NORTHERN HARDWOODS
This week’s reports on log decks showed more consistency in supplies than in the past several months. About one-third of survey respondents stated log supplies are down, while the other two-thirds of respondents indicated log inventories are level. Once production data from April are received and compiled, it will be interesting to see how sawmill output fared last month compared to that in Q1. (If you would like to participate in price and/or production surveys, which are sent once per month, please email david@hmr.com.) One thing that stands out in current information is all sales companies report either fair or good green and kiln dried lumber sales. Not a single supplier listed sales as slow. In contrast, the majority of secondary manufacturers and lumber distributors note that lumber inventories are either adequate or high. Almost all end users state that finished goods sales are fair. That matches with the sentiment of most contacts – that business is steady but not robust. However, individual market sectors vary widely. Lumber distributors seem to be performing best, which could be directly related to solid remodeling activity. Demand from most cabinet, wood furniture, and moulding/millwork manufacturers is fair. At the other extreme, residential solid wood flooring producers are experiencing challenging business conditions, and demand from this sector is controlled. Industrial markets are more consistent than grade lumber markets. Pallet business is steady, and sources list tie demand as fair or good.
ASH: The Ash log supply situation in the North is highly varied, ranging from mills with decent inventories to those that no longer process this species into lumber, and every supply scenario in between. More importantly, sawmill production of Ash in the Northern region has been low. Even though developing supplies have been constrained, there are not severe shortages of green stock. Reported prices are steady and hold the #2A&Btr listings in check. Similar circumstances are noted for kiln dried Ash. Inventories are thin for #1C&Btr, but demand is only fair. Transactions point out some modest price gains for #1C&Btr, but changes are within the ranges. Interest in #2A is lagging the higher grades, though no adjustments are warranted to the #2A figures.
ASPEN: The volume of regular business for this species has slipped in the past few years. While there is demand from some sectors, many end users have shifted from Aspen to alternative materials, such as MDF, plywood, and non-wood products. Green supplies are easily meeting buyers’ needs. However, few changes are noted in reported pricing, allowing the #2B&Btr listings to stand. Likewise, price changes for kiln dried stock are mostly within the #2A&Btr ranges, though the top sides of the 4/4 #1C ranges decline.
BASSWOOD: Some traditional markets for Basswood are using alternative raw materials in place of lumber. The trend to painted cabinets and other finished goods allowed for the change from solid hardwood lumber to other types of materials. Despite low total sawmill production, supplies of kiln dried Basswood are excessive relative to buyers’ needs. Prices are pressured and continue to move lower in reported activity. The 4/4 and 5/4 #1C&Btr figures fall, as do the top sides of the 4/4 #2A ranges. Area mills are processing whitewood logs on shorter, faster rotations to avoid stain damage. While sawmill operators are prioritizing higher valued species, green Basswood supplies have edged up, also. Yet, information holds the green #2B&Btr listings in check for now.
BIRCH: Sales companies that list Birch as a poorly selling item note that off-color material is most problematic, and #2A is not moving well, either. However, markets for premium color Birch are holding up well, driven by solid demand for and shortages of Maple. Fas Birch is selling best, followed by #1C. Reported prices for these items are steady and hold the green and kiln dried #1C&Btr figures in check. Interest in green and kiln dried #2A is weak, though no changes are required to the published figures.
HARD MAPLE: Survey results for Hard Maple were positive for good color Fas. Most contacts listed #1C as a solid seller, too. Even #1&2 White #2A garnered decent responses. However, brown Hard Maple is problematic - inventories are increasing for off-color material. Reported prices vary accordingly, with only the kiln dried 4/4 Fas figures rising for both color classifications. Green Hard Maple production never reached levels anticipated this winter. Mills are processing this species expeditiously to avoid degrade from stain damage, but supplies are not excessive. In fact, shortages are still common for the upper grades. The green #1&2 White and Unselected 4/4 and 5/4 Fas&Sel listings are increased.
