Summer 2003  Volume 12, Number 2

Indiana Forest and Forest Industry Quick Facts

• Indiana has 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 in1967, to 4.296 million acres in 1986, to 4.342 million acres in1998. (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)

• 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 in1998, Resource Bulletin NC-196)

• Forest products manufacturing is a $2.55 billion a year industry in Indiana. (Source - Evergreen Magazine, January 1998)

• 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-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 notionally 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, planning, 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.

• Indiana forest products industry is the 6th largest employer in Indiana. (Source - Purdue University through data from Census of Manufacturers)