Iowa

Ranking as one of the state’s top manufacturing industries, Iowa’s forest products industry is a vital component of the state’s economy. The industry employs 20,000 workers with an annual payroll of $523 million. Iowa’s paper and wood manufacturing workforce represents 5.8 percent of the state’s total manufacturing workforce.

Approximately 6 percent of Iowa is forested. Credited to regeneration and planting programs, the net annual forest growth exceeds harvests by 61 percent.

Iowa's Land Area (in thousands of acres)
Total Land Area: 35,760
Forests: 2,050
Forests as Percent of Total5.7%
Federal Lands: 234

Timberland (in thousands of acres)
Government
    Federal: 44
    State: 74
    County & Municipal: 38
Other Private Nonindustrial: 1,788
Total Timberland: 1,944

Federal Land Set-Asides (in thousands of acres)
National Parks: 2
Fish & Wildlife Service: 109
Total: 111

Recycled Paper Consumption (in thousands of short tons): 1,567
also includes Minnesota’s recycled paper consumption

Tree Planting (acres)
Federal: 4
State, County and Municipal: 263
Farmer & Other Private: 6,632
Total: 6,899

Value of Industry Shipments (in thousands of dollars)
Wood Product Manufacturing: $1,063,126
Paper Manufacturing: $1,531,237

Capital Expenditures (in thousands of dollars)
Wood Product Manufacturing: $41,128
Paper Manufacturing: $36,539

Annual Production
Hardwood & Softwood Lumber (million board feet): 81
Paper & Paperboard (thousands of short tons): 3,178*
*includes entire west North Central Region

Timberland Ownership
Government: 8%
Other Private Nonindustrial: 92%

Iowa’s total softwood and hardwood inventory has increased 23 percent since 1953 despite increasing production of wood and paper products.

Employment
Forestry: 362
Lumber & Wood Products (includes logging): 13,659
Paper & Allied Products: 6,032