territory ofMontana. Peter Koch's goal is this:by 1980 he and his colleagues willdevelop the technology to recoverfrom each pine twice as much salableproduct as in 1968 and to profitablyuse the small, poorly formed hard-woods growing on southern pinesites.

Koch and his team of six wood sci-entists, six technicians and three sec-retaries have already made consid-erable strides toward their goal. Forexample. in 1963 Koch unveiled thechipping head rig, a machine thatsquares debarked logs without wasteby converting the round sides intopulp chips. Today, over 1,100 chip-ping headrigs are in use throughoutthe world. In North Americaperhaps half the softwood processedIS machined by chipping head rigs oredgers.

So significant is the chippinghead rig that in 1973 it earned Kochthe John Sc6tt Award. presented forinventions deemed most useful tomankind and awarded in the past tosuch scientists as Madame Curie andThomas Edison. The machine alsowon the 1968 Woodworking DigestAward.

Mary E/4iJu LDrtI is G frrelallt" ..-iIn' Gildformer daief.dilDr for fA, Southma ForestExp,rime1Jt StatJo" in N,w Orltans,LoiIisiIJna.

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FEBRUARY 978

Koch's approach is an in~tedattack on the problem of ex~ndingthe timber resource through tech-nology. He looks at the whole prob-lem, from harvesting to marketing,and proposes innovative solutions.

Realizing that nearly 17 percent ofa tree's total weight is in iu roou andstump, Koch determined to harvestthese parts as well and provided the";1achine to do it-a tree puller thatlifts tree and taproot from theground together. Seven commercialtree pulJers have been built.

To harvest logging slash (tops andbranches), standing culls andstumps, Koch and Dan McKenzie ofthe Forest Service's San DimasEquipment ~boratory designed amobile chipper. It not only scoopsup such material but also chips it andeither lays the chips on the site asmulch or loads them for transport tothe mill and conversion to fuel orfi~r. During a r~tion, themo6ilechIpper could raise fuel and fiberrecovery by 20 to 60 tons per aCre~The inventors have enlisted the aidof the Energy Research and De-velopment Administration and sixmajor forest-producu firms in build':ing a prototype machine.

As with the mobile chipper, Kochalways works closely with industry. "Itry to get the manufacturer involvedat the earliest stage posible; this is th~best way to transfer research find-ings to industry," he says.

Koch himself worked in industryfor nearly 20 years before turnipgtofulltime research. He began bi~career in 1946 as an engineer andlater assistant to the president ofSteuon-Ross in Seattle, operated hisown consul ting engineering businessin Seattle in the 1950's, taught atMichigan State University from1955 to 1957 and then served as vice-president and director of the Cham-plin Company, Rochester, NewHampshire, until 1963.

First-hand knowledge of indu~-try's problems has helped Koch to

.develop much-needed improve-menU in wood processing. He rt:Vo-lutionized southern pine processingwhen he showed how to dry studs in24 hours at 240°F instead of ~eusual four to six days at 180.F..Thisaccelerated drying schedule is nowused throughout the South and invirtually all pine mills in Australia.

The Pineville scientists are work-

i";g to further reduce drying time These hardwoods are typically The shaping-lathe head rig opens~nd energy requirements. Twelve- wasted. In fact. destroying them to the door to a host of new, hilA-valuehour drying is possible with a pro- prepare the site for pine regenera- products made from "worthless"posed tunnel kiln heated to 2700 F. tion is one of the major forestry ex- hardwoods. For example, mainline 7Preliminary studies indicate that penses in the South. The key to x 9-inch crossties can be made fromshort exposure to this high tempera- utilizing pine-site hardwoods may small logs by cutting two 7 x 4.5-inchture causes no significant decrease in well be Koch's shaping-lathe head- cants and linking them with steelsouthern-pine strength. rig. dowels. Residues from the shaping

To heat the kiln, Koch and M. T. The shaping lathe machines the lathe are flakes ideal for use in struc-jasper of Mississippi State University entire length of a log as it makes a tural exterior tlakeboard (a newdeveloped a green-bark burner that single revolution against the cut- product to compete in price anddries and burns wet fuel such as log- terhead. Since the rotating log is function with plywood sheathing) orging slash, yielding gases of about held in place by end chucks, the medium-density fiberboard.1,600° F. A commercial prototype shaping lathe can accept short logs Project scientists C.- Y. Hse, Eddiewith an output of 5~ million 8tu's with butt swell, crook, or sweep- Price and George Woodson haveper hour is being built by Energex logs that before could not be sawn. been working with these boards. HseCorporation of North Portland, The first commercial headrig was is formulating required adhesives,Oregon. In a typical plant, such a placed in operation last year by and Price is subjecting 4 x 8-footburner might eliminate fuel-oil bills Hinchcliff Products of Parsons, flakeboard panels to the rigorousof close to $100,000 a year. West Virginia. This machine has a exposure and strength tests re-

Pine utilization is only half the 54-inch-long cutterhead. A shaping quired by national building codes.problem, however. "For every ton of lathe capable of machining 8~-foot Meanwhile, advanced planning ispine growing on a southern pine logs is being designed by Stetson- underway for several flakeboardsite," Koch points out, "there's 0.8 Ross of Seattle and should be avail- plants to be built in the U.S. Wood-ton of small, low-quality hardwood." able for sale soon. son is determininv; how different

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species mixes and press conditionsaffect fiberboard's strength and dur-ability.

