Question: I want to know, what is the annual growth in board feet on the Coos Bay District’s U.S. Bureau of Land Management forest? What is the average price per board foot received on BLM sales? What would the value returned to Coos County be if just the amount of the annual growth was cut on BLM land?

Answer: If every acre of timberland was managed for timber harvest, without a portion set aside for threatened or endangered species habitat or stream buffers, 257 million board feet could be cut on the Coos Bay BLM forest. The average price on BLM sales per 1,000 board feet in the past year was $105.16. Coos Bay district BLM spokeswoman Megan Harper said the average price may be somewhat deceptive. Prices on sales depend on the size, what variety of trees are in the sale and what type of logging will be done. Thinning sales are more expensive to log than regeneration or clearcut harvests. This year, bid prices per 1,000 board feet varied from the lowest of $33.90 to the highest of $344.

Harper said it’s hard to gauge how much money would come back to Coos County if the annual growth were cut each year because many different variables go into determining the value of sales. The county would receive 50 percent of timber receipts each year.

(I Want to Know is a regular feature of The World, offering readers a chance to anonymously ask questions and have reporters pursue answers. Those interested can send questions to The World newspaper, P.O. Box 1840, Coos Bay Ore. 97420; or by sending e-mail to news@theworld link.com.)