Regional reports claim that ash lumber uppers are moving, but #1 and #2 common grades are not. The consensus is building that the ash supply is nearing its end, as most of the ash trees in our forests have been killed or severely affected by the devasting Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). Vietnam seems to be a fairly active buyer of a variety of ash logs at this point. As can be seen on the graphs below, ash has decreased in price again over the last few weeks. Cherry also continues to be moving slowly, however its of interest to note that the lumber price of #1 common cherry has remained flat since the end of November. Hickory has increased since the beginning of November, and reports are that some mills were preferring to export their logs rather than saw them. Hickory flooring is apparently showing a steady demand according to some flooring manufacturers. Hard maple prices have remained steady during the month of December and it remains one of the most stable commodities of all our regional hardwood lumber species. The same holds true for Soft maple – the continuing “darling” species of our area, remains virtually unchanged in pricing and demand. Though Red oak remains at its low point for the year, its pricing has been steady since the second week of November. White oak continues to remain consistent, with pricing trends fluctuating by grade, and after months of fairly steady demand, Poplar prices have come down since the last report, even though the upper grades are reportedly moving well.
We have decided to change the normally reported graphs to a new format, showing the lumber price trends for the usual selected species over various time frames (monthly, year-to-date and one year).
Though markets continue to be challenging right now, we strongly believe that landowners can still benefit from sound, professional advice from foresters who know the local market specifics. Please call any of our foresters if you are interested in selling your timber – you will be glad that you did!