Wisconsin's timber producers say they're feeling the squeeze from global competition. Here at home, costs for raw materials have been going up. Gene Francisco, executive director of the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association, says raw material prices in the Upper Midwest are the highest of any place in the world. The association's president, Henry Schienebeck, says the competition comes from South America, India and especially from China. Timber producers from around the state rallied at the Capitol Wednesday, seeking legislative support for the industry. The Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association says that directly or indirectly, the forest products industry employs 260-thousand people in Wisconsin.
