Big Year For Wyoming Lumber

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Lumber production in Wyoming could be headed toward its best year since the industry hit rock bottom in 2010.

That's good news for the entire region. The largest markets for lumber produced throughout the West are southern California and the Southwest. Much of the demand for lumber is close to cities hard hit by the recession, such as Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Diego.

In 2010, Wyoming's 12 surviving sawmills produced 55 million board feet of lumber. Contrast that to the 168 million board feet produced by Wyoming mills just 10 years earlier in 2000.