Industry attributes
Other attributes
Forestry is a large part of the economic structure on a global scale, providing a backbone for most industries and products. Forestry is a crafted science that allows for conservation, reparations of forests; woodlands, and provides resources for all industries.
Modern-day forestry forms an inclusion of many public and political concerns, some of which are as follows:
- Employment
- Wood Fuel
- Recreation
- Wildlife conservation
- Biodiversity
- Erosion control
- Watershed management
Forest industries are a major contributor to the US economy, by providing jobs from forests to showrooms. The economic benefits of the industry are noted throughout the nation, but each region of the country relies on different components of the industry to varying degrees.
Analyzing the percentage of manufacturing employment that is composed of wood and paper, manufacturing jobs are one way to highlight the importance of the forest industry to manufacturing activities on a State-by-State basis. States with larger forest industries have more significant employment and manufacturing activity, in this map, the size of the circular saw icons indicates the number of workers in wood and paper manufacturing.

Courtesy of Forest Atlas
The United States is both the biggest consumer and the biggest producer of forest products, making almost 30 percent of the world’s forest products in all major categories.

Market share of the top 10 global producers of industrial roundwood, by country, 1961-2016. Source: FAO database, 2018
Economic benefits are measured in monetary terms and may include: income from employment in the sector; the value of the production of goods and services from forests; and the contribution of the sector to the national economy, energy supplies, and international trade. In addition, the economic viability or sustainability of the sector can be assessed by measures such as the profitability of forest enterprises or the level of investment.