The US South's softwood industry has enormous potential for a variety of reasons. The region has a significant forest resource with room for expansion, low and stable wood costs, and a thriving lumber and pellet manufacturing sector. The local forest industry is set to grow in the coming years and play a more prominent role in regional and global forest product markets. This expansion will lead to a tighter log market, but growth will still exceed harvests (drain) in most states.  Longer-term, the drain could overtake growth in some states unless the productive forest ...