Other scientists in the project areinvestigating a variety of topics,ranging from Charles McMillin'smechanical refiner for producinghigh-strength pine pulp to RichardHemingway's proposal for obtainingadhesives from pine bark. FloydManwiller is characteri1.ing southernwoods as industrial raw materials byanalyzing their analytical, physical,chemical and mechanical propenies.

FEIRUARY 1971 31

All the project's research fits to-gether in BRUSH (Biomass Re-trieval and Utilization with Shap-ing-Lathe Headri~s)-a system that,it is claimed, can quadruple theutilization of wood from southernforests. In 1963, Koch explains,about 30 percent of the pine biomass(above and below ground) harvestedin the South for lumber and pulpwas actually recovered as salableproducl. Virtually nont' of tltehardwoods on pine sites were used.BRUSH would recover 67 percent

of the biomass in both pines andhardwoods as solid wood producuworth about Sl50 per ton. Thus.product yield from a mixed-speciesforest would be four times that ob-tained in 1965 since hardwood ton-nage on pine sites is nearly as great aspine. In addition. harvested loggingslash and residues would providemost of the necessary fuel.

Some elements of BRUSH. in-cluding the tree puller and shaping-lathe head rig. are already in use by

(Turn to page 47)

Peter Koch(From pagt JJ)

several companies. and Koch esti-mates that by the mid-1980's w()()c!shortages wili give impetus tor \\'ide-spread applkation of the idea in itsentirety.

Koch is characterized by a sense ofurgency, a drive that typically keepshim at work 60 hours a week. He is aman of deadlines, [urning out a pro-digious amount of work and givinghis co-workers the freedom andmotiva[ion [0 do the same. En-[husiasm and energy are high in theproject, which has \\'on a SuperiorService Award fr()m the Depar[mentof Agricul[ure.

Koch himself has published over100 scientific papers as well as twobooks, Wood Machining Processes andUtilization of the Southern Pines. 80thbooks are standard references, and[he pine tex[ is no\\' in its secondprinting. A [hird book, Utiliz.ation ofHardaJoods Growing on Southern PiMsite,: is in [he works.f fn be[ween [he wriung and the re-

search, Koch travels, bringing hisideas [0 industry and o[her scientis[s.8e[ween 1974 and 1976, he pre-sented 78 papers a[ scientific and[rade meetings in the U.S., Canada,Argentina, Australia, New Zealand,Norway and Finland.

A pas[ presiden[ of [he ForestProduc[s Research Society, Kochhelpe.d [0 found [he society's infor-mation retrieval sys[em-Abs[ractInformauon Diges[ Service (AIDS).He is listed in American Men cf Scienceand Who's Who in America. He hasbeen named a fellow in [he I n[erna-[ional Academy of Wood Science. adisunc[ion shared by fewer [han 100scienhs[s.

Koch was born in Missoula, Mon-tana, in 1920. He earned a 8.S. inmechanical engineering a[ MontanaSta[e College in 1942, [hen logged1,000 hours as a combat pilot inChina before compleung his Ph.D.in wood science a[ [he Universi[y ofWashington in 1954.

He relaxes from his demandingwork schedule wi[h such equallydemanding leisure acuviues as mak-ing a 1,000-mile solo canoe tripdown [he Yukon River. trek kingacross the Andes and exploring theupper reaches of the Congo River.

His \vife, [he former Doris AnnHagen, shares his en[husiasm for theoutddOrs. Together they have navi-

FE8RUARY 1978

gated rubber rafts and canoes down

numerous Western rivers, sai~sJ (hecoast of Maine, clambered on (heslopes of Moun( Kilimanjaro, flown(he skies of Mexico and camped inAfrica. Las( year (hey rented acamper and drove 4,000 miles(hrough Finland, S\,'eden and Nor-way. No\\' (hey are planning a walk-ing (rip in (he Himalayas,

The secret (0 Peter Koch's success?Doris Koch sums i( up: "We defineour goals, consider our directionand, having done so, abundantlyenjoy our passage." .

