United States

Department

of Agriculture

Forest Service

Rocky Mountain

Research Station

Resource Bulletin

RMRS-RB-7

May 2006

The Four Corners Timber 

Harvest and Forest 

Products Industry, 2002

Todd A. Morgan, Thale Dillon, Charles E. Keegan, III, 

Alfred L. Chase, and Mike T. Thompson
Abstract _______________________________________________

Morgan, Todd A.; Dillon, Thale; Keegan, Charles E.,III; Chase, Alfred L.; Thompson, Mike T. 2006. The Four 

Corners timber harvest and forest products industry, 2002. Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. Fort Collins, CO: 

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 64 p.

	 This report traces the flow of timber harvested in the “Four Corners” States (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico,

and Utah) during calendar year 2002, describes the composition and operations of the region’s primary forest

products industry, and quantifies volumes and uses of wood fiber. Historical wood products industry changes are

discussed, as well as trends in timber harvest, production, and sales of primary wood products.

Keywords: forest economics, lumber production, mill residue, primary forest products, timber products

The Author __________________________________

Todd A. Morgan is Assistant Director of Forest Industry Research, Thale Dillon

is a Research Associate, Charles E. Keegan, III, is Director of Forest Industry 

Research, and Alfred L. Chase is a Research Forester, Bureau of Business and 

Economic Research, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT.

Mike T. Thompson is a Forester, United States Department of Agriculture, Forest 

Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, Ogden,

UT.

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Telephone	 (970) 498-1392

FAX	 (970) 498-1122

E-mail rschneider@fs.fed.us

Web site	 http://www.fs.fed.us/rm

Mailing Address	 Publications Distribution	

Rocky Mountain Research Station

240 West Prospect Road

	 Fort Collins, CO 80526
Report Highlights ______________________________

•	 During calendar year 2002, more than 323.5 MMBF of timber was harvested from

Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. Most (72.6 percent) of the harvested

volume came from tribal and nonindustrial private timberlands, while 26.1 percent

came from National Forests. Ponderosa pine was the leading species harvested for

timber in the Four Corners States during 2002, accounting for 57.8 percent of the

total. Spruces accounted for 14.5 percent, followed by Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine

at 9.3 and 6.7 percent, respectively.

•	 During 2002, the Four Corners were net exporters of timber, with 20 percent (66.1

MMBF) of the regional harvest exported for processing in other States. Mills in the

Four Corners imported a total of 2.5 MMBF during 2002, while total receipts by Four

Corners mills were slightly less than 260.0 MMBF.

•	 Timber-processing capacity (i.e., the volume of timber that could be used by existing

timber processors if demand for products were firm and sufficient raw material were

available) in the Four Corners during 2002 was approximately 450 MMBF, Scribner.

Thus, approximately 58 percent of timber-processing capacity in the region was utilized in 2002.

•	 This report identified 241 primary timber processing facilities active during 2002 in

the Four Corners. These facilities included 105 sawmills, 67 log home or house log

manufacturers, 38 log furniture producers, 14 post and pole facilities, 10 viga and

latilla producers, and seven other facilities.

•	 During 2002, production of lumber and other sawn products exceeded 274 MMBF,

lumber tally. Lumber production in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico was about 82

MMBF for each State; Utah’s lumber production was about 27 MMBF.

•	 Four Corners timber processors produced 305,190 BDU of residue during 2002,

of which just 10,827 BDU (4 percent) went unused. Sawmills generated 279,060

BDU—91 percent of all mill residues in the region.

•	 The Four Corners primary wood product sales value (f.o.b. the producing mill), including mill residues, totaled nearly $222 million during 2002. Almost $142 million (64

percent) of sales were within the Four Corners States, and slightly more than half

($114 million) of all sales were lumber and other sawn products.
Federal Recycling Program Printed on Recycled Paper
Contents_____________________________________________

 Page

Introduction................................................................................................................................1

Four Corners Regional Summary..............................................................................................2

Historic Overview.......................................................................................................................2

Timber Harvest ..........................................................................................................................3

Timber Flow and Mill Receipts ..................................................................................................3

Forest Products Industry Composition and Operations.............................................................4

Mill Residue: Quantity, Types, and Use.....................................................................................4

Forest Products Sales and Employment ...................................................................................5

Arizona .....................................................................................................................................9

Timber Harvest, Flow, and Use .................................................................................................9	

Timber harvest ......................................................................................................................9

Timber flow..........................................................................................................................10

Timber use ..........................................................................................................................10

Forest Industry Sectors ...........................................................................................................12

Sawmill sector.....................................................................................................................13

Log home sector .................................................................................................................13

Other products sector..........................................................................................................14

Capacity and Utilization...........................................................................................................14

Mill Residue Volumes, Types, and Uses .................................................................................14

Primary Forest Products Markets and Sales...........................................................................15

Colorado ................................................................................................................................23

Timber Harvest, Flow, and Use ...............................................................................................23

Timber harvest ....................................................................................................................23

Timber flow..........................................................................................................................24

Timber use ..........................................................................................................................24

Forest Industry Sectors ...........................................................................................................26

Sawmill sector.....................................................................................................................26

Log home sector .................................................................................................................27

Other products sectors........................................................................................................27

Capacity and Utilization...........................................................................................................28

Mill Residue Volumes, Types, and Uses .................................................................................28

Primary Forest Products Markets and Sales...........................................................................28
New Mexico ...........................................................................................................................36

Timber Harvest, Flow, and Use ...............................................................................................36

Timber harvest ....................................................................................................................36

Timber flow..........................................................................................................................37

Timber use ..........................................................................................................................37

Forest Industry Sectors ...........................................................................................................37

Sawmill sector.....................................................................................................................40

Viga and latilla sector..........................................................................................................40

Other products sector..........................................................................................................40

Capacity and Utilization...........................................................................................................41

Mill Residue Volumes, Types, and Uses .................................................................................41

Primary Forest Products Markets and Sales...........................................................................42

Utah ........................................................................................................................................49

Timber Harvest, Flow, and Use ...............................................................................................49

Timber harvest ....................................................................................................................49

Timber flow..........................................................................................................................50

Timber use ..........................................................................................................................50

Forest Industry Sectors ...........................................................................................................52

Sawmill sector.....................................................................................................................52

Log home sector .................................................................................................................54

Other products sectors........................................................................................................54

Capacity and Utilization...........................................................................................................54

Mill Residue Volumes, Types, and Uses .................................................................................54

Primary Forest Products Markets and Sales...........................................................................54

References ..............................................................................................................................63
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 

Introduction_____________________________________________________

This report details timber harvest and describes the composition and operations of 

the primary forest products industry in the “Four Corners” States (i.e., Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah) during calendar year 2002. The report focuses on trends 

and changes in timber harvest levels in the forest products industry since the 1990s. 

For historical perspective, some discussion is offered of industry changes throughout 

the last half of the 20th century.

Timber used in the direct manufacture of products is the focus of this report. Products 

directly manufactured from timber are referred to as “primary products” and include 

lumber, posts and poles, house logs, log furniture, vigas and latillas. Reconstituted 

products made from chipping or grinding timber, as well as products from mill residue 

(i.e., bark, sawdust, log ends, chips, and planer shavings) generated in the production 

of primary products, are also included. These reconstituted primary products include 

excelsior, wood pellets, bark products, and fuelwood. Derivative, or “secondary” products (e.g., window frames, doors, trusses, and furniture) made from primary products 

are not included in this report.

The major source of data for this report was a census of primary forest products 

facilities in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah and mills in adjacent States that 

received timber from the Four Corners States during calendar year 2002. Firms were 

identified through telephone directories, directories of the forest products industries 

(Miller Freeman, Inc. 1999; Paperloop 2003; Random Lengths 2003), and with the 

assistance of State forestry agencies and the mills themselves. Firms cooperating in the 

Four Corners census, including out-of-State mills, processed virtually all of the commercial timber harvested from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah in 2002.

This report is the direct result of a cooperative effort between The University of 

Montana's Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) and the USDA Forest 

Service, Interior West Forest Inventory and Analysis (IW-FIA) Program. Together, 

BBER and Forest Service research stations have been conducting periodic mill censuses in the Rocky Mountains for over 25 years. The Forest Industries Data Collection 

System (FIDACS) was developed by BBER and IW-FIA to collect, compile, and make 

available State- and county-level information on the operations of the forest products 

industry and the timber it uses. The FIDACS uses a written questionnaire or phone 

interview of forest products manufacturers to collect the following information for 

each facility for a given calendar year: production capacity and employment; volume 

of raw material received by county and ownership; species of timber received; finished product volumes, types, sales values, and market locations; and utilization and 

marketing of manufacturing residue. Information collected through the FIDACS is 

The Four Corners Timber

Harvest and Forest Products

Industry, 2002

Todd A. Morgan

Thale Dillon

Charles E. Keegan, III

Alfred L. Chase

Mike T. Thompson
 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

processed, analyzed, and stored at the BBER in Missoula, Montana. Additional information is available by request; however, individual firm-level data are confidential 

and will not be released.

Four Corners Regional Summary__________________________________

This chapter discusses the Four Corners as a whole, providing an historical overview, 

as well as information on the forest products industry and timber harvest in 2002. 

It presents ownership and species composition of harvested timber, types of timber 

products harvested and processed, as well as movement of timber within the Four 

Corners and between the region and other States. Timber-processing and production 

capacities, utilization of mill residues, and forest products sales and employment are 

also discussed at the regional level.

Historic Overview________________________________________________

Following World War II, with strong housing markets and public policy encouraging 

timber production on National Forests, timber harvest for industrial products in the 

Four Corners States increased from about 700 million board feet (MMBF, Scribner 

log scale) annually during the early 1950s to a peak of approximately 1,000 MMBF in 

the late 1960s. During the 1970s and 1980s, harvest volumes dropped somewhat with 

harvest during the late 1980s averaging about 850 MMBF annually. Timber harvest from 

the region declined dramatically during the 1990s, caused largely by decreases in the 

harvest from National Forests. National Forest timber harvests in Arizona, Colorado, 

New Mexico, and Utah followed the course of most Western States, declining due to 

threatened and endangered species, appeals and litigation directed at Federal timber 

sales, and Federal budget levels.

In Arizona and New Mexico, the listing of the Mexican spotted owl had a profound 

downward impact on National Forest timber harvest levels. The Mexican spotted owl 

was listed as threatened by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in March of 

1993. In August of 1995, a Federal judge enjoined the logging of new timber sales 

on National Forests in Arizona and New Mexico pending development of a recovery 

plan for the owl (Silver and others v. Thomas and others 1995). Between 1990 and 

1996, harvest from Arizona National Forests dropped from 300 MMBF annually to 

about 28 MMBF, and harvest from New Mexico National Forests fell from about 125 

MMBF to less then 20 MMBF annually. Most of the material harvested during the 

period was for fuelwood, not industrial timber products. The lifting of the injunction 

in December 1996 resulted in increases in National Forest timber offerings in 1997 

and 1998. The cut from Arizona National Forests increased to about 61 MMBF in 1997 

and 63 MMBF in 1998; the cut from New Mexico National Forests increased slightly 

to 23 MMBF in 1997 and 30 MMBF in 1998.

Declines in National Forest timber offerings have negatively impacted both Colorado’s 

and Utah’s industry as well, leading to substantially lower total harvest. Though not as 

sharp nor abrupt as in Arizona and New Mexico, the reduction in National Forest timber 

harvest had significant impacts on closures or very low levels of capacity utilization 

at sawmills—the largest timber processing sector in the two States—and played a part 

in the closure of the two oriented strand board (OSB) operations in Colorado. Despite 

these trends, the actual number of timber processors in the two States increased from 

approximately 150 facilities during the 1980s to 182 facilities in 2003. Increases occurred most conspicuously in the log home and log furniture industries, where Colorado 

now ranks third behind Montana and Idaho, with Utah fourth in value of output from 

log home plants in the Western United States.
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 

Timber Harvest_ _________________________________________________

Harvest volumes presented in this report for calendar year 2002 came from the FIDACS census of Four Corners and out-of-state mills receiving timber harvested from 

the region. When available, similar timber harvest characterizations for the individual 

States (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah) were used for comparison. Periodic 

State-level reports (Wilson and Spencer 1967; Setzer and Wilson 1970; Setzer 1971 

a,b; Green and Setzer 1974; Setzer and Barrett 1977; Setzer and Shupe 1977; Setzer 

and Throssell 1977 a,b; McLain 1985; McLain 1988; McLain 1989; Keegan and others 1995; Keegan and others 2001 a,b) provided the bulk of historic timber harvest 

information. Published timber harvest reports for recent years were not available, with 

the exception of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) forest products offerings and 

USDA Forest Service annual “cut and sold” reports. Small differences may exist between the numbers reported here and those in BLM and Forest Service reports. These 

differences are due to varying reporting units and conversion factors, rounding error, 

scaling discrepancies between sellers and buyers, and other reporting variations.

During calendar year 2002, more than 323.5 MMBF of timber was harvested from 

Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. This harvest volume represents less than 

0.3 percent of the approximately 124.8 billion board feet of sawtimber on nonreserved 

timberlands in the four States (Benson and Green 1987; O’Brien 1999, 2002, 2003). 

Timber harvested from Four Corners timberland and manufactured into wood products 

came from three broad ownership classes: tribal lands, nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) 

land, and public lands. Most (72.5 percent) of the harvested volume came from tribal 

and NIPF timberlands, while 26.1 percent came from National Forests (table 4C-1). 

Ponderosa pine was the leading species harvested for timber in the Four Corners States 

during 2002, accounting for 57.8 percent of the total (table 4C-2). Spruces accounted 

for 14.5 percent, followed by Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine at 9.3 and 6.7 percent, 

respectively. Sawlogs were the leading component of the timber harvest in the Four 

Corners (table 4C-3); at 86.3 percent, no other product type came close in harvested 

volume. House logs contributed 6.4 percent to the total, while trees harvested for fiber 

logs and industrial fuelwood accounted for 4.6 percent of the harvest.

Timber Flow and Mill Receipts_____________________________________

During 2002, the Four Corners were net exporters of timber, with 20 percent (66.1 

MMBF) of the regional harvest exported for processing in other States. Sawlogs constituted the bulk (97 percent, or 64.1 MMBF) of exported timber products, most of 

which were sold to California (table 4C-4). Mills in the Four Corners imported a total 

of 2.5 MMBF in 2002, approximately 1 percent of total receipts for the region. Of this 

imported volume, over 78 percent (almost 2.0 MMBF) was house logs. However, the 

region exported 1.9 MMBF of house logs as well. By ownership, timber from tribal 

lands was exported in the largest volumes. This flow of timber into and out of the 

region created a difference in the volume of timber harvested from the Four Corners 

and the volume received by the region’s mills. Most timber used by primary forest 

products firms in the Four Corners came from within the four-State region. Additional 

volume came from Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, with some smaller volumes from 

Canada, California, and Oregon.

While the 2002 harvest exceeded 323.5 MMBF, total receipts by Four Corners 

mills were slightly less than 260.0 MMBF, a volume equivalent to 80 percent of the 

harvest. Sawlogs accounted for the vast majority (83 percent) of timber received by 

Four Corners mills (table 4C-5), followed by house logs (8 percent). The NIPF landowners supplied the largest share (36 percent) of timber received by mills in the four 
 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

States, followed by tribal owners (33 percent) and National Forest System (NFS) lands 

(30 percent). Timber-processing capacity (the volume of timber that could be used by 

existing timber processors if demand for products were firm and sufficient raw material were available) in the Four Corners during 2002 was approximately 450 MMBF, 

Scribner. Thus, approximately 58 percent of timber-processing capacity in the region 

was utilized in 2002.

Forest Products Industry Composition and Operations_______________

The FIDACS census identified 241 primary timber processing facilities active during 2002 in the Four Corners. These facilities included 105 sawmills, 67 log home or 

house log manufacturers, 38 log furniture producers, 14 post and pole facilities, 10 

viga and latilla producers, and seven other facilities. Colorado and Utah had the most 

facilities and the largest shares of the log home and log furniture sectors. Arizona and 

New Mexico had fewer facilities but more of the viga and latilla sector.

Primary timber processors in the Four Corners produced an array of products including: dimension lumber, board and shop lumber, mine timbers, railroad ties, pallets, 

dunnage, excelsior, posts, poles, vigas, latillas, finished house logs, log homes, and 

log furniture, as well as wood pellets, fuelwood, bark, mulch, and pulp chips from 

mill residues. During 2002, production of lumber and other sawn products exceeded 

274 MMBF, lumber tally. Lumber production in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico 

was about 82 MMBF for each State; Utah’s lumber production was about 27 MMBF. 

Production of house logs, vigas, and latillas totaled more than 7.3 million lineal feet 

(MMLF), and more than 1.3 million pieces of log furniture, posts, and poles were 

produced by facilities in the Four Corners.

Mill Residue: Quantity, Types, and Use_____________________________

A substantial portion of the wood fiber, including bark processed by primary forest 

product plants, ends up as mill residue. Three types of wood residues are typically generated by the primary wood products industry: coarse or chippable residue consisting 

of edging, slabs, trim, log ends, and pieces of veneer; fine residue consisting primarily of planer shavings and sawdust; and bark. The 2002 census collected information 

on volumes and uses of mill residue. Actual residue volumes, reported in bone-dry 

units (BDU), were obtained from facilities that sold all or most of their residues. All 

mills reported, on a percentage basis, how their residues were used. One BDU is the 

equivalent of 2,400 pounds of oven-dry wood.

Four Corners timber processors produced 305,190 BDU of residue during 2002, of 

which just 10,827 BDU (4 percent) went unused (table 4C-6). Coarse residues were the 

region’s largest residue component (46 percent of all residues), with 3 percent going 

unused. About 60 percent of coarse residue was used by the pulp and board sector, 

14 percent went to the energy sector, and an additional 23 percent went to other uses. 

Fine residue made up the second largest component (29 percent) in 2002, with sawdust 

comprising 16 percent and shavings 13 percent. All but 4,530 BDU (5 percent) of fine 

residue were used, primarily as animal bedding and mulch. Four Corners facilities 

generated 70,755 BDU of bark while processing timber in 2002, of which all but 3 

percent was utilized. About 66 percent of bark was used as mulch, while almost 9 

percent went to energy. During 2002, sawmills generated 279,060 BDU—91 percent 

of all mill residues in the region. Residue volume factors, which express mill residue 

generated per unit of lumber produced, were derived from production and from residue 

output volumes provided by mills (table 4C-7).
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 

Forest Products Sales and Employment_ ___________________________

Mills responding to the FIDACS survey summarized their calendar year 2002 shipments of finished wood products, providing information on volume, sales value, and 

geographic destination. Mills usually distributed their products either through their own 

distribution channels or through independent wholesalers and selling agents. Because 

of subsequent transactions, the geographic destination reported here may not reflect 

the final delivery points of shipments.

