China imported $487 million of softwood logs through June, putting it on a pace to double what it imported last year, and surpass all U.S. softwood log sales to China between 2006 and 2010 combined, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
U.S. Forest Service economists report the price of raw logs has risen to more than $600 per thousand board feet for Oregon hemlock, and about the same for Douglas fir. That's more than the logs were fetching in 2005, at the height of the housing boom…