U.S. Endowment pushes balanced forest markets for working forests

By AI, Created 11:40 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities is urging forest-sector leaders to pair concern over biomass competition with a broader push for new markets that keep low-value fiber moving. The group says more outlets for residuals and small-diameter timber can support mills, landowners and rural communities as old fiber markets shrink.

Why it matters: - Working forests need more than one outlet for wood fiber to stay economically viable. - The U.S. Endowment says new markets for low-value material can help keep forests managed, support rural jobs and reduce pressure on communities when mills close. - The debate over woody biomass affects existing pulp and paper mills, but it also affects landowners, loggers, haulers, sawmills and towns tied to forest demand.

What happened: - The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities called for a broader, more balanced conversation about forest markets as industry leaders debate woody biomass. - The group said the discussion should include the impact of lost markets on working forests and forest-reliant communities. - Pete Madden, the Endowment’s president and CEO, said existing mills remain essential, but responsible bioenergy markets can create value for material with limited or no reliable destination.

The details: - Since 2015, more than 40 U.S. pulp and paper mills have closed, removing tens of millions of green tons of annual wood demand from forest regions. - More than a dozen additional wood-consuming pulp and paper mills may face closure in the future. - When a mill closes or cuts fiber demand, family forest owners can lose buyers, loggers and haulers can lose work, and sawmills can lose outlets for chips, sawdust and other residuals. - Rural communities can also lose jobs, income and local economic activity. - The Endowment said a durable forest economy needs both strong manufacturing markets and responsible outlets for residuals, thinnings, small-diameter timber and other low-value material. - Without those outlets, forest management can become harder to finance, thinning can be delayed and forest health treatments can become less practical. - Weaker markets can also put more pressure on the working forest base that supports wildlife habitat, reliable water supplies and domestic forest products. - The Endowment said forest-sector partners should weigh regional differences, including transportation distances, mill infrastructure, forest conditions and local market capacity. - In some regions, sawlogs should go to sawmills and fiber suited for pulp and paper should go to its highest practical use. - In other regions, chips, residuals and low-value stems may not have a reliable home. - The Endowment describes its mission as strengthening healthy forest product markets while supporting working forests and the communities that rely on them. - The group says it collaborates with public and private partners to advance systemic, transformative and sustainable change for the nation’s working forests and forest-reliant communities. - More information is available on the Endowment’s website. - The organization also shared social links for LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Between the lines: - The Endowment is not rejecting biomass outright. It is arguing that fiber markets should be judged by regional conditions and by their effect on the broader forest economy. - The message is aimed at preventing a false choice between existing mills and new outlets for low-value fiber. - The core concern is that losing too many markets can make active forest management more expensive and less attractive for landowners.

What’s next: - The Endowment is urging forest-sector partners to keep the discussion centered on balance, local market realities and the need for multiple responsible outlets for wood fiber. - The practical test will be whether new markets can add value without undermining existing manufacturing demand in regions that depend on it.

The bottom line: - The Endowment wants a forest economy with enough market diversity to support mills, landowners and rural communities at the same time.