Western output falls to 1l-year

ITH the housing market on the ropes, lumber production at western sawmills in 2OO7 slipped for the second straight year to the lowest annual volume in more than a decade, according to final production figures prepared by Western Wood Products Association. (See page 38 for WWPA's forecast for 2009.)

Mills in the l2 western states produced 16.32 billion bd. ft. of softwood lumber in 2007 , down 9.37o from the previous year. The estimated wholesale value of the lumber was $6.1 billion, compared to $6.8 billion in 2006. The volume was the lowest since 1996, when western mills produced just 15.8 billion bd. ft.

WWPA compiled the final industry rotals for 2OO7 following its annual survey of some 199 mills operating in the continental West.

While Oregon retained its title as the largest lumber producing state in the country, mills in the state were hammered much more by the nearly 257o downtrtrn in housing starts compared to other Western states. Oregon sawmills cut 6.18 billion bd. ft. of lumber in 2001, down 12.27o. Only Montana fared worse during the year, with production falling 13.8Vo to 790 million bd. ft.

The estimated wholesale value of Oregon lumber production was $2.19 billion, while Montana's production was valued at $28 l million.

Western Lumber Production

Production at mills in Washington state declined'l .2Vo to 4.76 billion bd. ft. The estimated wholesale value of the state's production was $ 1 .75 billion.

California lumber output fell to 2.31 billion bd. ft. valued at $1.04 billion in 2001, a 10.87a decrease from the volume a year earlier.

At other western states, Idaho lumber production totaled 1.75 billion bd. ft., down 5.lVa.Production in South Dakota and Wyoming in 2O07 was 291 million bd. ft., and mills in the Four Corner states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah produced 234 million bd. ft. Volumes in these states were combined to maintain the confidentiality of individual mill data.

U.S. lumber consumption fellby l47o to 52.2 billion bd. ft. from 2006 totals. Since reaching an all-time record of 64.3 billion bd. fi. in 2005, lumber demand has dropped by 12 billion bd. ft.-equivalent to the annual production in Oregon, Washington and California.

Housing starts totaled just 1.36 million for 2007 , far Iower than the 2.07 million starts recorded two years earlier. The decline has been unwelcome news for lumber mills, as new home construction and repair/remodeling accounts for nearly three-fourths of the lumber used each year.

Production in the southern U.S. decreased 9.2Vo to 16.99 billion bd. ft. Lumber imports declined more steeply, falling 79.4Vo to 18.39 billion bd. ft. Canada, the largest lumber supplier to the U.S. market, shipped l77o less lumber to the U.S. in 2OO7. Non-Canadian lumber imports from Europe, South America and New Zealand plummeted 35.5Vo.

Western Wood Products Association represents lumber manufacturers in l2 western states. Based in Portland, Or., WWPA compiles lumber industry statistics and provides business information services to mills. The association also delivers quality standards, technical and product support services to the industry.