Forest Service | September 2017

e-S c i e n c e U p d a t e S RS-1 2 3

Georgia’s

Timber Industry—Timber Product Output and Use, 2013

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Introduction

This science update contains the findings of a 2013 canvass of all 

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

product output and residue use since 2011. 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 2013 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 Georgia was 

conducted in 2014 to obtain information for 2013. In addition, 

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

harvested from Georgia timberland was incorporated into Georgia 

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 1961, 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 Forest Inventory and Analysis (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: https://

srsfia2.fs.fed.us/. The Excel® core tables and figures that 

complement this science update are available on the TPO database.

The SRS gratefully acknowledges the tremendous cooperation and 

assistance provided by the Georgia Forestry Commission in 

collecting mill data. Appreciation is also extended to forest industry 

and mill managers for providing timber products information. 

Product and

species group 2011 2013 Change Change

percent

 Softwood 277,899 310,022 32,123 11.6

 Hardwood 56,462 53,997 -2,465 -4.4

 Total 334,361 364,019 29,658 8.9

 Softwood 35,525 40,494 4,969 14.0

 Hardwood 3,618 2,761 -857 -23.7

 Total 39,143 43,255 4,112 10.5

 Softwood 586,478 508,127 -78,351 -13.4

 Hardwood 114,708 99,809 -14,899 -13.0

 Total 701,186 607,936 -93,250 -13.3

 Softwood 50,547 74,166 23,619 46.7

 Hardwood 946 4 -942 -99.6

 Total 51,493 74,170 22,677 44.0

 Softwood 57,354 88,108 30,754 53.6

 Hardwood 5,100 6,726 1,626 31.9

 Total 62,454 94,834 32,380 51.8

Post, Poles, and Pilings

 Softwood 25,299 23,018 -2,281 -9.0

 Hardwood 0 0 0 0.0

 Total 25,299 23,018 -2,281 -22.5

 Softwood 1,033,102 1,043,935 10,833 1.0

 Hardwood 180,834 163,297 -17,537 -9.7

 Total 1,213,936 1,207,232 -6,704 -0.6

Pulpwood

Composite panels

Other industrial

All industrial

Table 1—Output of industrial products by product and 

species group, Georgia, 2011 and 2013

Year

 - - - - thousand cubic feet - - - - 

Saw logs

Veneer logs
e-S c i e n c e U p d a t e S RS-1 2 3

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All Products

Industrial timber product output from roundwood decreased 6.7 

million cubic feet, or <1 percent, to 1.21 billion cubic feet.

Output of industrial softwood roundwood products increased 1 

percent, at 1.04 billion cubic feet, while output of industrial 

hardwood roundwood products decreased 9.7 percent to 163.3 

million cubic feet (fig. 1).

Pulpwood and saw logs were the principal roundwood products in 

2013. Combined output of these two products totaled 971.9 million 

cubic feet and accounted for 81 percent of the State's total industrial 

roundwood output (fig. 2).

Total receipts at Georgia mills, which included roundwood 

harvested and retained in the State and roundwood imported from 

other States, experienced no change at 1.22 billion cubic feet.

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

in Georgia increased from 151 in 2011 to 164 in 2013 (fig. 3). The 

number of sawmills increased by 4, pulpmills, veneer, and 

composite panel mills remain stable, and other miscellaneous mills 

increased by 9.

Across all products, 87 percent of roundwood harvested was 

retained for processing at Georgia mills. Exports of roundwood to 

other States amounted to 161.8 million cubic feet, while imports of 

roundwood amounted to 173.1 million cubic feet making the State 

a net importer of roundwood. 

Pulpwood

Total pulpwood production declined 13 percent to 607.9 million 

cubic feet, but accounted for 50 percent of the State's total roundwood TPO compared to 58 percent of total TPO in 2011. Softwood 

output was down to 508.1 million cubic feet; hardwood output 

decreased as well to 99.8 million cubic feet (fig. 4). These were 

decreases from 2011 numbers of 13.4 percent and 13 percent, respectively.

Twelve pulpmill facilities were operating and receiving roundwood 

in Georgia in 2012, the same since 2003. Total pulpwood receipts 

for these mills decreased to 607.6 million cubic feet, accounting for 

50 percent of total receipts for all mills.

Figure 1— Roundwood production for all products by species group and 

year, Georgia, 2013.

Figure 2— Roundwood production by type of product, Georgia, 

2013.

Figure 3—Primary wood-using mills, Georgia, 2013.
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e-S c i e n c e U p d a t e S RS-1 2 3

Eighty-one percent of roundwood cut for pulpwood was retained for 

processing at Georgia pulpmills. Roundwood pulpwood accounted 

for 71 percent of total known exports and 66 percent of total imports. 

