Wood Products Use By Coal Mines

This study of wood use in mining includes a survey of 220 coal mining firms to estimate quantities used in 1979. Consumption of wood products by coal mines has gradually declined since 1923. Recent increases in coal production have led to increases in the consumption of wood products by the mine. Wood remains the major support material. Mining consumes less than 1 percent of the wood used in the United States. In 1979, mine timber production was 53 million cubic feet. Information on the quantities of wood used for railroad ties, props, lagging, and many other purposes in the mine is necessary for making estimates of future requirements for wood use in mining. The U.S. Forest Service will use this information in projecting future requirements and removals from U.S. forests, and the Bureau of Mines will use this information for identifying possible supply problems and research needs. The kind of timber used differed by region. Hardwoods use is about 40 times greater than softwood use in the eastern region. There, hardwoods are plentiful, relatively cheap, and strong. In the West where softwood forests predominate, softwoods were 2-1/2 times more common in mine wood use than hardwoods.

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