Southern Forest Resource Assessment Below is the original wording of one of the preliminary questions and public suggestions or concerns submitted about it--for details see our Public Input or Methods pages

"What are the demands for and supplies of wood products in the South?" The trend in pulpwood production in the Southeast over the past 15 years. The trend in volumes of wood chips exported overseas. The shift in production from the Pacific Northwest to the Southeast. Shifts away from solid wood manufacturing and towards wood chipping. Increased use of hardwoods. Increased exports of wood chips. Increased demand for wood products (including a comparison of consumption in other industrialized countries and the relationship between production and consumption). If restrictions are places on forestry in the south, it should look at how the additional import of wood fiber from other countries will impact the region. It should show how the removal of resource availability would impact costs to consumers on a variety of products. The first Assessment question in this section should read, "What are the demands for and supplies of wood products FROM the South," not "…IN the South." The Assessment should recognize the national and global markets which drive the production of forest products in the South and that wood products produced IN the South are not necessarily used IN the South. The Assessment should also note that as demand for wood products rises, so does the price of these products. This increases the attractiveness of products made from alternative resources, which are more detrimental to the environment since they are most often nonrenewable, require more energy to produce, and emit higher levels of toxic substances in the manufacturing process. With the demands of the timber market in mind, what is the long term vision for these forested ecosystems? Why are we not keeping wood here and adding maximum value to wood products and then selling to others overseas? We need to look at how much timber we need and work toward that goal, that otherwise we could log ourselves out of business, just as we farmed soybeans until the market fell out from under us. Analysis of tax subsidies for timber corporations and businesses, i.e., tax subsidies for the export of raw forest products. What Are the Full Costs of Producing and Processing Timber, and Who Bears Them? Who Would Be the Economic Winners and Losers If Logging Levels Continue to Increase? A full accounting must be provided of the true value of each affected good or service, taking into account the market price, where appropriate, as well as all factors, such as subsidies, taxes, and environmental externalities, that distort the level of supply or demand. Some of the benefits and costs will manifest themselves in the immediate vicinity of the resources affected by logging, while others will manifest themselves at greater distances. To understand the resulting impacts on jobs and incomes, one must consider the changes in demand and supply against the backdrop of the markets' ability to adjust. In addition, one must examine both the overall change in jobs and incomes as well as the distribution among different groups. The state and federal agencies should describe, at least qualitatively, the winners and losers associated with changes in timber production. Where there are sufficient data, they should quantify the size of each group and the extent of their gains or losses. The timber market and demand for wood has nothing to do with what makes a forest sustainable. Timber harvest is not a prerequisite for forest sustainability, but rather a possible by-product. Assessment should provide a general perspective on the global situation in which the South's forests and forest industry must operate and compete. Identify the relative competitiveness of Southern forestry with other parts of the world, and how current competitive pressures are affecting the forest industry and its efforts to increase growth and productivity. In Louisiana we are cutting softwoods and hardwoods faster than they are growing. Consider possible reductions in sawtimber silviculture as a result of chip mill incentives, including the international export of raw forest products; incentives for cutting immature cypress to produce landscaping mulch also should be examined. What are the demands for, and supplies of forest goods and services? The Assessment should provide a general perspective on the global situation. Southern forests will be affected by the projected increases in world population growth and demand for wood and paper products, as well as competition from wood producers from around the world. Forest product companies in the South must be globally competitive to achieve sustainable forestry. The Southern Assessment should provide a general perspective on the global situation in which the South's forests and forest industry must operate and compete. The Assessment should identify the relative competitiveness of Southern forestry with other parts of the world, and how current competitive pressures are affecting the forest industry and its efforts in increase growth and productivity. Assess the global situation the timber industry must compete in. Demands for and supplies of wood products in the South. Include history status. Document effects of less logging in the West/more in the South. Global competition has forced our hand in all aspects of forestry for America and this must also be taken into account when looking at trends that are effecting the South today and in the future. Will you be able to factor in the advances of modern silviculture into the growth/drain predictions? How will you factor in the global pressures into future demand? What are the current and future impacts of the south moving from a value-added products industry (sawtimber, furniture) to a value-lessened industry (pulp & paper, chips)? Include projections of future demand at the regional, national, and global levels. The projected acres of conversion of native forest, both public and private, under various demand scenarios. The question being, of course, whether much of those wood ""products"" can be replaced using recycled materials, or reclaimed wood, or--in the case of paper, for example--other, more sustainably grown fibers. Additionally, how many Southern forests have to continue to be sacrificed for low-grade uses such as wood pulp? Wood products are in great demand in the South, especially for pulp. However, if it were only being used in the South, it wouldn't be so worrisome an