Michigan's 4 million acres of world-class state forest land provide more than 800,000 cords per year of certified wood - a resource vital to the forest products industry. The forest products industry annually generates $14 billion and directly employs 26,000 people in Michigan.
The Governor's 2013 Forest Products Summit was developed to bring together representatives from industry, government, the financial sector and academia to stimulate conversations and come up with ideas and opportunities for growing the state's forest products industry.
Plans for the summit emerged from Governor Rick Snyder's Special Message on Energy and the Environment last fall, which included focus on improving rural economies. The timber industry has the opportunity to lead in this area while continuing to sustainably manage Michigan's world-class natural resources.
The DNR worked with the governor-appointed Timber Advisory Council to establish five-year goals to help drive discussions and move post-summit plans forward. Those goals include:
Increasing the economic impact of the timber industry on state and regional economies from $14 billion to $20 billion;
Increasing the export of value-added forest products by 50 percent;
Increasing forest products-related careers by 10 percent;
Supporting existing industry; and
Encouraging regionally based industry development.
Michigan's 4 million acres of world-class state forest land provide more than 800,000 cords per year of certified wood - a resource vital to the forest products industry. The forest products industry annually generates $14 billion and directly employs 26,000 people in Michigan. 