SOFT MAPLE: As with Hard Maple, customers are requesting good color Soft Maple and are purchasing limited volumes of brown material. Too, markets for #1C&Btr are much better than for #2A. The kiln dried Sap&Btr 4/4 and 5/4 Fas ranges are increased, as are the low sides of the Unselected 4/4 Fas ranges. On the other hand, the 4/4 #2A figures are reduced for each color designation. Green production has not significantly risen the past several weeks, and most yards and end users would like to boost #1C&Btr receipts. Transactions point out sufficiently higher pricing to raise the Sap&Btr and Unselected 4/4 #1C&Btr listings.
RED OAK: As with many species, demand for #1C&Btr is far better than for the lower grades. That is certainly true for Red Oak. While mills are able to ship total green production, reported prices for #1C&Btr are steady, but information shows reduced pricing for 4/4 #2A and #3A that lowers the listings. Kiln dried business is decent but is off slightly for some vendors. However, inventories are not very high, keeping prices stable.
SOUTHERN AREA
April’s Eastern US hardwood production numbers are incomplete at the time of this week’s publishing deadline. But the data submitted thus far show a mix of results. Some sawmill operators state that log decks are low, and hardwood output is down. Others indicate log inventories are decent, and production has improved from previous weeks and months. An underlying factor impacting hardwood supplies is that some mills continue to cut pine, and/or are processing Cypress. Yet, most yards and end users acknowledge that on hand lumber supplies are sufficient to satisfy short-term needs, and there is little to no urgency with purchasing.
ASH: Kiln dried Ash markets are far from robust, but business is good enough to keep 4/4 #1C&Btr inventories thin. Reported prices raise both ends of the 4/4 Fas ranges. Meanwhile, interest in kiln dried #2A is weak, though information holds the published figures in check. Green lumber production is low, and most end users would like to have more #1C&Btr. Transactions point out some higher pricing but warrant no changes to the listings.
COTTONWOOD: Demand for green #1C&Btr Cottonwood is solid, while interest in #2A and #2B is weak. Pricing varies, though no adjustments are warranted to any of the green listings. Kiln dried #1C&Btr inventories are thin, but demand is not especially strong. The kiln dried figures are reflective of reported pricing.
#2A&3A OAK: While the NWFA meeting in New Orleans was deemed a success by solid wood flooring manufacturers, markets for residential solid wood flooring remain historically soft, especially for Red Oak flooring. Secondary manufacturers continue to purchase steady volumes of #2A&3A Oak, with a preference for more White Oak. Reported prices are stable and hold the #2A&3A Red and White Oak listings in check.
RED OAK: According to most buyers, there is enough green Red Oak entering the marketplace to satisfy requirements. Yards and end users believe mill output will pick up during summer, as it historically has done. If so, production could outpace demand. Area mills indicate orders are keeping pace with developing supplies. Interest in #1C&Btr is better than for #2A&3A. But no changes are warranted to the #3A&Btr listings. Markets for kiln dried stock are driven more by limited availability than strong demand. Much like green lumber, Fas is more sought after than the common grades by kiln dried markets. Information shows rising prices for 4/4 and 5/4 Fas, with the top sides of the ranges advancing.
WHITE OAK: True demand for White Oak remains strong. Suppliers are unable to satisfy buyers’ needs for this species, prompting rising prices. The kiln dried 4/4 and 5/4 #1C&Btr figures are increased. Markets for green #3A&Btr are holding up well, too. Information shows a wide range of pricing for Fas&1f, though most activity is centered on the current listings. On the other hand, the 4/4 and 5/4 #1C listings advance.
POPLAR: Despite decent demand for #1C&Btr Poplar, supplies remain high relative to demand. Transactions show kiln dried 4/4 #1C&Btr moving at lower prices, which require reductions to the listings and low ends of the Fas ranges. Mills are shipping total green production, but markets are not especially strong. Reported prices for 5/4 through 6/4 Fas&1f are off, decreasing the listings for these items. No changes are warranted to the green common grade figures.
