WHERE WOOD GOES

[CHARLIE]

It would be interesting to know what happens to the wood from each state. I mean the primary uses. I was reading the Sept/Oct issue of the Minnesota Conservation Volunteer  and was somewhat surprised about our wood industry here. I know we have a lot of small mills that sell good hardwood lumber, but I was surprised at the major wood industry.  How about your state?

Where Minnesota Wood Goes

Of the 3.8 million cords of wood harvested in Minnesota in 1999, only 16 percent became lumber. In contrast, at the peak of Minnesota's logging boom (late 1800's -early 1900's), virtually all of the nearly 8 million cord harvested was sawtimber. Where does today's wood go? Mainly to make pulp, paper, and oriented strand board, a construction material formed by gluing chips of wood (primarily aspen).

Minnesota's wood industry is the third largest manufacturing industry in the state based on employment, with 61,000 workers and a payroll of $2 billion. The value of forest products manufactured this year is an estimated $7.7 billion.

[Ron Wenrich]

I would imagine that wood from most states go pretty much to similar places, at least regionally.  Here's where a lot of Pennsylvania lumber goes.

Veneer logs find their way to the local mills, especially the lower grade veneer and in the summer.  The better logs are exported to places like Canada, Germany, Belgium, France, Spain and Italy.  I've met German and Italian buyers in log yards.  Japan is a lesser buyer.  

Lumber is dependent on grade and species.  The upper grades (F1F and better) are boards that have 90% clear lumber.  They are usually made into moulding.  I did saw some heavy stuff (8/4) that was resawn into veneer.

Markets for the uppers also include Europe and Japan as well as the domestic market.  The cherry market took off when the Europeans no longer used some of the rainforest woods, mainly mahogany.  Cherry was the substitute.

1 & 2 Common lumber is generally used for furniture and cabinet woods here in the States.  The lumber is dried, cut and ripped to get rid of defect.  Then glued into panels.

2 & 3 Common often go into the flooring market.  We've sent some up to Canada.

Below grade gets made into pallets.  I've heard that 50% go into the automotive trade.  Low grade is also cut into railroad ties, bridge timbers, local construction wood, landscape timbers, etc.

Chips are produced from the slabs.  They can be made into mulch, paper (high quality book paper), OSB, particleboard, and boiler fuel.

Softwoods are often cut for the local construction market.  Pine will often be cut for log cabin stock, as well as paneling.

Pulp logs can either be chipped on site or taken in log form to paper mills, or can be cut for firewood.  Not nearly enough of this low grade is removed from the forests, mainly due to markets.

I've read where the lumber industry in Pennsylvania is a $5 billion industry.  I believe that goes from stump to finished product.  We have one county that has over 200 woodworking shops.