47

gated rubber rafts and canoes downnumerous Western rivers, sai~sJ (hecoast of Maine, clambered on (heslopes of Moun( Kilimanjaro, flown(he skies of Mexico and camped inAfrica. Las( year (hey rented acamper and drove 4,000 miles(hrough Finland, S\,'eden and Nor-way. No\\' (hey are planning a walk-ing (rip in (he Himalayas,

The secret (0 Peter Koch's success?Doris Koch sums i( up: "We defineour goals, consider our directionand, having done so, abundantlyenjoy our passage." .

gated rubber rafts and canoes downnumerous Western rivers, sai~sJ (hecoast of Maine, clambered on (heslopes of Moun( Kilimanjaro, flown(he skies of Mexico and camped inAfrica. Las( year (hey rented acamper and drove 4,000 miles(hrough Finland, S\,'eden and Nor-way. No\\' (hey are planning a walk-ing (rip in (he Himalayas,

The secret (0 Peter Koch's success?Doris Koch sums i( up: "We defineour goals, consider our directionand, having done so, abundantlyenjoy our passage." .

gated rubber rafts and canoes downnumerous Western rivers, sai~sJ (hecoast of Maine, clambered on (heslopes of Moun( Kilimanjaro, flown(he skies of Mexico and camped inAfrica. Las( year (hey rented acamper and drove 4,000 miles(hrough Finland, S\,'eden and Nor-way. No\\' (hey are planning a walk-ing (rip in (he Himalayas,

The secret (0 Peter Koch's success?Doris Koch sums i( up: "We defineour goals, consider our directionand, having done so, abundantlyenjoy our passage." .

gated rubber rafts and canoes downnumerous Western rivers, sai~sJ (hecoast of Maine, clambered on (heslopes of Moun( Kilimanjaro, flown(he skies of Mexico and camped inAfrica. Las( year (hey rented acamper and drove 4,000 miles(hrough Finland, S\,'eden and Nor-way. No\\' (hey are planning a walk-ing (rip in (he Himalayas,

The secret (0 Peter Koch's success?Doris Koch sums i( up: "We defineour goals, consider our directionand, having done so, abundantlyenjoy our passage." .

gated rubber rafts and canoes downnumerous Western rivers, sai~sJ (hecoast of Maine, clambered on (heslopes of Moun( Kilimanjaro, flown(he skies of Mexico and camped inAfrica. Las( year (hey rented acamper and drove 4,000 miles(hrough Finland, S\,'eden and Nor-way. No\\' (hey are planning a walk-ing (rip in (he Himalayas,

The secret (0 Peter Koch's success?Doris Koch sums i( up: "We defineour goals, consider our directionand, having done so, abundantlyenjoy our passage." .

VOL. 84, NO.2, FEBRUARY 1978

Bill Rooney, EditorIrene McManus, Ass(}("iatc EditorDeborah S. Johnson. Editorial AssistantJames J. Fisher, Art Dirt'ctcJr

AFA Ofticers" StallI'rrsidr/ll: C.I H. Reidel.

Director. Environmenta' Pro,am. Univenity of Vermont. BurlinllOn. Vt.Vicr Prrsidr/ll: TOOmas H. Ripley. Director. ~. FISheries and Wildlife.

Te~ssee Vallev AudlOritv

Vkr I'rrsidr/ll: Hester L. T_r. Nationa' Di_tor. CI!DP Fft Girls. I~., New York

Tr"u",r"r: John M. Christie,Chairnyn. fx"'"li,'" (:'Imnlill"". RiRK5 ~ali..nal Bank. \\'~shinKI..n. D.('

A'USlttnl Trrusllrrr: Sam R. Broadbent1:"',,"lil" Vit',. Pr,.sid"nl: William E. Towell

5«rrlary': Bill Rooneynllsin Mu/lug,.r: Jane C. Evans

l'rl1/frunls Dir"Clt,r: Richard PardoTrail Riders Dlrrclor: Mary Ellen Walsh ARTICLES

12 Confessions of a Big-Tree Sleuth by Harold Calvert14 What's Your Forest Land Worth? by Frank H. Armstrong and

Russell D. Briggs18 Timberland Turnaround by Frank Zumbro24 Wildfire's Child by HowardA. Miller28 Peter Koch: Wizard of Wood Use by Mary Elaine Lora32 Genesis of a Law, Pan 2 by Irving Semel

DEPARTMENTS

Cover-Baby sc~h owl. Photo by George H. Harrison.

Board of Directors

TERMS EXPIRING IN 1978:Virlis L. Fischer, Nel'Qda, Wesle", Land Use Com/"ill..e,

W~slern Fo,esl". AssocialionJoseph L. Fisher, Vi'Kinja. M~",b~,. U.s. HoltS.. of R~p'..s~nlolh'"sGeorse A. Garratt, Colln~clicuI, D..an Enl~'il/Lf, Yal~ School of Fo,esl,yArlhur W. Greeley, Ma,yland,Minisl~', Ch~I'y Chose

Uniled Melhodisl Chu,chRichard E. McArdle, Disl,ic! of Cohlmbia. Fo"".., Chi~f,

u.s. Fo,~sl Se',iceClarence W. Richen, 0'~601l. Vic.. P'~sid~nl.

