The two parties also may experiment with leaving logs and other biomass like branches and treetops in the forest for longer than Forest Service policies currently permit. That allows more water weight to evaporate before hauling, so more logs can be put on each load.

Another idea is to set up weighing terminals, which all trucks must cross before taking logs to the mill, in more convenient areas of the forest to cut down on the distance trucks have to drive with their cargo, Provencio said.

At some point The Nature Conservancy employees also may take on jobs Forest Service staff usually perform, like sale administration and contracting, he said.

INDUSTRY SIDE

Speeding up the pace of logging activity and making it more consistent is critical not only for restoring the forest but also for attracting more mills and other businesses that can process that wood, Provencio said. Those operations need a steady, dependable stream of logs that hasn’t yet materialized on the west side of 4FRI yet, he said.