Low lumber recovery at southern pine sawmills may be due to misshapen sawlogs

For years, analysts have criticized the southern pine sawmill industry for low lumber recovery and the careless waste of our timber resource. But evidence suggests that low lumber recovery may be due to misshapen sawlogs and thus may not be the fault of the southern pine sawmill industry. Comparisons of raw material size and sawing factors were made between the South Central (SC) and Rocky Mountain North regions of the United States. Data showed that few differences in raw material size or sawing factors existed between the two regions and that neither of these factors could have accounted for the 20 percent lower lumber recovery in the SC region. Only log shape (roundness, straightness, or taper) could have accounted for the substantial difference in lumber recovery between regions.

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