The Four Corners primary wood product sales value (f.o.b. the producing mill), 

including mill residues, totaled nearly $222 million during 2002 (table 4C-8). Almost 

$142 million (64 percent) of sales were within the Four Corners States, and slightly 

more than half ($114 million) of all sales were lumber and other sawn products. House 

logs and log home sales accounted for almost $50 million (22 percent) of total sales. 

Colorado led the region with more than $98 million in sales, of which approximately 

$28 million came from the log home sector. The remaining States had sales between 

$36 and $48 million (tables A18, N17, U16).

The forest products industry has traditionally played a comparatively small role in 

the economy of the Four Corners States. However, the industry has been, and continues 

to be, important at the community level, in particular in the more rural areas of the 

region. When looking at the primary sectors of the forest products industry, including 

logging, data indicate that approximately 3,800 full-time equivalent workers (FTEs, or 

number of people working 40-hour weeks, 240 day per year) were involved in primary 

production in the Four Corners during 2002. Of these, about 1,600 FTEs were involved 

in logging operations, and about 2,200 FTEs were in primary timber processing (QCEW 

2004; REIS 2004). This corresponds to 5.0 FTEs per MMBF of timber harvested in 

the region, and 8.6 FTEs per MMBF of timber processed by mills in the region, with 

log home plants and log furniture makers often being substantially higher.

Table 4C-1—Four Corners timber harvest by ownership class, 2002.

MBF Percentage 

Ownership class Scribner of harvest

Private and tribal timberland 234,456 72.5

Tribal 134,840 41.7

Private 99,616 30.8

Public timberland 89,105 27.5

National Forest 84,536 26.1

Other public 4,569 1.4

All owners 323,561 100
 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Table 4C-2—Four Corners timber harvest by species, 2002.

MBF Percentage

Species Scribner of harvest

Ponderosa pine 186,955 57.8

Spruces 46,850 14.5

Douglas-fir	 30,165 9.3

Lodgepole pine 21,822 6.7

Aspen 20,399 6.3

Firs 16,882 5.2

Other speciesa 489 0.2

All species 323,561 100

aOther species include juniper, other soft woods, and hardwoods other 

than aspen.

Table 4C-3—Four Corners timber harvest by product, 2002.

MBF Percentage

Product Scribner of harvest

Sawlogs 279,317 86.3

House logs 20,695 6.4

Fiber logs and industrial fuelwood 14,763 4.6

Posts and poles 4,104 1.3

Vigas 3,655 1.1

Other productsa 1,029 0.3

All products 323,561 100

aOther products include furniture logs, pilings, and utility poles.

Table 4C-4—Four Corners timber products imports and exports, 2002.

Net imports

Timber product Imports Exports (Net exports)

 - - - - Thousand board feet, Scribner - - - - -

Sawlogs 360 64,150 (63,790)

House logs 1,967 1,910 57 

Other products 177 50 127 

All products 2,504 66,110 (63,606)
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 

Table 4C-5—Timber received by the Four Corners primary forest products industry by ownership class and product, 2002.

Fuelwood/ Other All

Ownership class Sawlogs bioenergy House logs Post/pole productsa products

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Thousand board feet, Scribner - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Private and tribal timberland 155,123 4,950 3,915 1,793 12,514 178,294 

Private 75,693 600 3,457 1,168 12,514 93,432 

Tribal 79,430 4,350 458 625 – 84,863 

Public timberland 60,404 200 16,837 2,311 1,909 81,661 

National Forest 58,462 200 15,278 2,005 1,811 77,756 

Other ownersb 1,942 – 1,558 306 99 3,905 

All owners 215,527 5,150 20,751 4,104 14,423 259,955 

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Percentage of product by ownership - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Private and tribal timberland 72.0 96.1 18.9 43.7 86.8 68.6 

Private 35.1 11.7 16.7 28.5 86.8 35.9 

Tribal 36.9 84.5 2.2 15.2 – 32.6 

Public timberland 28.0 3.9 81.1 56.3 13.2 31.4 

National Forest 27.1 3.9 73.6 48.9 12.6 29.9 

Other ownersb 0.9 – 7.5 7.5 0.7 1.5 

All owners 82.9 2.0 8.0 1.6 5.5 100 

aOther products include logs for log furniture, vigas, latillas, and fiber logs. bOther owners includes other public ownerships and Canadian imports.

Table 4C-6—Production and disposition of Four Corners mill residues, 2002.

Total	 Pulp and	 	 Mulch/ 	 Unspecified	 	 Total

Residue type utilized board Energy bedding use Unused produced

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bone-dry unitsa - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Coarse 140,860 86,377 20,851 – 33,632 4,020 144,879 

Fine 85,026 14,953 3,530 58,436 8,107 4,530 89,556 

Sawdust 44,840 3,105 3,530 37,347 858 4,358 49,198 

Planer shavings 40,186 11,848 – 21,089 7,249 172 40,358 

Bark 68,478 300 6,004 46,978 15,196 2,277 70,755 

All residues 294,364 101,630 30,385 105,414 56,935 10,827 305,190 

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Percentage of residue type by use - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Coarse 97.2 59.6 14.4 0.0 23.2 2.8 47.5

Fine 94.9 16.7 3.9 65.3 9.1 5.1 29.3

Sawdust 91.1 6.3 7.2 75.9 1.7 8.9 16.1

Planer shavings 99.6 29.4 0.0 52.3 18.0 0.4 13.2

Bark 96.8 0.4 8.5 66.4 21.5 3.2 23.2

All residues 96.5 33.3 10.0 34.5 18.7 3.5 100

aBone-dry unit = 2,400 lb oven-dry wood.
 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Table 4C-8—Destination and sales value of Four Corners primary wood products and mill residues, 2002. 

Within Other Mexico,

4-Corner Rocky Mtn North Canada, or

Product States States Far Westa Northeastb Southc Centrald othere Total

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Thousand 2002 dollars - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lumber, mine 

 timbers and other

 sawn products 70,389 10,453 10,156 119 16,560 5,310 1,229 114,216 

House logs 

 and log homes 38,261 1,317 136 489 8,122 1,339 – 49,664 

Posts, poles, vigas, 

 latillas, and log 

 furniture 17,272 576 708 664 710 1,714 170 21,814 

Other productsf 15,884 24 6,678 3,528 2,333 5,315 2,181 35,943 

Total 141,806 12,370 17,678 4,800 27,725 13,678 3,580 $ 221,637 

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Percentage of regional sales by product - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lumber, mine 

 timbers, and other 

 sawn products 49.6 84.5 57.4 2.5 59.7 38.8 34.3 51.5 

House logs 

 and log homes 27.0 10.6 0.8 10.2 29.3 9.8 - 22.4 

Posts, poles, vigas, 

 latillas, and log 

 furniture 12.2 4.7 4.0 13.8 2.6 12.5 4.7 9.8 

Other productsf 11.2 0.2 37.8 73.5 8.4 38.9 60.9 16.2 

Total 64.0 5.6 8.0 2.2 12.5 6.2 1.6 100

a Far West includes Alaska, California, Hawaii, and Washington.

b Northeast includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

c South includes Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, 

South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. d North Central includes Illinois,Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and 

Wisconsin. e Other includes European countries.

f Other products include excelsior, mill residues, mulch, and fuel pellets; they do not include paper products.

Table 4C-7—Four Corners sawmill residue 

factors, 2002.

Type of residue BDU per MBF

Coarse 0.56

Sawdust 0.19

Planer shavings 0.16

Bark 0.28

Total 1.19

aBone-dry unit (BDU = 2,400 lb oven-dry wood) 

of residue generated for every 1,000 board feet of 

lumber manufactured.
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 

Arizona

This chapter focuses on Arizona’s timber harvest and forest products industry during 2002, with discussion of changes that occurred since the 1998 industry census 

conducted by Keegan and others (2001a). Details of timber harvest, flow, and use are 

followed by descriptions of the primary processing sectors, capacity and utilization 

statistics, and mill residue characteristics. The chapter concludes with information on 

primary wood products industry sales by Arizona mills.

Timber Harvest, Flow, and Use____________________________________

In 1999, Arizona had approximately 3.6 million acres of nonreserved timberland 

(O’Brien 2002), with National Forests accounting for 68 percent, private and tribal 

owners accounting for 31 percent, and other public agencies accounting for the remaining 1 percent (table A1). All private timberland was classified as NIPF timberland. 

With the exception of several Native American tribes, Arizona had no large tracts of 

timberland owned by entities operating primary wood processing facilities. Sawtimber 

volume on nonreserved timberlands was estimated at 24.9 billion board feet Scribner 

in 1999 (O’Brien 2002).

Timber harvest

Arizona’s 2002 industrial timber harvest was 128.2 MMBF Scribner, nearly 70 

percent greater than the 1998 harvest, but about one-third the annual harvest during 

the late 1980s (Keegan and others 2001a). The decline in Arizona’s total annual timber 

harvest since 1990 was largely due to the decline in National Forest timber harvest. 

The major factor that contributed to the harvest increase from 1998 to 2002 was the 

salvage of 90 MMBF of dead, mostly fire-killed, timber, accounting for 70 percent of 

the 2002 harvest volume. In 1998 dead trees accounted for just 3 percent (2.4 MMBF) 

of the total harvest. Although substantial acreages on both public and tribal forests 

experienced fires between 1998 and 2002, tribal landowners were able to respond 

relatively quickly and harvested over 82 MMBF of fire-killed timber in 2002.

As National Forest and total timber harvest in the State declined, a disproportionate 

and diminishing share of Arizona’s timber harvest came from National Forest timberlands in recent years (table A2). In 1966, 1974, and 1984 National Forests accounted 

for 60 percent or more of harvested volume (Setzer and Throssell 1977a; McLain 

1988), whereas in 1998 and 2002 National Forests accounted for 37 and 16 percent of 

harvest volume, respectively (Keegan and others 2001a). National Forests provided the 

majority (89 percent) of house logs harvested in 2002, but tribal and NIPF landowners 

provided the majority of sawlogs and other products (table A3). Sawlogs accounted for 

almost 95 percent (121 MMBF) of the total volume harvested.

In 2002, as in 1998, Navajo County led Arizona’s timber harvest with 50 percent of 

the volume (Keegan and others 2001a); Gila and Coconino Counties followed with 31 

and 12 percent, respectively (table A4). Historically, 80 percent or more of the State’s 

annual timber harvest came from three counties: Apache, Coconino, and Navajo. In 

1984, Apache led followed by Coconino and Navajo (McLain 1988). In 1974, Coconino 

County led the state with almost 38 percent of the harvest, followed by Navajo with 34 

percent and Apache with 19 percent (Setzer and Throssell 1977a). Similarly, Coconino 

County was the largest timber producer in 1969, contributing 32 percent of the harvest, 

followed by Apache and Navajo with 25 and 23 percent, respectively (Setzer 1971a).

Ponderosa pine continued to be the leading species harvested in Arizona, accounting for 95 percent of the harvest in 2002 (table A5). Douglas-fir, white and subalpine 
10 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

firs, and Engelmann spruce were harvested in relatively small quantities (table A6), 

but the salvage of 86 MMBF of fire- and beetle-killed ponderosa pine in 2002 dwarfed 

the harvest of all other species. In 1984, ponderosa pine also accounted for more than 

90 percent of the harvest (347 MMBF of 383 MMBF harvested), but McLain (1988) 

reported that live trees accounted for 97 percent of the harvest volume. Ponderosa 

pine was the leading species harvested for each timber product in 2002 (table A7). 

Engelmann spruce comprised 44 percent of the house log harvest, and Douglas-fir, 

true firs, and Engelmann spruce were also small components of the sawlog harvest.

Timber flow

The majority (59 percent) of Arizona’s 2002 timber harvest was processed in-State. 

However, Arizona was a net exporter of timber. More than 52 MMBF were exported 

for processing in California, Colorado, and Utah, while a small amount of timber was 

imported from Idaho, Oregon, and Utah for processing in Arizona (table A8). 

Timber processors in Arizona received 76,114 MBF of timber in 2002, including 

84 MBF that was harvested outside the State. Ownership sources of timber delivered 

to Arizona mills in 2002 were similar to 1998. More than 70 percent of all receipts 

came from private and tribal timberlands and less than 30 percent from National 

Forests (table A9), which supplied timber to 10—almost half—of Arizona’s mills in 

2002. National Forests provided Arizona log home manufacturers with 79 percent of 

the house log volume processed in-State, with NIPF landowners providing the remaining 21 percent (table A10). However, the majority (70 percent) of house log volume 

harvested in Arizona was hauled out of state for processing in Colorado and Utah.

Timber use

Arizona’s 2002 timber harvest—approximately 26,840 MCF, exclusive of bark 

(fig. A1)—was used by several manufacturing sectors both within and outside Arizona. 

Of this volume, 21,653 MCF went as logs to sawmills, 263 MCF went to log home 

manufacturers, and 4,924 MCF went to other plants, including post, pole, viga, latilla, 

and wood pellet manufacturers, as well as residue-utilizing facilities including bioenergy facilities, pulp mills, reconstituted board plants, and mulch and animal bedding 

producers. Volumes are presented in cubic feet rather than board feet Scribner because 

both mill residues and timber products are displayed. The following conversion factors 

were used to convert Scribner board foot volume to cubic feet:

• 5.98 board feet per cubic foot for house logs;

• 5.61 board feet per cubic foot for sawlogs;

• 1.05 board foot per cubic foot for all other products.

Of the 21,653 MCF of timber received by sawmills, 8,839 MCF (41 percent) became 

finished lumber or other sawn products, and about 442 MCF was lost to shrinkage. 

The remaining 12,372 MCF (57 percent) became mill residue. About 12,229 MCF 

of sawmill residue was utilized by other sectors both within Arizona and in other 

States—5,880 MCF for biomass energy; and 6,349 MCF for pulp, livestock bedding, 

or mulch. Only 143 MCF (1 percent) of sawmill residue remained unused. Of the 263 

MCF of timber received by log home manufacturers, 143 MCF (54 percent) became 

house logs. The remaining 120 MCF became mill residue. About 111 MCF of house 

log residue was used by other sectors; and about 9 MCF remained unused. Of the 

4,924 MCF of timber received by other manufacturers, all was utilized for solid wood 

products such as posts, vigas, or latillas, or used in residue-related products like mulch, 

livestock bedding, fuel pellets, or for biomass energy production. 
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 11

Figure A1—Arizona timber harvest and flow, 2002.

a

Other plants include post, pole, viga, latilla, and wood pellet manufacturers, as well as residue-utilizing facilities 

including bioenergy facilities, pulpmills, reconstituted board plants, and mulch and animal bedding producers.

Sawmills

21,653 MCF

Other plants

4,924 MCF

Finished house logs

and log homes

143 MCF

Finished lumber and

other sawn products

8,839 MCF

Total Harvest

26,840 MCF

House log and log

home manufacturers

263 MCF

Other products

17,264 MCF

Residue utilized

by other plants

111 MCF

Residue utilized

by other plants

12,229 MCF

Unutilized

residue

9 MCF

Unutilized

residue

143 MCF

Shrinkage

442 MCF
12 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Forest Industry Sectors___________________________________________

Arizona’s primary forest products industry in 2002 consisted of 23 active manufacturers in six counties (table A11). Facilities tended to be located near the forest 

resource along the northern side of the Mogollon Plateau, with concentrations in 

southern Apache and Navajo counties (fig. A2). The sawmill sector, manufacturing 

lumber and other sawn products, was the largest sector operating in 2002 with 11 

facilities—five more than were operating in 1998. Five facilities produced house logs 

and log homes, an increase of one since 1998. Two viga and latilla manufacturers, a 

post and pole manufacturer, a log furniture producer, one mulch producer, one fuel 

pellet manufacturer, and a biomass energy facility were also actively purchasing or 

utilizing timber in 2002. These seven firms were indicative of the increased diversity of timber-processors that developed in Arizona since the end of the 1980s. One 

paper mill utilizing recycled material also operated in Arizona during 2002 but did 

not receive any timber or mill residue. As recently as 1998 this facility used some 

roundwood pulpwood and mill residues and was included in previous reports (McLain 

1988; Keegan and others 2001a).

Figure A2—Arizona active primary timber processors, 2002.

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

▲

■

❋

▲

▲

▲

★

❋

★

✚

★

●

▲

■

■

Pima

Mohave Apache

Navajo

Gila

Pinal

Maricopa

Cochise

Graham

Santa

Cruz

Coconino

Yavapai

Yuma

La Paz

Greenlee

★ Other

■ Sawmill

● Post/Pole

▲ House log

✚ Log furniture

❋ Viga/Latilla

 Counties
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 13

Primary wood products sales as well as the number and variety of producers increased 

since 1998, with finished product sales in 2002 about 6 percent higher than in 1998 

(table A12). The 2002 sales increase over 1998, however, did not occur in the sawmill 

industry, but in the more recently developed log home and other products sectors where 

sales increased 300 percent since 1998. In 1990, the four firms manufacturing products 

other than lumber accounted for only $570,000, less than 0.5 percent of total wood 

products sales that year (Keegan and others 2001a). In 2002, sales from the house 

log and other products manufacturers approached $7.2 million, and accounted for 21 

percent of finished products sales.

Sawmill sector

Although the number of sawmills in Arizona nearly doubled, total lumber production 

increased only slightly from about 81 MMBF in 1998 to less than 83 MMBF in 2002 

(table A13). Two of the State’s four largest sawmills closed between 1998 and 2002, 

shifting a larger proportion of the State’s lumber production into small mills producing 

less than 10 MMBF annually. Consequently, average annual lumber production per 

mill decreased from 13.5 MMBF in 1998 to 7.5 MMBF (table A14). The State’s four 

largest sawmills in 2002 produced an average of 19.0 MMBF, and the remaining seven 

mills had an average lumber production of less than 1.0 MMBF (table A15).

