Rhode Island

Ranking as one of the state’s top manufacturing industries, Rhode Island’s forest products industry is a vital component of the state’s economy. The industry employs 3,000 workers with an annual payroll of $80 million. Rhode Island’s paper and wood manufacturing workforce represents 3.3 percent of the state’s total manufacturing workforce.

Approximately 61 percent of Rhode Island is forested. Credited to regeneration and planting programs, the net annual forest growth exceeds harvests by a substantial margin.

Rhode Island’s Land Area (in thousands of acres)
Total Land Area: 669
Forests: 409
Forests as Percent of Total: 61.1%
Federal Lands: 4

Timberland (in thousands of acres)
Government
    Federal: 5
    State: 64
Other Private Nonindustrial: 287
Total Timberland: 356

Federal Land Set-Asides (in thousands of acres)
Fish & Wildlife Service: 2
Total: 2

Recycled Paper Consumption (in thousands of short tons): 685
also includes Connecticut’s recycled paper consumption

Tree Planting (acres)
State, County & Municipal: 8
Farmer & Other Private: 37
Total: 45

Value of Industry Shipments (in thousands of dollars)
Wood Product Manufacturing: $101,319
Paper Manufacturing: $302,847

Capital Expenditures (in thousands of dollars)
Wood Product Manufacturing: $1,736
Paper Manufacturing:  $9,003

Annual Production
Softwood Lumber (million board feet): 3
Hardwood Lumber (million board feet): 7

Timberland Ownership
Government: 19%
Other Private Nonindustrial: 81%

Rhode Island’s total softwood and hardwood inventory has more than doubled since 1953 despite increasing production of wood and paper products.

Employment
Forestry: 106
Lumber & Wood Products (includes logging): 1,040
Paper & Allied Products: 1,914