Wood product supply problems

Wl,H:'?,1'*1*1 :J ';l 8:fr :1 were nevertheless voicing concern at the recent Western Wood Products Association Fall meeting over raw material supply and a consensus that production, shipments and housing starts will be off next year.

WWPA president A. M. Whiting, who is also president of Kaibab Industries, Phoenix. Az.. told the members that ''In spite of a good year for lumber shipments related to the strong housing market, scarceness of timber has caused some permanent mill closures."

He said in the upper Willamette Valley in Oregon, a half dozen mills have closed their doors for good, citing the lack of federal timber as a primary cause. "We simply must find a better way of funding reforestation and intensive management of our national forests where more than 55%

Story at a Glance

Raw material supply prob- lems fewer single family homes and less lumber consumption seen for 1978 . some grading rule changes for moulding stock attendance was approx. 350, a record for a Fall meetino.

of all standing sawtimber in the West is now growing," said Whiting.

"One of the real tragedies," said Whiting, "is that the Forest Service estimates more than 15 billion board feet of national forest sawtimber are destroyed each year by rot, bugs, disease, fires and wind. That is more than the annual harvest from those lands. Recovery of only 20% would provide enough lumber to build 1.5 million homes."

WWPA exec. v.p. H. A. "Bob" Roberts predicted at the San Diego, Ca., meeting, held at the Sheraton Harbor Island Inn, that ''Home building will surely reach 1.8 million con-

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