About ECOST

Contact: Chris LeDoux

ECOST, a computer software program, was developed to estimate stump-to-mill costs of cable logging, conventional ground-based skidding, cut-to-length, feller-buncher systems, forwarding, and several small farm tractors for logging a wide range of Eastern hardwoods.

Background

ECOST development began in 1983.  The first version was written for the HP 9845T desktop computer and was written for cable logging machines.  The next version was written in FORTRAN for mainframe and microcomputers. It included two additional pieces of equipment:  the Forest Service built Clearwater yarder and the Radio Horse 9 prebunching winch.   It also included a more detailed move in and out and rig up and down costing component.  The most current version added ground-based skidding, cut-to-length, feller-buncher systems, forwarding, and several small farm tractors for logging a wide range of Eastern hardwoods.

Some ECOST Features:

• User friendly and requires only a handful of input variables that can usually be gleaned from timber sale maps, site inventory or cruise information.
• Valuable to loggers, decision makers, policy formulators, landowners, wood procurement folks, equipment dealers, researchers, academics.
• Although the program is designed for use for Eastern hardwoods primarily, it has been modified and used all over the world.

Documentation and Downloads

Description	Download
ECOST software and user's guide	ECOST for Windows.zip (5.7 mb zip file)

Publications

Title	Author	Year
Timber supply and demand assessment of the Green and White Mountain National Forests' market area	LeDoux, Chris B.; Sendak, Paul E.; McWilliams, William H.; Huyler, Neil; Malecek, Thomas; Muzzey, Worthen; Jones, Toni	2001
Assessing the feasibility and profitability of cable logging in southern upland hardwood forests	LeDoux, Chris B.; May, Dennis M.; Johnson, Tony; Widmann, Richard H.	1995
ECOST – A stump-to-mill timber production cost-estimating program for cable logging eastern hardwood	LeDoux, Chris B.	1987
Applications of a stump-to-mill computer model to cable logging planning	LeDoux, Chris B.	1986
MANAGE: A computer program to estimate costs and benefits associated with eastern hardwood management	LeDoux, Chris B.	1986
Stump-to-mill timber production cost equations for cable logging Eastern hardwoods	LeDoux, Chris B.	1985
When is hardwood cable logging economical?	LeDoux, Chris B.	1985