Montana Forest Production Down

Production in Montana’s forest products industry was down in the second quarter of 1996, said a University of Montana researcher.

The decrease came despite more than a 25 percent increase in lumber prices.

Lumber production was down about 17 million board feet and production employment was down about 105 workers from second quarter 1995 levels, said Charles Keegan of UM’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research.

The drop is the result of reductions in federal timber availability during the 1990s, Keegan said. .