National Forest Products Week

Falling in the third week of October each year, the National Forest Products Week is a great time to recognize that North Carolina is blessed with rich and diverse forest resources consisting of over 18.6 million acres of forestland. This is more than existed in 1938 when the first state-wide forest census was completed.

Ninety-seven percent of North Carolina's forestland (over 18.1 million acres) is considered available for timber production and classified as timberland. We are fortunate to have many dedicated professionals committed to the conservation and renewal of these valuable resources.

The forest products industry is a major contributor to North Carolina's economy and is the largest manufacturing sector in The Tar Heel state. Over 2,300 forestry-related companies directly employ 73,600 people, generating an annual payroll of $4.3 billion. Furthermore, when including the entire wood supply value chain, total sector employment is approximately 148,000 jobs statewide. The forest products sector contributes more than $29.4 billion to the state's gross product and provides more than $23 billion in economic benefits to North Carolina.