For-sale signs pop up on U.S. timberlands

Price tags put pressure on Temple-Inland to get out of the forest business
[ California ] If Paul Bunyan were chopping logs today, he’d probably be working for a retirement fund. The nation’s 504 million acres of timberland, home to wildlife and the source of everything from deck frames to copy paper, have been the focus of a massive multi-year auction, the outcome of which is set to change the rules for wood companies and conservationists alike. Paper and wood maker Temple-Inland, Inc has said it is seeking buyers for most of its 1.8 million in Southern U.S. timberlands. The acquirers are likely to be financial investors that include insurance companies and specialized asset managers. Timberlands “are worth more to investors, especially private investors whose sole strategy is an investment in timberland, than they are worth in the stock value of publicly traded companies,”

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