February 1996 

Southern Research Station 

P.O. Box 2680 

Askeville, NC 28802 
Trends in Southern Pulpwood 

Production, 1953- 

Tony G. Johnson, Forester 

Forest Inventory and Analysis 

Asheville, North Carolina 

SOUTHERN RESEARCH STATION 

Asheville, North Carolina 

and 

Forest Service, U.S. Deparlmenl of Agriculture 

in cooperation with 

AMERfCANl PULPWOOD ASSOG1AT10N 

Introduction 

This publication contains historical pulpwood production data derived from canvasses of wood-using pulpmills that have drawn roundwood or wood residues 

from the 12 Southern States (fig, 1). These canvasses 

have been conducted annually for the last 41 years. 

The pulpwood canvass data were compiled, analyzed, 

and reported on an alternating basis by personnel from 

the USDA Forest Service, Southern and Southeastern 

Forest Experiment Stations (now combined into the 

Southern Research Station). The canvasses were conducted to determine the amount and source of pulpwood receipts by county and to determine interstate 

and cross-regional movement of industrial roundwood. 

Pulpwood production data is combined with the 

periodic canvasses of alt other primary wood-using 

plants conducted in Southern States to complete the 

picture of total timber product output. This data 

complements the Forest inventory and Analysis periodic 

inventory sf volume, growth, and removals from each 

State"s timberland. All production figures are reported 

in cords. 

Pulpwood 

Refalively stable economic conditions have prevailed 

over the tast four decades, creating a nearly constant 

increased demand for putpwtsod, The rise in population, 

combined with an increase in the per capita consumption of paper, paperboard, and other nonpaper products 

of pulpwood have been conducive to expansion 

throughout the industry and fueled the general upward 

trend in pulpwood production. Southern production has 

increased more than fourfold from 16.2 miilisn cords in 

1953 to 66-3 million cords in "t93 [(table 1). Total 

pulpwood production for the last 40 years equals 

almost 1 -8 billion cords harvested from Southern 

timberlands. 1.0" these cords were stacked end to end, 

the resulting 2.6 million miles of wood could circre the 

earlh 106 times or go to the moon and return 5 times. 

Tables 2 and 3 display total production figures by the 

Southeastern and South Central regions and year. 

Several significant trends have developed in the 

Southern pulpwood industry over the last 46 years. 

Softwood roundwood production has more than 

doubted from 14,l million essds in 1953 to 30.1 million 

cords in 1993. However, softwood rsundwoad 

expressed as a percent of total production has deefined 

dramatically over the same time period (dig, 21. In 

1953, softwood raundwood supplied 87 percent of the 

total pu8pwood production, By 1983, it made up only 

45 percent of total production and has remained 

relatively stable over the last decade, The deciine in 

softwood roundwood as a percent of total wood used 

was offset by the trend toward greater utilization of 

wood residues and the abundant hardwood resources 

in the South. 

Hardwood roundwood production has climbed from 

slightly less than 2.0 million cords in 1953 to more 

than 16.2 million cords in 1993. Production methods 

and techniques developed over the last 40 years have 

enabled the pulp industry to utilize greater quantities of 

hardwood. In 1953, hardwood roundwood furnished 

only 12 percent of total production, compared to 

nearly 25 percent in 1993. 

Wood Residues 

Mills reported receipts of two kinds: (1) raundwood 

and (2) wood residues. Wood residues are primarily 

chips produced as a byproduct, However, an unknown 

proportion of these chips were produced from roundwood received at a primary processor (i.e., sawrniil or 

veneer mill) and subsequently chipped. Figure 2 

illustrates (the dramatic increase in the utilization of 

wood residues for pulpwood, In 1953, the proportion 

of wood residues used for pulpwood was almost 

negligible at less than 1 percent. Using wood residues 

for pulpwood increased from 76,000 cords in 1953 to 

more than 19.9 million cords in 1993. Wood residue 

use has remained relatively stable since the late 

1970's and in 1993 accounted for 30 percent of total 

pulpwood production. 

Mills and Pulping Capacity 

In 1953, 61 Southern pulpmills were operating and 

drawing wood from the 12 Southern States (table 4). 

