With regard to the lumber and solid wood products industry alone, Maine ranks fourth only behind the states of Oregon, Idaho, and Washington in percentage contribution of this industry to the total gross state product. The logging, sawmilling, and wood products industries together employ 11,400 people in Maine.
Wood is by far the raw material used in the greatest quantity in the U.S. today.
The weight of wood used each year exceeds the annual consumption of all metals , all plastics , and Portland cement combined . At the University of Maine , students in wood science and technology are taught leading edge technologies to recycle wood fiber. The US is a net importer of the majority of raw material used to sustain its domestic economy today. Return to the Wood Science and Technology page.