National Forest Facts:

• over 2.7 billion trees are planted annually in the United States 7
• there are 737 million acres of forests in the U.S. 1
• more trees are growing in the U.S. today than 70 years ago 7
• the U.S. still has 70% of the forests that were here in 1600 1
• the timberlands of the U.S. now contain 28% more standing timber volume than in 1952 1
• there are 82% more hardwoods today than 40 years ago 1
• in the U.S., most hardwoods grow east of the Mississippi River 9
• U.S. citizens are growing twice as much hardwood sawtimber volume as is being consumed 7
• forest growth rates have exceeded harvest rates since the 1940's 7
• 57 percent of the forestland in the country is owned by private individuals 7
• there are 9.9 million forest owners in the country
• annually, the average American uses the equivalent of 1 tree, 100 feet tall and 16 inches in diameter for paper, lumber, and other wood products 2
• each year, six new trees are planted for each tree that is harvested 2
• forest products companies rank among the top 10 employers in 40 out of 50 states with an annual payroll of $44 billion 2,3
• about 53,000 forest products companies employ 1.7 million people in logging, sawmills, furniture and cabinet plants, and paper mills 3
• insects, tree disease, wind storms, and wildfire consume almost as much wood each year as people use
• national parks account for 88 million acres in the U.S.; they do not allow timber harvesting or hunting 9
• national parks were established to preserve natural features, exceptional beauty and areas of historical interest; they include battlefields, lakeshores, memorials, monuments, preserves, recreation areas, scenic trails and wild and scenic rivers 9
• national forests were established by law "...to furnish a continuous supply of timber for the use and necessities of citizens of the United States..."; they pay 25% of gross receipts from timber sales directly to states for county roads and schools - hundreds of millions of dollars each year 9
  

Kentucky Forest Facts:

• over 50 percent of the state is forested (12.7 million acres) 7
• hardwood trees account for 92 percent of the total volume of growing stock 7
• oak/hickory is the dominant forest type, accounting for 77 percent of the state's timberland 7
• 92 percent of the state's forest land is privately owned by more than 400,000 small land owners 7
• 94 percent of all private landowners hold 100 acres or less of timberland 7
• Kentucky has more forested acres today than it did in 1950 8
• National Forest is the second largest ownership of timberland, occupying 5 percent of Kentucky's timberland 7
• timber growth to timber harvest ratio is 2.1 to 1 7
• over 30,000 Kentuckians are employed in the wood products business 8
• the wood products business ranks third in manufacturing employment in the state 8
• forest industry contributes $4.5 billion annually to the state's economy 8
• Kentucky annually ranks in the top five hardwood lumber producers in the United States 7
• Kentucky's forests provide: 7
  - wood and paper products
  - wildlife habitat
  - erosion control
  - water quality
  - recreational opportunities
  - aesthetics
  - employment opportunities
  - economic impact

References

1 Forest Resources of the United States, 1992, USDA Forest Service, General Technical Report, 1993.

2 American Forest & Paper Association, 1992.

3 U.S. Department of Labor, Wage & Employment Data, ES-202, 1991.

4 The Principle Laws Relating to Forest Service Activities, Agric. Hdbk. 453, Revised 9/83.

5 Quick Facts About America's Forests, American Forest & Paper Association, 1992.

6 Wood Use: Competitiveness and Technology [Washington, DC: U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, OTA-ITE-210, August 1983], page 166.

7 Kentucky Forests: Our Renewable Natural Resource, Brochure, Kentucky Division of Forestry, Kentucky Tree Farm Committee & Kentucky Forest Industries Association

8 Kentucky Forest Industries Association

9 Forest Resource Fact Book, third edition, National Hardwood Lumber Association