Miit construction proceeded at a feverish pace during 

the mid-and late 1950's and again during the late 

1968% and early 1970's. During the 20-year period 

between 1953 and 1973, 50 new nniils were constructed, more than tripling daily pulping capacity. The 

number of mills operating in the South peaked at 11 5 

in 1979. Even though the number of milis declined to 

4 02 in 1993, the average daily pulping capacity 

increased steadily through expansion and modernization projects at existing facilities, In 1953, the combined daily putping capacity of Southern milts was 

28,670 tons or an average of 470 tons per mill, about 

half the nation's total plniping capacity (Christopher 

and Nelson "rW9 Combined daily pulping capacity in 

1993 was "r32'992 tons per day and averaged "1,304 

tons per rniil, more than two-thirds of the nation's 

total pulping capacity (Johnson and Howell 19963, 

Miifs operating outside Southern borders but drawing 

some of their wood from the South have fiuctuated 

between 4 and 15 mills. 
Year 

III Softwood III Hardwood 0 Residue 

-x- Softwood percent -6- Hardwood percent --t Residue percent 

Figure 2-Pulpwood production in the South, 1953-1 993. 

Outlook Literature Cited 

Over the last 40 years, pressures on the pulpwood 

supplier to reduce costs and increase production have 

vastly improved harvesting techniques. The traditional 

short-stick pulpwood harvest operations of the early 

1950's have almost been replaced by totally mechanized tree-length harvesting operations. Mechanical 

tree harvesters and in-woods chipping operations have 

allowed almost total tree utilization in softwoods and 

hardwoods. Utilization of wood residues from primary 

processors is equally high. A recent timber products 

assessment for the Southeast (Johnson 1994) showed 

wood residue use at almost 100 percent. 

The latest Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources 

Act (RPA) projections of prospective demands for 

timber products show that the consumption of pulp, 

paper, and paperboard will continue to rise and may 

increase by as much as 50 percent by the year 2040 

(Haynes and others 1995). By virtue of its-tremendous 

pulping capacity, the Southern pulpwood industry will 

play a major role in supplying this increased demand. 

To meet future demand, a higher proportion of waste 

paper will be used as a fiber source. Waste paper use 

will probably reach 45 percent of fiber used in the 

manufacture of paper and paperboard by the year 

2040 (Haynes and others 1995). Technical innovations 

have led to increased use of hardwoods and recycled 

waste paper, and the decline in using virgin fiber will 

probably occur almost solely in the softwood fiber 

source. 

Christopher, Joe F.; Nelson, Martha E. 1959. Southern 

pulpwood production, 1958. Resour. Bull. SO-82. 

New Orleans, LA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station. 

24 p. 

Haynes, Richard W.; Adams, Darius M.; Mills, John R. 

1995. The 1993 RPA timber assessment update. 

Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-259. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. 

~e~artment of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky 

Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 

66 p. 

Johnson, Tony G. 1994. The Southeast's timber 

industry: an assessment of timber product output 

and use, 1992. Resour. Bull. SE-149. Asheville, NC: 

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 

Southeastern Forest Experiment Station. 20 p. 

Johnson, Tony G.; Howell, Michael 1996. Southern 

pulpwood production, 1994. Resour. Bull. SRS-1. 

Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 32 p. 
Table I -Pulpwood production in the South, by region and species group, 1953-1 993 

Total Southern Total Total Roundwood Residues 

Year production Southeast South Central Softwood Hardwood Softwood Hardwood 

Thousand cords 

7,365.2 14,147.6 

7,511.9 14,108.0 

8,097.1 15,487.7 

9,072.6 16,920.0 

8,798.9 15,713.6 

9,211.3 15,502.8 

10,094.1 16,515.5 

10,247.4 16,490.9 

10,599.9 16,520.9 

11,205.4 16,767.1 

11,666.5 17,115.1 

12,853.5 18,520.2 

13,848.7 19,486.0 

15,500.9 20,777.8 

15,935.9 20,764.6 

18,487.2 22,322.1 

21,080.3 24,455.5 

21,635.0 25,825.9 

22,120.0 24,080.7 

23,534.4 24,804.9 

25,213.6 25,259.4 

26,616.7 26,190.5 

22,820.9 22,749.7 

25,633.3 23,582.6 

25,227.5 23,657.3 

26,472.2 24,111.5 

29,555.3 26,139.6 

29,714.7 27,270.2 

29,214.2 26,936.2 

27,616.6 25,609.6 

29,995.7 25,760.3 

31,159.5 26,453.0 

29,881.8 25,230.8 

32,457.7 27,115.1 

33,075.1 27,982.0 

33,431.8 27,639.3 

33,058.8 27,479.2 

36,216.7 3 1,407.1 

35,796.0 32,011.3 

37,538.6 31,990.0 

36,009.5 30,125.8 
Table 2-Trends in pulpwood produ~tion in the Southeast, by species group, 1953-1993 