FRAMESTOCK, CANTS, TIES, & BOARD ROAD: Contacts in the upholstered furniture industry state that demand for finished goods remains weak. Most indicate raw material inventories are high for this time of year, also. Markets for well air dried framestock are off, but reported prices are mostly unchanged and remain within the Oak and Mixed Species ranges. Most wooden pallet and container manufacturers report steady business but high finished goods and raw material inventories. Cant purchases are for replacement needs. Because sawmill production is low, area mills are shipping developing cants, and prices are stable. Along with White Oak lumber, railroad ties are the best moving items for area sawmill operators. However, industry wide tie inventories have increased, and treaters are more cautious with purchases, especially in the eastern portion of the Southern region. Previous changes have both 7x9 crosstie ranges in order. Seasonal increases in demand are boosting activity for board road. Reported prices are stable and hold the listing and range in check.
APPALACHIAN HARDWOODS
The HMR Demand Index (HDI), which is published monthly in the HMR Executive©, visually illustrates demand for hardwoods from individual market sectors over a rolling two-year period. Notably, business stemming from cabinets and cabinet components, other wood components, and pallets transitioned from slow to steady based on industry reports in April. The numerical reading for the moulding/millwork sector reached a 21-month high and is just below the threshold required for a good rating. In contrast, the HDI components for residential flooring, truck trailer flooring, upholstered furniture, and wood furniture continue to reflect slow demand from those sectors, although residential flooring sales are improving.
ASH: Steady overseas demand for Ash logs and tree mortality resulting from Emerald Ash Borer infestations are constraining production of this species. Consequently, supplies of most lumber items are barely keeping pace with demand, even though demand is not robust. Chinese markets for Ash are busier than domestic or other overseas markets. Yards are actively pursuing developing supplies in order to sustain inventories. Higher reported prices lift the green 4/4 #1C&Btr listings. The kiln dried 5/4 #1C, 8/4 #1C, and 5/4 through 8/4 #2A listings and noted range figures also register gains, as do the top sides of the 6/4 #1C&Btr ranges.
CHERRY: Market circumstances for Cherry have not meaningfully changed in the past week. Exports to China are steady and constitute the majority of kiln dried Cherry shipments for many drying operations. Demand is weak from US and Canadian end users and distributors. Even so, markets are not flush with supply because loggers and sawmills capable of doing so have controlled Cherry harvests and production for an extended period of time. Prices have a modest upward bias. The green Appalachian 4/4 through 8/4 Fas&1f and North Central 4/4 through 8/4 #2A&Btr listings are raised in this issue. Also advancing are the kiln dried Appalachian 5/4 through 8/4 #1C and 4/4 #2A listings and most range numbers.
HICKORY: Contacts widely describe sales of this species as slow or weak. The residential wood flooring industry – the largest single market for Hickory – is purchasing less than a year ago. Consumption is also off in the cabinet sector. Reported prices for many green and kiln dried Hickory items are in wide ranges. However, no changes are warranted to any of the published figures at this time.
HARD MAPLE: Overall demand for Hard Maple is improving, paralleling positive business trends for many cabinet and wood component manufacturers. Improvement is most noticeable for #1&2 White and Unselected with good color in the 4/4 #1C&Btr grades, followed by the equivalent 4/4 #2A items. Interest in brown Hard Maple remains low. Likewise, this species has not gained any additional traction in the residential flooring sector. Previous increases have most of the green listings in order, with only #1&2 White 4/4 and 5/4 #1C rising this week. However, reported prices for kiln dried Hard Maple are broadly higher. Information raises the listings and ranges for all kiln dried items in both color classifications except for #1&2 White 8/4 #1C, 4/4 #2A, and 5/4 #2A.
SOFT MAPLE: Sawmills and downstream sales operations report mixed market conditions for this species. On one hand, Sap&Btr and true Unselected upper grade Soft Maple are selling well at firm to somewhat higher prices; #1C is moving better than earlier in the year. On the other hand, #2A business is lackluster in all color selections, and brown stocks are difficult to move regardless of grade. Green prices observed in the marketplace are well represented by the respective listings. Meanwhile, the kiln dried listings and most range fig ures climb for all published Unselected #1C&Btr items.
