More lumber stays West

The l2 Western lumber producing states continued to be their own best customers in 1979, as 63.706 of the lumber manufactured there was shipped by rail and truck to western destinations, according to the Western Wood Products Association's Destination of Shipments report.

Ten years ago only 38.50lr of the lumber manufactured in the West was shipped to Western destinations. By 1974,that figure had risen to 48.40h and by 1978 to 60.101r.

With the population swing to the sunbelt, the demand for lumber in western markets has increased. Other reasons cited by lumbermen for the easing off of North Central and Southern markets are higher rail costs and southern and Canadian competition.

The region's production during the ten-year span varied with lumber demand, reaching a high in 1973 of 19.63 billion bd. ft. and a 1975 low of 15.58 billion bd. ft.

Western lumber use declined in other geographic markets, most notably in the North central and Northeast regions. In 1969, 8.901r of the shipments went to the Northeast and 35.60h to the North Central regions. Ten years later shipments to both regions had been cut almost in half, 18.50i to North Central and 4.60h to the Northeast. Shipments to the South had slipped in the same period from 17.006 to 13.20h

"The continuing rise in rail rates is the major reason for our losses in the North Central and Northeast," WWPA exec. v.p. H.A. Roberts said.

Transportation costs for a theoretical boxcar of lumber (holding approximately 50,000 bd. ft.) shipped from Portland, Or., would be $3,100 to Chicago and $3,600 to New York. In comparison, costs from Portland to Sacramento. Ca.. would be $855 and Portland to Los Angeles $1,300.

"These higher freight rates make for stiff competition by Southern, Eastern U.S. and Canadian lumber producers. Those markets we do manage to maintain outside the West run heavy to certain lumber grades most available in our Western species," he said.

Sfory at a Glance

Over half of Western pro- duced lumber stays in West. . . trend contanues over 1O years. . ship- ments drop to East and South. rail rate rise cited as maior reason.

Offsetting declines in shipments to more distant domestic markets has been the rapid growth, matched by increased lumber demand, of the Western United States.

"Our industry is playing a vital role in the accelerated economic growth of the Western U.S.," he said. "Even so, the demand for Western lumber products by all the markets served must be backed up with intensive forest manasement from all who own or mana*se this nation's timberlands."

More of the lumber and wood products manufactured in the West continue to stay "home," as shown above. Western lumbermen cite several reasons for this market shift: an influx of people moving to the western "sunbelt" states, and higher rail rates (especially to the Northeast and North Central regions) that make the product less competitive and have turned some markets over to southern and Canadian producers. Those western lumber markets maintained outside the West run heavy to certain lumber grades and sizes most available in western species. The trends are expected to continue.

Wood Foundations Fit Slope

All Weather Wood Foundations have been used for the modular homes in Oro Verde. a 307-unit development at Escondido, Ca. Since preserving the ecology of site was of prime concern, the Weather Wood Foundations were constructed and installed with little or no change in grade or slope of the sites.

Approval of pressure treated lumber and plywood by the Uniform Building Code for foundations creates a new use for the material. Its resistance to fungi, termites, and all-weather climes is an advantage.

The residential project is the largest in the nation to utilize the All Weather Wood Foundation. The first phase of 92 homes used 153.000 bd. ft. of lumber, graded number one or better. for the foundations, plus 120,000 ft of r/:"

The Merchant Magazine structural/CD plywood. Some 34,000 bd. ft. were used for porches and sundecks, and 13,000 bd. ft. for footings. and paneling invites customers into shopping mall clothing store. Commercial and retail designs increasingly capitalize on redwood's low maintenance and appealing, natural tones. As residential building softens, redwood merchandisers expect continued strong demand f rom commercial redwood markets.

The lumber and plywood, all Douglas fir, supplied by McCormick & Baxter, had been pressure treated with ACA preservative to a retention Ievel of .60 lbs. per cu. ft. It was kiln dried after treatment.

The use of AWWFs is approved by the Uniform Building Code, F.H.A., Farmers Home Administration, and other agencies. Wood used in AWWF systems must be pressure treated and bear the quality inspection mark "FDN".