Though the Forest Service is selling burned timber in
the West at bargain-basement prices, the timber industry doesn’t
seem interested. Industry buyers haven’t even shown up at many
recent sales auctions in Idaho and Washington. On the Boise
National Forest in Idaho, five recent sales drew no takers,
prompting federal officials to drop their prices. “The industry is
holding the American public hostage, boycotting timber auctions and
holding out until the Forest Service lowers the prices and
practically gives the timber away,” says Timothy Coleman of the
Washington-based Kettle Range Conservation Group.
Environmentalists say the lack of interest shows
that a recently signed law calling for a dramatic increase in
salvage offerings on national forests is misguided (HCN, 8/7/95).
Some industry officials say the problem isn’t lack of demand, but
lack of quality timber. On the Wenatchee National Forest in
Washington, no one bid on 130 million board-feet of burned timber
because it was already rotten, says Wenatchee timber consultant
Arnie Arneson.
* Shea
Andersen
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline No takers for torched timber.
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