Description
Since the closing of the pulp mills in Sitka and Ketchikan, the relatively small sawmills in southeast Alaska have been producing factory and shop lumber and specialty products (Brackley and Haynes 2008) that require a supply of old-growth timber. Dimension lumber is a byproduct of these mills. One of the major issues facing southeast Alaska’s sawmills is securing a continuing supply of timber. According to a recent sawmill processing-capacity study, southeast Alaska’s forest products industry was estimated to be using approximately 13 percent of mill capacity (Brackley and Crone 2009). This report shows that there is ample processing capacity to increase supply to Asian markets. However, there needs to be a steady timber source to supply southeast Alaska’s mills. Demand for Asia’s forest products is growing faster than that for North America’s, presenting an opportunity to use Alaska’s excess mill capacity, if the producers recognize the requirements of the Asian markets.
