Colville Forest Attracts No Bidders

A salvage sale on the Colville National Forest last Friday attracted no bidders, just days after President Clinton authorized massive increases in salvage logging across the country.

So the minimum price will be lowered and the Copper Butte fire salvage sale will go back on the auction block next week, said Pat Egan, who runs the Republic Ranger District.

Forest Service officials are “somewhat surprised” the sale attracted no buyers, Egan said.

“There is a need for timber to supply mills.”

But the market for lumber is so poor that the selling price of lumber is lower than the costs of logging.

Unlike green timber, salvage sales have to be logged immediately instead of waiting until the market rebounds, Egan said.

In addition, about 60 percent of the Copper Butte sale is supposed to be logged with helicopters, which is more expensive than on-the-ground methods, Egan said.

Still, “we think we have a viable sale offering - it’s just a bad time for timber companies,” she said.

Fire swept across about 10,000 acres last year after lightening sparked the Copper Butte fire.

The current sale covers about 1,100 acres and includes 5.3 million board feet of Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, larch and lodgepole pine.

, DataTimes