#1 Forestry State
A NATIONAL AND GLOBAL LEADER IN FORESTRY
Thanks to healthy markets for forestry – including paper, lumber and over 5,000 life sustaining products – and a commitment to public policy that supports forest landowners, Georgia is recognized as a global and national leader in forestry.
For generations, Georgia’s private forest landowners have turned trees into jobs and economic output, while cleaning our state’s air and water in the process.
HERE ARE A FEW REASONS WHY GEORGIA IS THE #1 FORESTRY STATE:
#1 in Commercially Available Timberland
Georgia has 22 million acres of commercially available, private timberland, more than any other state (1).
#1 in Annual Timber Harvest Volume
Georgia tops every other state in the nation in terms of pure volume of timber harvested (7) all while overall tree volume in Georgia has been net increasing since 1953 (8).
#1 Exporter of Forest Products
Leading the nation in the export of 21 commodities with an estimated trade value of $3.9 billion (9).
#1 in Seedling Production for Reforestation
Growing more than 331 million seedlings annually (10).
#1 in U.S. South in Wood Harvested for Pine Production and Pine Pulpwood Production (11)
WORKING FORESTS ALSO PROVIDE A MYRIAD OF ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS.
$41.3 Billion
Overall annual economic impact in 2021 from the forest industry (2).
143,946 Jobs
Total direct and indirect employment in Georgia from the forest industry (2).
9 Billion
Total wages and salaries (including benefits) in 2020, making the forestry industry the largest industry in Georgia in terms of wages and salaries. (2).
$37 Billion
Annual value of ecosystem services of private forests (4).
48% Annual Growth vs. Removals
In addition to a consistent increase in forest land cover over last 50 years due to healthy markets (5).
#1 FORESTRY STATE REPORT
Assessing the Economic and Environmental Benefits of Georgia’s Working Forests and Forest Product Industries
Forestry is inextricably tied to the heritage and fabric of Georgia, serving as the economic backbone of the state while providing countless environmental and social benefits to all citizens. Thanks to the advances in the scientific process of modern forest management, stewardship of private forest landowners and innovations in the manufacturing supply chain, Georgia has solidified its position as a domestic and global leader in forest product manufacturing and forest conservation. When considering the state’s ability to efficiently and sustainably manage forestland at-scale while converting raw material to more than 5,000 different products, Georgia is the #1 Forestry State in the Nation.
Download the Report
SOURCES
(1)Georgia Forestry Commission. (2011). Georgia Forest Facts. Web; accessed: March 2020.
(2) Georgia Forestry Commission. (2019). Economic Benefits of the Forest Industry in Georgia: 2018. Prepared by Georgia Institute of Technology, Enterprise Innovation Institute. Web; accessed: March 2021.
(3) Georgia Forestry Commission. (2015). Statewide Assessment of Forest Resources 2015
(4) Moore, Rebecca et al. (2011). Quantifying the value of non-timber ecosystem services from Georgia’s private forests. University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. January 2011.
(5) Georgia Forestry Commission. (2019). Sustainability Report for Georgia’s Forests: January 2019
(6) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2015). Georgia: Price Movements of Top Exports and Other Highlights. Web; accessed: February 2017.
(7) U.S. Forest Service. Forest Resources of the United States. (2014). Web; accessed: June 2017.
(8) Georgia Forestry Commission. Statewide Assessment of Forest Resources. (2015). Web; accessed: June 2017.
(9) USA Trade Online (2020). State Export Data by HS Commodities (Origin of Movement). Washington, DC: US Census Bureau, Economic Indicators Division. Web; accessed: March 2020.
(10) Haase, Diane L.; Pike, Carolyn; Enebak, Scott; Mackey, Lori; Ma, Zhao; Rathjen, Meagan. (2019). Forest Nursery Seedling Production in the United States—Fiscal Year 2018. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Web; accessed: March 2020.
(11) Forisk Consulting (2018). Q2 2018 Forisk Research Quarterly (FRQ). Athens, GA: Forisk Consulting.