Northwest Management, Inc. currently provides forestry assistance to all of the communities in the ten northern-most Idaho counties. This program allows NMI to work directly with area volunteer groups to promote and care for their urban and community forests and forest management programs. These services include:
- Participating on numerous community tree committees
- Providing information on funding resources and educational opportunities
- Assisting in tree inventories and community forest management plans
- Coordinating educational workshops
- Providing a public interface for questions and assistance regarding local forestry issues
Northwest Management, Inc. also assists with the development of local grant projects that improve the functionality and aesthetic quality of a town’s urban forest. In addition to their expertise in forestry, NMI also maintains certified arborists on staff to complement the goals of the community forestry program.
Back to Top
Many natural resource-based projects are more successfully implemented when outreach and information sharing with area residents, local communities, or other interested groups has been conducted. NMI has extensive experience organizing, advertising, and presenting at outreach events, public information meetings, and training exercises targeted at gathering input and comments on local projects or just providing information to residents. NMI has taught small and large scale wildfire-related training courses, gathered neighborhood sentiment on implementation of fuels reduction projects, conducted regional mail surveys, and even assisted in putting on annual FIREWISE community cleanup days. NMI feels it is important that we be well-versed in local issues and be flexible in working with various organizations and public interest groups.
Back to Top
Northwest Management, Inc. manages the R.T. Bingham White Pine Seed Orchard. This seed orchard produces rust resistant white pine seed. Western white pine (Pinus monticola) is susceptible to white pine blister rust. Beginning in the 50's and 60's, rust-resistant seedlings developed by the USFS Intermountain Research Station were planted at the orchard site. The orchard is a co-operative effort of several agencies, under the umbrella of the White Pine Species Group of the Inland Empire Tree Improvement Cooperative.
The long-term goal of the cooperative is to restore the western white pine to its former ecological majesty throughout the forests of the Inland Northwest. You can help reach this goal by planting white pine wherever it will grow.
Seed is sold by the pound. If you are interested in ordering White Pine Seed from the orchard, contact us at richards@consulting-foresters.com.
Back to Top
Biomass is considered to be the living and non-living vegetative matter found in our environment. This can be forest or agricultural biomass and is being used to produce fuels such as ethanol, pellets for heating, and electrical power generation, all of which help in reducing carbon emissions and particulate matter into the atmosphere.
Cellulosic Biomass, which is wood based biomass, is being used to heat schools and produce hot water and electricity. Cellulosic Biomass is a carbon neutral product for energy production.
Benefits in Utilizing Cellulosic Biomass for Energy Production
- Thinning forests to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire (protects homes and property and helps in managing wildlife habitat)
- Reduction of particulate matter generated from burning, and less smoke caused from open burning
- Reduction of fossil fuel use
- Increased soil productivity and water quality by avoiding large-scale wildfires on a landscape
Back to Top
Many groups or organizations do not have the time and resources necessary to pursue the projects and action items recommended in their various planning documents or brainstorming sessions. Northwest Management, Inc. often assists counties, cities, fire departments, and other entities with project implementation plan development and grant writing. NMI has a myriad of professional staff skilled in all aspects of natural resource management that are available to lend the required expertise to the development of a successful grant project. NMI offers extensive support starting from the initial project planning phases to researching available funding opportunities to submitting grant proposals on behalf of the client. Often, the fee for our services can be included in the grant funding request; thus, there is no upfront cost to the client.
Back to Top
Northwest Management, Inc. (NMI) for the past 22 years has developed an effective log marketing system that provides our clients with the highest net return for their forest products. NMI will combine multiple timber sales into one package which can reduce harvesting and transportation cost, increase the total sale volume producing the highest prices paid for logs.
NMI provides Log Marketing services separately, or as part of our timber sale services. A timber sale will be advertised on a delivered log basis. A map and description of the sale area will be sent to qualified, interested mills for bid. Northwest Management, Inc. will lump several timber sales in the general vicinity into one sale package. This makes an attractive sale package that benefits the clients involved.
Each mill will have two to three weeks to inspect the sale and deliver a bid with a specified cash deposit to Northwest Management, Inc. by a set closing date. The bid opening is held at the Northwest Management, Inc. office and the landowners are encouraged to attend. Bids are opened and then tabulated. Based on the price bid and the hauling cost from the sale area to each mill, a recommendation is made to the landowner. If the delivered log price and anticipated stumpage rate is acceptable to the client, Log Purchase Agreements are signed with the successful purchaser(s) for the specified price and time period.
Since 1982, Northwest Management, Inc. has documented delivered log prices in the Inland Northwest. We began producing a quarterly Newsletter, Inland Northwest Market Report, in 1998 which contains the Log Market Report for Eastern Washington, North Idaho and Montana and various natural resource articles.
Visit our Market Report page to view our current Newsletter and the many articles contained in past Market Report Newsletters.
Back to Top
Many landowners are looking for additional revenue sources outside of traditional sources (timber, grazing, minerals). Northwest Management, Inc. has assisted clients with implementing hunting leases, special forest product gathering permits, road use fee permits, easement exchange projects, and recreation fee systems. Whether you are looking at granting your neighbor hunting access or leasing out your ranch to a hunt club or special forest products company, make sure you are protecting yourself from liability and are being compensated in a fair manner for those rights.
Back to Top
Knowing the size of an area is important when assigning values or costs to land management, land purchases, or land sells. A high acreage cost or value can add up quickly. Traversing an area with a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit can accurately tell you the size of an area and whether what you think you own matches what you paid for or are paying taxes on. This information can be entered into GIS (Graphic Information System) where accurate maps displaying the area can be created for visual needs.
Back to Top
Roads must meet environmental laws and economical consideration, whether they are built to provide access to your home or to meet your land management objectives. Doing it right the first time is essential to meeting the above objectives. Steps to proper layout and design include:
- Proper road layout will minimize any impacts to the environment and at the same time minimize costs to achieve the goal. Road layout plans assess the terrain best suited for the road avoiding rocky, steep ground, and minimizing any water crossings. Land management goals will dictate where the road will best serve your building site or if harvesting is your goal, where the road will best fit the logging system. The road layout plan is critical to maximize the efficiency of the road system thereby keeping present and future maintenance needs at reasonable costs, and keeping more expensive logging systems to a minimum if there will be harvesting on the property.
- Road design starts with the goals you are trying to achieve and is implemented as the road system is laid out. Proper layout will help the construction phase stay within the design goals thereby minimizing costs. A road centerline will be flagged in the field taking all of the above into account. The road will then be designed to meet and/or exceed all laws by minimizing 1) future maintenance needs and costs, 2) protecting water quality through drainage structures, and 3) impacts to wildlife.
- This process of proper layout, design, and finely construction by a qualified contractor is an integral part of a successful formula to create a final product that is cost effective and environmentally sound.
Northwest Management, Inc. has professionals with over 60 years of combined experience to achieve your road layout and design goals.
Back to Top
NMI has conducted numerous road inventory projects for private landowners. Road features or attributes are identified, evaluated and mapped using GPS so a road maintenance plan can be prepared. Based on the information collected in the inventory, road maintenance activities can be prioritized, scheduled and budgeted over time to bring all roads up to standard. Annual regular maintenance is also incorporated into the plan.
Back to Top
To meet forest practice regulations, culverts must be designed to carry a designated flow requirement. In Idaho it is the 50-year peak flow. Northwest Management, Inc. uses characteristics of the stream and watershed to calculate flow and through tables we determine the proper size culvert to handle the flow. For fish bearing streams where fish passage is required, NMI can design various structures including round, arch pipe, open arches and bridges to suit the needs of the landowner.
Back to Top
