Forest Products
Forest products are important to rural economies and to all Americans. Innovative building materials like glulam beams and oriented strand board were invented by Forest Service researchers. Forest Service research related to forest products and wood utilization is resulting in new innovations supporting rural economic development, and is essential for economically viable policy and management solutions. Many forests across the country are overcrowded with smaller trees, increasing the risk of catastrophic wildfire. Making use of wood materials from tree thinning projects helps reduce the risk of damaging fire, improves economic viability of these projects, and contributes to rural economies.
Economic Significance
The U.S. Forest products industry generates $288 billion annually (approximately 4 percent of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP).
Approximately 950,000 people are employed in the U.S forest products industry with a payroll of approximately $50 billion annually. The forest products industry is also among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers in 45 states.
Forest Service research, working closely with industry partners, develops new uses, products and markets for forest products. Glulam timber, for example, is stronger than yet one-tenth the weight of steel, and one-sixth the weight of concrete. The glulam market was valued at almost $7.5 billion in 2023, with projected 5% annual growth rate.
Key Research Contributions
Advanced Wood Utilization
- Wood utilization research identifies innovative uses for wood waste and low-value timber. Often, wood waste and low value timber result from the forest thinning activities that reduce the risk of wildfire. Finding uses for this material can incentivize more work to reduce catastrophic wildfire and make it more economically feasible.
- The Forest Products Laboratory, one Forest Service research unit, is a hub for applied research and leads coordination across industry partners and other sectors, to accelerate development of innovative forest products.
- Forest Service research has developed a diverse range of new wood products, including mass timber for tall wood buildings and nano materials from wood fiber that can make concrete stronger.
- Forest Service wood innovations often drive development of building codes for novel uses of wood in construction, such as seismic design parameters for multi-story buildings constructed with cross-laminated timber.
Economic Development
- Forest Service economic analysis and projections about the use of wood products support industry assessments of market opportunities and inform investment decisions.
- Forest Service research works with partners in the wood products industry to create new market opportunities for forest-based industries.
- Forest Service research is involved in emerging and economically promising bio-based product industries, such as transportation and heating fuels.
Research Outcomes
- Many of today’s leading wood-based technologies, including wood preservatives, glulam beams, oriented strand board, fiber-based packaging, and wood-plastic composites were invented by Forest Service researchers and commercialized by the private sector.
- Forest Service science informs management decisions about strategic thinning of forests to reduce wildfire risk with maps of wood products, mill capacity, and potential locations for expanded, re-opened and new wood processing facilities.
- Forest Service research develops more efficient logging techniques and wood processing methods which lead to increased productivity and reduced costs for forest operations, benefiting rural communities dependent on wood products