Timber Prices Remain Flat Despite Wet Weather

While the New Year started off on a promising note with housing starts on the rise and predictions of a wet winter ahead, timber stumpage (standing tree) prices remained steady to declining in the first quarter of 2016, the head of one of the nation’s largest forest management reports.

Marshall Thomas, president of F&W Forestry Services, Inc., one of the nation’s leading forestry management and consulting firms, reports in his firm’s quarterly newsletter that timber prices didn’t “kick-up” as anticipated in the first quarter.

“Unfortunately, while we had plenty of wet weather, prices didn’t go up much or stay at increased levels long,” wrote Thomas.  “Just another illustration that we still have a supply/demand problem for sawtimber in the U.S.”

“Worse yet, housing starts stayed flat during the first quarter, once again moving upward more slowly than most forecasts,” Thomas added. “We are certainly in a recovery but it is slow and dull.”

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