As the second larget timber producing county in California, we had several mills in the 1980s. All the dimensional wood saw mills and the moulding plant have closed. All we have left is two plywood veneer mills that take trees under about 23 inches in diameter.
At a meeting I attended with the US Forest Service Chief, a gentleman from Sierra Pacific pointed out that the region is losing its timber infrastructure:
1. USFS sawlog volume accounts for only 15% of total volume harvested in CA
2. Mills have closed, many mills currently working reduced shifts due to reduction in volume of wood
3. From 06 to 07, there has been a 26% drop in USFS sawlog volume and a 9% drop in non-sawlog volume.
4. The existing infrastructure is at risk and all depends on sawlog volume, not firewood or biomass.
5. There is a disconnect in the USFS in determining what is an economical timber sale.
The Chief said there was a lack of “social license” to harvest trees anymore.
The forest service motto was ‘land of many uses’ now it is land of no use ?