North Dakota

Ranking as one of the state’s top manufacturing industries, North Dakota’s forest products industry is a vital component of the state’s economy. The industry employs 2,000 workers with an annual payroll of $36 million. North Dakota’s wood manufacturing workforce represents 4.9 percent of the state’s total manufacturing workforce.

Approximately 2 percent of North Dakota is forested. Credited to regeneration and planting programs, the net annual forest growth exceeds harvests by a substantial margin.

North Dakota's Land Area (in thousands of acres)
Total Land Area: 44,156
Forests: 674
Forests as Percent of Total: 1.5%
Federal Lands: 1,850
National Forest System: 1,106

Timberland (in thousands of acres)
Government
    Federal: 28
    State: 26
Other Private Nonindustrial: 387
Total Timberland: 441

Federal Land Set-Asides (in thousands of acres)
National Parks: 73
Fish & Wildlife Service: 1,433
Total: 1,506

Tree Planting (acres)
Federal: 231
State, County & Municipal: 18
Farmer & Other Private: 2,982
Total: 3,231

Value of Industry Shipments (in thousands of dollars)
Wood Product Manufacturing: $106,989

Capital Expenditures (in thousands of dollars)
Wood Product Manufacturing: $5,371

Annual Production
Hardwood & Softwood Lumber (thousand board feet):  <500

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

North Dakota’s total softwood and hardwood inventory has increased 28 percent since 1953 despite increasing production of wood and paper products.

Employment
Forestry: 230
Lumber & Wood Products (includes logging): 1,739
Paper & Allied Products: 36