Employee Benefit Plans Narrative (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plans, General Information	The Company has four qualified non-contributory defined benefit pension plans covering a significant majority of its employees
Defined Benefit Plan, Unfunded Plan	an unfunded plan that provides benefits in excess of amounts allowable under current tax law in the qualified plans
Defined Benefit Plan, Other Information	The Company closed enrollment in its pension plans to salaried employees hired after December 31, 2005, to Fernandina hourly employees hired after April 30, 2006, to Jesup hourly employees hired after March 4, 2009 and to Wood Products hourly employees hired after February 28, 2011.
Defined Benefit Plan, Description of Plan Amendment	In September 2008, the Company changed its postretirement medical plan for active and retired salaried employees to shift retiree medical costs to the plan participants over a three year phase-out period. Accordingly, at the beginning of 2012, the Company’s intent is to no longer incur retiree medical costs for retired salary plan participants. The change was accounted for as a negative plan amendment and curtailment which resulted in a reduction to the retiree medical liability. The net impact of the reduction was an unrecognized gain in accumulated other comprehensive income of $7.7 million which was amortized over 1.9 years, the average remaining service period of the remaining active participants.
Defined Benefit Plan, Effect of Plan Amendment on Net Periodic Benefit Cost		$ 2.4	$ 4.0
Defined Benefit Plan, Investment Goals	The Company's Pension and Savings Plan Committee and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors oversee the pension plans’ investment program which is designed to maximize returns and provide sufficient liquidity to meet plan obligations while maintaining acceptable risk levels. The investment approach emphasizes diversification by allocating the plans’ assets among asset categories and selecting investment managers whose various investment methodologies will be minimally correlative with each other. Investments within the equity categories may include large capitalization, small capitalization and emerging market securities, while the international fixed income portfolio may include emerging markets debt.
Defined Benefit Plan, Plan Assets at Fair Value, Valuation Techniques and Inputs	The valuation methodology used for assets measured at fair value for these funds is the net asset value in an observable market.
Defined Benefit Plan, Plan Assets at Fair Value, Valuation Techniques and Inputs, Changes	no changes in the methodology