Employee Benefit Plans Narrative (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2010
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, the Company no longer incurs 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
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, Changes	no changes in the methodology
Fair Value, Level 1 | Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Plan Assets at Fair Value, Valuation Techniques and Inputs	Level 1 — Net asset value in an observable market.
Fair Value, Level 2 | Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Plan Assets at Fair Value, Valuation Techniques and Inputs	Level 2 — Assets classified as level two are held in collective trust funds. The net asset value of a collective trust is calculated by determining the fair value of the fund's underlying assets, deducting its liabilities, and dividing by the units outstanding as of the valuation date. These funds are not publicly traded; however, the unit price calculation is based on observable market inputs of the funds' underlying assets.