Page 14 - Tree Line - North Carolina Forestry Association - Fourth Quarter 2020

BY JOHN GREENE, CONTENT MARKETING MANAGER, FOREST2MARKET
ESSENTIAL
BUSINESS:
How the Forest Supply Chain Survives a Pandemic
Despite the high-flying economic times the U.S. experienced over the last three years, the first quarter of 2020 marked a point where we were cautiously awaiting an event that would trigger a change in that good fortune. I think we collectively knew that something had to happen at
some point. Of course, no one wants to see the emergence
of a true bear market or bona fide recession, but a pullback and moderated contraction that is a natural part of economic cycles is generally a sign of overall economic health.
However, we simply can’t control what spurs an economic contraction or when it strikes. COVID-19 seemed an unlikely threat to temporarily derail the strongest economy in history, yet here we are six months after its onset and a number of state economies remain in
shambles due to continued restrictions and
mandated closures.
The view from 30,000 feet is confounding, to say the least. The sense of uncertainty
remains palpable, even as the major stock indices and the hot housing sector continue to soar. Only when we take a more granular view can we begin to see the data that help to bring into view what is really happening on the ground — both in the larger economy,
and in the forest sector specifically.
12 ncforestry.org / FOURTH QUARTER 2020