early 1990's there was much interest in the importation of softwood logs into the 

 United States from Siberia. Phytosanitary concerns led to an embargo on these 

 imports. Guidelines and restrictions that will determine what forms of wood products 

 can be imported from the Russian Federation and other countries are being devel- 

 oped. 



From the early 1960's and through the present, the export of softwood logs has been 

 a controversial issue. These exports originate mainly in Washington and Oregon, 

 affecting roundwood prices and the structure of the timber industries in that part of the 

 country. Legislation that became effective January 1 , 1991 , codified and tightened a 

 ban on softwood log exports from Federal lands in the western coterminous States. 

 This ban had been in effect on a year- to-year basis since 1974. In addition, the 

 legislation banned exports from other public lands in these States except that 25 

 percent of the annual sales volume from lands managed by the State of Washington 

 could continue to be exported. In October 1992, this ban was extended to include all 

 softwood logs from lands managed by the State of Washington. Questions over the 

 legality of this legislation led to passage of the Forest Resources Conservation and 

 Shortage Relief Amendments Act of 1993 directing the Secretary of Commerce to 

 enforce a ban on exports from State lands in the coterminous western States. The 

 terms of this legislation are assumed to continue in the future. Currently, there are no 

 restrictions on exports from private lands and none are assumed for the future. 



It is apparent from the above trends that domestic forest lands must supply most of 

 the anticipated higher demands. 



The Timber Resource 



The Nation's timberlands contain some 858 billion cubic feet of roundwood: 92 

 percent of this is in growing stock (live, sound trees suited for roundwood products) 

 and the remaining 8 percent is in rotten, cull, and salvable dead trees. Some of the 

 latter may be suitable for lumber and veneer, but most is usable only for pulp, fuel, 

 and other products where there are no significant log quality requirements. \2/ 



Timber inventories rise when net annual growth (total growth less mortality) is greater 

 than the volumes removed by timber harvesting, clearing, or changing land use 

 (timber removals). The growth-removals balance for the United States is positive for 

 the total for all species (1 .33), for softwoods (1 .09), and for hardwoods (1 .8). The 

 ratios in the North are very high, indicating continued substantial increases in growing 

 stock volume. The softwood ratio for the South, which was 0.88 in 1991 , has been 

 declining. This is the first time since 1952 that removals exceeded growth in the 

 South. The growth-removals ratio in the Rocky Mountains exceeds 2.00, and for the 

 Pacific Coast, it is 1.14. 



2/ There are additional and large volumes of fiber in treetops, limbs, and bark: in trees under 5 inclies 

 in diameter at breast height; and in trees on forest land other than timberland. These volumes, also 

 found in fence rows and in urban areas, are usable for fuel, pulp, and other products where there 

 are no significant log quality requirements, fvluch of the fuelwood now being used for domestic 

 heating comes from these sources. 



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