KNOXVILLE, TN — The marketplace for hardwood logs and lumber in 2008 was very challenging, and a difficult year for sawmills, loggers and secondary manufacturers alike, said David Mercker, University of Tennessee forestry specialist, according to The Leaf Chronicle.

According to Mercker, the entire chain — from landowners to retailers — endured downward pricing pressure, a trend that he said is likely to continue, at least in the short run, and as demand for hardwood products has slid, so has sawmill lumber production.

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