Louisiana’s Timber Industry—

Timber Product Output 

and Use, 2011

Forest Inventory & Analysis Factsheet

James W. Bentley, Jason A. Cooper, and Michael Howell

www.srs.fs.usda.gov

United States Department of Agriculture

Forest

Service

e–Science Update SRS–092

February 2014

Southern

Research Station

Introduction

This science update contains the findings of a 2011 canvass of all 

primary wood-using plants in Louisiana, and presents changes in 

product output and residue use since 2009. It complements the 

Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) annual inventory of volume and 

removals from the State’s timberland. The canvass was conducted 

to determine the amount and source of wood receipts and annual 

timber product drain, by county, in 2011 and to determine interstate 

and cross-regional movement of industrial roundwood. Only primary 

wood-using mills were canvassed. Primary mills are those that 

process roundwood in log or bolt form or as chipped roundwood. 

Examples of industrial roundwood products are saw logs, pulpwood, 

veneer logs, poles, and logs used for composite board products. 

Mills producing products from residues generated at primary and 

secondary processors were not canvassed. Trees chipped in the 

woods were included in the estimate of timber drain only if they were 

delivered to a primary domestic manufacturer. 

A 100-percent canvass of all wood processors in Louisiana was 

conducted in 2012 to obtain information for 2011. In addition, 

roundwood from out-of-State mills known to be using logs or 

bolts harvested from Louisiana timberland was incorporated 

into Louisiana production estimates. Each mill was canvassed by 

mail or through personal contact at plant locations. Telephone 

contacts followed mailed questionnaire responses when additional 

information or clarification of a response was necessary. In the event 

of a nonresponse, data collected in previous surveys were updated 

using current data collected for mills of similar size, product type, and 

location. Surveys for all timber products other than pulpwood began 

in 1948, and are currently conducted every 2 years.

Pulpwood production data were taken from an annual canvass of all 

southern pulpmills. Medium density fiberboard, insulating board, and 

hardboard plants were included in this survey.

The FIA Research Work Unit of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture developed the Timber Product Output (TPO) Database 

Retrieval System to help customers answer questions about timber 

harvesting and use in the Southern region. This system acts as an 

interface to a standard set of consistently coded TPO data for each 

State and county in the region and Nation. The database is well 

documented and easy to use. The retrieval system allows the user to 

select the TPO variables of interest and generate a standard set of 

timber products, removals, and mill residue tables for the specified 

resource area, State, or region. The system is available through the 

FIA Web site: http://srsfia2.fs.fed.us/. The Excel® core tables and 

figures that complement this science update are available on the 

TPO database.

Graphic Packaging. 

(photo by Janet 

Tompkins)
2

All Products

• Industrial timber product output from roundwood increased 62.5 

million cubic feet, or 10 percent, to 663.0 million cubic feet.

• Output of industrial softwood roundwood products was up 12 

percent, to 575.8 million cubic feet, while output of industrial 

hardwood roundwood products increased <1 percent to 87.2 

million cubic feet (fig. 1).

Pulpwood

• Total pulpwood production increased 11 percent to 358.6 million 

cubic feet but accounted for 54 percent of the State’s total 

roundwood TPO, the same as in 2009. Softwood output was up to 

291.2 million cubic feet; hardwood output increased as well to 67.3 

million cubic feet (fig. 4). These were increases from 2009 numbers 

of 14 percent and 1 percent, respectively.

• Seven pulpmill facilities were operating and receiving roundwood 

in Louisiana in 2011, a loss of one since 2009. Total pulpwood 

receipts for these mills increased to 400.0 million cubic feet, 

accounting for 59 percent of total receipts for all mills.

• Pulpwood and saw logs were the principal roundwood products 

in 2011. Combined output of these two products totaled 506.6 

million cubic feet and accounted for 76 percent of the State’s total 

industrial roundwood output (fig. 2).

• Total receipts at Louisiana mills, which included roundwood 

harvested and retained in the State and roundwood imported 

from other States, was up 7 percent from 631.4 million cubic feet to 

675.6 million cubic feet.

• At the same time, the number of primary roundwood-using plants 

in Louisiana declined from 41 in 2009 to 40 in 2011 (fig. 3). The 

number of sawmills remained stable, while pulpmills and veneer 

mills each lost a mill, and other miscellaneous mills gained a mill.

• Across all products, 83 percent of roundwood harvested was 

retained for processing at Louisiana mills. Exports of roundwood 

to other States amounted to 113.2 million cubic feet, while imports 

of roundwood amounted to 125.7 million cubic feet, making the 

State a net importer of roundwood. 

Figure 1—Roundwood production for all products by species group 

and year, Louisiana.

Year

1937

1953

1963

19731996

1999

2002

2005

20072009

2011

Production (million cubic feet)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Softwood 

Hardwood 

Figure 2—Roundwood production by type of product, 

Louisiana, 2011.

Total 663 million cubic feet

Saw logs

22%

Other

industrial

8%

Veneer logs

16%

Pulpwood

54%

Year

1937

1953

1963

1973

1996

1999

2002

2005

2007

2009

2011

Production (million cubic feet)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Softwood 

Hardwood 

Figure 4—Roundwood pulpwood production by species group and 

year, Louisiana.

Northwest

North 

Delta

South

west

Southeast

South Delta

Figure 3—Primary wood-using mills by region, Louisiana, 2011.

Sawmill (0–5 mmbf)

Sawmill (>20 mmbf)

Sawmill (5–20 mmbf)

Composite panel

Veneer

Pulpmill

Plywood mill

Other mill

Primary wood-using mills
3

• Eighty-four percent of roundwood cut for pulpwood was retained 

for processing at Louisiana pulpmills. Roundwood pulpwood 

accounted for 52 percent of total known exports and 79 percent 

of total imports. 

