Segment and Geographical Information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended										12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011		Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2009
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Accrual for Environmental Loss Contingencies, Increase (Decrease) for Revision in Estimates											$ 6,873,000		$ 3,201,000		$ 2,111,000
Sales Revenue, Net, Percentage											100.00%		100.00%		100.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Expenditures for Additions to Long-Lived Assets											508,000,000		144,000,000		92,000,000
Segment Reporting Information, Total Additions to Long-Lived Assets											613,000,000		144,000,000		92,000,000
Gain on sale of a portion of interest in the New Zealand joint venture											0		12,367,000		0
Depreciation, depletion and amortization											135,742,000		143,406,000		158,371,000
Operating Income (Loss)	81,325,000	[1]	108,310,000	79,073,000	87,578,000	56,665,000	92,082,000	56,344,000	76,860,000	[2]	356,286,000		281,951,000		409,508,000
Revenue, Net	388,423,000		385,091,000	357,397,000	357,731,000	315,308,000	377,515,000	312,210,000	310,200,000		1,488,642,000		1,315,233,000		1,168,567,000
Assets	2,569,348,000					2,363,653,000					2,569,348,000		2,363,653,000
Income Tax Credits and Adjustments															205,229,000
Noncash or Part Noncash Acquisition, Debt Assumed											105,000,000		0		0
Geographical Operating Information [Member] | United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Income (Loss)											350,000,000		268,000,000		416,000,000
Revenue, Net											1,378,000,000		1,228,000,000		1,136,000,000
Assets	2,473,000,000					2,266,000,000					2,473,000,000		2,266,000,000
Geographical Operating Information [Member] | New Zealand
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Income (Loss)											6,000,000		14,000,000		(6,000,000)
Revenue, Net											111,000,000		87,000,000		33,000,000
Assets	95,000,000					97,000,000					95,000,000		97,000,000
Geographical Operating Information [Member] | All other countries
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	1,000,000					1,000,000					1,000,000		1,000,000
Sales by Destination [Member] | United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales Revenue, Net, Percentage											49.00%		53.00%		53.00%
Revenue, Net											737,000,000		693,000,000		626,000,000
Sales by Destination [Member] | China
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales Revenue, Net, Percentage											19.00%		16.00%		16.00%
Revenue, Net											277,000,000		213,000,000		189,000,000
Sales by Destination [Member] | Europe
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales Revenue, Net, Percentage											12.00%		12.00%		14.00%
Revenue, Net											173,000,000		152,000,000		159,000,000
Sales by Destination [Member] | Japan
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales Revenue, Net, Percentage											11.00%		10.00%		9.00%
Revenue, Net											159,000,000		129,000,000		107,000,000
Sales by Destination [Member] | Other Asia
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales Revenue, Net, Percentage											4.00%		4.00%		3.00%
Revenue, Net											55,000,000		49,000,000		30,000,000
Sales by Destination [Member] | Latin America
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales Revenue, Net, Percentage											2.00%		3.00%		2.00%
Revenue, Net											36,000,000		35,000,000		23,000,000
Sales by Destination [Member] | New Zealand
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales Revenue, Net, Percentage											1.00%		1.00%		1.00%
Revenue, Net											22,000,000		17,000,000		12,000,000
Sales by Destination [Member] | Canada
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales Revenue, Net, Percentage											1.00%		1.00%		1.00%
Revenue, Net											9,000,000		10,000,000		6,000,000
Sales by Destination [Member] | All other countries
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales Revenue, Net, Percentage											1.00%		0.00%		1.00%
Revenue, Net											21,000,000		17,000,000		17,000,000
Secured Mortgage Notes Assumed with Timberland Acquisition [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Noncash or Part Noncash Acquisition, Debt Assumed											105,000,000
Alternative Fuel Mixture Credit [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Income Tax Credits and Adjustments											0		0		205,229,000
Port Angeles Increase in Disposition Reserve [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Accrual for Environmental Loss Contingencies, Increase (Decrease) for Revision in Estimates											6,500,000
Forest Resources [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Information, Total Additions to Long-Lived Assets											468,000,000	[3]	41,000,000	[3]	32,000,000	[3]
Depreciation, depletion and amortization											63,000,000		59,000,000		70,000,000
Operating Income (Loss)											47,000,000		33,000,000		7,000,000
Revenue, Net											215,000,000		177,000,000		159,000,000
Assets	1,604,000,000					1,260,000,000					1,604,000,000		1,260,000,000
Forest Resources [Member] | Timber Properties [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Strategic Capital											426,000,000		5,000,000		0
