Southern New England Stumpage Price Survey

1^st quarter 2003

COMMENTS ON MARKET CONDITIONS OR TRENDS:

· Market trends look good regarding fuel wood due to labor costs and most certainly insurance costs.

· When can hemlock be better utilized as 2 X’s?

· Looking for market information on “Burles”, “Bird’s Eye”, furniture and specialty demand.

· Firewood from tops more of a clean up job than value added to stumpage w/ pine prices fluctuating.

• Not enough money for bo/wo/soft maple
• Hard wood chip market up but what about the pulp!
• Holding off on marketing low grade Timber until after mud season.
• Prices from bids received 2/20/03. We will not have anymore bid openings before 3/31/03.
• It would be helpful to have a 5 + year chart of stumpage values. Keep up the good work.
• Prices seem stable right now but a major drop is anticipated for this summer.
• Price has been steady all winter thanks to an agreement with a MA saw mill. We are waiting for our government to lift tariffs before dealing with Canadian mills.
• Red oak price rising late March; white pine strong through winter