Texas stumpage prices declined sharply in late 2025, with pine sawtimber falling an estimated 16% year-over-year in Northeast Texas and pulpwood dropping below $4/ton in Southeast Texas. A persistent structural oversupply of standing timber across the US South — where growth has outpaced harvest since 2008 — combined with weak housing demand and continued pulp…
A few months ago, I published Empty Homes and Silent Saws, in which I made the case that the North American forest industry has been stuck in an irreversible structural decline. The argument centered on the collision of demographic decline, a housing affordability crisis that has pushed homeownership out of reach for a generation of…
Gauge positions reflect Q4 2025 market conditions for Kentucky stumpage (Doyle scale $/MBF for sawtimber; $/ton for pulpwood). Kentucky’s market is the most bifurcated in the Appalachian region: walnut and white oak are at or near historic highs driven by bourbon cooperage demand and scarcity, while commodity hardwood and pulpwood markets have effectively broken down….
Maine is one of the most heavily forested states in the country, with roughly 17.5 million acres of timberland covering nearly 90 percent of the state’s total land area. The forests here are dominated by spruce, fir, and northern hardwoods, shaped by a climate and glacial history that produces some of the most productive softwood…
If you own timberland, you’re sitting on an asset you probably can’t fully see. Trees don’t come with price tags, and unlike a savings account there’s no statement that arrives in the mail telling you what you’ve got. Knowing how to estimate the standing timber on your land is one of the most practical skills…
Louisiana timber prices closed out 2025 under significant pressure, particularly for pulpwood producers. While pine sawtimber and hardwood sawtimber held relatively firm, pine pulpwood prices collapsed to some of the lowest levels in the US South — a trend driven by permanent mill closures, weak housing demand, and a broader structural shift in the South’s…
Gauge positions reflect Q4 2025 market conditions for Virginia stumpage. Hardwood sawtimber is the standout performer, driven by the white oak/cooperage boom, strong cherry and walnut demand, and active export markets. Pine pulpwood is Virginia’s surprise strength — at ~$11/ton it’s nearly double the south-wide average ($5.96/ton), thanks to active Coastal Plain fiber mills that…
South Carolina timber prices dropped across all major product categories in Q4 2025, with pine sawtimber falling to $18.46/ton—its lowest level in years—and pine pulpwood collapsing to just $5.08/ton. The declines reflect a structural shift in Southern timber markets driven by the closure of more than 10 major pulp facilities since 2023, lingering Hurricane Helene…
Most landowners who own forested land have asked themselves some version of the same question: what makes my timber valuable? They walk through their woods, see mature trees in every direction, and assume they’re sitting on something significant. Sometimes they are. But without understanding the underlying factors that determine timber value, it’s nearly impossible to…
Gauge positions reflect Q4 2025 market conditions for Alabama stumpage. Pine sawtimber is the weakest segment — down 19% YoY as soft housing demand and overcapacity weigh on prices. Hardwood sawtimber is the bright spot, tracking near the southwide record high. Alabama’s pine pulpwood is one of the few stable fiber markets in the South,…