Real Estate Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation, depletion and amortization											12,000,000		22,000,000		24,000,000
Operating Income (Loss)											47,000,000		53,000,000		56,000,000
Revenue, Net											71,000,000		96,000,000		101,000,000
Assets	103,000,000					86,000,000					103,000,000		86,000,000
Real Estate Segment [Member] | Development [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue, Net											4,000,000		3,000,000		3,000,000
Real Estate Segment [Member] | Rural [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue, Net											33,000,000		28,000,000		32,000,000
Real Estate Segment [Member] | Non-Strategic Timberlands [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue, Net											34,000,000		65,000,000		66,000,000
Performance Fibers Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Information, Total Additions to Long-Lived Assets											140,000,000	[4]	98,000,000	[4]	59,000,000	[4]
Depreciation, depletion and amortization											56,000,000		58,000,000		58,000,000
Operating Income (Loss)											298,000,000		214,000,000		184,000,000
Revenue, Net											1,020,000,000		881,000,000		839,000,000
Assets	646,000,000					551,000,000					646,000,000		551,000,000
Performance Fibers Segment [Member] | Cellulose Specialties Expansion (CSE) [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Strategic Capital											43,000,000
Performance Fibers Segment [Member] | Cellulose Specialties [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue, Net											824,000,000		686,000,000		658,000,000
Performance Fibers Segment [Member] | Absorbent Materials [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue, Net											196,000,000		195,000,000		181,000,000
Wood Products Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Information, Total Additions to Long-Lived Assets											3,000,000		1,000,000		1,000,000
Depreciation, depletion and amortization											3,000,000		3,000,000		5,000,000
Operating Income (Loss)											(2,000,000)		2,000,000		(11,000,000)
Revenue, Net											68,000,000		68,000,000		51,000,000
Assets	21,000,000					20,000,000					21,000,000		20,000,000
All Other Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Income (Loss)											1,000,000		1,000,000		(3,000,000)
Revenue, Net											122,000,000		102,000,000		38,000,000
Assets	25,000,000					26,000,000					25,000,000		26,000,000
Intersegment Elimination [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue, Net											(7,000,000)	[5]	(9,000,000)	[5]	(19,000,000)	[5]
Unallocated Amount to Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Gain on sale of a portion of interest in the New Zealand joint venture													12,000,000
Operating Income (Loss)											(35,000,000)	[6]	(21,000,000)	[6]	177,000,000	[6]
Assets	170,000,000					421,000,000					170,000,000		421,000,000
Unallocated Amount to Segment [Member] | Alternative Fuel Mixture Credit [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Income Tax Credits and Adjustments															205,000,000
Unallocated Amount to Segment [Member] | Port Angeles Increase in Disposition Reserve [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Accrual for Environmental Loss Contingencies, Increase (Decrease) for Revision in Estimates											6,500,000
All Other Segments And Unallocated Amount To Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Information, Total Additions to Long-Lived Assets											2,000,000		4,000,000		0
Depreciation, depletion and amortization											2,000,000		1,000,000		1,000,000
Revenue, Net											$ 115,000,000		$ 93,000,000		$ 19,000,000
Customer 1 [Member] | Performance Fibers Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales Revenue, Goods, Net, Percentage	15.00%					14.00%					15.00%		14.00%		13.00%
Customer 2 [Member] | Performance Fibers Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales Revenue, Goods, Net, Percentage	11.00%					10.00%					11.00%		10.00%		12.00%
Customer 3 [Member] | Performance Fibers Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales Revenue, Goods, Net, Percentage	11.00%										11.00%				11.00%

[1] Fourth quarter 2011 included a pre-tax $6.5 million ($4.1 million after tax) increase in a disposition reserve.

[2] First quarter 2010 included a pre-tax $12.4 million ($11.5 million after tax) gain from the sale of a portion of the Company's interest in its New Zealand JV. See Note 5 — Joint Venture Investment for further information.

[3] Included strategic timberland acquisitions of $426 million (including assumption of a $105 million loan), $5 million and $0 in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

[4] Included $43 million of strategic capital expenditures related to the Jesup mill CSE in 2011.

[5] Intersegment eliminations reflect sales from our Forest Resources segment to our Performance Fibers segment.

[6] 2011 included a $7 million increase in a disposition reserve. 2010 included a $12 million gain from the sale of a portion of the Company's interest in its New Zealand JV. 2009 included $205 million related to the AFMC. See Note 15 — Liabilities for Dispositions and Discontinued Operations, Note 5 — Joint Venture Investment and Note 8 — Income Taxes for additional information.