American hardwoods are alive and well, according to data provided by the U.S. Forest Service and displayed on an interactive map developed by the American Hardwood Export Council.
(The map may be accessed online at https://goo.gl/vrk4tb.)
The map displays forest volume of most of the main commercial American hardwood species (22 in all) as well
as growth and removals. Growth, removals and net growth are displayed for individual states when clicking on a state.
Don’t let anyone tell you we’re depleting our hardwood forests. On the contrary, they are flourishing, as the data and maps show. Growth of hardwoods exceeds removals in all states save one: Texas, although a small handful of other states experience negative growth.
Two Eastern states dominate in terms of net growth of hardwoods. Pennsylvania’s hardwoods grow at an annual rate of 20.3 million cubic meters, second only to North Carolina, at 20.9 million. Pennsylvania harvests 8.2 million for net growth of 12.0 million. North Carolina harvests more, 9.0 million, for net growth of 11.8 million.
Virginia is next with growth of 17.3 million and removals of 8.1 million for net growth of 9.1 million.
It is followed by three states that are leaders in net growth, New York (growth 14.7 million, removals 5.9 million, net 8.8 million), West Virginia (14.2 million, 6.2 million, 7.9 million), and Alabama (15.5 million, 8.4 million, 7.1 million).
Rounding out the other top states are Kentucky (13.6 million, 6.5 million, 7.1 million), Michigan (13.5 million, 7.4 million, 6.1 million) and Tennessee (14.5 million, 9.3 million, 5.2 million).
