Timber prices in the U.S. South: past trends and outlook for the future

Prior to World War II, prices of southern pine stumpage rose at a real rate of 4.6%/yr, and since that time they have risen at a real rate of 3.1%/yr. Prices for timber sold from private lands have apparently risen more rapidly than have prices for public timber. Seven forecasts of future price trends which use very different projection methods are reviewed. For the next two decades, these studies indicate an average annual rate of real price appreciation equal to 2.5%/yr. For the period between 1990 and 2010, the median estimate among these studies is 1.9%/yr. -Authors

Duke Scholars

Author Jeffrey R. Vincent Environmental Sciences and Policy