Wisconsin Forestry Facts:
Economic Impact

Highlights
Forestry is the No. 1 employer in seven
counties: Forest, Iron, Lincoln, Price, Rusk,
Taylor and Trempealeau

Forestry’s economic impact

both broad and deep
Overall, Wisconsin’s public and private lands generate
products valued at nearly $22.9 billion each year and support
more than 59,000 jobs. All of this occurs as Wisconsin’s
forests continue to add a net 185 million cubic feet of saw
timber annually—or enough to frame about 139,000 homes.

Forestry ranks among the top 10 industries by
output and value added in Wisconsin

100

100

100

100

10

0

Wisconsin is the No. 1 paper
producing state in the U.S.
Foreign Exports 

$2.3 billion

100

100

100

100

10

0

 4.9%
Domestic Exports 

$14.2 billion

 9.3%
Forestry industry accounts for 1.7% of jobs
in the state but provides 4.9% of foreign
exports and 9.3% of domestic exports

Direct Economic Effects
Employment

Output

Value
Added

Forestry and
Logging

4,242 jobs

$299.0 million

$121.1 million

Pulp and Paper

30,656 jobs

$18.3 billion

$4.8 billion

Sawmills and
Wood Products

24,699 jobs

$4.3 billion

$1.5 billion

Total

59,597 jobs

$22.9 billion

$6.4 billion
Source: Implan

Legend
Secondary Wood Industry
Primary Wood Industry

Employment

Every job in forestry supports 3.8
additional jobs in the state
Every million dollars of output from
forestry creates $1.3 million output in
other sectors

Forest products businesses

* 

  012 data. Output is the total value of the industry in the local economy. Value
2
added is a measure of the industry’s contribution to the local community: it
includes wages, rents, interest and profits. Direct impacts are jobs, revenue
and taxes for normal business operations. Indirect includes indirect and
induced impacts. It refers to the dollars industry and households spend at
other area businesses and the local jobs supported by the forest industry.

shape economy
With 1,292 companies in primary and
secondary forest products businesses,
the forest products industry touches every
corner of the state.

 Cords Equiv.

State land harvests

400,000
300,000
200,000

Timber harvests

100,000
0

Source: Wisconsin DNR

County forest harvests

1,200,000
1,000,000
800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
0

Timber harvests

19

9
19 5
9
19 6
9
19 7
9
19 8
9
20 9
0
20 0
0
20 1
0
20 2
0
20 3
0
20 4
0
20 5
0
20 6
0
20 7
0
20 8
0
20 9
1
20 0
1
20 1
12
20
13

Cords Equiv.

Year

support industry:
A steady supply of timber
from Wisconsin Department
of Natural Resources lands,
 
   Managed Forest Law lands
and county forests helps
maintain the strength of the
Wisconsin forest products
industry.

Year

Source: Wisconsin DNR

provide healthy
forests
A sustainable timber harvest
creates conditions for new
growth and builds wildlife
habitat while also providing
woodland owners income
they can use for projects that
further improve the ecology
of their woods.

MFL completed timber sales

1,200,000
Cord Eq.

1,000,000
800,000

Cooperating
Foresters boost
long-term benefits

600,000
400,000
200,000
0

'04

'05

'06

'07

'08

'09

'10

Non-Industrial (Small) MFL - Cd. Equiv. Volume
Industrial (Large) MFL - Cd. Equiv. Volume
Source: Wisconsin DNR

Contact:
Julie Ballweg

Total MFL - Cd. Equiv. Volume

Forest Economist
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

'11

'12

'13

DNR supports programs
that provide additional
employment opportunities for
private consulting foresters
and increase their capacity
to provide services to private
landowners

Phone: 608-228-3256
Email: julie.ballweg@wisconsin.gov