On average, Arizona sawmills produced approximately 1.27 board feet of lumber 

for every board foot Scribner of timber processed for an average overrun of 27 percent 

in 2002. Overrun was 46 percent in 1998 (Keegan and others 2001a). The 13 percent 

overrun decline was likely due to the relatively large proportion of salvage timber 

processed and the resulting size, condition, and product mix that could be recovered 

from the burned timber. In 1998, about 64 percent of the lumber produced by Arizona’s 

sawmills was dimension and studs, 35 percent was board and shop lumber, and less 

than one percent was timbers (Keegan and others 2001a). In 2002, only 22 percent of 

the lumber produced by Arizona’s sawmills was dimension and studs; while 69 percent 

was board and shop lumber, and timbers, cants, or pallets constituted 19 percent of 

production. 

Historically, the sawmill sector has accounted for more than 99 percent of wood 

products sales in Arizona. By 1998 that proportion had slipped to 93 percent, as timber 

harvest levels declined and the number of sawmills decreased. Sales from sawmills 

accounted for just 79 percent ($27.7 million) of finished products sales in 2002, decreasing from $30.6 million in 1998 (Keegan and others 2001a). Board and shop lumber 

accounted for $15.9 million (57 percent) of sawmill sales in 2002, dimension lumber 

was $6.9 million (25 percent) of sales, and mine timbers, cants, and pallets accounted 

for $4.9 million (18 percent).

Log home sector

Expansion continued in Arizona’s log home sector. One more house log manufacturer 

was identified in 2002 than in 1998 and two more than in 1990 (table A11). Only firms 

that process timber and manufacture house logs or log homes, not log home distributors, 

were included in the 1990, 1998, and 2002 censuses. In 2002, Arizona’s five log home 

manufacturers processed 490 MBF Scribner of timber, produced about 160 MLF of 

house logs, and generated about $2 million in product sales. Although inflation-adjusted 

sales were higher in 1998 ($2.2 million), the volume of timber processed increased 35 

percent and volume of house logs produced increased 55 percent.
14 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Other products sector

As with the log home sector, expansion continued among Arizona’s producers of 

other primary wood products, with three more facilities operating in 2002 than in 1998 

and four more than in 1990 (table A11). Finished products sales by manufacturers of 

posts, poles, vigas, latillas, fuel pellets, and log furniture exceeded $5.1 million in 

2002. A specific sales value was not reported in 1998 to avoid disclosure of firm level 

data (Keegan and others 2001a); however, sales from the sector were estimated to have 

increased more than twentyfold from 1998 to 2002. Additional detail about the sector 

must be withheld to protect the confidentiality of firm level information.

Capacity and Utilization___________________________________________

Two aspects of capacity were examined for calendar year 2002 in Arizona and 

the other Four Corners States: production capacity and timber-processing capacity. 

Production capacity was defined as the amount of finished product that could be 

produced given sufficient supplies of raw materials and firm market demand for the 

products, considering normal maintenance and down time. Primary wood products 

producers specified annual and 8-hour shift production capacities in units of output 

(for example, MBF of lumber, MLF of house logs, number of vigas, etc.) for each firm. 

Product recovery ratios were calculated for each firm using reported timber input and 

product output volumes. Timber-processing capacity was defined as the volume of 

timber reported in MBF Scribner that could be processed given sufficient supplies of 

raw materials and firm market demand for the products, and was estimated for each 

firm by applying the product recovery ratios to production capacity.

Arizona’s annual sawmill production capacity was 115,490 MBF of lumber in 2002. 

Producing 82,658 MBF of lumber, sawmills utilized about 72 percent of their lumber 

production capacity. Across all industry sectors, total timber-processing capacity was 

98,465 MBF Scribner. Accounting for changes in log inventories, a total of 71,670 MBF 

Scribner was processed by Arizona firms in 2002, with timber-processing capacity 

utilization about 73 percent. Sawtimber-processing capacity was 141,480 MBF Scribner 

in 1998, with 53,458 MBF Scribner (38 percent) utilized (Keegan and others 2001a). 

In 2002, sawtimber-processing capacity fell to 98,025 MBF Scribner, with 71,260 

MBF Scribner (73 percent) utilized. The decreased sawtimber-processing capacity 

and increased capacity utilization resulted from the permanent closure of two large 

sawmills, which were operating well below capacity in 1998.

Mill Residue Volumes, Types, and Uses_____________________________

In 1998, Arizona’s lone paper mill was the largest consumer of mill residues that 

were generated in the State. However, that mill shifted to using recycled material and 

did not use either roundwood pulpwood or mill residues in 2002. This change affected 

not only the ways and amounts of residues that were utilized, but it also impacted 

other sectors’ ability to operate profitably. Sawmills, the leading timber processors, 

were also the main residue producers in Arizona. These facilities had to develop new 

markets for their residues, utilize the residues in-house, or consider cutting production 

to avoid generating more residue than could be disposed of affordably.

In 2002, Arizona mills produced 80,989 BDU, approximately 7,775 MCF of mill 

residue, with 98.6 percent utilized (table A16). Both residue production and the proportion utilized decreased from 1998. In 1998, Arizona sawmills generated 8,687 MCF, 

utilizing 99.9 percent (Keegan and others 2001a). Arizona’s drop in residue utilization 

between 1998 and 2002 signaled a reversal of the long-term trend of increased residue 
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 15

utilization noted by Keegan and others (2001a) and was largely attributable to changes 

at the State’s paper mill. The decrease in total residue volume generated, however, was 

attributable to sawmills creating less residue per unit of lumber produced. In 1998, 

sawmills produced about 1.12 BDU per MBF of lumber; by 2002 that residue factor 

had dropped to 0.96 BDU per MBF of lumber (table A17).

Three types of wood fiber residue have been produced by Arizona mills: coarse 

residue consisting of slabs, edging, trim, peelings, and log ends; fine residue consisting of planer shavings and sawdust; and bark. Coarse residue was the State’s largest 

residue component at 37,776 BDU (46.6 percent) of all residues in 2002, with 99 

percent utilized. Out-of-State pulp and paper facilities used about 26,600 BDU of the 

coarse material, with the remaining utilized volume going to energy and unspecified 

uses (table A16). Fine residues comprised the second largest component at 24,467 

BDU (30.2 percent) of mill residues. Only 97.4 percent of fine residue was utilized in 

2002, primarily as mulch or animal bedding. Bark accounted for 23.1 percent of all 

residues and was largely used for mulch or unspecified products in 2002, with 18,648 

BDU (99.5 percent) utilized.

Primary Forest Products Markets and Sales_ _______________________

Sales from Arizona’s primary wood products industry in 2002 totaled $38.8 million, including finished products and mill residues (table A18). Lumber, mine timbers, 

and other sawn products accounted for 71 percent ($27.7 million) of total sales; house 

logs and log homes accounted for 5 percent ($1.9 million); while other products and 

mill residues accounted for 24 percent ($9.2 million). Arizona was the leading market 

area for lumber, log homes, and other products, with in-State sales accounting for 

56.5 percent of total sales. The other Four Corners States (Colorado, New Mexico, 

and Utah) accounted for 32.5 percent of total sales, with lumber playing a significant 

role. The Far West States were a major market area for other products, including mill 

residues.
16 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Table A1—Arizona nonreserved timberland by ownership class 

(source: O’Brien 2002).

Percentage of

Thousand nonreserved

Ownership class acres timberland

National Forest 2,424 68

Private and tribal 1,096 31

Other public 44 1

Total 3,565 100

Table A2­—Proportion of Arizona timber harvest by ownership class, selected years.

Ownership class 1966 1974 1984 1998 2002

 - - - - - - - - - Percentage of harvest - - - - - - - -

Private and tribal timberland 25.0 41.0 33.5 63.0 84.4

Private 1.0 – 33.5 3.0 1.6

Tribal 24.0 41.0 – 60.0 82.8

Public timberland 75.0 59.0 66.5 37.0 15.6 

National Forest 75.0 59.0 66.2 37.0 15.6 

Other public – – 0.3 – –

All owners 100 100 100 100 100

Table A3—Arizona timber products harvested by ownership class, 2002.

Other

Ownership class Sawlogs House logs productsa All products

- - - - - - - - - - - - Thousand board feet, Scribner- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Tribal timberland 101,800 60 4,350 106,210

National Forest 18,385 1,389 195 19,969

Private timberland 1,260 109 672 2,041

All owners 121,445 1,558 5,217 128,220

 - - - - - Percentage of harvested product by ownership- - - - - - 

Tribal timberland 83.8 3.9 83.4 82.8

National Forest 15.1 89.2 3.7 15.6

Private timberland 1.0 7.0 12.9 1.6

All owners 94.7 1.2 4.1 100

aOther products include industrial fuelwood, furniture logs, fiber logs, and viga logs.
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 17

Table A4—Arizona timber harvest by county, selected years (sources: McLain 1988, Keegan 

and others 2001a).

County 1984 1998 2002 1984 1998 2002

 - - - - - MBF Scribner- - - - - - -- - - - - - - Percentage- - - - - - Apache 171,128 15,641 6,350 44.7 20.5 5.0

Coconino 150,727 15,314 14,889 39.4 20.1 11.6

Gila 931 5,405 39,960 0.2 7.1 31.2

Graham – – 1,100 – – 0.9

Greenlee 4,623 1,515 – 1.2 2.0 –

Navajo 52,745 38,384 64,027 13.8 50.3 49.9

Pima – 33 – – <0.05 –

Yavapai 2,220 20 1,895 0.6 <0.05 1.5

Totala 382,674 76,312 128,220 100 100 100

aPercentage detail may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

Table A5—Proportion of Arizona timber harvest by species, selected years 

(sources: Setzer 1971, Setzer and Throssell 1977, McLain 1988, 

Keegan and others 2001a).

Species 1969a 1974a 1984 1998 2002

 - - - - - - - - - Percentage of harvest- - - - - - - - - - Ponderosa pine 74.2 69.6 90.6 87.5 94.8

Dougles-fir	 5.3	 5.6	 4.5	 6.9	 2.4

White fir	 3.6	 4.8	 2.4	 1.3	 1.5

Engelmann spruce 0.9 2.1 2.3 3.1 1.2

Pinyon pine, juniper,

 limber pine, aspen 16.0 17.9 0.2 1.2 <0.05

All speciesb 100 100 100 100 100

aHarvest data for 1969 and 1974 include fuelwood; 1984,1998, 2002 do not include 

fuelwood. bPercentage detail may not add to 100 due to rounding.

Table A6—Arizona timber harvest by species, selected years 

(sources: McLain 1988, Keegan and others 2001a).

Species 1984 1998 2002

 - - - - - - - - - - MBF Scribner - - - - - - - - - -

Ponderosa pine 346,851 66,804 121,614

Douglas-fir	 17,217	 5,264	 3,129

White fir	 9,214	 961	 1,900

Engelmann spruce 8,667 2,340 1,551

Other speciesa 722 943 26

All speciesb 382,674 76,312 128,220

aOther species include juniper, other softwoods, and hardwoods.

bMay not sum due to rounding.
18 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Table A7—Arizona timber harvest by species and product, 2002.

House Other All

Species Sawlogs logs productsa products

 - - - - - - - - - - - - Thousand board feet, Scribner- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Ponderosa pine 115,592 808 5,214 121,614

Douglas-fir	 3,093	 35	 1	 3,129

Engelmann spruce 861 690 1 1,551

True firsb 1,900 – – 1,900

Other speciesc – 25 1 26

All species 121,445 1,558 5,217 128,220

- - - - - - - - - - - Percentage of product by species- - - - - - - - - - - - 

Ponderosa pine 95.2 51.9 99.9 94.8

Douglas-fir	 2.5	 2.2	 0.0	 2.4

Engelmann spruce 0.7 44.3 0.0 1.2

True firsb 1.6 – – 1.5

Other speciesc – 1.6 0.0 <0.05

All species 94.7 1.2 4.1 100

aOther products include industrial fuelwood, furniture logs, fiber logs, and viga logs. bTrue firs include white and subalpine fir. cOther species include juniper, other softwoods, and hardwoods.

Table A8—Arizona timber products imports and exports, 2002.

Net imports

Timber product Imports Exports (Net exports)

 - - - - - Thousand board feet, Scribner- - - - - - 

Sawlogs – 51,095 (51,095)

House logs 50 1,085 (1,035)

Other productsa 34 10 24

All products 84 52,190 (52,106)

aOther products include furniture logs, fiber logs, and viga logs.

Table A9—Ownership of timber products received by Arizona mills, 1998 and 2002 (source: Keegan 

and others 2001a).

1998 2002

MBF Percentage MBF Percentage

Ownership class Scribner of total Scribner of total

Private and tribal timberland 48,102 71.1 58,108 76.3

Tribal 45,964 68.0 56,150 73.8

Private 2,138 3.2 1,958 2.6

National Forests 19,510 28.9 18,006 23.7

All owners 67,612 100 76,114 100
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 19

Table A10—Timber received by Arizona forest products industry by ownership class and product, 2002.

Other All

Ownership class Sawlogs House logs productsa products

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Thousand board feet, Scribner - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Private and tribal timberland 52,965 109 5,034 58,108

Private 1,165 109 684 1,958

Tribal 51,800 – 4,350 56,150

Public timberland 17,385 414 207 18,006

National Forest 17,385 414 207 18,006

All owners 70,350 523 5,241 76,114

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - Percentage of product by owner - - - - - - - - - - - 

Private and tribal timberland 75.3 20.8 96.0 76.3

Private 1.7 20.8 13.1 2.6

Tribal 73.6 – 83.0 73.8

Public timberland 24.7 79.2 4.0 23.7

National Forest 24.7 79.2 4.0 23.7

All owners 92.4 0.7 6.9 100

aOther products include industrial fuelwood, furniture logs, fiber logs, and viga logs.

Table A11—Active Arizona primary wood products facilities by county and product, 2002 (sources: 

McLain 1988; Keegan and others 2001a).

Log homes

and Vigas and Other Pulp and

County Lumber house logs latillas productsa paper Total

Apache 1 1 2

Coconino 1 1 2

Gila 1 1

Maricopa 2 1 3

Navajo 4 2 5 11

Yavapai 2 1 1 4

2002 Total 11 5 2 5 0 23

1998 Total 6 4 0 2 1 13

1990 Total 14 3 0 1 1 19

1984 Total 20 0 0 2 1 23

aOther products include posts, poles, vigas, latillas, fuel pellets, log furniture, and biomass energy.

Table A12—Finished product sales of Arizona’s primary wood products sectors, selected years 

(sources: WWPA various years; Keegan and others 2001a).

Sector 1984 1990 1998 2002

 - - - - - - - - - - - Thousands of 2002 dollars - - - - - - - - - - - 

Sawmills $176,934 $144,784 $30,640 $27,677 

Log home and other sectorsa 248 570 2,393 7,193 

Totalb $177,182 $145,354 $33,033 $34,870 

aOther sectors include producers of posts, poles, vigas, latillas, log furniture, and fuel pellets.

bAll sales are reported f.o.b. the manufacturer’s plant. Sales of mill residues, mulch, and paper not included 

for comparison to previous years.
20 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Table A13—Arizona sawmills by production size class, selected years (sources: 

Setzer and Wilson 1970; WWPA 1992, 1993; Keegan and others 

2001a).

Year Under 10 MMBFa Over 10 MMBFa Total

- - - - - - - - - - Number of sawmills- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

2002 9 2 11

1998 2 4 6

1990 5 9 14

1966 13 10 23

Percentage of lumber output	 Volume (MBFb)

2002 25 75 82,658 

1998 1 99 80,970 

1990 4 96 388,000 

1966 11 89 437,000 

aSize class is based on reported lumber production. MMBF denotes million board feet 

lumber tally. bMBF = thousand board feet lumber tally.

Table A14—Number of Arizona sawmills and average lumber 

production, selected years (sources: McLain 

1988; Setzer and Wilson 1970; Keegan and 

others 2001a).

Number of Average lumber

Year sawmills production

MMBFa

2002 11 7.5

1998 6 13.5

1990 14 27.7

1984 20 19.2

1966 23 19.0

1962 28 11.6

1960 38 8.7

aMMBF = million board feet lumber tally.

Table A15—Arizona lumber production by mill size, 2002.

Number Percentage Average

Size classa of mills Volume of total per mill

MBFb MBFb

Over 5 MMBF 4 75,890 92 18,973

Under 5 MMBF 7 6,768 8 967

Total 11 82,658 100 7,514

aSize class is based on reported lumber production. MMBF denotes million board 

feet lumber tally. bMBF = thousand board feet lumber tally.
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 21

Table A16—Production and disposition of Arizona mill residues, 2002.

Total	 Pulp and	 	 Mulch/	 Unspecified	 	 Total

Residue type utilized board Energy bedding use Unused produced

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bone-dry unitsa- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Coarse 37,390 26,600 429 – 10,360 386 37,776 

Fine 23,825 – – 23,425 400 642 24,467 

Sawdust 11,864 – – 11,464 400 642 12,506 

Planer shavings 11,961 – – 11,961 – – 11,961

Bark 18,648 – 2 7,646 11,000 98 18,746

Total 79,863 26,600 432 31,071 21,760 1,126 80,989

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Percentage of residue type - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Coarse 99.0 70.4 1.1 – 27.4 1.0 46.6

Fine 97.4 – – 95.7 1.6 2.6 30.2

Sawdust 94.9 – – 91.7 3.2 5.1 15.4

Planer shavings 100.0 – – 100.0 – – 14.8

Bark 99.5 – 0.0 40.8 58.7 0.5 23.1

Total 98.6 32.8 0.5 38.4 26.9 1.4 100 

aBone-dry unit = 2,400 lb oven-dry wood.

Table A17—Arizona sawmill residue factors, 

1998 and 2002 (source: Keegan and 

others 2001a).

Type of residue 1998 2002

BDU/MBF lumber tallya

Coarse 0.50 0.44

Sawdust 0.22 0.15

Planer shavings 0.19 0.14

Bark 0.21 0.23

Total 1.12 0.96

aBone-dry unit (BDU = 2,400 lb oven-dry wood) 

of residue generated for every 1,000 board feet of 

lumber manufactured.
22 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Table A18—Destination and sales value of Arizona’s primary wood products and mill residues, 2002.

