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Indiana Forest Facts

  • Forestry
  • Current: Indiana Forest Facts
  • Indiana has 4.8 million acres of forestland (just over 20% of IN land base) and 4.7 million acres of timberland. (Source - Forest Inventory and Analysis Data 2019)
  • The area of timberland in Indiana increased steadily from the 1960's until recently when growth has leveled off. Timberland increased from 3.896 million acres in 1967 to 4.631 million acres in 2008. (Source - Forest Inventory and Analysis Data)
  • Approximately 162,000 private landowners own approximately 77% of the timberland in Indiana. In 2018, 3.6 million acres of timberland was classified as "private" ownership.
  • More than 847,456 acres (17,330 tracts) have been enrolled into the Classified Forest program. (2021)
  • On average, Indiana's forests are growing in volume more than 1.8 times the amount being removed. (Source - Forest Inventory and Analysis Data 2019)
  • 98% of Indiana's forests are classified as hardwood forest types. The oak/hickory group forest type occupies 71 percent of forestland. (Source - Forest Inventory and Analysis Data 2016)
  • Forest products manufacturing is a $10 billion a year industry in Indiana. Using regional economic modeling, that figure grows to $17 billion. (Source - Indiana's Hardwood Industry- Its Economic Impact, Indiana Hardwood Strategy)
  • The Indiana forest products industry employs more than 70,000 people across the state– 44,000 in primary and secondary manufacturing and 26,000 in ancillary sectors. (Source – 2019 Indiana Hardwood Strategy)
  • Forest-based manufacturing provided $10 billion economic impact, $7 billion in value of shipments to Indiana's economy, and taxes to government of $1.3 billion in 2016. (Source- 2019 Economic Analysis, Indiana Hardwood Strategy)
  • Indiana ranks 9th nationally in total lumber production and third in hardwood lumber production. (Source – 2009-2010 Directory of Professional Foresters)
  • The 2013 Timber Products Output survey determined there were 136 primary mills in Indiana. Primary mills are those mills that use logs as their primary raw material to produce various forest products.
  • Indiana forest products industry is the 10th largest industry in Indiana. (Source - 2021-2022 Directory of Professional Foresters)

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