34 



TIMBER TRENDS IN THE UNITED STATES 



the likelihood of a reversal of the recent downward 

 trend in coal output from underground mines.''' 

 Coal production from such mines has therefore 

 been estimated to nearly double by 2000. Similar 

 increases in output of other minerals also have 

 been assumed. 



Projections of future demand for lumber in 

 mining, based on these expectations of increased 

 output of coal and other ores from underground 

 mines and the assumption of some further declines 

 in use of wood per ton of output, rise from 330 

 million board feet in 1962 to an estimated 400 

 million board feet by 2000 (table 22). A small 

 increase in future use of roundwood to an esti- 

 mated 60 million cubic feet also is projected. 



DEMAND FOR LUMBER AND PANEL 

 PRODUCTS IN MANUFACTURES 



In 1962 about 11 percent of the lumber and 

 plywood and veneer used in the United States 

 was consumed in the production of a wide variety 

 of consumer and industrial "manufactured prod- 

 ucts," such as furniture, sports equipment, tool 

 and broom handles, truck bodies, and machinery. 



21 U.S. Department of the Interior, Energy Policy Staff, 

 Supplies, Costs and Uses of the Fossil Fuels, February 1963. 

 Resources for the Future, Inc., Resources in America's 

 Future, Patterns of Requirements and Availabilities, 1960- 

 2000. The Johns' Hopkins Press, 1962. 1017 pp. Scol- 

 lon, T. Reed, "Trends in Utilization of Energy Resources 

 in the U.S.," Sixth World Power Conference, Melbourne, 

 Australia. October 1962. 



Even larger quantities of wood products were 

 used in the manufacture of flooring, millwork, 

 laminated beams, mobile homes, railroad cars, 

 containers, pallets, and other similar goods 

 produced in manufacturing industries. However, 

 trends in demands for wood in these uses are 

 considered in other sections of this report dealing 

 with construction, railroads, and shipping. 



4.2 Billion Board Feet of Lumber Used 

 for Manufactured Products in 1962 



Lumber used in the manufactured products 

 included in this section totaled an estimated 4.2 

 billion board feet in 1962. This was about 7 

 percent above the levels of use in 1948 and 1960. 



Detailed data on lumber use by product in 

 1948 and 1960 are shown in table '23. In both 

 years furniture was by far the most important 

 product, requiring 53 percent of the total lumber 

 used in 1948 and 59 percent in 1960. The re- 

 mainder was widely distributed among other 

 types of goods. 



Manufacturers' Sales Correlated 

 With Economic Indicators 



Projected demands for lumber and other mate- 

 rials used in manufactured products have been 

 derived from trends in sales of these products and 

 trends in use of materials per dollar of sales. In 

 projecting sales for the various industries that 



More than 2 billion board feet of lumber used annually For Furniture manuFacture. 



