Leahy quoted in Kennebec Journal article on Maine firewood demand
Jessica Leahy, a professor of human dimensions of natural resources at the University of Maine, was interviewed by the Kennebec Journal for the article, “Firewood in short supply across Maine in wake of cold spell.” According to Maine firewood dealers, many customers procrastinated getting their orders in because of the mild fall, and pre-order demand for firewood peaked later in the season than usual. While organizations in Maine are involved in tracking the value of products that are made from the state’s forests, they don’t generally track firewood, the article states. How people heat their homes is tracked by the U.S. Census through its American Community Survey. While the information it collects comes with a range of margins of error, it shows that between 2009 and 2016, those who reported using wood as a heat source increased from 47,475 to 72,713, the KJ reported. “We don’t understand the supply on the dealer side, and we don’t understand the demand,” Leahy said. “We don’t understand household behavior if there are two heating sources. How do people choose? Is it purely price, or is it something else?”