The chart showed Ohio has just 7.9 million acres of forests and Virginia 15.4 million acres, compared to the nearly 12 million acres of forests in West Virginia. But Ohio and Virginia both have more people working in forest-related businesses and generally get more economic impact from their forests, according to the chart. In Ohio, for example, more than 70,000 people work in forest-related industries. In Virginia, the forests provide about 228,000 jobs. In West Virginia, the Forestry Association estimates there are 20,000 people working in forest-related jobs.
Government agencies say the number is half that.
According to the chart, one major reason for West Virginia's low economic boost from forests is that Ohio has eight pulp and paper mills and Virginia has nine. West Virginia doesn't have any. The chart suggests that West Virginia should have seven pulp and paper mills. Everyone is saying what one pulp and paper mill is going to do in West Virginia, but Ohio has eight and Virginia has nine. We're saying there is no problem with having enough resources for this Apple Grove pulp mill.