Average Volume Per Log Calculator

AVERAGE VOLUME PER LOG (AV/L) – For harvests of Ponderosa Pine, Douglas Fir, Redwood, and Port Orford cedar, you may need to determine the size code for the log, which indicate log quality and log value. The size code is determined by the average volume per log segment (AV/L), based on the industry standard of 16-foot short-log segments. For those species requiring a size code, only one size code per species may be reported in a quarter. Do not report multiple size codes for the same species on an operation in a reporting quarter. If you are reporting multiple species from the same harvest plan or contract in the same quarter, you must calculate the AV/L for each species.

The AV/L is calculated by dividing the net MBF volume for the species harvested in the quarter by the total number of 16-foot short-log scaling segments for the species.

The number of scaling segments is determined by dividing the total number of net linear feet, for each species, by 16.

To determine the AV/L, you will need to provide the following measurements:

  • Net Linear Footage (L.F.)
  • Net MBF (thousand board feet)

Example: You harvest 20 MBF of live, healthy ponderosa pine trees (species code PPG) from your land. Your lumber mill scale summary shows the total net linear footage as 1,126 feet. To determine the size code, you first determine the number of 16-foot short-log segments (1,126 ÷ 16 = 70.375). Round 70.375 to the nearest whole number—70. To determine the net volume per 16-foot short-log segments, you then divide the MBF—20—by 70, the number of whole 16-foot short-log segments (20 ÷ 70 = 0.2857). Multiply 0.2857 by 1,000 (0.2857 x 1000 = 285.7). Round that number to the nearest whole number, the average number of board feet per log is 286 (285.7 rounded = 286). To determine the size code, use the charts in CDTFA-401-HVSI Harvest Values Schedule and look at the column labeled Volume Per Log in either Tables G or S. Since the average segment contained more than 150 board feet and less than 300 board feet, the size code of your ponderosa pine is 2.

Average Volume Per Log (AV/L) Calculator