Red alder potential in Alaska

Over the past several decades, red alder has established itself as a commercially important species in the Pacific Northwest. Once considered a weed species, red alder now commands respect within many markets, including furniture, architectural millwork, and other secondary manufactured products. Although red alder's natural range extends to southeast Alaska, an industry has not developed there to utilize the material. The objective for this study was to evaluate the product recovery from red alder trees harvested in southeast Alaska using a thin-kerf portable bandmill, and to determine the suitability of this resource for use by regional wood products firms that typically use small portable mills.