"Wheres the wood?"

[chopped]

I cant get wood..Id like to get some opinions on this. Im in the northeast usa, I had heated with wood for 35 plus years. I burn about anything. But my dad uses wood also and this year ive noticed that its hard to find.
We have two calls into different sellers who have supplied us before. but none return the call. One we even asked them to kindly call and tell us if they were out of business. No reply.
I have asked around and it seems that most wood is now more profitable to chip for the power plants and also for the wood pellets.
As far as the pellets. I got to thinking about how many times they get handled and als how much fuel is used to transport etc .Its a good convience but...
So am I far of to think that the markets have taken away the regular firewood. Because of the cost factor?
Also we have a company who kiln dries the wood and they have grabbed a huge amount of the volume.
The traditional burner has taken a hit lately...

 

[dave1949]

The wood pellet and chip market is currently paying more for trees than traditional firewood buyers can afford, unless they up the prices to their customers--and drive them to pellets. Vicious circle to be in.

The Bangor paper had an article recently about this. Pretty much all the dry firewood was sold out a month ago. Even green wood is not plentiful this fall.

 

[smstonypoint]

Free cut-your-own firewood.

I have a supply of standing Chinese privet that is yours for the asking.

Steve

 

[Shift4200]

People around my way are struggling to find wood this time of year as well. My wood guy has been turning away new customers all summer. From what he says, due to the bad winter last year... everyone is grabbing an extra cord or two (myself included). Because of it he said he's having trouble keeping up.

I had issues with getting wood last year around this time... so now i buy as soon as mud season ends.

-J

 

[Thomas]

Heard pellet prices soon on the RISE..saying something about shortage in New England.

I've been ordering my 6 cords wood 1 year ahead for many years,sure it might $10-$20 more acord than other suppliers, but its cord plus and no hunting for wood supplier.

 

[MossRoad]

I just spoke with a friend today and he said pellets were on clearance for $3.00 a bag, so he bought all the bags the store had and was going to another location tonight to get those.

 

[Will_C]

Also, hardwood pulp prices are higher than they have been for many years. A 22-23 ton load of firewood logs that would cost $750 around here last year is going for $900 this fall.

Will

 

[Jstpssng]

A tough year to keep home fires burning: After last year

This is probably the article which Dave referred to.

Another concern is that in an attempt to curb the spread of Asian Longhorned Heetle, emerald ash borer, and other invasive pests we're trying to discourage people from transporting firewood very far... depending on where you live" proximaty to an invested area can also have an impact.

A little late now this year, but try getting it during the off-season next year.
I like to get my firewood in spring and give it a chance to dry.
(Then again I just go out back with a saw and the Kubota)

 

[dave1949]

Jstpssng;

Yep, that was the article. Thanks.

Do you have an general idea of current stumpage prices for firewood in central Maine? Last I knew they were running $20-$25 a cord, that was a couple years ago.

 

[smstonypoint]

Do you have an general idea of current stumpage prices for firewood in central Maine? Last I knew they were running $20-$25 a cord, that was a couple years ago.

I was curious as to how stumpage values in the Northeast compared to the Southeast and stumbled on Annual Reports: Publications: Maine Forest Service: Maine ACF.

I wish we had something similar for NC -- that sort of info is not publicly available here.

Steve

 

[dave1949]

I was curious as to how stumpage values in the Northeast compared to the Southeast and stumbled on Annual Reports: Publications: Maine Forest Service: Maine ACF.

I wish we had something similar for NC -- that sort of info is not publicly available here.

Steve

There is quite a bit of forest data for Maine. A lot of it comes from landowners who file a required harvest notification and annual totals (if multiple harvests).

I am a member of Small Woodland Owners of Maine (SWOAM). The newsletter often has data about stand metrics for the various forest types around the state. Percentage of stand by species and dbh size type of info, harvest volumes history.

 

[Jstpssng]

I was curious as to how stumpage values in the Northeast compared to the Southeast and stumbled on Annual Reports: Publications: Maine Forest Service: Maine ACF.

I wish we had something similar for NC -- that sort of info is not publicly available here.

Steve

There are several links for your state here
Price Report | Extension Forestry

They include historical stumpage and mill delivered prices, as well as links to two sites wuich give quaterly reports for the same.

 

[Jstpssng]

I was curious as to how stumpage values in the Northeast compared to the Southeast and stumbled on Annual Reports: Publications: Maine Forest Service: Maine ACF.

I wish we had something similar for NC -- that sort of info is not publicly available here.

Steve

There are several links for your state here
Price Report | Extension Forestry

They include historical stumpage and mill delivered prices, as well as links to two sites wuich give quaterly reports for the same.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

If prices go up and wood is scarce, be on the look out for tree rustlers. I seem to recall one fellow on the boards a year or so ago who had some nasty good for nothing come in and steal all his cut and stacked firewood he had for heating.

 

[smstonypoint]

There are several links for your state here
Price Report | Extension Forestry

They include historical stumpage and mill delivered prices, as well as links to two sites wuich give quaterly reports for the same.

I was referring to the county price data for Maine. The reporting regions for NC are large.

Steve

 

[Larry Caldwell]

According to The Wilderness Society (headquartered in Washington DC), all trees on the East Coast were logged in the 18th century and there are no trees left to make firewood out of. I hear there is still plenty of coal, though.

 

[dave1949]

According to The Wilderness Society (headquartered in Washington DC), all trees on the East Coast were logged in the 18th century and there are no trees left to make firewood out of. I hear there is still plenty of coal, though.

Oh quit it. :laughing: Besides, your reference is off by a century and your coal geography is suspect too.

 

[ultrarunner]

Amazing and illustrates the power of regulation...

I'm in the SF Bay Area and folks have to pay to have Oak hauled away... I have a splitter and last year we lost several heritage oaks in a windstorm... wood is cut, split and seasoned over a year and no body wants it... even free.

The media keeps running stories and billboards and schools preach the evils of wood burning with numbers to anonymously report chimney smoke.

I've got another large Oak that toppled right over my dirt access road... just drive up with a pickup and start cutting... looks like it will be just pushed to the side with my tractor...

Picked up a nice Lopi Insert Sunday... the new owners priority was to get that dinosaur out of their home and convert to gas... they even get a credit to do so...