Georgia timber industry seeks innovative solutions amid market challenges

By: Jasmine Wright, the Current

Outlets: Georgia Recorder

Published: March 3, 2026

Words: 1,381

Last Updated: 1 week, 1 day ago

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Since International Paper abruptly closed its mills in Liberty and Chatham counties last fall, business owners in Southeast Georgia who once made the state the largest timber exporter in the nation have been feeling acute pain.

As of January, demand for timber had dropped more than 60%, meaning truckers and contractors who would haul the raw materials to saw mills or processing plants have lost work. The cost of pulpwood, meanwhile, had plummeted from $15 …

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