Wood chain forest distric Inner-Lugnez

Best Practice

Topics

• Regional value added
• Governance capacity

Short description

This project describes a wood production chain in a little valley in the swiss mountains. The local wood is processed in the valley. The sales of round timbers and wood chips mainly take place in the valley. The sawmill has a flexible handling with special desires. A local architec (G. Caminada) promotes the use of wood in the valley for constructions. The communities promotes wood-heating systems in the valley to commercialise also the poorer wood.The whole value added stays in the valley.

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Project executive

Mario Alig, Forest district responsible,Cudiala 7149 Vrin/GR, Tel: +41819312435, +41794455458

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Participants

Community "Inner-Lugnez", forest ranger, forest owners, forest companies, sawmill, constructor, architect

Objectives

The aim is to process the wood of the forest area in the valley Inner-Lumnezia to timber and wood chips and to use it for constructions and heating in the valley. The value added generated by the wood processing stays in the valley.

Activities

Architect G. Caminada is a famous local architect who promotes the construction with wood in the valley. The community promotes heating with wood. For the success of a good cooperation within the wood chain it is important to be responsive to the requirements of the clients within the wood chain. Therefore, forest owners, sawmills and the forest ranger produce and work very flexible and accommodate to the requirements.

Process

forest management, wood processing, constructions with wood, cooperation between all members of the wood chain

Results

The whole value added of the wood production chain stays in the valley. Due to promotion for local wood, the sawmill in Inner - Lumnezia is still be in use and can sale timber and wood chip in the region. The wood heating system in the region makes it possible to generate good assortments for good prices. Less goods can be used as firewood. Due to a short route of transport the costs for transportations are low. For the community results a profit of about 15EUR /m3 round timber

Evaluation

There has no professional evaluation been taking place. But the responsible person of the project (Mario Alig) wrote an article about this project in the forest magazine and this was like a kind of refleciton of the project processes.

Difficulties

The project would not have been implemented without the architect Caminada. M. Alig told me that without an architect who speak for the use of regional wood, there is no chance to market the wood within the region. There are other architects in the region, who don't use regional wood. Exporting wood in the main valley of the Surselva is to expensive because of transport costs.

Financial backer

sawmill: local investor; national subsidy for protection forest which is an important income for the forest districts in the mountains in Switzerland

Source of information

Competition

Participant at the 2005 Future in the Alps competition

Homepage

http://

Publication

Holzkette Innerlugnez, Bündnerwald 3/05

Project executive as above

Contact person as above

Comments

Impact on nature and environment

Little impact on nature and environment. Short route of transport. Wood heating systems :renewable resources and with a sustainable forest management CO2 neutral.

Economic value added

Due to promotion for local wood, the sawmill in Inner - Lumnezia is still be in use and can sale timber and wood chip in the region. The wood heating system in the region makes it possible to generate good assortments for good prices. Less goods can be used as firewood. Due to a short route of transport the costs for transportations are low. For the community results a profit of about 15EUR /m3 round timber. Potential to keep sawmill in the region (about 3 working places)

Socio-cultural value added

Sawmill is producing since generations. Promotion of using local wood for heating and constructions helps to affect the mental attitude to use local wood.

Innovative content

little valley where the wood chain and its added value stays in the valley

Good governance

small valley with local, flexible actors who are working together (flexible forest rangers and sawmill workers and constructors works together with the local communities and the architec.communication with the local inhabitants: they are using the local wood for heating and construction.

PR impact

Article in the forest journal "Bündner Wald",publicise an article in the regional newspaper. Organize an open house day in the sawmill.

Multiplier effect / networking

They are trying to have contact with other architecs or building companies to use local wood for construction.

Transferability

If there is a good cooperation between all the relevant participants, it is possible to implement this project in other regions.There must be a know how of wood processing and construction within the region. Promotion of using local wood for heating and construction in mountain regions. The project requires some basic conditions in a region: Wood, key person (e.g. architect) who convince the building sector and the habitants to construct and heat with local wood.

Remarks

This project has not a high economic impact on the mountain region, but it shows the possibilty of small valleys to maintain and advance local wood production.

Further information