A $5 million historic sailing brigantine currently under construction in Sausalito has officially entered the process of earning Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) project certification to demonstrate that it will be constructed from timber produced with responsible forestry practices.

U.S. hardwood lumber export demand tapered off in May due to higher prices for red oak, white oak and poplar.

Hardwood lumber will see additional price increases in the months ahead, as the uptick in supply anticipated by this time may not show up until August.

Americana Hardwood has been milled in a centuries old American technique to preserve the character of solid hardwood flooring, with a range of surface options including fumed, circle sawn, natural and distressed.

Cabinet manufacturers report steady demand, with hard maple and soft maple leading orders. Ash lumber shipments to Asia slipped a bit, though exporters still have solid orders for post-holiday periods.

As flooring and other users buy, competition for low-grade lumber in the South will be quite intense this winter. California launches a lumber tax Jan. 1, another factor in pricing, says Hardwood Review in this regional report summary.

Hardwood Review's Fourth Quarter Species Forecasts soft maple prices to stay high -up almost a third in just under two years - while white oak prices will soften marginally as Asia reduces its buys in the face of Europe's economic troubles.

Demand for flooring-grade red oak and white oak was strong, with prices firming in most regions.

Poplar demand hasn't deteriorated as summer ended. Increasing moulding and millwork demand in the U.S., plus China's demand, will hike upper-grade red oak prices, says Hardwood Review's Andy Johnson.

While logging conditions have improved and most mills have adequate log supplies, lumber demand may outpace production increases this fall.