Indiana Forest Facts and Forest Industry Quick Facts
- Indiana has 4.5 million acres of forestland (almost 20% of IN land base) and 4.3 million acres of timberland. (Source - Forests of Indiana: A 1998 Overview, NA-TP-03-00, Sept. 2000)
- The area of timberland in Indiana has
steadily increased since the 1960's. Timberland increased from 3.896
million acres in 1967, to 4.296 million acres in 1986, to 4.342
million acres in 1998. (Source - Indiana's Forests in 1998, Resource
Bulletin NC-196)
- 95% of Indiana's forests are classified
as hardwood forest types. Primary forest types are Oak-Hickory (1.6
million acres) and Maple-Beech (1.4 million acres). (Source -
Indiana's Forests in 1998, Resource Bulletin NC-196)
- Private landowners own 85% of the
timberland in Indiana. As of 1994, more than 150,000 private forest
landowners owned over 370,000 acres. By comparison, in 1978 there
were only about 50,000 forest landowners. In that 16 year period,
the number of landowners tripled but the acreage increase amounted to
only 30,000 acres. (Source - Forests of Indiana: A 1998 Overview,
NA-TP-03-00, Sept. 2000)
- On average, Indiana trees are growing
in volume more than 2.5 times the amount being removed. (Source -
Forests of Indiana: A 1998 Overview, NA-TP-03-00, Sept. 2000)
- Indiana forest products industry is the
6th largest employer in Indiana. (Source - Purdue
University through data from Census of Manufacturers)
- Indiana forest products industry
employees over 56,000 people with most of the industry concentrated
in the southern half of the state. (Source - Evergreen Magazine,
January 1998)
- Forest products manufacturing is a
$2.55 billion a year industry in Indiana. (Source - Evergreen
Magazine, January 1998)
- Forest-based manufacturing provided
$3.5 billion in value-added and $7. 9 billion in value of shipments
to Indiana's economy in 1997 (Source- 1997 Economic Census)
- Indiana ranks 18th
nationally in value added for all forest-based manufacturing
industries and 1st nationally in value added manufacturing
for both wood and office furniture. (Source - 1997 Economic Census)
- 1997 Economic Census data determined
there were 205 primary mills in Indiana. Primary mills are those
mills that use logs as their primary raw material to produce various
forest products. Secondary manufacturing refers to the drying,
planing, cutting, and assembly of lumber and other wood-based primary
products into parts and finished products. 1997 Economic Census data
reports 926 secondary manufacturing facilities.
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