Legal Department              John W. Holleran
1111 W. Jefferson Street      Senior Vice President and
P.O. Box 50                   General Counsel
Boise, Idaho 83728-0001
208/384-7704
Fax:  208/384-4912



March 4, 1997



Securities and Exchange Commission
Attention Division of Corporation Finance
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20549

Subject:  Common Stock Issuable Under the Boise Cascade
          Corporation 1984 Key Executive Stock Option Plan

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am the Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Boise
Cascade Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"). 
In that capacity, I have represented the Company in connection
with preparation and filing with the Securities and Exchange
Commission of a Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the
"Registration Statement") relating to 1,100,000 shares of the
Company's common stock, $2.50 par value (the "Common Stock")
with respect to the 1984 Key Executive Stock Option Plan (the
"KESOP").  I have reviewed originals (or copies) of certified
or otherwise satisfactorily identified documents, corporate and
other records, certificates, and papers as I deemed it
necessary to examine for the purpose of this opinion.

Based on the foregoing, it is my opinion that shares of Common
Stock which are issued upon the exercise of stock options under
the KESOP will, when sold, be validly issued, fully paid, and
nonassessable.

I consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and to the reference to me therein under
the caption "Interests of Named Experts and Counsel."  In
giving this consent, however, I do not admit that I am within
the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7
of the Securities Act of 1933.

Very truly yours,

/s/ John W. Holleran

John W. Holleran
JWH/JA70211B