Other Other Mexico,

4-Corner Rocky Mtn North Canada, or

Product Arizona States States Far Westa Northeastb Southc Centrald othere Total

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Thousand 2002 dollars - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lumber, mine 

 timbers, and other 

 sawn products $15,754 $10,721 – $338 – – $788 $90 $27,691

House logs 

 and log homes 1,269 328 – – – 119 219 1,936 

Other productsf 4,903 1,542 – 2,546 – – – 170 9,162 

Total $21,926 $12,592 – $2,884 – $119 $1,006 $260 $38,788 

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Percentage of regional sales by product - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lumber, mine

 timbers, and other 

 sawn products 71.8 85.1 – 11.7 – – 78.2 34.6 71.4 

House logs 

 and log homes 5.8 2.6 – – – 100.0 21.8 – 5.0 

Other productsf 22.4 12.2 – 88.3 – – – 65.4 23.6 

Total 56.5 32.5 – 7.4 – 0.3 2.6 0.7 100 

a Far West includes Alaska, California, Hawaii, and Washington.

b Northeast includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

c South includes Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, 

South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. d North Central includes Illinois,Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and 

Wisconsin. e Other includes European countries.

f Other products include posts, poles, vigas, latillas, log furniture, mill residues, mulch, and fuel pellets; they do not include paper products.
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 23

Colorado

This chapter focuses on Colorado’s timber harvest and forest products industry 

during 2002. Details of timber harvest, flow, and use are followed by descriptions of 

the primary processing sectors, capacity and utilization statistics, and mill residue 

characteristics. The chapter concludes with information on primary wood products 

industry sales by Colorado mills. Comparisons to previous years are provided where 

possible. Limited historical information is available about timber harvesting and mill 

production and residues in Colorado. The last comprehensive report on the State’s 

industrial roundwood production and mill residues was conducted in 1982 (McLain 

1985), and data for previous years include 1962 (Spencer and Farrenkopf 1964), 1969 

(Setzer 1971b), and 1974 (Setzer and Shupe 1977). More recently, Lynch and Mackes 

(2001) provided a brief discussion of Colorado timber harvest in their study of wood 

use in Colorado from 1997 to 2000.

Timber Harvest, Flow, and Use____________________________________

In 1983, Colorado had approximately 13.8 million acres of nonreserved timberland 

(Benson and Green 1987), with National Forests accounting for 65 percent, private 

owners accounting for 24 percent, and other public agencies accounting for the remaining 11 percent (table C1). All private timberland was classified as NIPF timberland. 

Colorado had no large tracts of timberland owned by entities operating primary wood 

processing facilities. Sawtimber volume on timberland was estimated at 52.7 billion 

board feet Scribner in 1983 (Benson and Green 1987).

Timber harvest

Colorado’s 2002 industrial timber harvest was 79.7 MMBF Scribner, nearly 23 

percent less than the 1982 harvest of 103 MMBF Scribner (McLain 1985), and almost 

28 percent less than the 1999 harvest of 110 MMBF reported by Lynch and Mackes 

(2001). Recent decreases in Colorado’s total annual timber harvest occurred despite 

increased salvage of dead timber, accounting for 26 percent (20 MMBF) of the 2002 

harvest volume. In 1982 dead trees accounted for just 8 percent of the total harvest 

volume (McLain 1985).

As in most of the Western States, decreasing Federal timber harvests have led to 

smaller total harvest volumes and greater shares of annual timber harvest coming 

from other ownership sources. Private and tribal landowners provided the majority 

of Colorado’s timber harvest in recent years. Lynch and Mackes (2001) indicated that 

National Forests provided about 47 percent of the 1999 harvest. In 2002, the National 

Forest share of Colorado’s timber harvest had dropped to 38 percent (table C2). In 

1974 and 1982, National Forests accounted for 90 and 80 percent, respectively, of 

harvested volume (Setzer and Shupe 1977, McLain 1985). National Forests did provide the majority (66 percent) of house logs harvested in 2002, but NIPF landowners 

provided the majority of sawlogs, posts, poles, and other products (table C3). Sawlogs 

accounted for about 81 percent (64 MMBF) of the total volume harvested, house logs 

and other products accounted for about 9 percent each, and posts and poles were about 

2 percent of the harvest in 2002.

During 2002, Garfield County led Colorado’s timber harvest with just under 12 

percent (9.3 MMBF Scribner) of the volume; Mesa and Las Animas Counties followed with 11 and 9 percent, respectively (table C4). In 1982, Jackson and Montezuma 

Counties led the harvest with more than 15 MMBF (14 percent) of the harvest each 

(McLain 1988).
24 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Ponderosa pine was the leading species harvested in Colorado, accounting for 28 

percent of the harvest in 2002 (table C5). Spruces, including Engelmann and blue spruce, 

accounted for 25 percent, with aspen and cottonwood accounting for 19 percent. In 

1982, spruces were the leading species harvested, accounting for slightly more than 

40 percent, while ponderosa pine accounted for 22 percent (McLain 1985). Ponderosa 

pine and spruce were the leading species harvested for sawlogs in 2002, accounting 

for 31 and 25 percent, respectively (table C6). Spruces comprised 50 percent of the 

house log harvest, lodgepole pine was the leading species harvested for posts and 

poles, and aspen and cottonwood accounted for 92 percent of the volume harvested 

for other products.

Timber flow

The majority (89 percent) of Colorado’s 2002 timber harvest was processed in-State; 

however, Colorado was a net exporter of about 4 MMBF of timber. About 9 MMBF 

were exported for processing in Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, and Idaho; while 5 

MMBF were imported from Utah, New Mexico, Idaho, Arizona, California, Montana, 

Oregon, and Canada for processing in Colorado (table C7).

Timber processors in Colorado received 82,464 MBF of timber in 2002, including 5,073 MBF that was harvested outside the State. Private and tribal timberlands 

provided 63 percent of the timber delivered to Colorado mills in 2002, with 51,665 

MBF coming from private lands and 583 MBF from tribal lands (table C8). National 

Forests provided about 34 percent (27,691 MBF) of timber receipts, with 58—slightly 

less than half—of Colorado’s timber processors receiving timber cut from National 

Forests. During 2002, National Forests provided Colorado log home manufacturers with 

64 percent of the house log volume processed in-State, NIPF landowners provided 23 

percent, and 10 percent came from Canada. Private timberlands supplied the majority 

of sawlogs, posts and poles, and other products processed in Colorado.

Timber use

Colorado’s 2002 timber harvest—approximately 15,020 MCF, exclusive of bark 

(fig. C1)—was used by several manufacturing sectors both within and outside of 

Colorado. Of this volume, 11,408 MCF went as logs to sawmills, 1,190 MCF went 

to log home manufacturers, and 2,422 MCF went to post, pole, viga, latilla, log 

furniture, and excelsior manufacturers. The following conversion factors were used 

to convert Scribner board foot volume to cubic feet:

• 5.74 board feet per cubic foot for house logs;

• 5.25 board feet per cubic foot for sawlogs;

• 3.29 board foot per cubic foot for all other products.

Of the 11,408 MCF of timber received by sawmills, 5,162 MCF (45 percent) became 

finished lumber or other sawn products, and about 215 MCF was lost to shrinkage. 

The remaining 6,031 MCF (53 percent) became mill residue. About 5,955 MCF of 

sawmill residue was utilized, and about 76 MCF (1 percent) remained unused. Of the 

1,190 MCF of timber received by log home manufacturers, about 672 MCF (56 percent) 

became house logs, while the remaining 518 MCF became mill residue. About 498 

MCF of house log residue was utilized, and about 20 MCF remained unused. Of the 

2,422 MCF of timber received by other manufacturers, nearly 1,996 MCF was utilized 

in solid wood products (such as posts, vigas, latillas, and log furniture) or was used in 

the production of excelsior. About 419 MCF of residues from these other sectors were 

utilized, and 7 MCF went unused.
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 25

Figure C1—Colorado timber harvest and flow, 2002.

Sawmills

11,408 MCF

Other plantsa

2,422 MCF

Finished house logs

and log homes

672 MCF

Finished lumber and

other sawn products

5,162 MCF

Total Harvest 

15,020 MCF

House log and log

home manufacturers

1,190 MCF

Other products

1,996 MCF

Utilized 

residue

6,872 MCF

a

Other plants include post, pole, viga, latilla, log furniture, and excelsior manufacturers.

Unutilized

residue

103 MCF

Unutilized

residue

20 MCF

Unutilized

residue

7 MCF

Utilized

residue

419 MCF

Utilized

residue

5,955 MCF

Shrinkage

215 MCF
26 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Forest Industry Sectors___________________________________________

Colorado’s primary forest products industry in 2002 consisted of 133 active manufacturers in 31 counties (table C9). Facilities tended to be located near the forest resource 

in the central and southwestern portions of the State (fig. C2). The sawmill sector, 

manufacturing lumber and other sawn products, was the largest sector operating in 

2002 with 50 mills; 46 facilities produced house logs and log homes. There were 26 

log furniture producers, 10 post and pole firms, and an excelsior producer also operating in 2002. McLain (1985) identified 95 primary wood-processing plants in 1982: 

84 sawmills, five house log plants, four post and pole facilities, a shake mill, and an 

excelsior manufacturer. Changes in Colorado’s industry structure over the past 20 years 

were similar to those experienced throughout the West, with the number of sawmills 

decreasing and the number and diversity of other manufacturers increasing (Keegan 

and others 2001 a,b; Morgan and others 2004 a,b; Morgan and others, in press).

Historic sales values for Colorado’s primary wood products producers were not 

provided by Setzer (1971b), Setzer and Shupe (1977), or McLain (1985). In 2002, sales 

value of finished products from Colorado’s primary wood products industry totaled 

$96.0 million (table C10). Sales from sawmills accounted for 43 percent, house log and 

log home manufacturers accounted for 29 percent, and other products manufacturers 

accounted for about 28 percent of finished products sales.

Sawmill sector

The number of sawmills in Colorado decreased from 84 in 1982 (McLain 1985) to 50 

in 2002 (table C11), with 11 sawmills closing between 1992 and 2000 (WWPA 2001). 

Total lumber production in the State dropped 30 percent from about 118 MMBF (WWPA 

1983) to 83 MMBF in 2002, but average production per mill increased 21 percent from 

1.4 MMBF to 1.7 MMBF. The State’s 10 largest sawmills in 2002 produced an average of 

6,791 MBF, and eight of these mills produced between 2,000 MBF and 5,000 MBF. The 

remaining 40 mills had an average lumber production of less than 400 MBF (table C12).

On average, Colorado sawmills produced approximately 1.47 board feet of lumber for every board foot Scribner of timber processed for an average overrun of 47 

percent in 2002. Overrun was estimated to be 17 percent in 1982, using WWPA’s 

(1983) lumber production and McLain’s (1985) sawlog consumption. The 26 percent 

overrun increase was attributed to improved milling technology and the increased use 

of smaller diameter timber. Technological improvements have made Colorado mills 

more efficient. For example, thinner kerf saws reduce the proportion of the log that 

becomes sawdust. Additionally, mill-delivered log diameters are believed to have decreased over the past 20 years, with reduced old-growth harvesting and increased use 

of restoration and fuels treatments that favor retention of larger trees and the removal 

of smaller stems. As log diameters decrease, the Scribner log rule, which is used in 

Colorado, underestimates—by an increasing amount—the volume of lumber that can 

be recovered from a log, thus increasing overrun.

Sales from sawmills were low, accounting for just 43 percent ($41.5 million) of 

Colorado timber processors’ finished products sales in 2002. In contrast; sawmill 

sales accounted for 79 and 74 percent of timber processors’ finished product sales in 

Arizona and New Mexico, respectively, during 2002, and historically accounted for 90 

percent or more of sales throughout the Interior West (Keegan and others 2001a,b,c; 

Morgan and others 2004b). Dimension lumber and studs accounted for $25.8 million 

(63 percent) of sawmill product sales in 2002; mine timbers, cants, and railroad ties 

accounted for $8.4 million (20 percent); board and shop lumber accounted for $4.7 

million (11 percent); and other sawn products accounted for nearly $2.6 million (6 

percent) of finished product sales from sawmills.
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 27

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Figure C2—Colorado active primary timber processors, 2002.

Log home sector

Colorado’s log home sector experienced substantial growth over the past 20 years. 

Forty-one more house log manufacturers were identified in 2002 than in 1982 (table C9). 

Only firms that processed timber and manufactured house logs or log homes, not log 

home distributors, were included in the 1982 and 2002 censuses. In 2002, Colorado’s 

46 log home manufacturers processed almost 9.6 MMBF Scribner of timber, produced 

about 2.7 million lineal feet (MMLF) of house logs, and generated almost $28.0 million in product sales. By sales value, Colorado’s log home industry is the third largest 

in the Western United States, behind Montana and Idaho.

Other products sectors

As with the log home sector, significant expansion occurred among Colorado’s 

producers of posts and poles and other primary wood products, with 31 more facilities operating in 2002 than in 1982. Twenty-six of these other products producers in 
28 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

2002 were log furniture manufacturers, 10 were log post and pole producers, and one 

was an excelsior plant. Finished products sales by manufacturers of posts and poles 

exceeded $2.0 million, and sales by manufacturers of log furniture and excelsior exceeded $24.4 million in 2002. Additional detail about the sector is withheld to protect 

the confidentiality of firm level information.

Capacity and Utilization___________________________________________

Colorado’s annual sawmill production capacity was 235 MMBF of lumber in 

2002. Producing 83.3 MMBF of lumber, sawmills utilized 35 percent of their lumber 

production capacity. This was an historically low level of production capacity utilization, suggesting that more sawmill closures can be expected in Colorado unless 

timber supply—the major factor impacting lumber production in the State—increases. 

Timber-processing capacity among Colorado sawmills was 146,188 MBF Scribner, 

with 56,843 MBF Scribner of timber processed, making utilization of timber-processing capacity among sawmills about 39 percent in 2002. Across all industry sectors, 

total timber-processing capacity was 172,930 MBF Scribner. Accounting for changes 

in mills’ log inventories, a total of 77,264 MBF Scribner was processed by Colorado 

firms in 2002, making timber-processing capacity utilization about 45 percent across 

all sectors. The greater timber-processing capacity utilization of all sectors compared 

to sawmills would indicate that processors other than sawmills were operating near 

their total timber capacity and are better positioned to utilize the mix of timber being 

offered in Colorado.

Mill Residue Volumes, Types, and Uses_____________________________

Sawmills, the leading timber processors, were also the main residue producers in 

Colorado. In 2002, sawmills produced 1.01 BDU of residue per MBF of lumber 

(table C13). Across all sectors, Colorado timber processors produced 94,945 BDU, 

approximately 9,115 MCF of mill residue, with 98.0 percent utilized (table C14). 

Total residue production declined from 22,749 MCF in 1974 and 12,420 MCF in 1982, 

while the proportion utilized increased from 40 percent in 1974 and 64 percent 

in 1982 (McLain 1985). Colorado’s decreased residue production resulted from 

increased milling efficiencies in concert with decreased timber volumes processed. 

Increased residue utilization between 1974 and 2002 was attributable to decreased 

residue production and the evolution of better markets for residue-related products.

Coarse residue was the State’s largest residue component at 42 percent (39,910 

BDU) of all residues in 2002, with 98 percent utilized. Out-of-State pulp, paper, and 

reconstituted board facilities used 17,245 BDU of the coarse material, with the remaining utilized volume going to energy and unspecified uses (table C14). Fine residues 

comprised the second largest component at 30 percent (28,580 BDU) of mill residues. 

Almost 99 percent of fine residue was utilized in 2002, primarily as mulch or animal 

bedding, with about one-third of fine residues going to pulp, paper, and reconstituted 

board facilities. Bark accounted for 28 percent of all residues and was largely used for 

mulch or burned for energy in 2002, with 25,610 BDU (97 percent) utilized.

Primary Forest Products Markets and Sales_ _______________________

Sales from Colorado’s primary wood products industry during 2002 totaled nearly 

$98.6 million, including finished products and mill residues (table C15). Lumber, mine 

timbers, and other sawn products accounted for 41 percent (almost $41 million) of 

total sales; house logs and log homes accounted for 28 percent (almost $28 million); 
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 29

while other products and mill residues accounted for 31 percent (nearly $30 million). 

Colorado was the leading market area for lumber, log homes, posts, poles, and log 

furniture, with in-State sales accounting for almost 44 percent of total sales. The other 

Four Corners States (Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah) accounted for about 12 percent 

of total sales, with lumber and log homes playing significant roles. The South accounted 

for over 14 percent of total sales, 20 percent of lumber sales, and 13 percent of log 

home sales. The North Central States, Far West, and Northeast were major market 

areas for other products, including excelsior and mill residues.

Table C1—Colorado nonreserved timberland by ownership class.

Percentage of

Thousand nonreserved

Ownership class acres timberland

National Forest 8,953 65

Private 3,365 24

Other public 1,515 11

Total 13,834 100

Source: Benson and Green 1987.

Table C2—Colorado timber harvest by ownership class, 1982 and 2002 (source: McLain 

1985).

1982 2002

MBF Percentage MBF Percentage

Ownership class Scribner of total Scribner of total

Private and tribal timberland 14,814 14.3 45,723 57.4

Private 14,814 14.3 45,223 56.7

Tribal – 0.0 500 0.6

Public timberland 88,618 85.7 33,989 42.6

National Forest 83,106 80.3 30,631 38.4

State lands 4,977 4.8 2,749 3.4

Other public 535 0.5 609 0.8

All owners 103,448 100 79,711 100

Table C3—Colorado timber products harvested by ownership class, 2002.

Post and House Other All

Ownership class Sawlogs pole logs productsa products

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - Thousand board feet, Scribner - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Private timberland 36,651 823 1,817 5,933 45,223

National Forest 24,676 203 4,578 1,174 30,631

Other public lands 2,601 306 431 20 3,358

Tribal timberland 500 – – – 500

All owners 64,427 1,332 6,826 7,127 79,711

 - - - - - - - - Percentage of harvested product by ownership - - - - - - - - 

Private timberland 56.9 61.8 26.6 83.2 56.7

National Forest 38.3 15.2 67.1 16.5 38.4

Other public lands 4.0 23.0 6.3 0.3 4.2

Tribal timberland 0.8 – – – 0.6

All owners 80.8 1.7 8.6 8.9 100

aOther products include furniture logs, fiber logs, viga logs, and logs delivered to primary manufacturers that became

firewood.
30 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Table C4—Colorado timber harvest by county, selected years (sources: Setzer and Shupe 1977, 

McLain 1985).