#2A&3A OAK: Residential wood flooring manufacturers surveyed this week report improved demand for certain flooring items. The upturn is more noticeable for White Oak than Red Oak and for Sel&Btr than other grades, though No. 1Com business is also better. Demand for truck trailer flooring has not improved. Manufacturers in both subsectors indicate receipts of #2A&3A Oak are meeting or surpassing their needs, and many are taking steps to control the flow, including price reductions on purchased lumber. Information gathered thus far on May purchases warrants no changes to the #2A&3A Red Oak or White Oak listings.
RED OAK: Markets for kiln dried Red Oak are not robust, but they are performing well enough to absorb most stock coming out of kilns. Consumption by domestic end users varies by sector but is steady overall. Almost 55% of Red Oak exports went to China this January and February, and reports indicate shipments have gained a bit more momentum since. Prices in observed business keep all of the listings and ranges intact. For green Red Oak, demand is holding up better for Fas&1f than the common grades. Residential and truck trailer flooring factories are showing less urgency with purchases, as most have ample lumber inventories for the time being. All of the green listings hold steady.
WHITE OAK: Sawmill operators have solid order files for developing green White Oak production. That said, prices for many items have plateaued, at least for now, as concentration yards are showing more pricing restraint amid improved receipts. Only the 6/4 and 8/4 Fas&1f listings advance in this issue. Kiln dried White Oak is selling well in all grades, led by Fas. Prices for kiln dried 4/4 and 8/4 Fas, already at record levels, climb again this week. The 5/4 Fas, 6/4 Fas, 4/4 #1C, and 8/4 #1C figures also move higher, along with the 6/4 #1C ranges.
POPLAR: According to buyers and sellers, domestic consumption of Poplar lumber is more or less steady. The moulding and millwork sectors are performing best in this regard, whereas wood and upholstered furniture plants are processing less than in the past. Poplar shipments to Vietnam have gained additional traction of late, while demand from other markets is mixed. Pricing information gathered this week keeps all of the green and kiln dried listings and ranges intact.
WALNUT: Reports about this species are uniformly positive. Demand is good from several end use sectors in the US and also from multiple overseas markets. Many sellers indicate all Walnut items are moving well, though some state that 4/4 Fas stands out above the rest. Reported green prices are mostly grouped around the respective listings. At the same time, the kiln dried 4/4, 5/4, and 6/4 Fas listings and all of the 5/4 #1C and 5/4 #2A figures notch gains.
FRAMESTOCK, CANTS, TIES, & BOARD ROAD: Upholstered furniture factories have seen little seasonal improvement in business this year. What is more, most are well situated with raw materials for frame production. Framestock sales are limited, though prices are holding mostly within the Oak and Mixed Species ranges. Demand for pallet cants has improved in the last couple of weeks. Most sawmills are able to move all developing output to established customers. The pallet cant listing edged up last week; no further changes are warranted to the listing or range in this issue. Total 7x9 crosstie purchases by treating operations in this region are down from 2023 and early 2024 levels. Prices have also eased, particularly in the northern tier of the region, where some transactions are now occurring below that range. However, the two ranges encompass the vast majority of business and are, therefore, unchanged. Some new energy infrastructure and utility projects are now underway, providing a small boost to board road activity. Prices are little changed from last week.
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NEW: Softwood Appraisal Bulletin
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US Forest Service Region 2 covers Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, & Wyoming.
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Industry Thoughts/Quotes:
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News and quotes about the industry and utilization... Excerpts from the articles that caught my eye and indicate a common theme I'll recap below. [Words in square brackets are summaries of adjacent text or background info]. (Links are provided should you want to read the entire thing.)