Total Roundwood Residues 

Year production Total Softvvood Hardwood Total Softwood Hardwood 

Thousand cords 

7,990.2 806.3 

7,964.2 851.6 

9,075.9 1,005.8 

9,983.1 1,095.9 

9,366.7 1 ,1 90.5 

8,945.0 1,344.1 

9,905.0 1,616.7 

10,108.9 1,730.1 

10,034.4 1,937.2 

10,333.8 2,102.9 

10,575.3 2,208.9 

1 1,254.1 2,429.5 

1 1,925.6 2,554.1 

12,161,3 2,689.2 

11,91 9.2 2,811.5 

12,130.7 3,058,7 

12,928.3 3,365.8 

13,645.7 3,309.1 

12,307,8 3,2"1.1 

12,715-8 3,437.7 

13,075.7 3,625.1 

13,194.9 3,465.7 

1 1,326.2 2,900.8 

1 1,689.6 3,398.6 

12,116.2 3,634.7 

12,396.9 3,960.6 

12,802.1 3,548.4 

13,256.4 3,718.5 

13,349.8 4,189.4 

13,221.5 4,219.5 

13,358.8 4,761.1 

13,796.5 4,853.4 

13,262.5 4,901.8 

14,064.7 5,402.6 

14,997.7 5,187.2 

14,477.0 5,540.4 

14,197-6 5,31 6.1 

15,408,7 5,477,5 

16,01 7.0 5,710.4 

16,255.5 5,864.6 

15,649.0 7,052.9 
Table 3-Trends in pulpwood production in the South Central, by species group, 1953-1993 

Total Roundwood Residues 

Year production Total Softwood Hardwood Total Softwood Hardwood 

Thousand cords 

6,157.4 1 ,I 73.1 

6,143.8 1,310.1 

6,411.8 1,521.2 

6,936.9 1,669.8 

6,346.9 1,675.6 

6,557.8 1,600.5 

6,610.5 2,155.8 

6,382.0 2,374.5 

6,486.5 2,460.9 

6,433.3 2,866.8 

6,539.8 3,005.1 

7,266.1 3,159,O 

7,560.4 3,573.8 

8,616.5 3,832.7 

8,845.4 3,596.0 

10,191.4 4,119.9 

1 1,527.2 4,689.3 

12,180.2 4,412.3 

I 1,772.9 4,479.5 

12,089,1 5,149.1 

12,183.7 5,485.6 

12,995.6 5,959.9 

11,423.5 4,392.6 

11,893.0 5,035.4 

11,541.1 4,755.1 

1 1,714.6 5,693.9 

l3,337.5 6,118.3 

14,013.8 5,977.8 

13,586,4 5,492.3 

12,388.1 5,584.0 

12,401.5 7,228.9 

12,656.5 7,403.7 

1 1,968.3 7,085.3 

13,050,4 7,922-2 

"1,984.3 7,995.0 

13,162.3 8,246.3 

13,281 -6 9,022.9 

15,998.4 8,737.5 

15,994.3 8,928.5 

15,734.5 9,396.7 

14,476.8 9,163.4 
Table 4 -Southern Pulpmills and Capacity 1 953-1 993 

Southern Average 

Southern Mills outside pulpwood pulping capacity 

Year Total mills mills south capacityB Southern mills 

Tons124 hours 

28,670 470 

32,376 483 

34,100 494 

34,675 495 

40,997 569 

44,502 593 

46,112 607 

50,000 61 7 

51,156 632 

52,146 652 

54,222 669 

56,530 689 

59,230 722 

64,726 744 

70,527 767 

77,140 771 

80,980 771 

83,316 779 

87,496 803 

88,124 809 

92,255 831 

94,982 833 

96,555 855 

98,074 876 

100,894 893 

103,130 913 

1 10,053 957 

1 1 1,927 982 

1 14,552 1,005 

1 16,993 1,064 

1 19,389 1,095 

120,069 1,112 

1 21,888 1,161 

1 19,825 1,141 

123,189 1,162 

126,267 1,191 

127,849 1,206 

129,290 1,255 

133,331 1,282 

133,400 1,295 

@ Lockwood-Post's Directory and other sources. 
Table 5-Trends in pulpwood production by species group, Alabama, 1953-1 993 

