Executive Summary

• Forest resources remain abundant in Louisiana. About 50% of the state (14.98 million acres) is covered with forests. Loblolly pine is the most widespread species, holding 41.1% of total standing volume on roughly 5.6 million acres in loblolly/shortleaf pine. In Louisiana, 86% of forestland (12.92 million acres) is in private ownership; the remainder is held by federal (8%) and state and local (6%) governments.
• Louisiana’s forest industry is composed of seven aggregated subsectors: forestry; logging; primary solid wood products and wood-based power; secondary solid wood products; wood furniture; pulp, paper and paperboard; and secondary paperboard and other paper products. The industry remains tightly connected to the rest of the Louisiana economy, especially to wholesale trade, electric power, truck transportation, owner-occupied housing and downstream paper-converting activity.
• The standing-volume surplus continues to widen. Statewide sound stem volume reached approximately 40.8 billion cubic feet in 2024, with annual gross growth (+1,676 mmcf) exceeding combined removals (−775 mmcf) and mortality (−492 mmcf) by about 409 million cubic feet per year, a net growth-to-removals ratio of roughly 1.5:1. Louisiana continues to add more wood to its forests each year than is harvested.
• The total economic contribution of the forest industry in Louisiana reached $14.13 billion in 2024, supporting 33,916 jobs and $2.46 billion in labor income. The pulp, paper and paperboard sector remained the largest forest-based industry, with $5.32 billion in direct output (38% of total industry output), 4,288 direct jobs and $572 million in direct labor income. Primary solid wood products ranked second by output ($3.61 billion, 26%) and was the largest direct employer in the industry, with 5,838 jobs.
• The statewide aggregate employment contribution multiplier is 1.35, meaning that for every 10 jobs created directly within the forest industry, an additional 3.5 jobs are supported elsewhere in the Louisiana economy. The pulp and paper sector carries the highest employment multiplier at 1.84, while primary solid wood products has a multiplier of 1.41. Output multipliers cluster in the 1.15-1.22 range across most subsectors, reflecting strong interindustry linkages with Louisiana wholesale trade, transportation and industrial-power supply chains.
• Forest resources are not evenly distributed across the state. The 4th and 5th Congressional Districts together host more than 65% of Louisiana’s direct forest-industry output and about 63% of its direct jobs. The 6th District has emerged as a major contributor as well, anchored by primary wood-products and pulp/paper capacity. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd districts host smaller but meaningful forestry, secondary wood products, and converted-paper activity.
• The forest industry generated approximately $771.55 million in total tax revenue in 2024, of which $555.63 million flowed to federal coffers and $215.92 million to state and local governments. The 4th and 5th districts together accounted for just over two-thirds of total tax payments.
• Two recent industry developments shaped the 2024 picture. First, the rapid build-out of southern yellow pine sawmill capacity in north and central Louisiana allowed statewide capacity to reach approximately 2,015 million board feet (MMBF) in 2024 and is on track to exceed 2,400 MMBF by 2025. Second, the closure of the International Paper Red River mill in Campti (April 2025), which removed about 1.02 million tons per year of pulpwood demand from the north Louisiana market.

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