issue. The shipment of pulp to other parts of the world from the Southeast is putting more of a demand on our forest resources. Our forests are finite - we cannot continue to cut them at the current rate. Trees that would have previously been left to grow for lumber are being cut for pulp. Mechanization of the timber industry is increasing the rate of harvest. I live on the Western Highland Rim of TN - it is going fast! Impacts from lumber production and wood chip production should be assessed. The true costs of commodity production from our national forests should be spelled out. What are the current growth to drain ratios for the 13 states in the South? How are growth to drain ratios affected when projected increases in demand from Southern Forests are factored in over the next 50 years? The demand for forest products is expected to rise rapidly as countries, such as China, increase their usage. The Southeast is ideally positioned to responsibly supply a portion of this new demand. Further development of scientific management techniques, such as clearcutting, chemical uses, and genetic improvement, will continue to keep these forests on the forefront of environmental stewardship. Itemize demands and supplies by species and commodity classes and provide history of what is/has been utilized. The growth of chip mills and the number of new chip mill permits have risen incredibly over the past ten years. Each day I see trucks roll through Milledgeville loaded with slash pine the diameter of baseball bats. Certainly there is a need for chip mill products; however, in my opinion the industry is growing faster than it can sustain. In the interest of the quality of our southern forests, and the quality of life in the south, I urge you to stop giving permits for new chip mills. Please address the availability factor of total forests vs. forests on slopes too steep to cut, in sensitive areas, protected areas, urban areas and the like. What percentage are available for clearcutting and what percentage are likely to be clear cut in the foreseeable future? In the Pac NW of the US, the slope steepness was no longer a consideration, once overcutting forced industries to reach higher and harder for profits. Pulp and paper companies in the deep south have already over cut their sourcing areas and NEED to import chips from far upstream. What are the trends for chip sourcing areas for these industries. Where mills previously sourced from a 75 mile radius they are currently trucking up to 150 miles and shipping hundreds of miles. Does this indicate non-sustainable consumption habits? If we are facing a shortage in forest resources and decimation of regional economies, would it not be prudent to reduce exports of raw forests and products? We are having a liquidation sale without even knowing what the inventory is or what we sold. What would be the acreage of native forests needed to feed a BE demand vs. the acreage needed if SRWCs were used? What is the 25 MW BE plant demand of tonnage/year. I have seen the figure of 300,000 TPY: is this accurate? Is there a plan to do an EIS on Biomass Energy production since it is using federal money and will rely upon federal air quality and water permits? Wood products are in great demand in the South, especially for pulp. However, if it were only being used in the South, it wouldn't be so worrisome an issue. The shipment of pulp to other parts of the world from the Southeast is putting more of a demand on our forest resources. Our forests are finite - we cannot continue to cut them at the current rate. Trees that would have previously been left to grow for lumber are being cut for pulp. Mechanization of the timber industry is increasing the rate of harvest. I live on the Western Highland Rim of TN – it is going fast! Forests provide clean drinking water, protect habitat for hunting and fishing, and improve the quality of life for families throughout the South. Corporations must not build any new chip mills until we have more information about their impact on forests and have adequate safeguards in place for the forests. What are the adverse impacts of chip mill proliferation in the forests of the Southeast? When will the devastating ecological impacts in our forests due to chip mills cease? How long will we allow the destruction of our forests for the sake of excessive pulp production? Please save southern forests. Don't allow industrial-chip mills to eliminate southern forest heritage. These forests provide habitat as well as improve water quality and other aspects of the environment. Corporations must not build any new chip mills until there is adequate information of their impact on the forest. Please thake this into consideration. Thank you. What are the regions/products that compete with the timber products that the Southern forests produces? What is the outlook for these competitive regions/products on a larger scale? How do new silvicultural practices impact productivity of Southern forest? What is the overall impact of modern forestry practices – assessment done by subregions & ownership? Do other parts of the study affect management? Creditable? Overall lack of data--is it fair? Is there a ranking of area of priority? What are the current available supplies? What is supply of available land? Forest management plan? Landowner objections? What is effect of wood supplies in the South on the competitive pressures on southern wood? Address availability of wood. What about foreign demand? From Japan, Chinese, economy in South America? What is future supply and demand> Global supply and demand? Factors beyond our control was weather, earthquakes, Need accurate and current measures of demand. Consider reductions in timber production in other regions of U.S. on South. How much of timber inventory is/will be actually available? What is the potential timber supply given technology (i.e., intensive management)? The demands will increase and the supplies will also increase, but the quality overall will decline in timber or solid wood categories. Chipping needs lot of study now. Other fiber and pulp mills need to look at alternative plants or growing methods. Biomass of C-4 plants may be able to be cropped and processed easier and with less pollution. A pound of fiber, per growing area, per length of time is the name of the game. Paper/50/id wood or classify total need Assess impact of alternative fibers – AG fibers Alternative materials substitutes for wood. Fax incentives on forest management / export of materials. Financial incentives for more intensive forest