Nebraska

Ranking as one of the state’s top manufacturing industries, Nebraska’s forest products industry is a vital component of the state’s economy. The industry employs 5,000 workers with an annual payroll of $130 million. Nebraska’s paper and wood manufacturing workforce represents 3.7 percent of the state’s total manufacturing workforce.

Approximately 2 percent of Nebraska is forested. Credited to regeneration and planting programs, the net annual forest growth exceeds harvests by 27 percent.

Nebraska's Land Area (in thousands of acres)
Total Land Area: 49,202
Forests: 947
Forests as Percent of Total1.9%
Federal Lands: 738
National Forest System: 352

Timberland (in thousands of acres)
Government
    Federal: 48
    State: 50
    County & Municipal: 10
Other Private Nonindustrial: 790
Total Timberland: 898

Federal Land Set-Asides (in thousands of acres)
National Parks: 6
Reserved National Forests: 14
Fish & Wildlife Service: 174
Total: 195

Tree Planting (acres)
Federal: 200
Farmer & Other Private: 4,089
Total: 4,289

Value of Industry Shipments (in thousands of dollars)
Wood Product Manufacturing: $326,207
Paper Manufacturing: $295,457

Capital Expenditures (in thousands of dollars)
Wood Product Manufacturing: $7,068
Paper Manufacturing: $14,599

Annual Production
Softwood Lumber (million board feet): 2
Hardwood Lumber (million board feet): 26

Timberland Ownership
Government: 12%
Other Private Nonindustrial: 88%

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

Employment
Forestry: 201
Lumber & Wood Products (includes logging): 2,953
Paper & Allied Products: 2,180