Forrest County Forestry Profile

Forestry and the Forest Products Industry are a major component of Forrest County’s economy. Forest related economic sectors generate value not only within the forest related sectors but also in other sectors of the economy. The economic contribution of forest related sectors and their impacts on other sectors can be estimated using input-output analysis. Using 2007 data, it is estimated that forestry and forest products created a total output of $274 million in Forrest County, Mississippi.

Download the Economic Contribution of Forestry and Forest Products in Forrest County.

Employment and Income Impacts

Employment is the number of full- and part-time jobs in all sectors of the economy. Income is salaries and wages paid to employees. Forest related economic activity in Forrest County during 2007 generated 1,567 jobs and over $65 million in income.

Total Output and Value Added Impacts

The value of all goods and services produced is defined as total output. Value added is a portion of total output and represents the creation of new wealth. Over 5% of Forrest County’s economic output is derived from forestry and the forest products industry. Forest related value added amounted to nearly $106 million.

Tax Impacts

Forest-related economic activity contributed an estimated $21.9 million in tax revenue for federal, state, and local governments. This represents an estimated tax revenue of $12.9 million for federal and $9 million for state and local governments.

Acreage

Total Acres in the County: 298,611
Acres of Forest: 177,397
Percent of Forest: 59%

Forest Type	Acres	Percent
Pine	133,882	75%
Hardwood	41,604	24%
Mixed Pine/Hardwood	1,913	1%

Forest Landowners	Acres	Percent
Private Individual Timberland Ownership	98,996	56%
Forest Industry Timberland Ownership	9,205	5%
Federal Government Timberland Ownership	62,644	35%
State and Local Timberland Ownership	6,552	4%

Income/Values	Dollars
Forestland Assessed Value (2008)	$6,797,672
Estimated Ad Valorem Tax Collections from Forestland (2008)	$771,944
Value of Standing Timber in 2007	$205,038,587
Value of Timber Harvested in 2007	$8,265,959
Timber Severance Tax Collections (100%)	$39,190

Sources: Forestland ownership, acreage, and timber volumes were estimated using the Mississippi Institute for Forest Inventory (MIFI) Dynamic Report Generator Software. Tax collections according to Mississippi Tax Commission. Timber harvest value according to the Mississippi Harvest of Forest Products Report. Produced by James E. Henderson, Assistant Extension Professor, and Ian A. Munn, Professor, Department of Forestry.