hroughout the history of the US, the forest products industry has been intimately linked to the development of the nation. Some of the first exports from the original American Colonies were white pine trees, destined to become ship masts for Britain's Royal Navy. One of the first sawmills in the New World was built in Berwick, Maine in 1631 and Vermont's first sawmill began operating in 1738 or 1739. In early America, wood was abundant and because of it's versatility, was used for products ranging from houses and barns, to barrels and boxes.
While wood has been replaced with other materials in many products, the wood using industry is still very important to the economy of Vermont and the other states throughout the "maple region".

The Forest

Forests dominate the landscape in Vermont, covering 4.6 million acres, or over 78% of the state. Since the peak period of land clearing for agriculture, in the middle of the 19th century, forests have been slowly reclaiming the land. After decades of increases, the state currently has more acres of forest than at any time in the last 100 years. There is 2% more forestland today than in 1983, and 24% more than in 1948 when the US Forest Service began collecting this data. The Forest Service classifies 97% (4.5 million acres) of the forestland as "timberland"; land which is physically capable of growing timber crops and potentially available for harvesting.

Not only has the acreage of forest increased, but so have the average size and number of trees in Vermont's forests.

Sustainability
In recent years, the term "sustainable" has been used by many people, in many different contexts, to mean many different things. The Vermont Forest Resources Plan defines sustainability as "the production and use of resources to meet the needs of present generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs". While many factors contribute to "forest sustainability", foresters have long realized that to sustain forests over time, removals of wood must not exceed the rate of tree growth.

One of the key tools for assessing the health and sustainability of Vermont's forests is the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) conducted by the US Forest Service. The latest inventory, conducted in 1997, found that Vermont's forests contain over 117 million cords of wood, an average of over 26 cords per acre. Since 1966, the average diameter of these trees has increased from 8.3 to 9.16 inches (diameter breast height), and the average number of trees per acre has increased from 170 to 187 (trees 5"or larger in diameter).

The FIA not only monitors growth, but also assesses the level of removals from forests to calculate a "growth-to-removals ratio". Net growth is the total growth of trees plus gains from land coming into forest, minus losses to mortality from insect and disease outbreaks, and disturbances such as wind or ice storms. Removals include harvesting as well as losses due to land use change. Since 1948, the net growth of trees has exceeded removals. In fact, about twice as much wood has been grown as was cut or otherwise removed!

Sugar maple is Vermont's most abundant species, when ranked by volume, followed by red maple. Maple (sugar and red maple combined) also makes-up nearly 33% of the state's total hardwood harvest (by volume)… roughly 116 thousand cords in 2001. While it seems like a huge number, the state's forests are growing roughly three times as much maple as is cut annually. When judged on the basis of growth and harvest levels, Vermont's maple resource is certainly being utilized sustainably.

The Industry*
Maple is a mainstay of many of Vermont's commercial hardwood sawmills, and is also a species commonly used species by the wood manufacturing companies located in the state. From forests, to sawmills, to finished products, the industry as a whole supports over 1000 companies. Our wood products companies are incredibly diverse, producing:

• Lumber, veneer & plywood
• Finished furniture (custom and production)
• Furniture components
• Cabinetry and architectural millwork
• Clapboards and flooring
• Toys & novelties
• Pallets, crates and other packing and shipping materials
• Cutlery handles & other component parts
• Bowls, cutting boards & other household accessories
• Birdhouses & feeder

* Source: VT Wood Manufacturers Association

Vermont Forest Industry Facts **

** Source: The Economic Importance of Vermont's Forests; Northeast State Foresters Assoc.; March 2001.