Slightly more than 3.8 million acres are commercial timberland. As the map shows, about 24 percent of this is in the northern part of the state. The remainder, or 76 percent, is divided among three major geological areas of southern Indiana. The lower Wabash unit contains 21 percent, the Knobs unit 46 percent and the Upland Flats unit 9 percent of the state total. Indiana forests are owned by many people.
Farmers own the largest amount of timberland.
Altogether they own more than 2,500,000 acres, or 67 percent of all timberland. About 22 percent of the forest land is owned by coal companies, water companies, sawmill companies, estates, and other private owners. Public agencies, including cities, counties, the state, and federal government, own the remaining 11 percent of land in forests. Thus we see that nearly 90 percent of all the forest land in Indiana is privately owned. The important and valuable hardwood tree species are white and red oaks, walnut, cherry, tulip poplar, sugar maple, ash, hickory and basswood.