Page 16 - Georgia Forestry - Winter 2019

FACTS ABOUT GEORGIA’S FORESTS
Georgia is well-known as the top forestry state in the nation, and it is recognized as a global leader
in working forests and forest product industries. Here are some facts you might not know about Georgia’s working forests.
in Commercially
$35.9 Billion
Overall annual economic impact in 2017 from the forest industry6.
147,000 Jobs
Total direct and indirect employment in Georgia from the forest industry6.
$37 Billion
Annual value of ecosystem services of private forests7.
48%
Annual Growth
vs. Removals
In addition to a consistent increase in forest land cover over the last 50 years due to healthy markets8.
#1
Available Timberland
# 1
#1 in Annual Timber Harvest Volume
Georgia tops every other state in the nation in terms of pure volume of timber harvested,2 all while overall tree volume in Georgia has been net increasing since 19533.
#1 Exporter of Pulp, Paper,
and Paperboard Mill Products
Georgia accounts for 21 percent of all U.S. exports of pulp and paper4.
#1 Exporter of Wood Pellets
Exports of wood pellets are valued at $136
million, 26 percent of the U.S. total5.
Working forests also provide a myriad of economic and environmental benefits.
Georgia has 22 million acres of commercially available, private timberland, more than any other state1.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Forests are critical to people all over the world, and working forests play a big role in that. Join
the conversation on social media using the #IntlForestDay and #MyWorkingForest hashtags: pass on some of this year’s key messages, or take a photo of your favorite forest and share it with us and your friends!
1) Georgia Forestry Commission. (2011). Georgia Forest Facts. Web; accessed: February 2017. 2) U.S. Forest Service. Forest Resources of the United States. (2014). Web;accessed:June2017.3)GeorgiaForestryCommission.StatewideAssessmentofForestResources.(2015).Web;accessed:June2017. 4)U.S.BureauofLabor Statistics. (2015). Georgia: Price Movements of Top Exports and Other Highlights. Web; accessed: February 2017. 5) Georgia Forestry Commission. (2015). Statewide Assessment of Forest Resources 2015. Web; accessed: February 2017. 6) Georgia Forestry Commission. (2016). Economic Benefits of the Forest Industry in Georgia: 2016. Web; accessed: February 2018. 7) 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. 8) Georgia Forestry Commission. (2014). Georgia’s sustainable forests: A resource for all Georgians. Web; accessed: February 2017.
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