County 1974 1982 2002 1974 1982 2002

- - - - - - - - - - MBF Scribner - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Percentage- - - - - - - - - 

Adams – – 8 – – <0.05

Alamosa 397 800 – 0.2 0.8 – 

Archuleta 24,856 300 1,640 11.6 0.3 2.1

Boulder 90 514 44 <0.05 0.5 0.1

Chaffee – 252 595 – 0.2 0.7

Clear Creek – 500 – – 0.5 – 

Conejos 6,007 1,221 740 2.8 1.2 0.9

Costilla – – 3,684 – – 4.6

Custer 2,383 2,526 300 1.1 2.4 0.4

Delta 1,324 933 2,376 0.6 0.9 3.0

Dolores 12,687 7,801 5,907 5.9 7.5 7.4

Douglas 213 1,600 40 0.1 1.5 0.1

Eagle 5,221 1,500 200 2.4 1.5 0.3

Elbert 265 – – 0.1 – – 

El Paso 285 470 240 0.1 0.5 0.3

Fremont – 1,100 1,673 – 1.1 2.1

Garfield	 2,218	 500	 9,321	 1.0	 0.5	 11.7

Gilpin – – 20 – – <0.05

Grand 18,406 618 3,113 8.6 0.6 3.9

Gunnison 12,431 2,336 4,249 5.8 2.3 5.3

Huerfano 2,192 1,800 500 1.0 1.7 0.6

Jackson 20,786 16,273 4,373 9.7 15.7 5.5

Jefferson – 1,881 361 – 1.8 0.5

La Plata 39,950 1,271 2,312 18.7 1.2 2.9

Lake – – 844 – – 1.1

Larimer 5,219 2,497 3,145 2.4 2.4 3.9

Las Animas 993 1,600 7,057 0.5 1.5 8.9

Logan 33 – – <0.05 – – 

Mesa 5,252 1,765 8,660 2.5 1.7 10.9

Mineral 11,876 6,531 372 5.5 6.3 0.5

Moffat 158 – 124 0.1 – 0.2

Montezuma 4,169 15,001 4,495 1.9 14.5 5.6

Montrose 2,714 7,735 3,029 1.3 7.5 3.8

Ouray – 2,565 30 – 2.5 <0.05

Park 252 2,456 4,369 0.1 2.4 5.5

Pitkin 331 – – 0.2 – – 

Pueblo 176 – 306 0.1 – 0.4

Rio Blanco 370 10 730 0.2 <0.05 0.9

Rio Grande 10,857 9,277 557 5.1 9.0 0.7

Routt 10,442 1,976 1,143 4.9 1.9 1.4

Saguache 11,426 4,802 520 5.3 4.6 0.7

San Juan – – 274 – – 0.3

San Miguel – 2,131 1,020 – 2.1 1.3

Summit – 193 289 – 0.2 0.4

Teller 46 713 1,049 <0.05 0.7 1.3

Total 214,025 103,448 79,711 100 100 100
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 31

Table C5—Colorado timber harvest by species, selected years (sources: Setzer and Shupe 

1977; McLain 1985).

Species 1974 1982 2002 1974 1982 2002

- - - - - - - - MBF Scribner - - - - - - - - - Percentage of harvest - - 

Ponderosa pine 34,306 22,716 22,526 16.0 22.0 28.3

Sprucea 91,638 41,877 19,908 42.8 40.5 25.0

Aspen and 

 cottonwood 4,825 12,737 15,292 2.3 12.3 19.2

Lodgepole pine 42,187 15,500 12,457 19.7 15.0 15.6

Douglas-fir	 26,927	 6,574	 6,959	 12.6	 6.4	 8.7

True firsb 14,142 3,986 2,512 6.6 3.9 3.2

Other speciesc – 58 58 – 0.1 0.1

All species 214,025 103,448 79,711 100 100 100

aSpruce includes Engelmann and blue spruce.

bTrue firs include white and subalpine fir.	 cOther species include juniper and hardwoods.

Table C6­—Colorado timber harvest by species and product, 2002.

Post and House Other All

Species Sawlogs pole logs productsa products

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Thousand board feet, Scribner - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ponderosa pine 19,667 2,253 369 237 22,526

Spruceb 16,307 3,443 44 114 19,908

Aspen and cottonwood 8,683 32 20 6,557 15,292

Lodgepole pine 10,674 768 840 174 12,457

Douglas-fir	 6,657	 231	 58	 14	 6,959

True firsc 2,400 99 – 14 2,512

Other speciesd 40 – 0 18 58

All species 64,427 6,826 1,332 7,127 79,711

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Percentage of product by species - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ponderosa pine 30.5 33.0 27.7 3.3 28.3

Spruceb 25.3 50.4 3.3 1.6 25.0

Aspen and cottonwood 13.5 0.5 1.5 92.0 19.2

Lodgepole pine 16.6 11.2 63.1 2.4 15.6

Douglas-fir	 10.3	 3.4	 4.4	 0.2	 8.7

True firsc 3.7 1.5 – 0.2 3.2

Other speciesd 0.1 – 0.0 0.2 0.1

All species 80.8 8.6 1.7 8.9 100

aOther products include furniture logs, fiber logs, viga logs, and logs delivered to primary manufacturers that became

firewood. bSpruce includes Engelmann and blue spruce.

cTrue firs include white and subalpine fir. dOther species include juniper and hardwoods.
32 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Table C8—Timber received by Colorado forest products industry by ownership class and product, 2002.

Post and House Other All

Ownership class Sawlogs pole logs productsa products

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Thousand board feet, Scribner - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Private and tribal timberland 40,303 893 2,295 8,757 52,247

Private 39,803 893 2,213 8,757 51,665

Tribal 500 – 83 – 583

Public timberland 20,958 599 6,351 1,206 29,114

National Forest 20,016 293 6,196 1,186 27,691

State lands 641 106 50 17 814

Other public 301 200 105 3 609

Other owners – – 1,103 – 1,103

Other mills – – 105 – 105

Canada – – 998 – 998

All owners 61,260 1,492 9,749 9,963 82,464

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Percentage of product by owner - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Private and tribal timberland 65.8 59.8 23.5 87.9 63.4

Private 65.0 59.8 22.7 87.9 62.7

Tribal 0.8 – 0.8 – 0.7

Public timberland 34.2 40.2 65.1 12.1 35.3

National Forest 32.7 19.6 63.6 11.9 33.6

State lands 1.0 7.1 0.5 0.2 1.0

Other public 0.5 13.4 1.1 0.0 0.7

Other owners – – 11.3 – 1.3

Other mills – – 1.1 – 0.1

Canada – – 10.2 – 1.2

All owners 74.3 1.8 11.8 12.1 100

aOther products include furniture logs, fiber logs, viga logs, and logs delivered to primary manufacturers that became

firewood.

Table C7—Colorado timber products imports and exports, 2002.

Net imports

Timber product Imports Exports (Net exports)

 - - - - - Thousand board feet, Scribner - - - - 

Sawlogs 5,063 8,230 (3,167)

House logs 3,494 570 2,924

Other productsa 3,088 92 2,996

All products 11,645 8,892 2,753

aOther products include furniture logs, fiber logs, viga logs, and logs

delivered to primary manufacturers that became firewood.
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 33

Table C9—Active Colorado primary wood products facilities by county and product, 2002 (source: McLain 1985).

Log homes and Post and Log furniture and

County Lumber house logs pole other productsa Total

Alamosa 1 1

Arapahoe 2 2

Archuleta 4 5 9

Boulder 1 2 1 1 5

Chaffee 1 1

Conejos 2 1 3

Custer 1 1 2

Delta 4 2 6

Denver 1 1 2

Eagle 2 2

El Paso 1 1

Fremont 2 1 3

Garfield	 3	 4	 7

Grand 2 1 2 2 7

Gunnison 1 1 2

Jefferson 2 2 2 6

La Plata 2 5 1 1 9

Larimer 6 1 1 2 10

Las Animas 3 1 4

Mesa 2 1 3

Mineral 1 1 2

Moffat 2 1 3

Montezuma 5 1 1 4 11

Montrose 2 6 2 10

Park 3 1 4

Pueblo 1 1

Rio Grande 1 1

Routt 1 5 1 7

Saguache 1 1 2

Summit 2 2 4

Teller 2 1 3

2002 Total 50 46 10 27 133

1982 Total 84 5 4 2 95

aOther products include excelsior.

Table C10—Finished product sales of Colorado’s primary 

wood products sectors, 2002.

Sector Thousand 2002 dollarsa

Sawmills $41,530 

Log homes 27,991 

Other sectorsb 26,520 

Total $96,041 

aAll sales are reported f.o.b. the manufacturer’s plant.

bOther sectors include producers of posts, poles, log furniture, and excelsior.
34 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Table C11—Number of Colorado sawmills and 

average lumber production, selected 

years (sources: McLain 1985; WWPA 

1983).

Average

Number of lumber

Year sawmills production

MMBFa

2002 50 1.7

1982 84 1.4b

aMMBF = million board feet lumber tally.

bTotal production 118 MMBF.

Table C12—Colorado lumber production by mill size, 2002.

Number Percentage of Average

Size classa of mills Volume total per mill 

MBFb MBFb

Over 2 MMBF 10 67,905 82 6,791

Under 2 MMBF 40 15,408 18 385

Total 50 83,313 100 1,666

aSize class is based on reported lumber production. MMBF denotes million board feet 

lumber tally. bMBF = thousand board feet lumber tally.

Table C13—Colorado sawmill residue factors, 2002.

BDU/MBF

Type of residue lumber tallya

Coarse 0.42

Sawdust 0.17

Planer shavings 0.13

Bark 0.29

Total 1.01

aBone-dry unit (BDU = 2,400 lb oven-dry wood) of residue 

generated for every 1,000 board feet of lumber manufactured.
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 35

Table C15—Destination and sales value of Colorado’s primary wood products and mill residues, 2002.

Other Other Mexico,

4-Corner Rocky Mtn North Canada, or

Product Colorado States States Far Westa Northeastb Southc Centrald othere Total

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Thousand 2002 dollars - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lumber, mine 

 timbers and other

 sawn products $16,155 $4,523 $8,568 $1,341 – $8,201 $1,837 – $40,623

House logs and 

 log homes 18,854 3,181 936 22 389 3,695 915 – 27,992

Posts, poles, 

 and log furniture 5,648 1,771 279 288 314 467 950 – 9,716

Other productsf 2,358 2,032 – 3,528 3,528 1,764 5,292 1,764 20,266

Total $43,015 $11,507 $9,782 $5,179 $4,231 $14,127 $8,993 $1,764 $98,596

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Percentage of product sales by region - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lumber, mine 

 timbers and other 

 sawn products 39.8 11.1 21.1 3.3 – 20.2 4.5 – 41.2

House logs and 

 log homes 67.4 11.4 3.3 0.1 1.4 13.2 3.3 – 28.4

Posts, poles, 

 and log furniture 58.1 18.2 2.9 3.0 3.2 4.8 9.8 – 9.9

Other productsf 11.6 10.0 – 17.4 17.4 8.7 26.1 8.7 20.6

Total 43.6 11.7 9.9 5.3 4.3 14.3 9.1 1.8 100

a Far West includes Alaska, California, Hawaii, and Washington.

b Northeast includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

c South includes Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, 

South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. d North Central includes Illinois,Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and 

Wisconsin. e Other includes European countries.

f Other products include excelsior, firewood, and mill residues.

Table C14—Production and disposition of Colorado mill residues, 2002

Total	 Pulp and	 	 Mulch/	 Unspecified	 	 Total

Residue type utilized board Energy bedding use Unused produced

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bone-dry unitsa- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Coarse 39,239 17,245 14,490 – 7,504 671 39,910

Fine 28,178 9,153 – 19,025 – 402 28,580

Sawdust 14,580 3,105 – 11,475 – 230 14,810

Planer shavings 13,598 6,048 – 7,550 – 172 13,770

Bark 25,610 – 3,837 20,713 1,060 845 26,455

Total 93,027 26,398 18,327 39,738 8,564 1,918 94,945

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Percentage of residue type - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Coarse 98.3 43.2 36.3 – 18.8 1.7 42.0

Fine 98.6 32.0 – 66.6 – 1.4 30.1

Sawdust 98.4 21.0 – 77.5 – 1.6 15.6

Planer shavings 98.8 43.9 – 54.8 – 1.2 14.5

Bark 96.8 – 14.5 78.3 4.0 3.2 27.9

Total 98.0 27.8 19.3 41.9 9.0 2.0 100

aBone-dry unit = 2,400 lb oven-dry wood.
36 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

New Mexico

This chapter focuses on New Mexico’s timber harvest and forest products industry 

during 2002, with discussion of changes that occurred since the 1997 industry census 

conducted by Keegan and others (2001b). Details of timber harvest, flow, and use are 

followed by descriptions of the primary processing sectors, capacity and utilization 

statistics, and mill residue characteristics. The chapter concludes with information on 

primary wood products industry sales by New Mexico mills.

Timber Harvest, Flow, and Use____________________________________

In 2000, New Mexico had approximately 4.4 million acres of nonreserved timberland (O’Brien 2003), with National Forests accounting for 64 percent, private and 

tribal owners accounting for 33 percent, and other public agencies accounting for the 

remaining 3 percent (table N1). All private timberland was classified as NIPF timberland. With the exception of several Native American tribes, New Mexico had no large 

tracts of timberland owned by entities operating primary wood processing facilities. 

Sawtimber volume on nonreserved timberlands was estimated at 24.7 billion board 

feet Scribner in 2000 (O’Brien 2003).

Timber harvest

New Mexico’s 2002 industrial timber harvest was 74.4 MMBF Scribner, 76 percent 

of the 1997 harvest, and 45 percent of the 1986 harvest (Keegan and others 2001b; 

McLain 1989). The decline in New Mexico’s total annual timber harvest since the late 

1980s was due to the decline of National Forest timber harvest. As National Forest and 

total timber harvest in the State declined, a disproportionate and diminishing share 

of New Mexico’s timber harvest came from National Forest timberlands (table N2). 

In 1966, 1969, 1974, and 1986 National Forests accounted for 50 percent or more of 

harvested volume (Setzer and Wilson 1970; Setzer 1971c; Setzer and Barrett 1977; 

McLain 1989), whereas in 1997 and 2002 National Forests accounted for 12 and 14 

percent of harvest volume, respectively (Keegan and others 2001b). Unlike other States 

in the region where National Forests provided the majority of house logs harvested, 

the majority of each of the timber products harvested in New Mexico came from 

private and tribal timberlands, and National Forests provided less than 20 percent of 

each product (table N3). Sawlogs accounted for almost 92 percent (68 MMBF) of the 

total volume harvested.

In 2002, as in 1997, Otero County led New Mexico’s timber harvest with almost 42 

percent of the volume; Rio Arriba and Mora Counties followed, with 24 and 15 percent, 

respectively (table N4). Otero County has accounted for an increasing share of New 

Mexico’s timber harvest, with 7 percent in 1966, 10 percent in 1986, and 38 percent in 

1997. Historically, Rio Arriba has been among the State’s top three timber-producing 

counties, accounting for 15 percent or more of annual harvest volumes. Mora County, 

however, was not a significant contributor to New Mexico’s annual harvest until 2002, 

accounting for less than 3 percent of harvest in previous censuses (Setzer and Wilson 

1970; McLain 1989; Keegan and others 2001b).

Ponderosa pine continued to be the leading species harvested in New Mexico, 

accounting for nearly 51 percent of the harvest in 2002, and Douglas-fir retained its 

long-held position as the second most harvested species (table N5). White and subalpine firs and Engelmann spruce together accounted for about 25 percent of the 2002 

harvest. Ponderosa pine was the leading species harvested for sawlogs, vigas, and house 

logs in 2002 (table N6). Douglas-fir, true firs, and Engelmann spruce were substantial 
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 37

components of the sawlog harvest, while Engelmann spruce was the second largest 

component of house logs at 19 percent. Engelmann spruce, Douglas-fir, and true firs 

were also small components of the viga harvest. Aspen was the leading species harvested for other products, including posts, poles, furniture logs, and fiber logs.

Timber flow

The vast majority (92 percent) of New Mexico’s 2002 timber harvest was processed 

in-State; however, New Mexico was a net exporter of timber. Almost 5.5 MMBF were 

exported for processing in Colorado, Idaho, and Wyoming, while a small amount of 

timber was imported from Colorado for processing in New Mexico (table N7).

Timber processors in New Mexico received 68,858 MBF of timber in 2002, including 290 MBF that was harvested outside the State. Timber receipts dropped nearly 

25 percent since 1997, when New Mexico mills received 90,800 MBF of timber. 

Ownership sources of timber delivered to New Mexico mills changed slightly since 

1997, with the proportion from private and tribal lands decreasing from 91 percent 

to 85 percent in 2002 (table N8). National Forests supplied timber to 10—less than a 

quarter—of New Mexico’s mills in 2002, accounting for 15 percent of mill receipts, 

which was an increase from 1997 when National Forests supplied just 9 percent of 

the timber received by New Mexico mills. Unlike other States in the region, National 

Forests did not provide New Mexico forest products manufacturers with a majority 

portion of any timber products, supplying less than 20 percent of sawlogs and vigas, 

less than 10 percent of house logs, and just 5 percent of other products to the industry 

in 2002 (table N9). 

Timber use

New Mexico’s 2002 timber harvest—approximately 13,877 MCF, exclusive of bark 

(fig. N1)—was used by several manufacturing sectors both within and outside of New 

Mexico. Of this volume, 11,767 MCF went as logs to sawmills, 759 MCF went to log 

home and viga manufacturers, and 1,351 MCF went to other plants, including post, 

pole, latilla, log furniture, and excelsior manufacturers. The following conversion factors were used to convert Scribner board foot volume to cubic feet:

• 5.86 board feet per cubic foot for sawlogs;

• 5.23 board feet per cubic foot for house logs and vigas;

• 1.06 board foot per cubic foot for all other products.

Of the 11,767 MCF of timber received by sawmills, 4,511 MCF (38 percent) became 

finished lumber or other sawn products, and about 187 MCF was lost to shrinkage. The 

remaining 7,069 MCF (60 percent) became mill residue. About 6,726 MCF of sawmill 

residue was utilized, and about 343 MCF (5 percent) remained unused. Of the 759 MCF 

of timber received by log home and viga manufacturers, about 575 MCF (76 percent) 

became house logs, while the remaining 184 MCF became mill residue. About 170 

MCF of house log residue was utilized, and about 14 MCF remained unused. Of the 

1,351 MCF of timber received by other manufacturers, about 1,281 MCF was utilized 

in solid wood products such as posts, poles, latillas and log furniture, or was used in 

the production of excelsior. About 65 MCF of residues from these other sectors were 

utilized, and 5 MCF went unused.

Forest Industry Sectors___________________________________________

New Mexico’s primary forest products industry in 2002 consisted of 36 active manufacturers in eight counties (table N10). Facilities tended to be located near the forest 
38 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Figure N1—New Mexico timber harvest and flow, 2002.