Saw Logs

Saw logs accounted for 30 percent of the State's total roundwood 

products. Output of softwood saw logs increased 12 percent to 310 

Composite Panels

Roundwood harvested from Georgia’s forests for composite panels 

increased 44 percent and totaled 74.2 million cubic feet. Softwood 

output was up 47 percent to 74.2 million cubic feet. (fig. 7).

Four composite panel, or oriented strand board, mills were operating 

in Georgia in 2013, up from 3 in 2011. Total receipts for these mills 

increased 55 percent to 80.2 million cubic feet, and accounted for 7 

percent of the state’s total receipts.

million cubic feet, while that of hardwood saw logs decreased 4 

percent to 54 million cubic feet (fig. 5).

In 2013, Georgia had 94 sawmills, 4 more mills than in 2011. Total 

saw-log receipts were up 26 million cubic feet to 372.6 million 

cubic feet. Softwood saw-log receipts increased 10 percent to 314.8 

million cubic feet, while those of hardwoods decreased 5 percent to 

57.9 million cubic feet. 

Georgia retained 93 percent of its saw-log production for within 

State manufacture, with saw-log imports exceeding exports by 8.7 

million cubic feet in 2013.

Figure 4—Roundwood pulpwood production by species group and year, 

Georgia, 2013.

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

Georgia, 2013. 

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

year, Georgia, 2013. 

Figure 7— Roundwood composite panel production by species group and 

year, Georgia, 2013. 

Veneer Logs

Output of veneer logs in 2013 totaled 43.3 million cubic feet, 11 

percent increase since 2011, and accounted for 3.6 percent of the 

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

The number of veneer mills operating in Georgia decreased by 

one at 5 for 2013. Receipts of veneer logs increased 3 percent to 

41.8 million cubic feet. 
e-S c i e n c e U p d a t e S RS-1 2 3

4

Other Industrial Products

Roundwood harvested for other industrial uses such as poles, posts, 

mulch, residential firewood, industrial fuel, logs for log homes, and 

all other industrial products totaled 117.8 million cubic feet. 

Softwood made up 94 percent of the other industrial products 

volume.

The number of plants producing other industrial products totaled 49 

in 2013. Combined receipts of other industrial products from 

softwood and hardwood increased 34 percent to 116.3 million cubic 

feet. Industrial fuel accounted for 79.8 million cubic feet, or 69 

percent, of receipt volume for this category.

Plant Byproducts

In 2013, processing of primary products in Georgia mills generated 

356.0 million cubic feet of wood and bark residues. Coarse residues 

from all primary products amounted to 137 million cubic feet, while 

bark volume totaled 115.6 million cubic feet. Collectively, sawdust 

and shavings made up 30 percent of total residues, or 76.9 million 

cubic feet (fig. 8).

The processing of saw logs generated 251 million cubic feet of mill 

residues, accounting for 71 percent of the total residues produced 

(fig. 9).

How to Cite This Publication

Wall, David J., Bentley, James W., Cooper, Jason 

A., Gray, James A. 2017. Georgia’s timber 

industry—timber product output and use, 2013. 

e-Science Update–123. Asheville, NC: 

U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, 

Southern Research Station. 4 p.

Contact Information

David J Wall, Forester

Forest Inventory and Analysis

Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Service

4700 Old Kingston Pike

Knoxville, Tennessee 37919

Phone: 601-384-5876x 160/ Fax: 865-862-0248

Email: djwall@fs.fed.us

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

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

James W Bentley, Forester

Forest Inventory and Analysis

Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Service

4700 Old Kingston Pike

Knoxville, Tennessee 37919

Phone: 865-862-2056/ Fax: 865-862-0248

Email: jamesbentley@fs.fed.us

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

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

The published report is available online at https://treesearch.fs.fed.us

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer

Nearly 356.0 million cubic feet, or 100 percent, of the wood and 

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

residues were not used for a product, 41 percent of the residues were 

used for industrial fuel and 41 percent were used for fiber products 

(fig. 10). More than 120.6 million cubic feet, or 93 percent, of the 

coarse residues were used for fiber products. Eighty percent of the 

bark was used for industrial fuel, while 56 percent of the sawdust 

and shavings were used for industrial fuel.

Figure 8— Primary mill residue by type, Georgia, 2013.

Figure 9— Primary mill residue produced by mill roundwood 

type, Georgia, 2013. 

Figure 10— Disposal of residue by product, Georgia, 2013.