Workforce Development
During the April 2024 Council for Western State Foresters Forest Products Committee (FPC) Annual Meeting in Idaho much discussion was had on workforce development. This committee is made up of a forester or other staff doing marketing/utilization in each of the 11 western states and the Pacific Islands. There is consensus that utilization is hard to facilitate without loggers, sawmills and other processors. Archie Gray, FPC Chair and Idaho Department of Lands Forestry Assistance Bureau Chief, noted that the average age of a logger in Idaho is 55, and few young people enter the field. Such data is hard to pinpoint in Nebraska for me since labor statistics are clumped in with ag. Scanning the 244 jobs posted in NEworks for Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations I didn’t see one in forestry.
As we expand the NFS footprint of Sawmills in Schools to South Sioux City, we hope to connect more students (in all schools) to natural resource management and products that can be made from forest resources – rural and urban forest resources. Perhaps you saw the NFS post on Facebook regarding an oak trees that came down on the old hospital grounds in Geneva and one of the logs ended up in a family’s man cave/hunting locker room.
We have a need for more forest industry businesses. There are many acres that could be managed for improved habitat, forest health, reduced fire hazard due to overloading (too much vegetation is generally stressed vegetation that doesn’t grow well, succumbs to insect and disease and is there until a wildfire takes care of it or man mechanically takes care of it. And if we’re removing it, we might as well make money or break even by utilizing the material.
| A healthy forest is a managed forest. |
Think a woodlot on the back corner of the farm or along the creek/river,
1 acre can be ‘your’ forest |
| A managed forest produces forest products. |
| Think firewood, biochar, fence posts, lumber |
| Forest products support local economies. |
Heat with wood, use your own instead of buying;
need to improve soil water holding capacity, make your own biochar;
pine straw from your windbreak; cottonwood to pallet makers;
hedge fence posts; lumber and craft wood |
| Local economies support families and local jobs. |
Diversity crops on your ground – marginal for crops, plant trees for crops; nuts,
orchard, lumber for the next generation |
I know I’m somewhat preaching to the choir. This is a reminder to please be vocal about a career in natural resource management to young (or not so young) people. And that includes all of these: professional foresters, forest technicians, urban and community foresters, loggers, sawyers, arborists, sawmill operators, and woodworkers, cabinet makers, fence builders, home builders, architects and interior designers specifying wood products. Truckers are a critical component. And farmers. If they need to take down a woodlot, fencerow, windbreak or shelterbelt, or even on tree near the house or barn – it can be utilized. Save time by NOT digging a hole to burn/bury vegetation in. Utilize it.
In early May, the United States Forest Service and the National Hardwood Lumber Association hosted a hardwood lumber summit, a think tank if you will, on the status of the hardwood industry and its future. Again, the take-away was that proper management of forests requires a wood products industry. And we need to keep wood known as the natural sustainable resource for building and making items that humans use every day. Talk wood up over any and all substitutes such as metals and plastics.
Bandmill saw blade sharpening…. Wood-Mizer has closed some of its Re-Sharp locations. We’ve been looking for a Nebraska based business that can sharpen our 158” bands. If you are one or know of one, please let me know: kslezak2@unl.edu A lot of shipping for 4 high schools, Game & Parks’ mill, Cedar Point Biological Station, and the NFS demo mill. Thanks!
Woodworking Industry News Senators demand Forest Service to increase Black Hills timber supply
Biochar – Feedstock woodchips and coffee grounds – Australia makes concrete 30% stronger with renewable resource in place of sand.
First Habitat for Humanity Zero Carbon home – largely in part to biochar in the concrete.
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Utilization Events and Resources
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BIOCHAR FROM HANDPILES! No equipment needed, though a hand rake is a good idea. USFS just publised a how-to document:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/rmrs/understory/making-biochar-hand-built-piles
BIOCHAR SAMPLES (still) WANTED (from an email recieved)
The following is a joint message from the US Biochar Initiative and the USDA Agricultural Research Service and National Resources Conservation Service teams about expanding the Biochar Atlas project to support US producers and distributors.
