With the fast development of modern industry, many forests and wools are reduced dramatically. Lumber is wood in any of its stages from felling to readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production. Many hang tags and paper relative products are made from timber actually. Lumber is supplied either rough or finished. Besides pulpwood, rough lumber is the raw material for furniture-making and other items requiring additional cutting and shaping. It is available in many species, usually hardwoods, but it is also readily available in softwoods such as white pine, red pine and poplar due to their low cost per board foot. 
 

Timber is fundamental for industry and agriculture. An example of the latter is often partially finished lumber used in timber-frame construction such as hang tags. In the United Kingdom the word lumber has several other meanings, including unused or unwanted items. Finished lumber is supplied in standard sizes, mostly for the construction industry, primarily softwood from coniferous species including pine, fir and spruce, cedar, and hemlock, but also some hardwood, for high-grade flooring. Current standards are set by the American Lumber Standard Committee, appointed by the Secretary of Commerce.
 

Individual pieces of lumber exhibit a wide range in quality and appearance with respect to knots slope of grain, hang tags and other natural characteristics. Therefore, they vary considerably in strength, utility and value. The move to set national standards for lumber in the United States began with publication of the American Lumber Standard in early 20th century, which set specifications for lumber dimensions, grade, and moisture content; it also developed inspection and accreditation programs. These standards have changed over the years to meet the changing needs of manufacturers and distributors, with the goal of keeping lumber competitive with other construction products.