management. Locations of markets in respect to fiber source. Are there available rural markets? Water? Junk species underutilized such as rooked, cull, etc. Consider worldwide demands on the South. How will other regions (i.e., South America, Asia) impact southern forest management? What products will be in demand? Can productivity support demand? What is ratio of growth/cut? What are regional differences in ecological zones? Keep in mind global competitiveness. There are sub-regional differences that need to be factored in: (1) economics, (2) public expectations, and (3) geographic differences within a given State, i.e., SE Georgia/North Georgia. The global economy and its impact on the South’s ability to meet the demand for wood products should be assessed. Why are there differences in prices across the South? Diversity of forest products, i.e., are we selling the right stuff? Look at attitude of NIPF landowner and why they invest in forestland. Consider the increase of production based on improved practices on the same acres. Assessment needs to look out 10, 15, 20 years. How much do we need to grow and how much needs to be fed into the economy? Are we willing to export? And if so, how much should we export? Need to consider urban sprawl and how much that will take out of production. What are they doing to mitigate the impacts? What are they and what are they going to be? (Impacts of urban sprawl). Predict present and future demands exceeding supply by subregion of the states. Examine effects of intensive forest management on the supply picture. Use earliest reliable data available, e.g., don’t stop at 1952. Examine changes in wood utilization practices. Need to define wood products beyond paper. Tie utilization to increased forest production in Southeast. Determine how free markets influence supply and demand. How is certification going to affect supply/demand? Address how demographics affect changes. Examine if agriculture land is being made available to grow trees. Why does government want to know this information? Why are we doing this, e.g., it is role of private industry. How do you define wood products? Finished products? Raw material? Import/export? Recommendation to assess total products picture including national and international - (1) standing timber volume, (2) finished products. Consider various regional significances. How does one landuse impact affect another use of the forest? Discuss forest sustainability considering changes in soil ph (acid rain), pests and diseases, chip mill extractions, export of domestic raw and finished products (chips and board), biomass energy demands, declining forest age classes, short-term growth notations, especially pulpwood and soil nutrient depletion. Discuss/project growth /yield under intensive management. Get information from this study to private landowners. Can intensive management on tree farms take the pressure of public and non-industry forest lands? How is the timber market impacting other uses of the forest? The global economy and its impact on the South’s ability to meet the demand for wood products should be assessed. What are the removals versus growth? What are the conditions of pine and hardwood plantations (i.e. ownership, acres, age)? What is the magnitude and impacts of imports and exports? What is the end use (products) of what the forest are supplying? What are the sources of demand on wood products (local, national, international)? What are the impacts on resources with the changes in manufacturing from solid wood products to engineered products (OSB, etc)? How will the above effect changes in timber supply? What is the impact of chip mills? What is the demand on southern resources due to the demand of wood sources from the NW United States? Discuss the future status of extraction activities on national forests. What will be the impact of international wood sources on markets in the south? Will there be a lands use availability crunch due to the settlement of populations in forested rural areas? What are the future demands and markets for wood biomass? What are the demands on forest resources caused by urban expansion? Discuss trends using more productive and efficient forestry techniques. Described gas drilling impacts on forest lands and waste of timber associated with it. How does the alternative use of materials (steel, plastic) effect supply and demand of wood products? How does domestic vs. global demands affect the forest resources? What is going to be the impact on new types of products on rate of removal? How have the demands of different components (saw timber, pulpwood, hardwood, pine) changed overtime? Will you study or just collect data; will it project future scenarios. Examine supply and demand on global level and affects forest resources. How has the supply and demand been affected by agricultural programs? How does the South compete with the global market? (i.e. regulations other countries do not have affecting their management)? Is there more demand than supply? Has the U.S. Forest Service contributed to the problem of more demand on private land by reducing sales? How has forest research affected productivity and efficiency on corporate forest lands? Describe replanting of hardwood trees vs. soft wood plantations and how does this affect loss of forest diversity. Discuss supply side economics under current conditions. What is the competitive pressure by foreign markets on supply and demand? Describe commercial logging on public land the loss of timber on public lands associated with changing political landscape. Increase multiple uses of public lands; decrease forest harvest; improve wildlife habitat, biodiversity, and other natural resources. Discuss the burning of hardwood trees on softwood plantations and loss of diversity. Calculate increases in forest management practices needed to offset losses (harvest acres minus replanting acres); example: an increase of one quarter of a cord per acre per year in Alabama would offset current losses. Alabama now producing five and one half cords per year now. Discuss harvesting techniques, logging roads and erosion associated with a helicopter logging; can demand be met with different (low impact) forest harvesting techniques described the various state forestry programs by state. How good are existing programs? Are additional regulations needed to reduce impacts to resources? Question as revised in response to these comments Previous Question | Next Question Public Input Home | Methods | Assessment Home

  modified: 1-MAR-2000
  webmaster: John M. Pye