A profile of federal timber purchases in the U.S. West

Abstract

2 pagesThe US Forest Service primarily engages the private sector through service contracts, stewardship contracts, and timber sales. Both stewardship project and timber sales can generate commercially valuable wood products, and some businesses may rely on these federal timber sources. However, little is known about the timber-purchasing businesses currently active on federal lands. To gain a better understanding of these businesses, we investigated their characteristics, business needs, challenges, and reliance on federal timber sales.This research was supported by funding from the USDA Agricultural and Food Research Initiative, grant #2011-67023-30111