Hello,
The US Biochar Initiative and USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) seek your assistance to help build a stronger biochar industry. We request samples of your biochar that will be analyzed by USDA ARS scientists according to International Biochar Initiative testing protocols. Results from these analyses would be provided to you and then may be incorporated into the national Biochar Atlas tool which is currently under development.
Your participation in this process will:
- Help grow awareness of biochar among agricultural producers
- Support development of the Biochar Atlas, a biochar decision-support tool
- Help improve biochar laboratory analysis methods
- Provide you with FREE biochar analytical data completed by USDA ARS
We encourage interested US producers to contact Rachel Basheieri, Biological Science Technician at USDA ARS, to arrange sample shipments: rachel.baschieri@usda.gov or +1 (541) 738-4168.
About the Biochar Atlas
The Biochar Atlas is an online biochar decision support tool being developed by USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) to expand information access about biochar and biochar producers to US agricultural producers. The website for this tool is currently under development, but it will be modeled on the existing Pacific Northwest Biochar Atlas. The Biochar Atlas is an on-going collaboration between the USDA ARS, and the US Biochar Initiative, American Farmland Trust, Oregon State University and Washington State University.
History of the Biochar Atlas
The project began as the regional Pacific Northwest Biochar Atlas decision support tool for growers applying biochar. The National Resource Conservation Service is funding the expansion of the Atlas to support implementation of NRCS Practice Standard 336 which provides cost share to apply biochar as a soil amendment to increase soil carbon content.
USBI, in collaboration with our ARS partners are now working to expand the Biochar Atlas to support the entire United States focusing on the effectiveness of different biochars for meeting site-specific crop and soil needs. The tool is designed to guide growers to regional biochar producers who can supply effective biochars. Participation in this tool may help drive revenue as part of your go-to-market strategy.
Your Help is Critical
To grow the Biochar Atlas we are requesting physical biochar samples from all biochar producers across the United States creating biochars from a range of feedstocks using different production technologies. (This program is only available for biochar produced in the US and qualified territories.)
For each raw biochar sample, USDA ARS laboratory technicians will conduct physiochemical analysis to classify the product according to the International Biochar Initiative (IBI) Classification System which includes carbon storage value, fertilizer value, liming value, and particle size distribution, and other parameters in the table image below.
The results of these sample analyses are not intended to be directly applicable toward USDA or IBI certification. Instead, these analyses will be conducted to include product data in our database and for making biochar product/application recommendations to users of the Biochar Atlas, and to provide data to US biochar suppliers. At this time, we are requesting physical samples, and authorization to analyze those samples according to the methods listed below. Before any sample analysis data is incorporated into the Biochar Atlas website we will request further authorization from you.
There is no fee to participate in this program beyond the cost of sample shipping. The laboratory analysis of your biochar is free and results will be provided to you. Additionally, we offer a free consultation to discuss analysis/classification results with you, and no data will be included in the Biochar Atlas tool without future authorization from you.
Sample collection instructions and delivery details found here: http://www.pnwbiochar.org/home/submit_sample/
Do not delay! Join in this opportunity now. Contact Rachel Baschieri, +1 (541) 738-4168, to arrange sample delivery for inclusion in this important Biochar Atlas program.
We appreciate your participation and look forward to building the biochar industry in the US with your assistance.
Publications
We just developed several factsheets for various industries and how biochar can be incorporated – for example to change one ingredient to a renewable resource. NEW is a how-to interpret biochar analysis report. Watch for Spanish translations of each.
Find them on NFS website: https://go.unl.edu/biochar (wait a few seconds and it will scroll down the page to the exact spot.)
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Different Products – New Markets
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Ever have an idea for a wood product you haven’t seen in production? Let’s chat about it. Give Kim a call/email!
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We are developing a webpage that would have sales and where hazardous fuels / forest stand improvement projects are occurring to facilitate the utilization of all material being removed from our forests. This would allow anyone with 1 tree to hundreds of acres to get the word out. Please email or call Kim to share your input on this effort. Timber Talk would continue to have formal timber sales listed.
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