Abstract:
The US Forest Service primarily engages the private sector through service contracts, stewardship
contracts, and timber sales. Both stewardship project and timber sales can generate commercially
valuable wood products, and some businesses may rely on these federal timber sources. However,
little is known about the timber-purchasing businesses currently active on federal lands. To gain a better
understanding of these businesses, we investigated their characteristics, business needs, challenges,
and reliance on federal timber sales.