Economic Contributions of Florida Forest Products 2023
Summary
The State of Florida had 16.76 million acres (26,185 square miles) of forest land in 2023, which constitutes about 48.8 percent of the state’s total land area (53,688 square miles). The extensive natural and planted pine and hardwood forests are commercially utilized for production of a wide variety of wood building materials, paper and packaging products, chemicals, and renewable biomass fuels. This study assesses the economic contributions of the Florida forest products industry to the State of Florida in 2023, updating a previous study for 2016.
An estimated 14.39 million green tons of softwood and hardwood timber was harvested from Florida forests in 2023 for products such as pulpwood, saw logs, veneer/plywood, poles, posts, and fuel, with an estimated stumpage value of $295 million. About 88 percent of timber volume harvested was from private lands. About 71,000 acres of forest land were planted in 2023. Annual forest tree net growth (32.0 million green tons) was about 1.22 times the total removals (26.2 million green tons). In 2023 the state had 65 primary wood-using mills, including wood energy facilities sometimes co-located with wood product mills, and had over 2,500 employer establishments in the forest, wood, and paper products industries. Forest, wood, and paper products valued at over $1.79 billion were exported from Florida to international markets in 2023.
Economic contributions of the forest industry were estimated using data for 27 forest industry sectors representing forestry production, primary and secondary wood products manufacturing, primary and secondary paper products manufacturing, forest chemicals, sawmill/woodworking/paper machinery manufacturing, biomass electric power generation, and wholesale distributors of lumber/wood and paper products.
Direct employment in the industry in 2023 was 40,894 full-time and part-time jobs, and direct output or business revenues was $16.12 billion. Total economic contributions (including multiplier effects) of the Florida forest industry in 2023 included 103,399 full-time and part-time jobs, $28.78 billion in industry output, and $13.36 billion in value added.
Total employment and total value added contributions represented 0.71 percent of the state workforce and 0.84 percent of Gross State Product (GSP) in 2023, respectively, though the relative importance of the forest industry varied significantly by county. Five counties were identified as critically dependent upon the forest industry, with employment or value added contributions representing over 20 percent of the overall county economy, including Dixie, Liberty, Taylor, Nassau, and Putnam. In general, timber production and economic dependence on the forest industry were highest in rural counties in the northern part of the state; however, economic contributions of the industry were also high in many urbanized counties, especially for forestry support services, secondary wood and paper manufacturing, and wholesale distribution activities, demonstrating the important industry linkages between urban and rural areas of the state.
The work upon which this report is based was funded, in whole or in part through a subrecipient grant awarded by the USDA Forest Service through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The contents do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the USDA Forest Service nor does mention of trade names, commercial productions, services, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
Downloads
- Final Report: Economic Contributions of the Florida Forest Industry in 2023
- Suggested Citation: Court, C.D., Hodges, A.W., Koeneke, R.F., McDaid, K., & Qiao, X. (2026). Economic Contributions of the Florida Forest Industry in 2023. UF/IFAS Economic Impact Analysis Program, Food and Resource Economics Department, University of Florida. ufl.edu/florida-forest-products.
- Fact Sheet: Economic Contributions of the Florida Forest Industry in 2023
- Suggested Citation: Court, C.D., Hodges, A.W., Koeneke, R.F., McDaid, K., & Qiao, X. (2026). Economic Contributions of the Florida Forest Industry in 2023 Fact Sheet. UF/IFAS Economic Impact Analysis Program, Food and Resource Economics Department, University of Florida. ufl.edu/florida-forest-products.
- Infographic: Economic Contributions of the Florida Forest Industry in 2023
- Suggested Citation: Court, C.D., Hodges, A.W., Koeneke, R.F., McDaid, K., & Qiao, X. (2026). Economic Contributions of the Florida Forest Industry in 2023 Infographic. UF/IFAS Economic Impact Analysis Program, Food and Resource Economics Department, University of Florida. ufl.edu/florida-forest-products.
- Dashboard: Economic Contributions of the Florida Forest Industry in 2023
- Suggested Citation: Qiao, X., Court, C.D., Hodges, A.W., Koeneke, R., McDaid, K. (2026). Economic Contributions of the Florida Forest Industry in 2023 [Dashboard]. UF/IFAS Economic Impact Analysis Program, Food and Resource Economics Department, University of Florida.
Project Contacts:
- Christa Court, ccourt@ufl.edu
- Jarek Nowak, Jarek.Nowak@FDACS.gov
Media Contacts:
- Jamie Groh, Public Relations Specialist II, (352) 294-3313 / jamieg@ufl.edu