Total Roundwood Residues 

Year production Total Softwood Hardwood Total Softwood Hardwood 

Thousand cords 

38.9 

67 .O 

68.7 

101.7 

137.2 

182.4 

431.5 

577.3 

636.7 

668.1 

689.0 

81 8.6 

1,035.6 

I, 1 94.9 

"1 1 55.3 

1,497.0 

9,579.1 

1,512.5 

1,428.7 

1,639.0 

1,646.6 

1,706.8 

1,265.6 

1,466.2 

1,400.7 

1,721.7 

1,812.0 

1,936.4 

1,884.1 

1,963.9 

2,540.4 

2,699.5 

2,712.8 

2,999.7 

3,089.0 

2,973.8 

3,l 42.9 

3,040.4 

3,319.4 

3,598.9 

3,302.1 
rkansas, 1953-1 995 

Total Roundwood Residues 

Year production Total Softwood Hardwood Total Softwood Hardwood 

rnousand cords 
Total Roundwood Residues 

Year production Total Softwood Hardwood Total Softwood Hardwood 

Thousand cords 
Table 8 -Trends in pulpwood production by species group, Georgia, 1953-1 993 

Total Roundwood Residues 

Year production Total Softwood Hardwood Total Softwood Hardwood 

Thousand cords 

130.3 

177.6 

190.8 

184.9 

230.0 

276.9 

345.5 

405.4 

482.1 

498.8 

530.9 

526.1 

570.3 

560.5 

585.4 

683.5 

723.1 

593.5 

604.3 

686.6 

647.9 

693.6 

600.6 

633.5 

697'1 

754.3 

699.4 

608.8 

749.0 

821.5 

894.9 

91 8.7 

1,085.9 

1,241.7 

1,247.4 

2,388.2 

1,367.9 

1,288.7 

4,511.7 

1,537,4 

1,936.7 
Table 9-Trends in pulpwood production by species group, Louisiana, 1953-1 993 

Total Roundwood Residues 

Year ~roduction Total Softwood Hardwood Total Softwood Hardwood 

Thousand cords 

196.5 

239.0 

283.5 

284.8 

259.4 

230.6 

31 4.7 

354.7 

324.1 

406.9 

465.5 

525.0 

555.6 

546.7 

576.6 

61 5.6 

771.6 

741 '1 

81 6.6 

81 3.6 

767.2 

929.8 

647.4 

701.3 

703.1 

81 5.5 

874.1 

756.2 

71 7.7 

683.5 

879.5 

1,089.5 

881 .O 

958.0 

1,065.3 

1,019.5 

1,264.6 

1,295.7 

1,131.7 

1,353.6 

1,426.5 
Table 10 -Trends in pulpwood production by species group, Mississippi, 1953-1 993 

Totar Roundvvood Residues 

Year production Total Softwood Hardwood Total So@vvood Hardwood 
Table "1 -Trends in pulpwood production by species group, North Carolina, 1953-1 993 

Total Roundwood Residues 

Year production Total Softwood Hardwood Total Softwood Hardwood 

Thousand coro's 

265.8 

278.5 

300.6 

330.1 

326.0 

363.3 

404.6 

401.7 

449.5 

459.7 

459.1 

542.4 

562.7 

663.3 

726-4 

759.5 

91 9.8 

1,033.5 

973.4 

1 ,I 38.7 

1,208.0 

1,071 .I 

855.6 

993.5 

1,077.1 

1,251.3 

1,096.4 

1,184.2 

I ,257.1 

1,242-2 

1,254.4 

1,389.3 

1,379.5 

1,549.5 

1,599.0 

"1600.8 

1,456.5 

1,639.7 

1,812.1 

1,723.2 

2,032.3 
Table 12-Trends in ~ul~wood Droduction bv s~ecies arouD. Oklahoma. 1953-1 993 

