Demand for pulpwood in the southern U.S. declined by 7.6% between 1994 and 2003, while pulpwood supply increased as a result of increased acreage and management intensity of pine plantations.
In response to depressed prices and industry decline, some analysts have suggested that pine plantation owners might alter the way they manage their stands (such as increasing thinning operations) in order to meet other fiber markets. This extra material could then be available for bioenergy and bioproducts. Currently, there are around 30 million acres of pine plantations in the south, and approximately 308,000 acres are thinned each year.