Sawmills

11,767 MCF

Other plantsa

1,351 MCF

Finished house logs

and log homes

575 MCF

Finished lumber and

other sawn products

4,511 MCF

Total Harvest 

13,877 MCF

House log and viga

manufacturers

759 MCF

Other products

1,281 MCF

Utilized

residue

6,961 MCF

a

Other plants include post, pole, latilla, log furniture, and excelsior manufacturers.

Unutilized

residue

362 MCF

Unutilized

residue

14 MCF

Unutilized

residue

5 MCF

Utilized

residue

65 MCF

Utilized 

residue

6,726 MCF

Shrinkage 

187 MCF
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 39

resource in north-central New Mexico and in Otero County (fig. N2). The sawmill 

sector, manufacturing lumber and other sawn products, was the largest sector operating during 2002, with 21 facilities—one less mill than was operating in 1997. Eight 

facilities produced vigas and latillas, a decrease of seven since 1997. The number of 

other products manufacturers operating in 2002 remained at seven, with two post and 

pole manufacturers, two log home producers, two bark product facilities, and a log 

furniture producer. Keegan and others (2001b) noted that two particleboard plants and 

a medium density fiberboard (MDF) facility operated in New Mexico in 1986. One 

particleboard plant closed in the early 1990s, the MDF plant closed in 1996, and the 

particleboard facility operating in 1997 was determined to be inoperable in 2002 and 

was thus not included in the current analysis.

Figure N2—New Mexico active primary timber processors, 2002.

■ ■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ ■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

● 

● 

▲ 

▲ 

★ ❋ 

❋ 

❋ 

❋ 

❋ 

❋ 

❋ ❋ 

✚

★ 

Otero

Lea

Catron

Socorro

Eddy

Chaves

Cibola

Grant

Sierra

Lincoln

McKinley

Luna

Quay

Hidalgo

Sando San Miguel val

Dona Ana

Torrance

Guadalupe

De Baca

Curry

Roosevelt

Valencia

Bernalillo

Union

San Juan Rio Arriba Colfax

Taos

Mora Harding

Santa

Fe

Los Alamos

■ Sawmill

● Post/Pole

▲ House Log

✚ Log Furniture

❋ Viga/Latilla

★ Other

Counties
40 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Primary wood products sales as well as the number of producers continued to decrease, with finished product sales in 2002 falling 26 percent since 1997 (table N11). 

The overall drop in sales was due to decreased sales in both the sawmill and the viga 

and latilla sectors. Among other products, sales increased 53 percent since 1997. In 

1997 and in 2002, lumber accounted for 74 percent of total wood products sales. In 

2002, sales from viga and latilla manufacturers accounted for just 10 percent of finished 

products sales versus nearly 20 percent of sales in 1997.

Sawmill sector

With the net loss of one sawmill since 1997, total lumber production in New Mexico 

dropped 25 percent from about 109 MMBF in 1997 to less than 82 MMBF in 2002, 

and shifted a larger proportion of the State’s lumber production to mills producing 

less than 10 MMBF annually (table N12). Closure of that mill—one of the State’s four 

largest in 1997—caused average annual lumber production to fall 20 percent from 4.9 

MMBF to 3.9 MMBF per mill (table N13). In 2002, the State’s seven largest sawmills 

produced an average of 11.0 MMBF, accounting for 95 percent of lumber production 

in New Mexico. The remaining 14 mills had an average annual lumber production 

of less than 350 MBF per mill (table N14). The continued declines in New Mexico’s 

sawmill sector were a direct result of decreasing timber harvests in the State; however, 

the implementation of restoration and hazardous fuel reduction treatments in the State 

could spur a recovery of the sawmill sector (Fiedler and others 2002).

On average, New Mexico sawmills produced approximately 1.26 board feet of lumber 

for every board foot Scribner of timber processed, resulting in an average overrun of 

26 percent in 2002. Overrun was 30 percent in 1997 (Keegan and others 2001b). The 

slight overrun decline was likely due to the increased proportion of lumber production 

by smaller mills, which typically are less efficient, use larger logs, and saw a larger 

proportion of mine timbers or board and shop lumber. In 2002, 78 percent of the lumber 

produced by New Mexico’s sawmills was dimension and studs, 14 percent was board 

and shop lumber, and the remaining 8 percent consisted of mine timbers, decking, 

and dunnage. Dimension lumber accounted for $26.8 million (78 percent) of sawmill 

product sales in 2002, board and shop lumber was about $3.9 million (12 percent), and 

mine timbers, decking, and dunnage accounted for $3.4 million (10 percent).

Viga and latilla sector

Substantial contraction occurred in New Mexico’s viga and latilla sector between 

1997 and 2002. Seven fewer viga and latilla manufacturers were identified in 2002 than 

in 1997, and sales dropped by more than $6.4 million (58 percent). In 2002, the eight 

firms remaining in the sector processed 3,393 MBF Scribner of timber, versus 8,084 

MBF processed in 1997 (Keegan and others 2001b). At just over 1 million lineal feet 

of vigas and latillas produced in 2002, production dropped substantially from 1997 

when more than 2.2 million lineal feet were produced. The contraction of the sector 

in 2002 signaled the reversal of more than a decade of sector growth noted by Keegan 

and others (2001b). However, because of the part-time nature of many viga and latilla 

operations, the sector may again show increased production and sales if demand for 

traditional styles of construction increased and timber was available.

Other products sector

New Mexico’s producers of other primary wood products grew with the addition of 

a log furniture manufacturer in 2002. Product sales by manufacturers of posts, poles, 

log homes, mulch, and log furniture exceeded $7.7 million in 2002. Inflation-adjusted 
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 41

sales from the sector were about $5.1 million in 1997. Additional detail about the sector is withheld to protect the confidentiality of firm level information.

Capacity and Utilization___________________________________________

Across all industry sectors, total timber-processing capacity was 93,172 MBF 

Scribner. Accounting for changes in log inventories, a total of 68,758 MBF Scribner 

was processed by New Mexico firms in 2002, with total timber-processing capacity utilization about 74 percent. Sawtimber-processing capacity was 170,000 MBF 

Scribner in 1997, with 48 percent utilized (Keegan and others 2001b). In 2002, 

sawtimber-processing capacity fell to 88,162 MBF Scribner, with 65,116 MBF Scribner (74 percent) utilized. Decreased capacity and increased capacity utilization in the 

sawmill sector resulted from the permanent closure of one large sawmill, which was 

operating well below capacity in 1997. Another large New Mexico sawmill closed in 

2003, driving capacity even lower. New Mexico’s annual lumber production capacity 

was 118,700 MBF of lumber in 2002. Sawmills produced 81,515 MBF of lumber and 

utilized about 69 percent of their production capacity.

Mill Residue Volumes, Types, and Uses_____________________________

In 1997, Arizona’s lone paper mill and the particleboard plant in New Mexico were 

the largest consumers of mill residues that were generated in New Mexico. As previously indicated, the paper mill shifted to using recycled material and the particleboard 

plant closed, thus affecting residue utilization and other aspects of timber-processing 

in New Mexico and Arizona. Sawmills, New Mexico’s leading timber processors, 

were the main residue producers in the State. Sawmills had to develop new markets 

for their residues, utilize more of the residues in-house, or consider cutting production 

to avoid generating more residue than could be disposed of affordably. The lack of 

outlets for mill residues also negatively impacted the ability of sawmills to process 

small-diameter timber (Fiedler and others 2002), which typically creates more residue 

per unit of lumber produced.

During 2002, New Mexico mills produced 95,001 BDU (approximately 9,120 MCF) 

of mill residue with 95.7 percent being utilized (table N15). Both residue production 

and the proportion utilized decreased from 1997, when New Mexico sawmills generated 12,572 MCF, utilizing 97.8 percent (Keegan and others 2001b). New Mexico’s 

drop in residue utilization between 1997 and 2002 signaled a reversal of the long-term 

trend of increased residue utilization noted by Keegan and others (2001b) and was 

largely attributable to closure of the particleboard plant and changes at the Arizona 

paper mill. The decrease in total residue volume generated, however, was due to two 

factors: a substantially smaller volume of timber being processed and sawmills creating less residue per unit of lumber produced. In 1997, sawmills produced about 1.22 

BDU per MBF of lumber; by 2002 that residue factor had dropped to 1.12 BDU per 

MBF of lumber (table N16).

Coarse residue was the State’s largest residue component at 50.5 percent (48,001 

BDU) of all residues in 2002, with 99 percent utilized. Out-of-State pulp and paper 

facilities used about 42,500 BDU of the coarse material, with the remaining utilized 

volume going to energy and unspecified uses (table N15). Fine residues—sawdust and 

planer shavings—comprised the second largest component at 29.6 percent (28,079 

BDU) of mill residues. Only 87.7 percent of fine residue was utilized in 2002, primarily as mulch, animal bedding, or for other unspecified uses. Bark accounted for 

19.9 percent of all residues and was largely used for mulch, with 18,550 BDU (98.0 

percent) utilized in 2002.
42 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Primary Forest Products Markets and Sales_ _______________________

Sales from New Mexico’s primary wood products industry in 2002 totaled nearly 

$47.7 million, including finished products and mill residues (table N17). Lumber, mine 

timbers, and other sawn products accounted for 72 percent ($34.3 million) of total 

sales; vigas and latillas accounted for 9 percent ($4.4 million); while other products 

and mill residues accounted for 19 percent ($8.9 million). New Mexico was the leading market area for vigas, latillas, and other products, accounting for 80.6 percent of 

viga and latilla sales and 47.9 percent of other products sales. The other Four Corners 

States (Arizona, Colorado, and Utah) as well as New Mexico accounted for 47 percent 

of lumber sales, and the South accounted for more than 22 percent.

Table N1—New Mexico nonreserved timberland by 

ownership class (source: O’Brien 2003).

Percentage of

Thousand nonreserved

Ownership class acres timberland

National Forest 2,810 64

Private and tribal 1,448 33

Other public 146 3

Total 4,404 100

Table N2—New Mexico timber harvest by ownership class, 1997 and 2002 (source: Keegan 

and others 2001b).

1997 2002

MBF Percentage MBF Percentage

Ownership class Scribner of total Scribner of total

Private and tribal timberland 85,903 88.0 64,201 86.3

Private 61,853 63.4 36,821 49.5

Tribal 24,050 24.6 27,380 36.8

Public timberland 11,723 12.0 10,160 13.7

National Forest 11,723 12.0 10,160 13.7

All owners 97,626 100 74,361 100

Table N3—New Mexico timber products harvested by ownership class, 2002.

House Other All

Ownership class Sawlogs Vigas logs productsa products

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - Thousand board feet, Scribner - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Private timberland 31,507 2,742 690 1,882 36,821

Tribal timberland 27,130 – – 250 27,380

National Forest 9,490 560 50 60 10,160

All owners 68,127 3,302 740 2,192 74,361

 - - - - - - - - - Percentage of harvested product by ownership - - - - - - - -

Private timberland 46.2 83.0 93.2 85.9 49.5

Tribal timberland 39.8 – – 11.4 36.8

National Forest 13.9 17.0 6.8 2.7 13.7

All owners 91.6 4.4 1.0 2.9 100

aOther products include posts, poles, furniture logs, fiber logs, and logs delivered to primary manufacturers that

became firewood.
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 43

Table N4—New Mexico timber harvest by county, selected years (sources: Setzer and Wilson 1970; McLain 1989; 

Keegan and others 2001b).

County 1966 1986 1997 2002 1966 1986 1997 2002

- - - - - - - - - - - - - MBF Scribner- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Percentage- - - - - - - - - - - - 

Bernalillo 691 – 490 100 0.3 – 0.5 0.1

Catron 25,588 29,494 2,973 250 10.6 17.7 3.0 0.3

Cibola – 13,857 7,973 15 – 8.3 8.2 <0.05

Colfax 32,853 4,000 18,450 3,777 13.6 2.4 18.9 5.1

Eddy – 548 – – – 0.3 – – 

Grant 538 663 – – 0.2 0.4 – – 

Lincoln – 1,450 198 – – 0.9 0.2 – 

Los Alamos 54 – – – <0.05 – – – 

McKinley 36,692 – 2,000 – 15.1 – 2.0 – 

Mora 957 3,830 2,040 10,864 0.4 2.3 2.1 14.6

Otero 17,335 16,982 36,866 30,825 7.2 10.2 37.8 41.5

Rio Arriba 37,156 69,367 17,107 17,869 15.3 41.7 17.5 24.0

San Juan – 8,159 500 – – 4.9 0.5 – 

San Miguel 9,140 2,075 2,259 8,100 3.8 1.2 2.3 10.9

Sandoval 66,619 5,932 4,360 1,200 27.5 3.6 4.5 1.6

Santa Fe – 2,865 – 670 – 1.7 – 0.9

Socorro 2,739 – 1,025 220 1.1 – 1.0 0.3

Taos 6,767 7,066 1,245 175 2.8 4.2 1.3 0.2

Torrance – – 120 175 – – 0.1 0.2

Valencia 4,548 – 20 120 1.9 – <0.05 0.2

Totala 242,313 166,342 97,626 74,361 100 100 100 100

aPercentage detail may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

Table N5—New Mexico timber harvest by species, selected years.

Species 1966 1986 1997 2002

- - - - - - - - - - Percentage of harvest - - - - - - - - - - 

Ponderosa pine 49 68 57 50

Douglas-fir	 17	 16	 26	 22

True firsa 5 9 11 16

Engelmann spruce 14 3 7 10

Other speciesb 15 4 < 0.5 2

All species 100 100 100 100

aTrue firs include white and subalpine fir. bOther species include limber pine and aspen.

Sources: Setzer and Wilson 1970; McLain 1989; Keegan and others 2001b.
44 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Table N6­—New Mexico timber harvest by species and product, 2002.

House Other All

Species Sawlogs Vigas logs productsa products

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Thousand board feet, Scribner - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Ponderosa pine 33,520 2,784 558 693 37,555

Douglas-fir	 16,250	 194	 –	 276	 16,720

True firsb 11,423 32 40 170 11,664

Engelmann spruce 6,856 293 142 1 7,291

Other speciesc 79 – – 1,052 1,131

All species 68,127 3,302 740 2,192 74,361

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Percentage of product by species - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Ponderosa pine 49.2 84.3 75.4 31.6 50.5

Douglas-fir	 23.9	 5.9	 –	 12.6	 22.5

True firsb 16.8 1.0 5.4 7.7 15.7

Engelmann spruce 10.1 8.9 19.2 0.1 9.8

Other speciesc 0.1 – – 48.0 1.5

All species 91.6 4.4 1.0 2.9 100

aOther products include posts, poles, furniture logs, fiber logs, and logs delivered to primary manufacturers that

became firewood. bTrue firs include white and subalpine fir. cOther species include limber pine and aspen.

Table N7—New Mexico timber products imports and exports, 2002.

Net imports

Timber product Imports Exports (Net exports)

 - - - - - Thousand board feet, Scribner - - - - 

Sawlogs 200 4,611 (4,411)

House logs – 130 (130)

Other productsa 90 1,052 (962)

All products 290 5,793 (5,503)

aOther products include posts, poles, furniture logs, fiber logs, and logs

delivered to primary manufacturers that became firewood.

Table N8—Ownership of timber products received by New Mexico mills, 1997 and 2002.

1997 2002

MBF Percentage MBF Percentage

Ownership class Scribner of total Scribner of total

Private and tribal timberland 82,238 90.6 58,698 85.2

Private 57,788 63.6 31,318 45.5

Tribal 24,450 26.9 27,380 39.8

National Forests 8,562 9.4 10,160 14.8

All owners 90,800 100 68,858 100
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 45

Table N9—Timber received by New Mexico forest products industry by ownership class and product, 2002.

House Other All

Ownership class Sawlogs Vigas logs productsa products

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - Thousand board feet, Scribner - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Private timberland 27,096 2,832 560 830 31,318

Tribal timberland 27,130 – – 250 27,380

National Forest 9,490 560 50 60 10,160

All owners 63,716 3,393 610 1,140 68,858

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - Percentage of product by owner - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Private timberland 42.5 83.5 91.8 72.8 45.5

Tribal timberland 42.6 – – 21.9 39.8

National Forest 14.9 16.5 8.2 5.3 14.8

All owners 92.5 4.9 0.9 1.7 100

aOther products include posts, poles, furniture logs, fiber logs, and logs delivered to primary manufacturers that

became firewood.

Table N10—Active New Mexico primary wood products facilities by 

county and product, 2002.

Vigas and 

County Lumber latillas Other Total

Bernalillo 1 1 2 4

Mora 2 2

Otero 5 2 7

Rio Arriba 6 2 8

San Miguel 2 2 1 5

Sandoval 1 1

Santa Fe 2 2 1 5

Taos 3 1 4

2002 Total 21 8 7 36

1997 Total 22 15 7 44

1986 Total 26 5–10 10 41–46

aOther products include posts, poles, log homes, log furniture, and bark 

products.

Sources: McLain 1989, Keegan and others 2001b.

Table N11—Finished product sales of New Mexico’s primary wood products, 

selected years (sources: McLain 1989; Miller Freeman, Inc. 1998; 

Keegan and others 2001b).

Product 1986 1997 2002

 - - - - - - - Thousand 2002 dollars - - - - - 

Lumber and sawn products $101,095 $46,747 $34,268

Vigas and latillas 3,919 11,048 4,598

Other productsa 4,898 5,055 7,747

Totalb $109,912 $62,850 $46,614

aOther products include posts, poles, log homes, log furniture, and bark products.

bAll sales are reported f.o.b. the manufacturer’s plant.
46 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Table N12—New Mexico sawmills by production size class, 

selected years (sources: Setzer and Wilson 1970; 

McLain 1989; Keegan and others 2001b).

Under 10 Over 10

Year MMBFa MMBFa Total

 - - - - - Number of Sawmills - - - - - 

2002 18 3 21

1997 18 4 22

1986 17 9 26

1966 58 6 64

1962 85 c 85

1960 117 c 117

Percentage of lumber output	 Volume (MBFb)

2002 12 88 81,515

1997 10 90 108,675

1986 12 88 232,000

1966 38 62 262,848

1962 c c 242,500

1960 c c 224,400

aSize class is based on reported lumber production. MMBF 

denotes million board feet lumber tally. bMBF = thousand board feet lumber tally.

cIn 1960 and 1962 all mills were included in <10 MMBF to avoid 

disclosing individual operations.

