In West Virginia
In Kentucky
In Tennessee
In Virginia
In West Virginia: In 1995, West Virginia's growth to harvest ratio was 1.3 to 1. Could the harvest rate actually be decreasing?
Nearly 4/5 of West Virginia is in forest, making trees an important resource for the state. The majority of West Virginia's trees are hardwoods, with a few red spruce and white pines. Private land owners hold 90% of these forests, so just as in Kentucky, local residents will be decision-makers regarding this resource.
According to a 1995 survey by the West Virginia Division of Forestry, the growth to harvest ratio for trees was 1.3 to 1. The state had a standing inventory of 70 billion board feet of lumber. About 800 million board feet were being sawed each year, with 733 million board feet being used in-state mainly for pallet, flooring, casket and cabinet production. Ed Murriner of the West Virginia Division of Forestry pointed out that some of the wood being used in-state was actually imported from other states, so West Virginia does import some of its lumber.
Much of West Virginia's higher grade lumber is exported to furniture factories in Virginia, North Carolina and Ohio. Other high grade hardwoods are exported overseas as veneer.
Murriner also noted a new market for tree tops that were formerly left in the woods after logging was finished. West Virginia has two factories that process these soft hardwoods into oriented strand board or OSB. Strips from the tree tops are compressed into panels that can be used like boards.
The West Virginia Division of Forestry is currently working on a written report from the 1995 survey. For more information, contact the Division of Forestry at (304) 558-2788.
In Kentucky: In 1986 Kentucky's growth to harvest ratio was 2.6 to 1. Has the ratio changed in the past ten years?
With half of the state in forest, Kentucky will play a major role in meeting the increased demand for hardwood that is affecting the entire South. So goes the prediction of Larry Lowe of the Kentucky Division of Forestry.
Ninety-three percent of the 12.7 million acres of Kentucky's forest land is privately owned, so many local residents may find themselves making wood industry-related decisions about how Kentucky's resources will be used. Hardwoods will be in greatest demand, as the need for materials to produce furniture, cabinets, flooring, pallets, housing materials and other products grows.
Over 90% of Kentucky's forests consists of hardwood trees that provide the basis for secondary wood industries. The woods in highest demand are prevalent in Kentucky: yellow poplar, white oak, black oak, northern red oak, chestnut oak, hard maple and ash.
The Kentucky Division of Forestry is currently working to update wood industry data that was last gathered in 1986. In the 1986 survey, the growth to harvest ratio was 2.6 to 1. Lowe commented, "We don't know if the growth to harvest ratio is still at that rate. What we do know is that we have to maintain a 1.1 or higher ratio to insure the sustainability of Kentucky's forest resources." Because the harvest situation is changing so rapidly, the Division of Forestry plans to institute more frequent methods to track supply and demand.
The survey indicated that much of the wood was being used in-state. In 1986 Kentucky produced 824 million board feet of saw logs and consumed 807 million board feet. Of the 824 million board feet produced, 42 million board feet were exported. Of the 807 million board feet consumed, 25.5 million board feet were imported from other states.
Data from a 1995 survey of Kentucky forest industries will be available from the Division of Forestry in about six months. The survey will note which trees are being removed at what rate and will provide export and import information. For more information call the Kentucky Division of Forestry at (502) 564-4496.
In Tennessee: Private ownership of forest land in Tennessee is shifting from farmers to absentee landowners, who now hold 41% of privately owned forests.
Did the state of Tennessee have more forest land in 1920 or in 1989? Today, half of the state of Tennessee is in forest. That's 13.6 million acres, 4.3 million more acres than the state had in 1920.
But according to the Tennessee Division of Forestry, more trees doesn't necessarily mean better trees. A 1989 survey noted the growth to harvest ratio for trees as 3 to 1, but while the volume and age of trees being left is increasing, the quality is decreasing. State wide, Tennessee is growing more timber than is being harvested, although some local areas may be experiencing more harvest than growth.
Private landowners hold over 86% of the forest land in the state. Data from the 1989 survey showed a shift of this private ownership from farmers, who held a little over 28% of the land, to absentee landowners, who held 41% of the land.
Hardwoods make up 89% of Tennessee's forests. These trees, along with softwoods, are used for paper, lumber and furniture. The wood products industry employs 44,212 people and pays wages of over 800 million dollars per year.
According to the 1989 survey, Tennessee removed 829 million board feet of saw timber from its forests. Forestry official David Arnold says it's unclear how much of this wood was used in-state and how much was exported. Interstate travel of wood can be difficult to track. Arnold explains, "Sawmills that are located just across the border in Kentucky or Georgia may process logs cut from Tennessee's forests, which are then shipped to Indiana as veneer that in turn is shipped to Germany."
Asked what the future holds for Tennessee's forests, Arnold responds, "That depends on how conscientious landowners are at practicing true forestry and good forest management. Some current practices such as high grading (removing all the best trees and leaving behind lower quality timber) have left many forested areas in Tennessee stocked with low quality trees.
As landowners are encouraged to apply proven silvicultural systems to their land, Tennessee's forests should grow better quality trees and more volumes of timber. Also, timely implementation of forestry practices will go a long way to correct any harvest-to-growth imbalances that might be occurring at local levels.
For more information contact the Tennessee Division of Forestry at (615) 360-0720.
In Virginia: The state of Virginia is one of the largest producers of wood furniture in the United States, with the furniture industry accounting for 50% of value added to wood materials.
Over the past 40 years the inventory volume of wood in Virginia's forests has increased by 81 percent. Today, 15.4 million acres, which is well over half of the state, are covered in forest. Private owners hold 77% of this land.
As in the other three central Appalachian states, hardwoods make up the majority of the total acreage of Appalachian Virginia's forests. These trees, along with several species of softwoods, are used for products ranging from rough lumber to paper to fine furniture. The wood products industry contributes $9.8 billion to the economy of the state and employs 228,370 people. Virginia is one of the largest producers of wood furniture in the United States. The furniture industry accounts for 50 percent of the total secondary value added to wood materials.
When compared to other agricultural products, timber made up 16.7% of total agricultural values, ranking second behind poultry and eggs. Wood exports are becoming an increasingly important segment of this value. From 1989 to 1992 wood product exports increased from $386 million to $626 million.
When asked to address the issue of growth to removal ratios, Michael Foreman of the Virginia Department of Forestry noted that, due to recent increases in harvesting, any data more than three years old is inaccurate. The Division of Forestry is currently drafting a forest resources report that will examine population and land use data.
For more information contact the Division of Forestry at (804) 997-6555.
