Missouri: Forestry and Wood Products

In Missouri, there are about 14 million acres that are forested; and most of the forests in Missouri are privately owned, at about 85 percent of the acres.

The wood-using and forest products industry in Missouri has an economic impact of about $4.4 billion each year and supports 32,250 jobs with earnings of $1.1 billion.

Each year, the forestry and wood-using industries in Missouri generate $54 million in state sales tax.

More than 1 million acres of forests have been added to Missouri's landscape in the last 30 years.

Forests in Missouri are increasing faster than they are being harvested.

Forests are important to Missourians who enjoy outdoor recreation such as camping, sightseeing, watching birds, canoeing, photographing nature, hunting, or fishing.

Forests in Missouri are essential for healthy streams, clean water, wildlife habitat, and environmental stability.

At the Missouri Department of Conservation forest nursery, each year, more than 5 million seedlings of more than 50 species are grown and distributed throughout the state. The seedlings are planted on both public and private land.

In the recent fiscal year, more than $270,000 of cost-share assistance was provided by the Missouri Department of Conservation to more than 40 Missouri communities for tree planting and maintenance of urban forest resources.

Missouri Department of Conservation staff work with over 800 fire departments to offer training, to provide federal excess equipment, to provide grants for the purchase of fire equipment, and to assist in wildfire prevention activities.

The amount of sales tax generated from the forest products industry and fish and wildlife recreation is well over the amount of sales tax received by the Missouri Department of Conservation from the Conservation Sales Tax; in other words, conservation pays its way in Missouri.

A fact sheet on Missouri forestry and wood products is on page 15 of the 2005-2006 Annual Report of the Missouri Department of Conservation available at: http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/Documents/13141.pdf
There is additional information on the accomplishments related to forestry on pages 17-35 and 47.