THE OUTLOOK FOR TIMBER DEMANDS 



61 



Consumption of fuelwood has dropped sharply 

 during recent decades as oil, gas, coal, and elec- 

 tricity have been increasingly substituted both 

 for home cooking and heating and for industrial 

 uses, and it is anticipated that use of fuelwood 

 will continue to decline. An estimated 12 million 

 cords has been assumed for 2000, of which about 

 60 percent might be obtained in the form of 

 roundwood and 40 percent as plant byproducts. 



SUMMARY OF DEMAND PROJECTIONS 

 IN TERMS OF ROUNDWOOD 



Total consumption of the major timber products 

 used in the United States in 1952 and 1962, and 

 projected demands for the period 1970-2000, 

 are summarized in table 43 in terms of the stand- 

 ard units of measure used for each major product. 

 Also included in this table are estimates of net 

 imports, domestic production of major products, 

 and roundwood used in manufacture of the domes- 

 tic products. 



The projections indicate that by 2000 demand 

 for both pulpwood and veneer logs may rise 2.7 

 times and the demand for lumber increase about 

 43 percent over the levels of use in 1962. Demand 

 for minor industrial products, on the other hand, 

 is projected at the same level as in 1962, while 

 the projection for fuelwood consumption shows a 

 continuing decline. 



Because of many uncertainties in projecting 

 demands over an extended period, the projected 

 totals for all products combined are more likely 

 to be achieved than the projected demand for 

 any single product such as lumber. Interproduct 

 competition has become increasingly important 

 over the years as evidenced by the displacement 

 of sheathing lumber by panel products, the in- 

 roads of fiber containers in a field formerly domi- 

 nated by shipping lumber, and the growing use of 

 rayon and other synthetic fibers. It is thus possi- 

 ble that while the demand for lumber may be 

 lower than that projected, this would be offset 

 by stronger demands than those projected for 

 plywood, pulpwood, and other timber products. 



Table 43.^ — Summary of consumption, net imports, and domestic production of timber products in the 



United States, 1952-2000 



Product 



1952 



1962 



Projections 



1970 



1980 



1990 



2000 



Lumber : 



Consumption million board feet '__ 



Net imports do 



Domestic production do 



Domestic roundwood ^ do 



Veneer logs: 



Consumption million board feet '_^ 



Net imports ' do 



Domestic production do 



Domestic roundwood do 



Pulpwood: 



Consumption * million std. cds__ 



Net imports do 



Domestic production do 



Domestic roundwood do 



Miscellaneous industrial wood: ». 



Consumption million cubic feet-. 



Net imports do 



Domestic production do 



Domestic roundwood do 



Fuelwood: 



Consumption * million std. cds__ 



Net imports do 



Domestic production do 



Domestic roundwood do 



41,460 



1,752 



39, 708 



39,480 



3,082 



148 



2,934 



2,934 



35.4 

 11.0 

 25.1 

 23.5 



37,300 



4,130 



33,170 



34,105 



6,776 



860 



5,916 



5,916 



52.9 

 10.1 

 42.8 

 33.8 



{') 



758 

 ') 



758 

 699 



(*) 



505 



505 

 465 



39,700 



5,100 



34,600 



35,600 



10,300 

 1,300 

 9,000 

 9,000 



67.5 

 11.0 

 56.5 

 42.0 



500 



43,400 



5,800 



37,600 



38,600 



12,500 



1,900 



10,600 



10,600 



88.5 

 11.5 

 77.0 

 60.0 



500 



48,000 



6,500 



41,500 



42,500 



15,300 



2,600 



12,700 



12,700 



111.0 

 13.0 

 98.0 

 79.0 



500 



58.6 



58.6 



27.2 



26.9 



26.9 



15.0 



500 

 460 



22.0 



500 

 460 



18.0 



500 

 460 



15.0 



22.0 

 13.2 



18.0 

 10.8 



15.0 

 9.0 



53,500 



7,000 



46,500 



47,500 



18,300 



3,400 



14,900 



14,900 



141.5 



16.0 



125.5 



105.5 



500 



500 

 460 



12.0 



12.0 



7.2 



' International i^^-inch rule. 



2 The difference between domestic production of lumber 

 and domestic roundwood production (saw logs) in 1962 and 

 later years largely reflects the practice of converting to pulp 

 chips a portion of the lower grade material in saw logs. 

 The 1952 estimate was based on a special Forest Service 

 survey of log and lumber production. 



' Including equivalent log volumes of imported veneer 

 and plywood. 



< Including equivalent log volumes of imported pulp 

 and paper and board, plus plant byproducts. 



■' Less than 0.1 unit. 



'^ Including equivalent log volumes of plant byproducts. 