C'OM'n Z~//,,'b«h Co,po,alion

TER,\fS EXPIRI"'C I." 1979:Ed,,'ard C. Crafts. ,\fat)land. Forw, DeJ1IIIJ Ch."f, U.S. For,.' S"rvi.., alld

Dir",'or, jlur",u of Quldoor RtWTmlw... U.S.D.I.Irving Feisl, N Yo,k, Chaimlan, Wo,ld Scolllln6 COllllllill~~Fred C. Gragg. Alabama, MallalPT, For~sl lIIIi...n, Affam,

Inl..,nalional Pap~, Compan,'Perry R. Hagenslein. Massochus.."s. E.x~cllliv.. Di,~c'or. N..". Englond Nalll,al

R..sou, s C~n/..'Duncan Howle", Maill~. P,..sid..n/. S'IIOI/ W",uiiand O"'",,,s Asso(-;lUionEdw~rd L. Kozicky, JI/inols, Wildlif~ Mana6~m~nl, Olill Co,pora/iollHcnry Savag.., Jr.. So,,/h Ca,ollna, AII/ho,-Lo...,...,

TERMS EXPIRING IN 1980:Kcilh A, Argow, Vi'ginia. Associ",e P,ofesso, of Fo,es/""

Vi'rinil' POI,'I~chnic I"sli",'~ ond Slal~ U"h..,sil,.Tholn3s-B. Bordcn, Colo,odo, Di,eclo,. Colo,ado Stole Fo'~sl S..,.'i Robert P. BurrouJhS, N~... Ha'nps"i,~. O,..ha,d and Woodland OM'n..,

JolVI L. Gray, Florida, p,ofessor. School of ForestR..s"", s a"d C'ms~rvo/ion, Uniw,si'" of Flt1rida

Lloyd E. Panain, P~nnsyIvania, NaJllral R~ n:es Cons~rVGliOt/islW. Jane Westenberger. Califo,nio. Di,~..IO'. 06ic~ oflnfotnlalion.

Fo,..sl ,\"~,"it:~. U.S.D.A.

EX OFF/~.IO MEMBERS:Charles A. Connaughton, O'~IIO". Fo'm~' ReRional Fo,..sl.."

U.S.D.A. Fo,..sl S..nit:~Paul M. Dunn, O'~Kon. Consul/anI, SI. R~Kis P"P'" C"",pa".,'Voil Gilmorc, No,lh Ca,olina, P'~siJ..nl. Th~ SIO"'" Co'l,o,alio"P. F. Walzck, Mississippi, Fo'nl~' P'~sid..nl, AFAWilrrrd R Woods, H'asAin61on, Edilor and PNbli.rh~" TM W~-..hN Dail" World

The American Forestry Association is a national conservationorganization-independent and non-political-for the advance-ment of intelligent management and use of our forests. soil, water,wildlife, and all other natural resources necessary for an environ-ment of high quality and the well-being of all citizens. Establishedin 1875, the Association seeks, by means of its magazine AmericanForests and in other ways, to promote an enlightened public appre-ciation of natural resources and the part they play in the social,recreational and economic life of the nation.

Honorary Vice PresidentsEnrique Beltran. M~.ricoTlKlmton F. Brldshaw. N~w YorkM.;on Clawson. District oj'CoI"mbioRuth C. Clusen. District oj'CoillmbioCharles Collingwood. N~w YorkJ8IneS B. Craig. Mary/aNiSamuel T. Dana. Vir,i"iaEmanuel Fritz. Cali/or"iaMelville B. Grosvenor. District of C oI"lIIbiaW. D. Haaenslein. Or~IO"Fred E. Hornaday. District ofCoIkmb;aFrank B. Hubachek.ll/illOisToomas L. Kimball. District of C,"_biaGareth C. Moon. MomallDJohn MOlin. MisstJllriRus~1I W. Paerson. D~/a"...r~Mrs W. S. Rosecrans. Ca/i/or"iaDonn B. Tllum. Cali/or,,;"Jolin S. Tener. CanadaGeorge H. Weyerhaeuwr. Washi",tOllGilben F While. Colorado

A~1ERJCAN FORESTS is published monthly by The An1crican For-cstry Associ:ltion at 1319 Eighteenth Street, N. W.. Washington,D. C. 20036. Subscription price is $8.50 a year. Editors are notresponsible for loss or injury of manuscripts and photographswhile in their possession or in transit. The Editors are not respon-sible for views expressed in signed articles. Second class postagcpaid at Washington, D. C. and addilional entry offices. Copyri~ht@ 1978 by The American Forestry Association.