Wyoming

Ranking as one of the state’s top manufacturing industries, Wyoming’s forest products industry is a vital component of the state’s economy. The industry employs 2,000 workers with an annual payroll of $34 million. Wyoming’s paper and wood manufacturing workforce represents 12.1 percent of the state’s total manufacturing workforce.

Approximately 18 percent of Wyoming is forested. Credited to regeneration and planting programs, the net annual forest growth exceeds harvests by a substantial margin.

Wyoming’s Land Area (in thousands of acres)
Total Land Area: 61,542
Forests: 10,944
Forests as Percent of Total: 17.8%
Federal Lands: 31,088
National Forest System: 9,238

Timberland (in thousands of acres)
Government
    Federal: 3,488
    State: 203
Other Private Nonindustrial: 1,444
Total Timberland: 5,085

Federal Land Set-Asides (in thousands of acres)
National Parks: 2,396
Reserved National Forest: 3,255
Fish & Wildlife Service: 97
Bureau of Land Management: 1,273
Total: 7,021

Tree Planting (acres)
Federal: 1,513
Farmer & Other Private: 1,586
Total: 3,099

Value of Industry Shipments (in thousands of dollars)
Wood Product Manufacturing: $128,100

Capital Expenditures (in thousands of dollars)
Wood Product Manufacturing: $2,611

Annual Production
Hardwood & Softwood Lumber (million board feet): 228

Timberland Ownership
Government: 72%
Other Private Nonindustrial: 28%

Wyoming’s total softwood and hardwood inventory has increased 47 percent since 1953 despite increasing production of wood and paper products.

Employment
Forestry: 395
Lumber & Wood Products (includes logging): 1,633
Paper & Allied Products: 17