DNR shares county-level forest industry economic data

Trees stretch toward the sky across more than half of Michigan’s landscape, supporting 20.3 million acres of forest. Most of this abundant forest land can produce commercial timber, a renewable and sustainably managed resource. Most forest land – at 62 percent – is privately owned, while state and local governments manage roughly 23 percent. About 15 percent of forests are on federal lands.

Forests in Michigan are managed for many outcomes, including timber production, wildlife habitat, clean water, conservation and outdoor recreation. Forests also support local and state economies by generating jobs and income. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources tracks this progress by estimating direct jobs, total output and other economic indicators.

Forests fuel jobs across the state, including Grand Rapids and Metro Detroit.

Although most forest land is located in the Upper and northern Lower peninsulas, the forest economy is important statewide. Timber and milled lumber is often brought from up north to be turned into furniture, paper and other products in downstate locations. For this reason, 2017 data shows that Kent County, with 5,935 jobs, has the highest direct forest product industry employment, followed by Ottawa (5,526 jobs) and Wayne (2,860 jobs).

Estimates show that in 2017 – the most recent year for which data is available – Michigan’s forest products industries provided direct employment to almost 41,000 people, leading to $12.2 billion in output. That same year, labor income was $2.7 billion and value-added was $3.5 billion. In total, these industries supported over 91,000 jobs, $5.5 billion in labor income, $8.0 billion in value-added and $20.2 billion in output.

Similarly, the DNR tracks the economic contribution of forest product industries at the county level. The first baseline analysis was conducted using 2015 data through the IMPLAN economic impact modeling application. This 2015 county-level economic data has been published in an interactive, online Microsoft PowerBI display tool.

“The Microsoft PowerBI tool is an interesting, interactive program that can help show a lot of data in a simple one- or-two page infographic,” said DNR forest economist Jagdish Poudel.

As new data becomes available, the county-level analysis will be updated.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For additional information, go to Michigan.gov/DNR.