Total Roundwood Residues 

Year production Total Softwood Hardwood Total Softwood Hardwood 

Thousand cords 

0.0 

0.0 

4.4 

6.0 

8.1 

9.0 

9.0 

8.5 

9.2 

21 .o 

18.7 

19.7 

30.5 

46.3 

39.7 

49.8 

62.0 

43.6 

37.4 

94.9 

166.2 

141.7 

48.4 

78.7 

98.0 

105.4 

108.5 

99.9 

11 3.4 

74.0 

53.4 

51.8 

166.5 

48.8 

44.1 

201.3 

107.5 

21 2.3 

21 8.1 

137.7 

43.0 
Table 13 -Trends in pulpwood production by species group, South Carolina, 1953-1 993 . Total Roundwood ~esidues 

Year production Total Softwood Hardwood Total Softwood Hardwood 

Thousand cords 

1,446.2 1,273.4 172.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 

1,330.9 1,160.5 170.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 

1,513.3 1,268.7 244.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 

1,806.6 1,582.9 223.7 38.7 26.4 12.3 

1,655.0 1,384.7 270.3 88.0 76.8 11.2 

1,592.7 1,346.3 246.4 155.1 134.9 20.2 

1,709.9 1,342.1 367.8 223.4 192.1 31.3 

1,901.8 1,515.0 386.8 288.6 239.0 49.6 

1,964.7 1,535.7 429.0 326.0 260.9 65.1 

2,092.0 1,615.2 476.8 389.4 307.7 81.7 

2,024.3 1,509.3 51 5.0 438.9 344.7 94.2 

2,165.0 1,657.8 507.2 464.6 375.7 88.9 

2,173.6 1,695.0 478.6 457.8 349.6 108.2 

2,343.5 1,803.4 540.1 51 0.8 366.3 144.5 

2,371.3 1,776.0 595.3 576.2 428.8 147.4 

2,371.9 1,724.3 647.6 525.4 393.3 132.1 

2,504.8 1,884.2 620.6 607.6 471.7 135.9 

2,557.6 2,009.1 548.5 743.2 568.3 174.9 

2,376.1 1,801.2 574.9 829.5 668.8 160.7 

2,547.6 1,991 .O 556.6 926.3 750.9 175.4 

2,738.0 2,129.7 608.3 1,013.3 838.9 1 74.4 

2,781.5 2,154.3 627.2 1,06 1.4 854.8 206.6 

2,657.3 2,134.1 523.2 871.8 736.7 135.1 

2,601.5 2,009.9 591.6 1,278.9 1,030.1 248.8 

2,683.2 1,963.0 720.2 1,738.4 1,499.1 239.3 

2,680.5 1,934.4 746.1 1,626.5 1,352.2 274.3 

2,762.6 2,101.5 661 .I 1,781.5 1,421.7 359.8 

2,765.8 2,135.0 630.8 1,530.8 1,244.5 286.3 

2,814.4 2,181.8 632.6 1,288.0 1,119.0 169.0 

2,857.2 2,169.3 687.9 1,220.0 1,062.3 1 57.7 

2,926.9 2,089.6 837.3 1,443.0 1,181.3 261.7 

3,170.6 2,147.4 1,023.2 1,302.2 1,053.5 248.7 

3,280.2 2,289.2 991 .O 1,527.0 1,297.5 229.5 

3,21 1.6 2,175.5 1,036.1 1,602.9 1,427.9 175.0 

3,587.8 2,465.5 1,122.3 1,683.9 1,503.0 180.9 

3,671..1 2,535.5 1,135.6 1,469.8 1,274.9 194.9 

3,714.1 2,601.6 1,l 12.5 1,530.8 1,334.4 196.4 

3,763.5 2,763.3 1,000.2 1,457.2 1,282.1 175.1 

3,280.5 2,342.0 938.5 1,332.2 1,144.5 187.7 

3,878.3 2,764.7 1,113.6 1,532.0 1,346.1 185.9 

4,440.6 2,940.7 1,499.9 1,263.8 1,074.0 189.8 
Table 7 4 -Trends in pulpwood production by species group, Tennessee, 1 953-1 993 

Total Roundwood Residues 

Year production Total Softwood W ardwood Total Softwood Hardwood 

Thousand cords 

128.9 

106.2 

105.8 

147.3 

98.2 

1 07.4 

145.3 

164.6 

189.0 

208.3 

197.2 

193.1 

200.3 

175.3 

178.9 

191.9 

1 96.8 

246.8 

279.9 

272.4 

276.8 

291.4 

352.4 

295.5 

257.0 

262.5 

41 8.2 

428.8 

41 7.3 

461 .I 

503.6 

469.5 

376.1 

438.9 

405 .O 

386.3 

396.8 

384-3 

407.1 

4653.4 

538.6 



Southern Research Station 

Established 1921 

The Southern Research Station, headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina, is 

one of the seven regional Stations and the Forest Products Laboratory that 

make up the Forest Service research organization. 

RESEARCH MISSION: 

To acquire the knowledge, develop the technology, and disseminate the 

research findings required to manage the Southern forest resources in ways 

that satisfy demands of goods and services while maintaining a quality 

environment.