Timber supply situation in Southeast Alaska remains desperate despite recent court ruling upholding Logjam Timber Sale, says industry official

Audrey Dixon

JUNEAU, Alaska , November 2, 2011 (Associated Press) – An Alaska Forest Association official says the timber supply situation in Southeast Alaska remains desperate despite a recent court ruling.

The decision by the 9th Circuit Board of Appeals freed up between 3 million and 6 million board feet of lumber for bid. But Alaska Forest Association Board Director George Woodbury told the Juneau Empire (http://bit.ly/vVR7bV ) that is "a drop in the bucket" for what the industry needs. He says the Viking Lumber Company is already near the end of two of the three timber harvests in the Logjam project.

Woodbury says it would help if the Forest Service advertised new timber sales as soon as possible and kept a much larger volume of timber in the pipeline.

Tongass timber sales totaled 45.9 million board feet in fiscal year 2010.

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