Particularly troubling is the outlook for the U.S. South, where plans to convert millions of acres of oak-hickory to southern yellow pine, coupled with rapid population growth and anticipated agricultural expansion, are likely to result in markedly reduced hardwood inventories, and especially inventories of sawlog-sized timber; forecasts indicate a loss of twelve percent of the area of forest land supporting hardwoods in the South within the next half-century. Projections of hardwood growth and removals nationwide indicate growth in excess of removals through 2050, with a steady narrowing of the net growth/ removals ratio during that time frame. A strong upward trend in hardwood sawtimber and pulpwood stumpage prices nationally is anticipated, and particularly in the South region. Price trends will likely, in turn, negatively impact global competitiveness.

Page url: http://www.fsclumber.us?u_s__southern_region.htm