Sawmills Drop, Production Increases

The number of major sawmills in the US and Canada has dropped about 25% in the past dozen years, according to a US Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory report released Nov. 19, 2007. But the remaining mills have more cumulative production, up 28% over the same period.

The report provides extensive information for journalists on the logging and wood product beats. Among the topics covered are the location, ownership, and capacity of the remaining sawmills (which are located primarily in the US Northwest, Southeast, Northeast, and upper Midwest, and across southern Canada); details on the end markets for lumber, and the quantities and uses of byproducts such as chips, shavings, and sawdust; and discussions of broader issues such as recent trade agreements and other major forces behind changes in supply and demand.

• USFS Forest Products Laboratory: Press release of Nov. 19, 2007.
• Report: "Profile 2007: Softwood Sawmills in the United States and Canada."