Connecticut

Ranking as one of the state’s top manufacturing industries, Connecticut’s forest products industry is a vital component of the state’s economy. The industry employs 12,000 workers with a payroll of $563 million.  Connecticut’s paper and wood manufacturing workforce represents 3 percent of the state’s total manufacturing workforce.

Approximately 60 percent of Connecticut is forested. Credited to regeneration and planting programs, the net annual forest growth exceeds harvests by a substantial margin.

Connecticut's Land Area (in thousands of acres)
Total Land Area: 3,101
Forests: 1,863
Forests as Percent of Total: 60.1%
Federal Lands: 15
National Forest System: <1

Timberland (in thousands of acres)
Government
    Federal: 10
    State: 163
    County & Municipal: 77
Other Private Nonindustrial: 1,565
Total Timberland: 1,815

Federal Land Set-Asides (in thousands of acres)
National Parks: 8
Fish & Wildlife Service: 1
Total: 9

Recycled Paper Consumption (in thousands of short tons): 685
also includes Rhode Island’s recycled paper consumption

Tree Planting (acres)
State, County and Municipal: 18
Farmer & Other Private: 127
Total: 145

Value of Industry Shipments (in thousands of dollars)
Wood Product Manufacturing: $191,055
Paper Manufacturing: $1,839,441

Capital Expenditures (in thousands of dollars)
Wood Product Manufacturing: $4,894
Paper Manufacturing: $35,339

Annual Production
Softwood Lumber (million board feet): 6
Hardwood Lumber (million board feet): 46
Paperboard (in thousands of short tons): 602
Paper (in thousands of short tons): *
*withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual company

Timberland Ownership
Government: 14%
Other Private Nonindustrial: 86%

Connecticut’s total softwood and hardwood inventory has more than doubled since 1953 despite increasing production of wood and paper products.

Employment
Forestry: 449
Lumber & Wood Products (includes logging): 3,354
Paper & Allied Products: 7,868