Michigan's forest products industry is marking Forest Products Week (Oct. 18-24) with a growth story. The sector, which accounts for $27 billion in annual economic activity in Michigan, has added jobs at a steady clip. Forest products-related employment has increased 4.2% since 2017, bringing the current workforce to approximately 42,500 people.
The industry encompasses far more than traditional lumber. Forest products now include nanocelluloseāderived from tree barkāused in smartphone touch screens, as well as paper goods, pulp and other materials that appear in everyday items.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources manages nearly 4 million acres of publicly owned state forest land. Each year, about 50,000 acres are harvested for use. The DNR is dual certified by two outside organizations, meaning it meets industry management standards. As part of ongoing stewardship, the agency will soon publish the final draft of its next 10-year State Forest Management Plan.
More than half of Michigan is covered in forest land, much of it on private property including commercial forests. "Forest products are everywhere around us," said Matthew Watkeys, DNR forest marketing and utilization specialist. "You might not immediately realize it, but without Michigan's timber industry, many of the necessities and luxuries we enjoy wouldn't exist."
The DNR partners with Michigan-based organizations including the Michigan Forest Association, the Michigan Association of Timbermen and the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association to protect forests.