…Headwaters Economics in Montana has analyzed a House Resources Committee proposal to increase logging on national forests by easing environmental protections. It concluded that at current log prices, historically low because of the housing crash, the U.S. Forest Service would have to increase timber production more than 200 percent above the average for the past 30 years.
At current administrative costs, the Forest Service would have to spend $2.2 billion a year planning timber sales to generate the $378 million per year that has been going to counties.
"It’s hard to imagine even under the most favorable market conditions, let alone the current market conditions," said Headwaters economist Chris Mehl.…