Pennsylvania leads the nation in the production and export of hardwood lumber. Our forests are the source of diverse secondary wood products ranging from veneer, cabinetry and flooring, to baseball bats, snow boards, drumsticks and much more!
With 16.62 million acres of forestland, Pennsylvania has the most abundant hardwood forest in the United States and accounts for $21.8 billion in direct and $36 billion in indirect impacts on the state's economy.
More than 60,000 Pennsylvanians — ten percent of the state's manufacturing workforce — are employed in the forest products industry.
It's clear that PA's forest products are a key component to the state's agricultural industry and economy.
There are over 100 species of trees that grow in PA's forests, but PA is known as the Black Cherry capital of the world accounting for 30% of the nation's black cherry volume.
Pennsylvania is also the nation's fifth largest maple syrup producer and has enough maple trees to rival Vermont, the nation's largest producer!
With the demand for green, sustainable building materials and many in the workforce aging out or taking jobs in the gas industry, logging and forestry are always seeking new foresters.
Learn more about PA Forestry and how the Hardwoods Development Council and their partners work to promote, support and enhance forestry operations and workforce development in the state.
Resources
2020 State of the Industry (PDF)
Threats to the Forest (PDF)
What Will My Woods Look Like: Before & After Timber Harvesting in Pennsylvania (PDF)
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