National Forests Pacific Northwest Lumber And Wood Products An Industry In Transition

Researchers involved with the Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station Sustainable Wood Production Initiative have outlined some of the barriers and opportunities for sustainable wood production in the region. Sustainable wood production is defined as the capacity of forests to produce wood, products, and services on a long-term basis and in the context of human activity and use. The collective findings of these papers suggest that in the future, the regions wood supply will primarily come from private land, and the barriers and opportunities related to sustainable wood production will have more to do with future markets, harvest potential, land use changes, and sustainable forestry options than with traditional sustained yield outputs. Private lands in the PNW should be able to sustain recent historical harvest levels over the next 50 years, but regional changes in sawmilling capacity and uncertain market conditions may affect wood production in the region. Public perceptions of forestry, land use changes, and alternative forestry options are also discussed. These papers present preliminary findings and proposals for future work designed to help us understand the key issues related to sustainable wood production.

Timber markets in the United States are areas where timber prices tend to be uniform because of the continuous interactions of buyers and sellers. These markets are highly competitive, volatile, and change relentlessly. This paper looks at how market interactions in the Pacific Northwest have responded to changes in underlying determinants of market behavior and government actions that have influenced supply or demand. Several messages emerge from timber markets about price reporting and changing definitions of price, long-term price trends, timber as an investment, impacts of market intervention, relations among different markets, and implications for future stewardship. The enduring message is that landowners and managers respond to price signals arising from market interactions, and their actions create the forests inherited by future generations.