Factors affecting the merchandising of hardwood logs in the southern tier of New York

In many areas of the eastern United States, hardwood boles are sawn into logs and then separated by product before proceeding to future processing. This type of product merchandising is facilitated by large differences in the relative value of hardwood logs of different species and grades. The objective of this study was to analyze the factors influencing the distribution, consumption, and merchandising of hardwood logs. The study area was New York's southern tier, a region with relatively high timber quality and with domestic and international customers. The study examined 16 hardwood sawmills with annual production ranging from 1 million to over 20 million board feet per year. While the most important factors considered by these firms when purchasing stumpage are grade and species, transportation distance was also listed as important, but there was no correlation between mill size and procurement distance. In addition, all mills that purchased stumpage shipped their grade 2 and better logs to the mill or yard and then sold either all or part of the veneer and export grade sawlogs from the mill. Eleven mills used a large variety of species and all but one of these mills listed stumpage as their main source of logs. The five mills with specific species requirements had a propensity to purchase gate logs. If grade 3 and below grade logs were shipped to the mill, a large percentage were either resold (as pulpwood, pallet logs, or firewood) or utilized; the remaining were disposed of.