Mississippi’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–093

February 2014

Southern

Research Station

Introduction

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

primary wood-using plants in Mississippi, 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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi timberland was incorporated 

into Mississippi 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.

The Southern Research Station gratefully acknowledges the 

tremendous cooperation and assistance provided by the Mississippi 

Forestry Commission in collecting mill data. Appreciation is also 

extended to forest industry and mill managers for providing timber 

products information.

Weyerhaeuser pulpmill in Columbus, MS. 

(photo by LueAnn 

Lefor)
2

All Products

• Industrial timber product output from roundwood increased 

38.3 million cubic feet, or 6 percent, to 723.3 million cubic feet.

• Output of industrial softwood roundwood products was up 

7 percent, to 564.2 million cubic feet, while output of industrial 

hardwood roundwood products increased 2 percent to 159.2 

million cubic feet (fig. 1 ).

Pulpwood

• Total pulpwood production increased 11 percent to 438.7 million 

cubic feet and accounted for 61 percent of the State’s total 

roundwood TPO compared to 58 percent of total TPO in 2009. 

Softwood output was up 15 percent to 343.7 million cubic feet, 

while hardwood output decreased 3 percent to 94.9 million cubic 

feet (fig. 4).

• Five pulpmill facilities were operating and receiving roundwood in 

Mississippi in 2011, the same since 2005. Total pulpwood receipts 

for these mills increased to 265.4 million cubic feet, accounting for 

49 percent of total receipts for all mills.

• Fifty-seven percent of roundwood cut for pulpwood was retained 

for processing at Mississippi pulpmills. Roundwood pulpwood 

accounted for 86 percent of total known exports and 39 percent 

of total imports. 

• Pulpwood and saw logs were the principal roundwood products 

in 2011. Combined output of these two products totaled 651.7 

million cubic feet and accounted for 90 percent of the State’s total 

industrial roundwood output (fig. 2).

• Total receipts at Mississippi mills, which included roundwood 

harvested and retained in the State and roundwood imported 

from other States, was up 5 percent from 520.3 million cubic feet 

to 544.4 million cubic feet.

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

in Mississippi declined from 73 in 2009 to 63 in 2011 (fig. 3).

• Across all products, 69 percent of roundwood harvested was 

retained for processing at Mississippi mills. Exports of roundwood 

to other States amounted to 221.3 million cubic feet, while imports 

of roundwood amounted to 42.4 million cubic feet, making the 

State a net exporter of roundwood.

Veneer

logs

7%

Other

industrtial

3%

Saw

logs

29%

Pulpwood

61%

Total 723 million cubic feet

Figure 2—Roundwood production by type of product, 

Mississippi, 2011.

North

Central

South

Southwest

Delta

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

Sawmill (0–5 mmbf)

Sawmill (>20 mmbf)

Sawmill (5–20 mmbf)

Composite panel

Veneer

Pulpmill

Plywood mill

Other mill

Primary wood-using mills

Year

Softwood

Hardwood

1966

1972

1976

1995

1999

2002

2005

2007

2009

2011

Figure 1—Roundwood production for all products by species group 

and year, Mississippi. Production (million cubic feet) 

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800
3

Saw Logs

• Saw logs accounted for 29 percent of the State’s total roundwood 

products. Output of softwood saw logs decreased 8 percent to 

152.1 million cubic feet, while that of hardwood saw logs was up 

12 percent to 60.9 million cubic feet (fig. 5).

• In 2011, Mississippi had 48 sawmills, 9 fewer mills than in 2009. 

Total saw-log receipts dropped 10.4 million cubic feet to 204.9 

million cubic feet. Softwood saw-log receipts decreased 11 percent 

to 144.8 million cubic feet, while those of hardwoods were up 13 

percent to 60.1 million cubic feet. 

• Mississippi retained 87 percent of its saw-log production for 

within-State manufacture, with saw-log exports exceeding imports 

by 8.1 million cubic feet in 2011.

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 

21.6 million cubic feet. Softwood made up 95 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 20.6 million cubic feet. Industrial 

fuel accounted for 4.3 million cubic feet, or 21 percent, of receipt 

volume for this category.

Plant Byproducts

• In 2011, processing of primary products in Mississippi mills 

generated 202.8 million cubic feet of wood and bark residues. 

Coarse residues from all primary products amounted to 84.3 

million cubic feet, while bark volume totaled 54.0 million cubic 

feet. Collectively, sawdust and shavings made up 32 percent of 

total residues, or 64.5 million cubic feet (fig. 7).

Veneer Logs

• Output of veneer logs in 2011 totaled 50.1 million cubic feet, a 

7-percent increase since 2009, and accounted for 7 percent of the 

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

• The number of veneer mills operating in Mississippi dropped to six 

in 2011. Receipts of veneer logs increased 6 percent to 53.5 million 

cubic feet. 

Figure 4—Roundwood pulpwood production by type of product, 

Mississippi.

1966

19721976

1995

19992002

200520072009

2011

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Production (million cubic feet)

Year

Softwood

Hardwood

Figure 5—Roundwood saw-log production by type of product, 

Mississippi.

1966

19721976

1995

1999

2002

2005200720092011

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Production (million cubic feet)

Softwood

Hardwood

Year

Figure 6—Roundwood veneer-log production by type of product, 

Mississippi.

1966

1972

1976

1995

1999

2002

2005200720092011

Year

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Production (million cubic feet)

Softwood

Hardwood

Figure 7—Primary mill residue by residue type, 

Mississippi, 2011.

Bark

27%

Coarse

Sawdust 41%

25%

Shavings

7%

Total 203 million cubic feet
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

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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. 

Mississippi’s timber industry, 2011—timber product output and 

use—forest inventory and analysis factsheet. e-Science Update 

SRS–093. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest 

Service, Southern Research Station. 4 p.

• The processing of saw logs generated 137.8 million cubic feet 

of mill residues, accounting for 68 percent of the total residues 

produced (fig. 8).

• Nearly 100 percent, or 202.7 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, 52 percent of the residues 

were used for industrial fuel and 39 percent were used for fiber 

products (fig. 9). Ninety-three percent, or 78.4 million cubic feet, 

of the coarse residues were used for fiber products. Ninety-five 

percent of the bark was used for industrial fuel, while 77 percent 

of the sawdust and shavings were used for industrial fuel.

Load of pulp logs headed to pulpmill. 

(photo by James Bentley)

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Figure 8—Primary mill residue produced by roundwood 

type, Mississippi, 2011.

Saw 

logs

68%

Total 203 million cubic feet

Veneer 

logs

18%

Pulpwood

14%

Other 

industrial

<1%

Particleboard

4%

Miscellaneous

5%

Fiber 

products

39%

Not 

used

<1%

Industrial 

fuel

52%

Sawn 

products

<1%

Total 203 million cubic feet

Figure 9—Disposal of residue by product, Mississippi, 

2011.