Table N13—Number of New Mexico sawmills 

and average lumber production, 

selected years (sources: McLain 

1989; Setzer and Wilson 1970; 

Keegan and others 2001b).

Average

Number of production

Year sawmills per mill

MMBFa

2002 21 3.9

1997 22 4.9

1986 25 9.2

1966 64 4.1

1962 85 2.9

1960 117 1.9

aMMBF = million board feet lumber tally.
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 47

Table N14—New Mexico lumber production by mill size, 2002.

Number of Percentage Average 

Size classa mills Volume of total per mill 

MBFb MBFb

Over 1 MMBF 7 77,120 95 11,017

Under 1 MMBF 14 4,395 5 314

Total 21 81,515 100 3,882

aSize class is based on reported lumber production. MMBF denotes million board feet 

lumber tally. bMBF = thousand board feet lumber tally.

Table N15—Production and disposition of New Mexico mill residues, 2002.

Total	 Pulp and	 	 Mulch/	 Unspecified	 	 Total

Residue type utilized board Energy bedding use Unused produced

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bone-dry unitsa- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Coarse 47,730 42,532 2,850 – 2,348 271 48,001

Fine 24,636 5,800 3,528 9,608 5,700 3,443 28,079

Sawdust 12,757 – 3,528 9,229 – 3,443 16,200

Planer shavings 11,879 5,800 – 379 5,700 – 11,879

Bark 18,550 – 884 17,666 – 371 18,921

Total 90,916 48,332 7,262 27,274 8,048 4,085 95,001

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Percentage of residue type - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Coarse 99.4 88.6 5.9 – 4.9 0.6 50.5

Fine 87.7 20.7 12.6 34.2 20.3 12.3 29.6

Sawdust 78.7 – 21.8 57.0 – 21.3 17.1

Planer shavings 100.0 48.8 – 3.2 48.0 – 12.5

Bark 98.0 – 4.7 93.4 – 2.0 19.9

Total 95.7 50.9 7.6 28.7 8.5 4.3 100.0

aBone-dry unit = 2,400 lb oven-dry wood.

Table N16—New Mexico sawmill residue factors, 1997 and 2002 

(source: Keegan and others 2001b).

Type of residue 1997 2002

BDU/MBF lumber tallya

Coarse 0.52 0.56

Sawdust 0.29 0.20

Planer shavings 0.18 0.15

Bark 0.23 0.21

Total 1.22 1.12

aBone-dry unit (BDU = 2,400 lb oven-dry wood) of residue generated for 

every 1,000 board feet of lumber manufactured.
48 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Table N17—Destination and sales value of New Mexico’s primary wood products and mill residues, 2002.

Other Other Mexico,

4-Corner Rocky Mtn North Canada, or

Product New Mexico States States Far Westa Northeastb Southc Centrald othere Total

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Thousand 2002 dollars - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lumber, mine 

 timbers and other 

 sawn products $7,930 $8,179 $1,760 $5,200 – $7,764 $2,296 $1,139 $34,268

Vigas and latillas 3,565 833 – 25 – – – – 4,423

Other productsf 4,299 3,386 50 206 – 570 50 417 8,979

Total $15,795 $12,398 $1,810 $5,431 – $8,334 $2,346 1$,556$ $47,670

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Percentage of product sales by region - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lumber, mine 

 timbers and other 

 sawn products 23.1 23.9 5.1 15.2 – 22.7 6.7 3.3 71.9

Vigas and latillas 80.6 18.8 – 0.6 – – – – 9.3

Other productsf 47.9 37.7 0.6 2.3 – 6.3 0.6 4.6 18.8

Total 33.1 26.0 3.8 11.4 – 17.5 4.9 3.3 100.0

a Far West includes Alaska, California, Hawaii, and Washington.

b Northeast includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

c South includes Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, 

South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. d North Central includes Illinois,Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and 

Wisconsin. e Other includes European countries.

f Other products include posts, poles, log homes, log furniture, bark products, firewood, and mill residues.
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 49

Utah

This chapter focuses on Utah’s timber harvest and forest products industry during 

2002. Details of timber harvest, flow, and use are followed by descriptions of the primary 

processing sectors, capacity and utilization statistics, and mill residue characteristics. 

The chapter concludes with information on primary wood products industry sales 

by Utah mills. Comparisons to previous years are provided where possible. Limited 

historical information is available about timber harvesting and mill production and 

residues in Utah. The last comprehensive study of the State’s industrial roundwood 

production and mill residues was conducted in 1992 (Keegan and others 1995), and 

data for previous years include 1966 (Setzer and Wilson 1970), 1969 (Setzer 1971d), 

1970 (Green and Setzer 1974), and 1974 (Setzer and Throssell 1977b).

Timber Harvest, Flow, and Use____________________________________

In 1993, Utah had approximately 4.9 million acres of nonreserved timberland (O’Brien 

1999), with National Forests accounting for 69 percent, private and tribal owners accounting for 20 percent, and other public agencies accounting for the remaining 12 

percent (table U1). All private timberland was classified as NIPF timberland. Utah had 

no large tracts of timberland owned by entities operating primary wood processing 

facilities. Sawtimber volume on nonreserved timberlands was estimated at 22.5 billion 

board feet Scribner in 1993 (O’Brien 1999).

Timber harvest

Utah’s 2002 industrial timber harvest was 41.3 MMBF Scribner (table U2), 36 percent 

less than the 1992 harvest of approximately 65 MMBF Scribner (Keegan and others 

1995), and 34 percent less than the 1974 harvest of 62 MMBF (Setzer and Throssell 

1977b). The decrease in Utah’s total annual timber harvest since 1992 was due to the 

decline in National Forest timber harvest. In 1966 and 1970, National Forests accounted 

for 94 and 88 percent, respectively, of harvested volume (Setzer and Wilson 1970, 

Green and Setzer 1974). In 1992, National Forest timber accounted for almost 50.0 

MMBF (77 percent) of the annual harvest (Keegan and others 1995), whereas in 2002 

the agency provided just 23.8 MMBF (58 percent). As in most of the Western States, 

decreasing Federal timber harvests have led to greater shares of annual timber harvest 

coming from other ownership sources. National Forests still provide the majority of 

the State’s harvest, but the volume and proportionate share supplied by private and 

tribal owners continues to increase. During 2002, private and tribal landowners accounted for 39 percent (16.2 MMBF) of Utah’s timber harvest, versus about 23 percent 

in 1992. National Forests provided the majority (83 percent) of house logs harvested 

in 2002, but among sawlogs and other products (e.g., furniture logs, fiber logs, posts, 

poles, and industrial fuelwood) private timberlands and National Forests were evenly 

split—each providing slightly less than 50 percent (table U2). Sawlogs accounted for 

about 61 percent (25 MMBF) of the total volume harvested in 2002, house logs were 

28 percent, and other products accounted for about 11 percent.

In 2002, Kane County led Utah’s timber harvest, with 13 percent (5.5 MMBF Scribner) of the volume; Summit and Wasatch Counties followed with 10 and 9 percent, 

respectively (table U3). In 1992, Uintah and Summit Counties led the harvest with 

16.6 MMBF (26 percent) and 10.0 MMBF (16 percent) of the harvest, respectively 

(Keegan and others 1995).

Spruces, including Engelmann and blue spruce, were the leading species harvested 

in Utah, accounting for 44 percent (18.1 MMBF) of the harvest in 2002 (table U4). 
50 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Lodgepole pine accounted for 23 percent, ponderosa for 13 percent, while aspen and 

cottonwood accounted for 10 percent. In 1992, lodgepole was the leading species 

harvested, accounting for 46 percent, while spruces accounted for 35 percent (Keegan 

and others 1995). During the 1960s and 1970s, ponderosa pine was the leading species 

harvested, accounting for 30 to 50 percent of the harvest; while lodgepole pine and 

spruces each accounted for 15 to 25 percent (Setzer and Wilson 1970; Setzer 1971d; 

Green and Setzer 1974; Setzer and Throssell 1977b).

Spruces were the leading species harvested for sawlogs and houselogs in 2002, accounting for 11.5 and 6.2 MMBF (45 and 53 percent), respectively (table U5). Lodgepole 

pine was also a significant component of house logs (35 percent) and of other products 

(40 percent). Aspen and cottonwood accounted for slightly less than 2.0 MMBF (46 

percent) of the volume harvested for other products.

Timber flow

The majority (72 percent) of Utah’s 2002 timber harvest was processed in-State; 

however, Utah was a net exporter of almost 8.8 MMBF of timber. About 11.6 MMBF 

were exported for processing in Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Arizona; while 2.8 

MMBF were imported for processing in Utah from Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, 

Wyoming, and as far away as Oregon and Canada (table U6).

Timber processors in Utah received 32,518 MBF of timber in 2002, including 2,830 

MBF that was harvested outside the State. Private and tribal timberlands provided 

9,241 MBF (28 percent) of the timber delivered to Utah mills in 2002 (table U7). National Forests provided 67 percent (21,898 MBF) of timber receipts, with more than 

half (29) of Utah’s timber processors receiving timber cut from National Forests. In 

1992, Utah mills received 81 percent more timber. National Forests supplied 79 percent 

(46,595 MBF) of the timber in 1992, and private and tribal owners supplied 19 percent 

(11,341 MBF). During 2002, National Forests provided Utah timber processors with 87 

percent of house logs, 57 percent of sawlogs, and 70 percent of other timber products 

including fiber logs, furniture logs, industrial fuelwood, posts, and poles (table U8). 

NIPF and tribal landowners provided 38 percent of sawlogs, 10 percent of houselogs, 

and 27 percent of other timber products. State lands provided less than 5 percent of 

the timber received by mills in Utah.

Timber use

Utah’s 2002 timber harvest—approximately 8,448 MCF, exclusive of bark (fig. U1)—was 

used by several manufacturing sectors both within and outside of Utah. Of this volume, 

4,666 MCF went as logs to sawmills, 2,358 MCF went to log home manufacturers, 

and 1,424 MCF went to other plants, including post, pole, log furniture, and excelsior 

manufacturers. The following conversion factors were used to convert Scribner board 

foot volume to cubic feet:

• 5.54 board feet per cubic foot for house logs;

• 5.42 board feet per cubic foot for sawlogs;

• 2.05 board foot per cubic foot for all other products.

Of the 4,666 MCF of timber received by sawmills, 2,092 MCF (45 percent) became 

finished lumber or other sawn products, and about 111 MCF was lost to shrinkage. The 

remaining 2,463 MCF (53 percent) became mill residue. About 2,219 MCF of sawmill 

residue was utilized, and about 244 MCF (10 percent) remained unused. Of the 2,358 

MCF of timber received by log home manufacturers, about 1,729 MCF (73 percent) 

became house logs, while the remaining 629 MCF became mill residue. About 573 

MCF of house log residue was utilized, and about 56 MCF remained unused. Of the 
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 51

Figure U1—Utah timber harvest and flow, 2002.

Sawmills

4,666 MCF

Other plantsa

1,424 MCF

Finished house logs

and log homes

1,729 MCF

Finished lumber and

other sawn products

2,092 MCF

Total Harvest

8,448 MCF

House log and log

home manufacturers

2,358 MCF

Other products

1,189 MCF

Utilized

residue

2,998 MCF

a

Other plants include post, pole, log furniture, and excelsior manufacturers.

Unutilized

residue

329 MCF

Unutilized

residue

56 MCF

Unutilized

residue

29 MCF

Utilized

residue

206 MCF

Utilized

residue

2,219 MCF

Shrinkage

111 MCF
52 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

1,424 MCF of timber received by other manufacturers, about 1,189 MCF was utilized 

in solid wood products such as posts, poles, latillas, and log furniture, or was used in 

the production of excelsior. About 206 MCF of residues from these other sectors were 

utilized, and 29 MCF went unused.

Forest Industry Sectors___________________________________________

Utah’s primary forest products industry in 2002 consisted of 49 active manufacturers 

in 20 counties (table U9). Facilities tended to be located near the forest resource along 

the mountainous central spine of the State (fig. U2). Changes in Utah’s industry structure 

over the past 20 years were similar to those experienced throughout the West, with the 

number of sawmills decreasing and the number and diversity of other manufacturers 

increasing (Keegan and others 1995, 2001 a,b; Morgan and others 2004 a,b; Morgan 

and others 2005). The sawmill sector, manufacturing lumber and other sawn products, 

was the largest sector, operating 23 mills in 2002; 14 facilities produced house logs 

and log homes. There were 10 log furniture producers, one post and pole firm, and a 

decorative bark producer also operating in 2002. Keegan and others (1995) identified 

51 primary wood-processing plants in 1992, including 34 sawmills, 13 house log plants, 

three post and pole facilities, and a roundwood furniture manufacturer. In 1966 there 

were 50 active sawmills in the State (Setzer and Wilson 1970).

Although the number of producers decreased, primary wood products sales increased 

slightly between 1992 and 2002. Finished product sales ($34.2 million) in 2002 were 

about 4 percent higher than 1992 sales, adjusted for inflation (table U10). The overall 

sales increase occurred despite a substantial decline in lumber sales and was due to 

greatly increased sales of log homes and other products. Sales by log home manufacturers increased more than $10 million and sales of other products increased by about $2 

million over the 1992 totals. In 2002, lumber sales accounted for less than 40 percent 

of finished product sales, versus 73 percent in 1992, while house logs and log homes 

accounted for more than 50 percent of sales in 2002, versus 25 percent in 1992.

Sawmill sector

Utah’s sawmill sector has been in decline for several decades. Lumber production 

in 2002 was 58 percent lower than in 1992 and 63 percent lower than in 1966, while 

the number of mills declined 32 and 54 percent over the same periods (table U11). 

Most of the production loss was among the State’s larger mills that produced more 

than 1 MMBF of lumber annually, while the greatest loss of actual milling facilities 

was among the small mills. The proportion of lumber production by large versus small 

mills has remained fairly consistent, but average annual lumber production per mill 

has dropped to its lowest level since the 1960s (table U12). Average annual lumber 

production among the State’s six largest mills was about 3.8 MMBF lumber tally in 

2002 (table U13), compared to almost 6.2 MMBF among nine mills in 1992. The 

remaining 17 small mills had an average lumber production of 204 MBF in 2002, 

compared to the 1992 average production of 318 MBF at 25 small mills (Keegan and 

others 1995).

On average, Utah sawmills produced approximately 1.28 board feet of lumber for 

every board foot Scribner of timber processed, resulting in an average overrun of 

28 percent in 2002. Overrun was 26 percent in 1992 (Keegan and others 1995). The 

absence of a substantial change in overrun over the past 10 years indicates that few 

sawmills in Utah invested in improved milling technology.
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 53

Figure U2—Utah active primary timber processors, 2002.

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

● 

▲ 

▲ 

▲ 

▲ 

▲ 

▲ 

▲ 

▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ 

▲ 

▲ ▲ 

✚ 

✚ 

✚ 

✚ 

✚ 

✚ 

✚ 

✚ 

✚ 

✚ 

★ 

Tooele

Millard

Iron

San Juan

Kane

Juab

Uintah

Box Elder

Emery

Garfield

Grand

Utah

Beaver Wayne

Duchesne

Sevier

Summit

Rich

Carbon

Washington

Sanpete

Cache

Piute

Wasatch

Davis

Weber

Daggett

Salt Lake

Morgan

■ Sawmill

● Post/Pole

▲ House Log

✚ Log Furniture

★ Other

Counties
54 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Sales from sawmills accounted for just 38 percent ($12.8 million) of Utah timber 

processors’ finished products sales in 2002. This proportion of sales from sawmills 

was the smallest of the Four Corners States. Sales from sawmills accounted for more 

than 70 percent of sales in Arizona and New Mexico and more than 40 percent in 

Colorado during 2002. Board and shop lumber accounted for almost $5.0 million 

(40 percent) of sawmill product sales in 2002; mine timbers, cants, and railroad ties 

accounted for $4.4 million (34 percent); dimension lumber and studs accounted for 

almost $1.5 million (12 percent), and other sawn products accounted for $1.9 million 

(14 percent) of finished product sales from sawmills.

Log home sector

Sales value from Utah’s log home sector increased substantially over the past 10 

years even though only one more house log manufacturer was identified in 2002 than 

in 1992. Only firms that processed timber and manufactured house logs or log homes, 

not log home distributors, were included in the 1992 and 2002 censuses. In 2002, 

Utah’s 14 log home manufacturers processed 11.0 MMBF of timber, produced about 

3.0 MMLF of house logs, and generated about $18.5 million in product sales. By sales 

value, Utah’s log home sector is the fourth largest in the Western United States, behind 

Montana, Idaho, and Colorado.

Other products sectors

As with Colorado, significant expansion occurred among Utah’s other products sectors, with three times as many facilities operating in 2002 than in 1992. Ten of these 

other products producers in 2002 were log furniture manufacturers, one was a post 

and pole producer, and one was a decorative bark facility. Sales of posts, poles, and 

log furniture totaled almost $2.9 million in 2002. Additional detail about the sector 

is again withheld to protect the confidentiality of firm level information.

Capacity and Utilization___________________________________________

Utah’s annual sawmill production capacity was 77.5 MMBF of lumber in 2002. 

Sawmills produced 26.5 MMBF of lumber and utilized 34 percent of their lumber 

production capacity. This was an historically low level of production capacity utilization for Utah mills, as well as the lowest level of production capacity utilization for all 

the Four Corners States in 2002. Timber-processing capacity among Utah sawmills 

was 60,779 MBF Scribner, with 20,926 MBF Scribner of timber processed, making 

utilization of timber-processing capacity among sawmills about 34 percent in 2002. 

Such low levels of capacity utilization often signal the closure of mills and this was 

no exception for Utah, which saw the closure and out-of-State relocation of its second 

largest sawmill during 2003. Across all industry sectors, total timber-processing capacity was 78,486 MBF Scribner. Accounting for changes in mills’ log inventories, a 

total of 32,583 MBF Scribner was processed by Utah firms in 2002, making timberprocessing capacity utilization about 42 percent across all sectors. The greater capacity 

utilization of all sectors compared to sawmills would indicate that processors other 

than sawmills were less likely to face a closure in the near future.

