Importance of Consistency and Standardization in Estimating Economic Contributions of the Forest Industry in the Southern United States

The forest industry is a significant contributor to many local and state economies in the United States (US). Informed public policy at state and national levels requires that decision makers have accurate and defensible information on the value and structure of these economic contributions. However, different methods and modeling assumptions used and different industry sectors included by various analysts complicate meaningful comparisons across regions and time. This work presents a standardized approach to economic contribution assessments of the forest industry. The US Southern Forest region serves as an example of this approach with standardized results for economic contributions per capita, per acre of timberland, and per unit volume of timber harvested when comparing across regions and time. Among other findings, the results suggest that states with developed wood and paper product manufacturing industries have significantly greater economic contributions than states that are concentrated on timber harvesting. Study Implications: Academic institutions, private organizations, and government agencies routinely conduct economic contribution assessments of the forest industry, often with different assumptions and differences in sectors included, making it difficult to compare results across regions and/or time. This article suggests a limited set of 15 sectors to represent the forest industry and recommends standardizing the economic contributions of the forest industry for appropriate comparisons. A comparison of the forest industry across states in the US Southern Forest region shows structural differences, with some states specializing in the extraction of forest resources while others are focused on manufacturing primary and secondary wood and paper products.