Georgia’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–090

February 2014

Southern

Research Station

Introduction

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

primary wood-using plants in Georgia, 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 Georgia 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 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 FIA Research Work Unit of the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

Forest Service 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 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.

Langdale Forest 

Products, Valdosta, 

GA. (photo by 

Risher Willard)
2

All Products

• Industrial timber product output from roundwood increased 167.5 

million cubic feet, or 16 percent, to 1.22 billion cubic feet.

• Output of industrial softwood roundwood products was up 

14 percent, to 1.04 billion cubic feet, while output of industrial 

hardwood roundwood products increased 26 percent to 182.01 

million cubic feet (fig. 1).

• Pulpwood and saw logs were the principal roundwood products 

in 2011. Combined output of these two products totaled 1.04 

billion cubic feet and accounted for 85 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, was up 18 percent from 1.05 billion cubic feet to 

1.23 billion cubic feet.

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

in Georgia declined from 152 in 2009 to 151 in 2011 (fig. 3). The 

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

composite panel mills remain stable, and other miscellaneous mills 

declined by three.

• Across all products, 86 percent of roundwood harvested was 

retained for processing at Georgia mills. Exports of roundwood to 

other States amounted to 172.8 million cubic feet, while imports of 

roundwood amounted to 181.4 million cubic feet making the State 

a net importer of roundwood. 

Pulpwood

• Total pulpwood production increased 18 percent to 702.4 million 

cubic feet but accounted for 58 percent of the State’s total 

roundwood TPO compared to 57 percent of total TPO in 2009. 

Softwood output was up to 587.3 million cubic feet; hardwood 

output increased as well to 115.1 million cubic feet (fig. 4). These 

were increases from 2009 numbers of 17 percent and 20 percent, 

respectively.

• Twelve pulpmill facilities were operating and receiving roundwood 

in Georgia in 2011, the same since 2003. Total pulpwood receipts 

for these mills increased to 702.6 million cubic feet, accounting for 

57 percent of total receipts for all mills.

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

for processing at Georgia pulpmills. Roundwood pulpwood 

accounted for 76 percent of total known exports and 73 percent 

of total imports. 

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

Southwest

Central

North

North 

Central

Southeast

Sawmill (0–5 mmbf)

Sawmill (>20 mmbf)

Sawmill (5–20 mmbf)

Composite panel

Veneer

Pulpmill

Plywood mill

Other mill

Primary wood-using mills

Year

1986

1989

1992

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

2005

2007

20092011

Production (million cubic feet)

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200 Softwood 

Hardwood 

Figure 1—Roundwood production for all products by species group 

and year, Georgia.

Figure 2—Roundwood production by type of product, 

Georgia, 2011.

Total 1.22 billion cubic feet

Saw logs

27%

Other

industrial

8%

Veneer

logs

3%

Pulpwood

58%

Composite

panels

4%
3

Saw Logs

• Saw logs accounted for 27 percent of the State’s total roundwood 

products. Output of softwood saw logs increased 5 percent to 

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

32 percent to 57.0 million cubic feet (fig. 5).

• In 2011, Georgia had 90 sawmills, 2 more mills than in 2009. Total 

saw-log receipts were up 37.0 million cubic feet to 347.5 million 

cubic feet. Softwood saw-log receipts increased 9 percent to 286.6 

million cubic feet, while those of hardwoods were up 31 percent 

to 61.0 million cubic feet. 

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

State manufacture, with saw-log imports exceeding exports by 

12.3 million cubic feet in 2011.

Veneer Logs

• Output of veneer logs in 2011 totaled 39.1 million cubic feet, 14 

percent decline since 2009, and accounted for 3 percent of the 

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

• The number of veneer mills operating in Georgia remained stable 

at six for 2011. Receipts of veneer logs dropped 9 percent to 40.7 

million cubic feet. 

Figure 4—Roundwood pulpwood production by species group and 

year, Georgia.

Year

1986

1989

1992

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

2005

2007

2009

2011

Production (million cubic feet)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Softwood 

Hardwood 

Year

1986

1989

1992

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

2005

2007

2009

2011

Production (million cubic feet)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Softwood 

Hardwood 

Figure 6—Roundwood veneer-log production by species group 

and year, Georgia.

Figure 7—Roundwood production for composite panels by species 

group and year, Georgia.

Year

1986

1989

1992

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

2005

2007

2009

2011

Production (million cubic feet)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Softwood 

Hardwood 

Not

reported

Composite Panels

• Roundwood harvested from Georgia’s forests for composite 

panels fell 11 percent and totaled 51.4 million cubic feet. Softwood 

output was down 12 percent to 50.4 million cubic feet; hardwood 

production more than doubled to 962,000 cubic feet (fig. 7).

• Three composite panel, or oriented strand board, mills were 

operating in Georgia in 2011, same as in 2009. Total receipts for 

these mills declined 10 percent to 51.6 million cubic feet, and 

accounted for 4 percent of the State’s total receipts.

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 92.0 million 

cubic feet. Softwood made up 94 percent of the other industrial 

products volume.

• The number of plants producing other industrial products totaled 

40 in 2011. Combined receipts of other industrial products from 

softwood and hardwood more than doubled to 86.5 million cubic 

feet. Industrial fuel accounted for 18.9 million cubic feet, or 22 

percent, of receipt volume for this category.

Year

1986

1989

1992

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

2005

2007

2009

2011

Production (million cubic feet)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500 Softwood 

Hardwood 

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

year, Georgia.
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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sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part 

of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities 

who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET 

Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

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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. Georgia’s 

timber industry, 2011—timber product output and use—forest 

inventory and analysis factsheet. e-Science Update SRS–090. 

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

Southern Research Station. 4 p.

Plant Byproducts

• In 2011, processing of primary products in Georgia mills generated 

346.0 million cubic feet of wood and bark residues. Coarse 

residues from all primary products amounted to 129.1 million 

cubic feet, while bark volume totaled 119.7 million cubic feet. 

Collectively, sawdust and shavings made-up 28 percent of total 

residues, or 97.2 million cubic feet (fig. 8).

• The processing of saw logs generated 234.5 million cubic feet 

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

produced (fig. 9).

• Nearly 346.0 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, 45 percent of the 

residues were used for industrial fuel and 36 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.

Load of pulp logs headed to pulpmill. 

(photo by James Bentley)

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Total 346 million cubic feet

Sawdust

20%

Coarse

37%

Shavings

8%

Bark

35%

Figure 8—Primary mill residue by residue type, 

Georgia, 2011.

Figure 9—Primary mill residue produced by roundwood 

type, Georgia, 2011.

Total 346 million cubic feet

Pulpwood

22%

Veneer 

logs

8%

Other industrial

2%

Saw 

logs

68%

Composite 

panels

<1%

Figure 10—Disposal of residue by product, Georgia, 

2011.

Total 346 million cubic feet

Particleboard

5%

Fiber

products

36%

Industrial

fuel

45%

Sawn 

products

<1%

Miscellaneous

14%

Not 

used

<1%