Mill Residue Volumes, Types, and Uses_____________________________

Across all sectors, Utah timber processors produced 34,255 BDU (approximately 

3,288 MCF) of mill residue, with 89 percent utilized (table U14). Total residue production declined from 7,721 MCF in 1992, while the proportion utilized increased from 
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 55

83 percent (Keegan and others 1995). Utah’s decreased residue production resulted 

from decreased timber volumes processed, while increased residue utilization was 

attributable to decreased residue production and the evolution of better uses for residue-related products, especially bark and coarse residues. Sawmills, the leading timber 

processors, were also the main residue producers in Utah, producing 0.98 BDU of 

residue per MBF of lumber in 2002 (table U15).

Coarse residue was the State’s largest residue component at 56 percent (19,192 

BDU) of all residues in 2002, with 86 percent utilized. In-State facilities used 13,419 

BDU of the coarse material for unspecified uses, with the remaining utilized volume 

going to energy. Fine residues—sawdust and planer shavings—comprised the second 

largest component at 25 percent (8,430 BDU) of mill residues. More than 99 percent 

of fine residue was utilized in 2002, primarily as mulch or animal bedding, with about 

one-fourth of fine residues going to unspecified uses. Bark accounted for 19 percent 

of all residues and was largely used for mulch or unspecified uses, with 5,670 BDU 

(86 percent) utilized.

Primary Forest Products Markets and Sales_ _______________________

Sales from Utah’s primary wood products industry during 2002 totaled nearly $36.6 

million, including finished products and mill residues (table U16). House logs and log 

homes accounted for 50 percent (more than $18 million) of total sales; lumber, mine 

timbers, and other sawn products accounted for about 32 percent (almost $12 million); 

while other products and mill residues accounted for 18 percent (nearly $7 million). 

Utah was the leading market area for lumber, log homes, posts, poles, and log furniture, with in-State sales accounting for almost 46 percent of total sales. The other Four 

Corners States (Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico) accounted for about 22 percent 

of total sales, with log homes accounting for 45 percent of sales in the region. The 

South accounted for over 14 percent of total sales, with log homes accounting for 84 

percent of sales to the South. Following Utah, the Far West was a major market area 

for lumber and other sawn products.

Table U1—Utah nonreserved timberland by ownership class 

(source: O’Brien 1999).

Percentage of

Thousand nonreserved

Ownership class acres timberland

National Forest 3,342 69

Private and tribal 961 20

Other public 565 12

Total 4,869 100
56 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Table U3—Utah timber harvest by county, selected years (sources: Setzer and Throssell 1977b; 

Keegan and others 1995).

County 1974 1992 2002 1974 1992 2002

- - - - - - - - - - MBF Scribner - - - - - - - - - - - Percentage of harvest- - - - - 

Beaver 155 2,952 633 0.2 4.6 1.5

Cache 1,389 175 1,180 2.2 0.3 2.9

Carbon 260 100 1,670 0.4 0.2 4.0

Daggett 3,193 2,850 375 5.1 4.4 0.9

Davis – – 135 – – 0.3

Duchesne 2,539 1,767 3,469 4.1 2.7 8.4

Emery 250 – 45 0.4 – 0.1

Garfield	 8,502	 7,047	 3,446	 13.6	 10.9	 8.4

Grand 5,000 – 20 8.0 – <0.05

Iron – 1,435 773 – 2.2 1.9

Juab – – 1 – – 0.0

Kane 6,480 4,117 5,520 10.4 6.4 13.4

Millard 30 – 342 <0.05 – 0.8

Morgan 11 25 250 <0.05 <0.05 0.6

Piute 440 620 3,288 0.7 1.0 8.0

Rich 2,159 – 3,000 3.5 – 7.3

Salt Lake – – 65 – – 0.2

San Juan 5,000 4,503 1,444 8.0 7.0 3.5

Sanpete 520 3,750 2,468 0.8 5.8 6.0

Sevier 715 3,663 1,703 1.1 5.7 4.1

Summit 5,589 10,000 4,107 8.9 15.5 10.0

Uintah 14,652 16,624 2,715 23.5 25.7 6.6

Utah 20 – 323 <0.05 – 0.8

Wasatch 1,606 2,908 3,750 2.6 4.5 9.1

Washington – – 375 – – 0.9

Wayne 3,905 2,110 110 6.3 3.3 0.3

Weber 50 20 60 0.1 <0.05 0.1

Total 62,465 64,666 41,268 100 100 100

Table U2—Utah timber products harvested by ownership class, 2002.

House Other All

Ownership class Sawlogs logs productsa products

 - - - - - - - - Thousand board feet, Scribner - - - - - - - - 

Private and tribal timberland 11,816 1,976 2,490 16,282

National Forests 12,361 9,572 1,843 23,776

State lands 1,141 24 46 1,211

All owners 25,318 11,571 4,380 41,268

- - - - Percentage of harvested product by ownership- - - - 

Private timberland 46.7 17.0 56.9 39.4

National Forests 48.8 82.7 42.1 57.6

State lands 4.5 0.2 1.1 2.9

All owners 61.3 28.0 10.6 100

aOther products include industrial fuelwood, furniture logs, fiber logs, posts, and poles.
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 57

Table U4—Proportion of Utah timber harvest by species, selected years (sources: Setzer and 

Wilson 1970; Setzer 1971d; Setzer and Throssell 1977b; Keegan and others 1995).

Species 1966 1969 1974 1992 2002

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Percentage of harvest - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Sprucea 19 13 22 35 44

Lodgepole pine 18 18 27 46 23

Ponderosa pine 50 43 33 5 13

Aspen and cottonwood d d 4 5 10

Douglas-fir	 3	 11	 8	 4	 8

True firsb 4 7 3 5 2

Other speciesc 6 8 3 <0.5 <0.5

All species 100 100 100 100 100

aSpruce includes Engelmann and blue spruce.

bTrue firs include white, subalpine, and corkbark fir. cOther species include juniper and hardwoods.

dIncluded with other species.

Table U5—Utah timber harvest by species and product, 2002.

House Other All

Species Sawlogs logs productsa products

 - - - - - - - - - Thousand board feet, Scribner - - - - - - - 

Spruceb 11,464 6,170 466 18,100

Lodgepole pine 3,597 4,009 1,759 9,365

Ponderosa pine 4,309 937 13 5,259

Aspen and cottonwood 2,189 – 1,994 4,184

Douglas-fir	 2,942	 355	 61	 3,357

True firsc 684 100 21 805

Other speciesd 133 – 66 199

All species 25,318 11,571 4,380 41,268

 - - - - - - - Percentage of product by species- - - - - - - - Spruceb 45.3 53.3 10.6 43.9

Lodgepole pine 14.2 34.6 40.2 22.7

Ponderosa pine 17.0 8.1 0.3 12.7

Aspen and cottonwood 8.6 – 45.5 10.1

Douglas-fir	 11.6	 3.1	 1.4	 8.1

True firsc 2.7 0.9 0.5 2.0

Other speciesd 0.5 – 1.5 0.5

All species 61.3 28.0 10.6 100

aOther products include industrial fuelwood, furniture logs, fiber logs, posts, and poles. bSpruce includes Engelmann and blue spruce.

cTrue firs include white, subalpine, and corkbark fir. dOther species include juniper and hardwoods.
58 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Table U8—Timber received by Utah forest products industry by ownership class and product, 

2002.

House Other All

Ownership class Sawlogs logs productsa products

- - - - - - - - - - Thousand board feet, Scribner - - - - - - - -

Private and tribal timberland 7,630 951 661 9,241

Public timberland 12,571 8,918 1,755 23,245

National Forest 11,571 8,618 1,709 21,898

State lands 1,000 300 46 1,346

Other ownersb – – 33 33

All owners 20,201 9,869 2,448 32,518

 - - - - - - - - Percentage of product by owner - - - - - - - -

Private and tribal timberland 37.8 9.6 27.0 28.4

Public timberland 62.2 90.4 71.7 71.5

National Forest 57.3 87.3 69.8 67.3

State lands 5.0 3.0 1.9 4.1

Other ownersb – – 1.3 0.1

All owners 62.1 30.3 7.5 100

aOther products include furniture logs, fiber logs, posts, and poles. bOther owners include the BLM and Canada.

Table U7—Ownership of timber products received by Utah mills, 1992 and 2002 (source: Keegan 

and others 1995).

1992 2002

MBF Percentage MBF Percentage

Ownership class Scribner of total Scribner of total

Private and tribal timberland 11,341 19.3 9,241 28.4

Public timberland 46,927 79.9 23,245 71.5

National Forest 46,595 79.3 21,898 67.3

State lands 332 0.6 1,346 4.1

Other ownersa 485 0.8 33 0.1

All owners 58,753 100 32,518 100

aOther owners include the BLM, Canada, and (for 1992) unknown owners.

Table U6—Utah timber products imports and exports, 2002.

Net imports

Timber product Imports Exports (Net exports)

 - - - - - Thousand board feet, Scribner - - - - 

Sawlogs 1,260 6,377 (5,117)

House logs 1,475 3,177 (1,702)

Other productsa 95 2,026 (1,931)

All products 2,830 11,580 (8,751)

aOther products include industrial fuelwood, furniture logs, fiber logs,

posts, and poles.
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 59

Table U9—Active Utah primary wood products facilities by county and product, 2002.

Log homes and Log furniture and

County Lumber house logs other productsa Total

Beaver 1 1 2

Cache 3 1 4

Davis 1 1

Duchesne 2 2 4

Emery 1 1

Garfield	 1	 1	 1	 3

Iron 1 1 2

Millard 1 1

Morgan 1 1

Piute 1 1

Salt Lake 1 1 2 4

San Juan 1 1

Sanpete 1 1 2

Sevier 1 1

Summit 3 1 4

Uintah 1 4 1 6

Utah 2 2

Wasatch 2 2 4

Wayne 2 1 3

Weber 1 1 2

2002 Total 23 14 12 49

1992 Total 34 13 4 51

aOther products include posts, poles, and bark products.

Table U10—Finished product sales of Utah’s primary wood products sectors, 1992 

and 2002 (source: Keegan and others 1995).

Sector 1992 2002

Thousands of 2002 dollars

Sawmills $24,102 $12,873

Log homes 8,103 18,486

Other sectorsa 864 2,895

Totalb $33,069 $34,254

aOther sectors include producers of posts, poles, 

and log furniture. Mill residues, firewood, mulch, and

bark products not included for comparison to previous 

years. bAll sales are reported F.O.B. the manufacturer’s 

plant.
60 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Table U13—Utah lumber production by mill size, 2002.

Number Percentage of Average

Size classa of mills Volume total per mill 

MBFb MBFb

Over 1 MMBF 6 23,062 87 3,844

Under 1 MMBF 17 3,462 13 204

Total 23 26,524 100 1,153

aSize class is based on reported lumber production. MMBF denotes million board feet 

lumber tally. bMBF = thousand board feet lumber tally.

Table U12—Number of Utah sawmills and average lumber production, selected 

years (sources: Setzer and Wilson 

1970; Keegan and others 1995).

Average

Number of production

Year sawmills per mill

MMBFa

2002 23 1.2

1992 34 1.9

1966 50 1.4

aMMBF = million board feet lumber tally.

Table U11—Utah sawmills by production size class, selected 

years (sources: Setzer and Wilson 1970; Keegan 

and others 1995).

Under 1 Over 1

Year MMBFa MMBFa Total

 - - - - - Number of Sawmills - - - - - 

2002 17 6 23

1992 25 9 34

1966 37 13 50

Percentage of lumber output	 Volume (MBFb)

2002 13 87 26,524

1992 13 87 63,637

1966 10 90 72,000

aSize class is based on reported lumber production. 

MMBF = million board feet lumber tally. bMBF = thousand board feet lumber tally.
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 61

Table U14—Production and disposition of Utah mill residues, 2002.

Total	 Pulp and	 	 Mulch/	 Unspecified	 	 Total

Residue type utilized board Energy bedding use Unused produced

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bone-dry unitsa- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Coarse 16,501 – 3,082 – 13,419 2,691 19,192

Fine 8,387 – 2 6,378 2,007 43 8,430

Sawdust 5,639 – 2 5,179 458 43 5,682

Planer shavings 2,748 – – 1,199 1,549 – 2,748

Bark 5,670 300 1,281 953 3,136 963 6,633

Total 30,558 300 4,365 7,331 18,562 3,697 34,255

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Percentage of residue type - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Coarse 86.0 – 16.1 – 69.9 14.0 56.0

Fine 99.5 – 0.0 75.7 23.8 0.5 24.6

Sawdust 99.2 – 0.0 91.1 8.1 0.8 16.6

Planer shavings 100.0 – – 43.6 56.4 – 8.0

Bark 85.5 4.5 19.3 14.4 47.3 14.5 19.4

Total 89.2 0.9 12.7 21.4 54.2 10.8 100

aBone-dry unit = 2,400 lb oven-dry wood.

Table U15—Utah sawmill residue factors, 1992 and 2002 

(source: Keegan and others 1995).

Type of residue 1992 2002

BDU/MBF lumber tallya

Coarse 0.56 0.48

Sawdust 0.19 0.19

Planer shavings 0.06 0.10

Bark 0.28 0.21

Total 1.09 0.98

aBone-dry unit (BDU = 2,400 lb oven-dry wood) of residue 

generated for every 1,000 board feet of lumber manufactured.
62 USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006

Table U16—Destination and sales value of Utah’s primary wood products and mill residues, 2002.

Other Other Mexico,

4-Corner Rocky Mtn North Canada, or

Product Utah States States Far Westa Northeastb Southc Centrald othere Total

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Thousand 2002 dollars - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lumber, mine 

 timbers, and other 

 sawn products $4,815 $2,312 $125 $3,277 $119 $595 $389 – $11,630

House logs and 

 log homes 9,645 3,568 381 114 100 4,308 205 – 18,321

Other productsf 2,245 1,989 273 793 350 243 739 – 6,632

Total $16,704 $7,869 $778 $4,184 $569 $5,145 $1,333 – $36,582

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Percentage of regional sales by product - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lumber, mine 

 timbers, and other 

 sawn products 28.8 29.4 16.0 78.3 20.9 11.6 29.2 – 31.8

House logs and 

 log homes 57.7 45.3 48.9 2.7 17.6 83.7 15.4 – 50.1

Other productsf 13.4 25.3 35.0 19.0 61.5 4.7 55.5 – 18.1

Total 45.7 21.5 2.1 11.4 1.6 14.1 3.6 – 100

a Far West includes Alaska, California, Hawaii, and Washington.

b Northeast includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

c South includes Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, 

South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. d North Central includes Illinois,Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and 

Wisconsin. e Other includes European countries.

f Other products include posts, poles, log furniture, mill residues, firewood, mulch, and bark products.
USDA Forest Service Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-7. 2006 63

References_______________________________________________________

Benson, R.E. and A.W. Green. 1987. Colorado’s timber resources. Resour. Bull. INT-48. Ogden, UT: 

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 53 p.

Fiedler, C.E., C.E. Keegan, S.H. Robertson, T.A. Morgan, C.W. Woodall, and J. Chmelik. 2002. A 

strategic assessment of fire hazard in New Mexico. Report submitted to National Joint Fire Sciences 

Program, Boise, ID. 27 p.

Green, A.W. and T.S. Setzer 1974. The Rocky Mountain timber situation, 1970. Resour. Bull. INT-10. 

Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 78 p.

Keegan, C.E., A.L. Chase, T.A. Morgan, S.E. Bodmer, D.D. Van Hooser, and M. Mortimer. 2001a. 

Arizona’s forest products industry: a descriptive analysis 1998. Missoula: The University of Montana, 

Bureau of Business and Economic Research. 20 p.

Keegan, C.E., A.L. Chase, T.A. Morgan, S.E. Bodmer, D.D. Van Hooser, and M. Mortimer. 2001b. New 

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Bureau of Business and Economic Research. 24 p.

Keegan, C.E., K. Gebert, A.L. Chase, T.A. Morgan, S.E. Bodmer, and D.D. Van Hooser. 2001c. Montana’s 

forest products industry: a descriptive analysis 1969-2000. Missoula: The University of Montana, 

Bureau of Business and Economic Research. 67 p.

Keegan, C.E., D.P. Wichman, and D.D. Van Hooser. 1995. Utah’s forest products industry: a descriptive 

analysis, 1992. Resour. Bull. INT-RB-83. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 

Intermountain Research Station. 21 p.

Lynch, D.L. and K. Mackes. 2001. Wood use in Colorado at the turn of the twenty-first century. Res. Pap. 

RMRS-RP-32. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain 

Research Station. 23 p.

McLain, W.H. 1985. Colorado’s industrial roundwood production and mill residue, 1982. Resour. Bull. 

INT-35. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station.13 p.

McLain, W.H. 1988. Arizona’s timber production and mill residue, 1984. Resour. Bull. INT-55. Ogden, 

UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station.16 p.

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Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station.17 p.

Miller Freeman Inc. 1998–1999. Directory of the wood products industry. San Francisco, CA.

Morgan, T.A., C.E. Keegan, T. Dillon, A.L. Chase, J.S. Fried, and M.N. Weber. 2004a. California’s 

forest products industry: a descriptive analysis. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-615. Portland, OR: U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 54 p.

Morgan, T.A., C.E. Keegan, T.P. Spoelma, T. Dillon, A.L. Hearst, F.G Wagner, and L.T. DeBlander. 

2004b. Idaho’s forest products industry: a descriptive analysis. Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-4. Ogden, 

UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 31 p.

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products industry and timber harvest, 2000. Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-5. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 25 p.

O’Brien, R.A. 1999. Comprehensive Inventory of Utah’s Forest Resources, 1993. Resour. Bull. RMRSRB-1. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research 

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O’Brien, R.A. 2002. Arizona’s Forest Resources, 1999. Resour. Bull. RMRS-RB-2. Ogden, UT: U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 116 p.

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The Rocky Mountain Research Station develops scientific information and technology to improve management, protection, and use of 

the forests and rangelands. Research is designed to meet the needs 

of National Forest managers, Federal and State agencies, public and

private organizations, academic institutions, industry, and individuals.

	 Studies accelerate solutions to problems involving ecosystems,

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use economics, wildlife and fish habitat, and forest insects and diseases.

Studies are conducted cooperatively, and applications may be found

worldwide.

Research Locations

Flagstaff, Arizona	 Reno, Nevada	

Fort Collins, Colorado*	 Albuquerque, New Mexico	

Boise, Idaho Rapid City, South Dakota

Moscow, Idaho	 Logan, Utah	 	

Bozeman, Montana	 Ogden, Utah	 	 	

Missoula, Montana Provo, Utah 

*Station Headquarters, Natural Resources Research Center,

2150 Centre Avenue, Building A, Fort Collins, CO 80526	

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ROCKY MOUNTAIN RESEARCH STATION