Saw Logs

• Saw logs accounted for 22 percent of the State’s total roundwood 

products. Output of softwood saw logs decreased 4 percent to 

128.9 million cubic feet, while that of hardwood saw logs dropped 

4 percent to 19.1 million cubic feet (fig. 5).

• The number of veneer mills operating in Louisiana declined by one 

going from seven in 2009 to six in 2011. Receipts of veneer logs 

increased 24 percent to 94.3 million cubic feet. 

Other Industrial Products

• Roundwood harvested for other industrial uses such as poles, 

posts, mulch, residential firewood, industrial fuel, logs for log 

homes, composite panels, and all other industrial products totaled 

52.9 million cubic feet. Softwood made up nearly 100 percent of 

the other industrial products volume.

• The number of plants producing other industrial products totaled 

four in 2011. Combined receipts of other industrial products from 

softwood and hardwood totaled 52.4 million cubic feet. Industrial 

fuel accounted for 7.8 million cubic feet, or 15 percent, of receipt 

volume for this category.

Plant Byproducts

• In 2011, processing of primary products in Louisiana mills 

generated 190.7 million cubic feet of wood and bark residues. 

Coarse residues from all primary products amounted to 68.9 

million cubic feet, while bark volume totaled 65.7 million cubic 

feet. Collectively, sawdust and shavings made up 30 percent of 

total residues, or 56.1 million cubic feet (fig. 7).

• In 2011, Louisiana had 23 sawmills, the same as in 2009. Total 

saw-log receipts declined 8.8 million cubic feet to 128.9 million 

cubic feet. Softwood saw-log receipts decreased 5 percent to 114.2 

million cubic feet, while those of hardwoods dropped 15 percent 

to 14.6 million cubic feet.

• Louisiana retained 74 percent of its saw-log production for withinState manufacture, with saw-log exports exceeding imports by 

19.2 million cubic feet in 2011.

Veneer Logs

• Output of veneer logs in 2011 totaled 103.6 million cubic feet, a 

29-percent increase since 2009, and accounted for 16 percent of 

the State’s total roundwood TPO volume (fig. 6). Softwood made 

up 99 percent of the veneer log product volume.

Year

1937

1953

1963

1973

19961999

20022005

20072009

2011

Production (million cubic feet)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Softwood 

Hardwood 

Figure 5—Roundwood saw-log production by species group and 

year, Louisiana.

Year

1937

1953

1963

1973

1996

1999

2002

2005

2007

2009

2011

Production (million cubic feet)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Softwood 

Hardwood 

Figure 6—Roundwood veneer-log production by species group and 

year, Louisiana.

• The processing of saw logs generated 83.6 million cubic feet of mill 

residues, accounting for 44 percent of the total residues produced 

(fig. 8).

Total 191 million cubic feet

Pulpwood

22%

Veneer

logs

33%

Other

industrial

1%

Saw

logs

44%

Figure 8—Primary mill residue produced by 

roundwood type, Louisiana, 2011.

Total 191 million cubic feet

Sawdust

24%

Coarse

36%

Shavings

6%

Bark

34%

Figure 7—Primary mill residue by residue 

type, Louisiana, 2011.
4

Jason A. Cooper, Forester

Forest Inventory and Analysis

Southern Research Station

USDA Forest Service

4700 Old Kingston Pike

Knoxville, TN 37919

Phone: 865-862-2009 / Fax: 865-862-2048

Email: jasoncooper@fs.fed.us

Southern FIA: http://srsfia2.fs.fed.us

National FIA: http://fia.fs.fed.us

The Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is dedicated to the principle of multiple use management of the Nation’s 

forest resources for sustained yields of wood, water, forage, wildlife, and recreation. Through forestry research, cooperation with 

the States and private forest owners, and management of the National Forests and National Grasslands, it strives—as directed by

Congress—to provide increasingly greater service to a growing Nation.

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or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Contact Information

James W. Bentley, Forester

Forest Inventory and Analysis

Southern Research Station, 

USDA Forest Service

4700 Old Kingston Pike

Knoxville, TN 37919

Phone: 865-862-2056 / Fax: 865-862-2048

Email: jamesbentley@fs.fed.us

Southern FIA: http://srsfia2.fs.fed.us

National FIA: http://fia.fs.fed.us

Michael Howell, Forester

Forest Inventory and Analysis

Southern Research Station

USDA Forest Service

4700 Old Kingston Pike

Knoxville, TN 37919

Phone: 865-862-2054 / Fax: 865-862-2048

Email: mhowell@fs.fed.us

Southern FIA: http://srsfia2.fs.fed.us

National FIA: http://fia.fs.fed.us

How to Cite this Publication

Bentley, James W.; Cooper, Jason A.; Howell, Michael. 2014. 

Louisiana’s timber industry, 2011—timber product output and use—

forest inventory and analysis factsheet. e-Science Update SRS–092. 

Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, 

Southern Research Station. 4 p.

• Nearly 100 percent, or 190.7 million cubic feet, of the wood and 

bark residues were used for a product. While <1 percent of the 

residues were not used for a product, 66 percent of the residues 

were used for industrial fuel and 31 percent were used for fiber 

products (fig. 9). Eighty-five percent, or 58.7 million cubic feet, 

of the coarse residues were used for fiber products. Ninetynine percent of the bark, sawdust, and shavings were used for 

industrial fuel.

Load of pulp logs headed to pulpmill. 

(photo by James Bentley)

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Figure 9—Disposal of residue by product, Louisiana, 

2011.

Total 191 million cubic feet

Fiber

products

31%

Industrial

fuel

66%

Sawn

products

3%

Not 

used

<1%

Particleboard

<1%

Miscellaneous

<1%