Tough Times for Timber

Wood production boom in West Virginia ends as mills and loggers attempt to find new markets.

[ West Virginia ]… the shift from oak to other kinds of wood is just one factor affecting the state’s timbering industry today… Increased fuel costs, the high price of logging equipment and a shortage of labor have combined recently to hit the industry hard. Fewer landowners are selling the rights to their timber because of the lower prices. A final factor is that one of the state industry’s primary market has shifted in recent years… But today, Chinese furniture makers are looking for cheaper raw materials, which is affecting this unusual industry downturn.

News notes are courtesy of Southern Forests Network News Notes
www.southernsustainableforests.org