Forests – Alabama's greatest natural resource

 

Alabama forests are equal to the size of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Delaware combined, which is about 28.3 billion cubic feet of standing timber.

No wonder, with 850 companies statewide, forestry is a leading manufacturing sector, producing $15 billion in products each year. The industry directly employs 70,000, with an annual payroll of $2.2 billion.

Click here for a map showing concentration of Alabama's forestry companies.

The future is even brighter as Alabama forests are not only replenishing at a rapid clip, but growing in acreage. Timber expansion is outpacing removals by 23 percent. Timberlands have increased by 650,000 acres in the past 20 years and by 1.1 million acres since 1978.

Timberland diversity includes hardwoods (45 percent); pine (41 percent); and mixed pine and hardwoods (14 percent.)

Fast Facts

  • Alabama ranks second in the United States in pulp production and No. 3 in paper production.
  • Forest products are second only to coal as the leading export commodity at the Port of Mobile.
  • Exports of forest products average 1.2 million tons annually.
  • More than 90 percent of Alabama woodlands are privately owned.
  • Alabama sports 1,400 tree farms with 2.2 million acres certified under the Tree Farm program.
  • Alabama is No. 7 nationally in lumber production and eighth in wood panel production.

Statistics courtesy of Alabama Forestry Association