By Sarah Fuller
The Texas forest industry continues on a steady trajectory thanks to ongoing demand for new housing and construction, as well as other manufacturing sectors that rely on renewable wood fibers, said a Texas A&M Forest Service expert.
“We’re a huge state that is home to eight of the 15 fastest-growing cities in the nation,” said Aaron Stottlemyer, Ph.D., Texas A&M Forest Service Forest Analytics Department head and adjunct professor in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology. “That growth, and the need for housing in particular, places demand on the forest sector for wood construction materials.”
While Texas is home to more than 55 million acres of forestland, it is the roughly 12 million acres of timber-producing pine forests across 43 East Texas counties that fuel the state’s forest industry.
Stottlemyer said the value of harvested timber consistently ranks among Texas’ top 10 agricultural commodities. According to a Texas A&M Forest Service report, in 2024 the Texas forest sector directly contributed $27.4 billion in industry output and employed over 73,000 people.
Texas forest sector reaches beyond state lines
Stottlemyer said around 85 sawmills currently operate in Texas, transforming raw timber into products like dimensional lumber, plywood and oriented strand board.
“We’re one of the top wood panel producing states in the nation,” he said.
While Texas is considered a net importer of forest products, the state maintains a healthy rate of international and domestic exports.
In 2024, Texas’ international forest product exports totaled $2.1 billion.
“Our two biggest trade partners, both in terms of imports and exports of finished goods, are Mexico and Canada,” he said.
Source : tamu.edu