New Mexico

Ranking as one of the state’s top manufacturing industries, New Mexico’s forest products industry is a vital component of the state’s economy. The industry employs 4,000 workers with an annual payroll of $56 million. New Mexico’s paper and wood manufacturing workforce represents 5.1 percent of the state’s total manufacturing workforce.

Approximately 20 percent of New Mexico is forested. Credited to regeneration and planting programs, the net annual forest growth exceeds harvests by a substantial margin.

New Mexico’s Land Area (in thousands of acres)
Total Land Area: 77,674
Forests: 15,505
Forests as Percent of Total: 20%
Federal Lands: 26,594
National Forest System: 9,327

Timberland (in thousands of acres)
Government
    Federal: 2,778
    State: 84
    County & Municipal: 13
Other Private Nonindustrial: 1,958
Total Timberland: 4,833

Federal Land Set-Asides (in thousands of acres)
National Parks: 391
Reserved National Forest: 1,475
Fish & Wildlife Service: 385
Bureau of Land Management: 1,607
Total: 3,858

Recycled Paper Consumption (in thousands of short tons): 1,063
also includes Arizona, Colorado, Idaho and Montana’s recycled paper consumption

Tree Planting (acres)
Federal: 2,658
State, County & Municipal: 40
Farmer & Other Private: 392
Total: 3,090

Value of Industry Shipments (in thousands of dollars)
Wood Product Manufacturing: $193,120
Paper Manufacturing: $80,235

Capital Expenditures (in thousands of dollars)
Wood Product Manufacturing: $3,469
Paper Manufacturing: $7,220

Annual Production
Softwood Lumber (million board feet): 124
Paper & Paperboard (thousands of short tons): 1,831*
*includes entire Mountain Region

Timberland Ownership
Government: 59%
Other Private Nonindustrial: 41%

New Mexico’s forestland acreage has remained relatively stable since 1953.

Employment
Forestry: 394
Lumber & Wood Products (includes logging): 2,505
Paper & Allied Products: 667