Dataset: Pisgah State Park Harvest Scale Slip Data 2019 to 2021

Methods

The methods followed in the creation of the dataset, including description of field, laboratory and processing steps, and quality control procedures

Current Methods

• NHDFL detailed scale slip data
  
  

  NHDFL provided detailed scale slip data for a single timber sale, including the origin and destination for each load of material removed from the site (NHDFL 2021b). The sale was harvested between 2019 and 2021, and the area of harvest totaled 138 ac. With this data, we estimated the carbon removed in harvested material using the same methods as above, as well as the carbon emissions resulting from transportation of the harvested material to processing facilities.

• Calculating relative carbon cost of transport
  
  

  The primary methodology employed in calculating the relative carbon cost of transportation from mileage followed the standards put forward by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Each trip’s emissions were estimated based on individual scale slip data. The primary calculation is an adaptation of carbon dioxide emissions from trucking (EPA 2003, see also Mathers et al. 2015) to the chemical carbon component weight: Transportation C (grams)= Distance (Miles)× Weight (Short Tons)× Emissions Factor× (Molecular weight C)/(Molecular weight CO2)

• Distance
  
  

  Distance was derived using Google’s Distance Matrix API , using estimated location coordinates from loading, and unloading locations. Location coordinates were estimated using information provided about the mill (the mill code) and publicly available information on the business location. Where possible satellite imagery was used to identify the coordinates of the likely mill yard. When this wasn’t available, the geographic center of the town in which the mill operates was used.

• Harvested Material Weights
  
  

  Harvested material weights were provided for all transported products from 09/16/19 to 04/08/21. Using species level average weight (Miles 2009) and standard conversion methodology (NHDRA 2011) short tons were estimated for each haul recorded in MBF. This conversion was not necessary for pulp transportations, as they are already in short ton units.

• Emission factor
  
  

  The emissions factor is derived from EPA SmartWay: Shipper Partner Tool’s technical documentation (EPA 2013), and is the same methodology employed by the Environmental Defense Fund as described in their Green Freight Handbook (Mathers et al. 2015). We utilized an emissions factor of 161.8, which is the average emissions factor for truck models, as the models of trucks used in hauling were not specified in the scale data.

Dataset Fields

Detailed documentation of the fields comprising the dataset, including the type of measurement, units where applicable, and any controlled vocabularies or code lists present in the data

Sampling Equipment

Equipment and software used to collect data, including how that equipment was used.

Site Characteristics

The spatial extent of the dataset site coverage, and descriptions of the spatial extent and context for the data collection

• Site Description

  Pisgah State Park is a 13,361-acre public forest located in New Hampshire. The land has a network of roads and patches of old growth forest. The forests are heterogeneous and contain several forest types: eastern white pine, eastern hemlock, northern red oak, mixed upland hardwoods, sugar maple/beech/yellow birch forest and red maple/upland habitat. Forest criteria types: 1 – undisturbed/unmanaged (4,723 acres), 2 - uneven age management (3,677 acres), 3 - even aged management (4,961 acres)