Winn Parish led Louisiana in forest income for the second year in a row, According to LSU Ag-Center

Louisiana forest income follows downward trend

While substantial at slightly over $3.3 billion in 2008, economic activity of the forest industry in Louisiana continued to slide, following the worldwide economic downturn, and the international contraction of forest activities in general. (See story on Page 4 concerning world forest industry activity.)

In its annual Louisiana Summary of agricultural activity, the LSU AgCenter said 2008 "marks two consecutive years of significant reductions in the forest products sector of Louisiana's economy, and coincides with the sharp contraction in the national economy that began toward the end of 2007."

The AgCenter Summary said, "The 2008 total sawlog harvest decreased by 326 million board feet (29%) to a cut of 970.9 million board feet. The pine sawtimber harvest decreased by 40% to a total statewide harvest of 833.2 million board feet. The hardwood sawtimber harvest fell to 137.7 million board feet (a 21% decrease) in 2008. Pine chip-n-saw harvested in 2008 totaled 0.8 million cords, a decrease of 10% from 2007 totals. Over the last four years, chip-n-saw harvests have declined over 60%.

The 2008 Louisiana pulpwood harvest was 6.2 million cords, up 0.2 million cords (3%) from the 2007 harvest. Pine pulpwood harvest increased 2% from 4.8 million cords in 2007 to 4.9 million cords in 2008. Hardwood pulpwood harvest increased by less than 0.1 million cords (7%) from 1.1 million cords in 2007 to 1.2 million cords in 2008. This follows a 33% decline in hardwood pulpwood harvested in 2006.

Stumpage prices for the period were mostly lower for sawtimber products and chip-n-saw, and significantly higher for pulpwood products, reflecting increased demand for fiber as fuel wood during the year as fuel prices spiked and peaked. Pine sawtimber stumpage prices were 21%lower in 2008, averaging about %266 per mbf for the year. Oak sawtimber stumpage prices were 2% lower on average around the state in 2008, at approximately $235 per mbf for the reporting period. Statewide average pine pulpwood average pine pulpwood prices increased by 32% from 2007 levels. Hardwood pulpwood prices were 5% higher on average. The average pine pulpwood price for the year in Louisiana was almost $29 and the average hardwood pulpwood price for the year was almost $28. Chip-n-saw prices decreased 11% again this year to a statewide average of approximately $46 per cord

With wood using industries and commercial timber harvesting activities occurring in all parishes in Louisiana, forestry benefits both urban and rural areas. In 2008, Louisiana's private forest landowners received an estimated $463.3 million from the sale of forest timber, down 26% from 2007, and down 37% for the last two years combined. Timber harvesting contractors and their employees earned $487.9 million from harvesting the trees and moving wood to mills. This total was down 1% from 2007 levels. Christmas tree growers received $1.08 million from the sale of trees, up 11% from the previous year. Louisiana-produced pine straw sales made $27,600 in 2008. Louisiana's private sector forest tree seedling nurseries produced a crop worth $87,500 in 2008.

Payroll and income derived from money generated by the forest and wood products industry totaled an estimate $3.2 billion in 2008, a decrease of 14% from 2007 totals. Gross farm income produced by all forestry-related products, such as timber, pine straw, and Christmas trees totaled $952.4 million in 2008, down 13% from the $1.1 billion in 2007. Value added through further processing and delivery was $3.2 billion, so that the total value of forestry in Louisiana was estimated at nearly $3.3 billion in 2008.

PARISH          FORESTRY           POULTRY      All Agroenterprises
Acadia  . . . . $2,620,29 . . . . . $9,219  . . . . .$171,204,007
Allen   . . . . 38,828,65 . . . . .  5,139  . . . . .  59,572,727
Ascension   . .  1,223,84 . . . . .  8,625  . . . . .  34,004,219
Assumption  . .    212,48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  48,593,453
Avoyelles   . . 4,953,863 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  95,778,945
Beauregard  . .64,004,552 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  68,624,489
Bienville . .  47,122,095 . . . 15,991,873  . . . . .  77,813,104
Bossier   . .  17,467,393 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  94,196,401
Caddo   . . .  16,689,459 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119,594,161
Calcasieu . .  15,831,784 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121,439,720
Caldwell  . .  22,225,796 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  38,804,727
Cameron   . . . .   9,327 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  40,223,278
Catahoula . .   6,268,341 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  69,734,704
Claiborne . .  32,706,453 . . . 69,708,570  . . . . . 122,040,459
Concordia . .   2,285,203 . . . . . 19,375  . . . . .  87,902,084
DeSoto  . . .  31,034,633 . . . 10,097,586  . . . . .  70,360,184
E. Baton Rouge  5,133,834 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  62,389,448
E. Carroll  . .   501,127 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  73,435,241
E. Feliciana   19,097,210 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  41,706,649
Evangeline  .  25,232,946 . . . . .  2,736  . . . . . 125,392,933
Franklin  . .   1,236,161 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140,180,791
Grant . . . .  23,301,344 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  35,425,671
Iberia  . . . . .  36,913 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  78,533,409
Iberville . . . 1,728,656 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  65,504,346
Jackson  . . . 47,720,420 . . . 46,426,809  . . . . . 101,726,267
Jefferson  . . .   56,211 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  75,808,699
Jeff Davis . .  2,526,195 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131,132,362
Lafayette  . . .   48,665 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101,191,910
Lafourche  . . .  901,785 . . . . . .  566  . . . . .  79,675,148
LaSalle . . .  23,345,733 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  28,243,125
Lincolm . . .  18,453,320 . .  104,116,189  . . . . . 134,061,545
Livingston  .  23,328,314 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  45,166,255
Madison . . .   5,022,032 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  97,424,390
Morehouse . .  15,297,613 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166,072,015
Natchitoches   43,979,381 . . . 50,657,360  . . . . . 155,252,126
Orleans . . . . .  79,100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  20,071,963
Ouachita  . . . 9,176,293 . . . 14,000,591  . . . . .  70,428,603
Plaquemines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  88,185,752
Pointe Coupee   4,236,111 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116,061,861
Rapides  . . . 34,568,757 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144,164,369
Red River  . . 14,190,539 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  44,163,533
Richland . . .  1,225,200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  87,054,947
Sabine . . . . 53,542,327 . . . 85,543,460  . . . . . 150,815,677
St. Bernard   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14,362,634
St. Charles  . . . 56,362 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  16,889,902
St. Helena .   20,086,963 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  56,283,947
St. James  . . .  664,710 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  25,308,545
St. John   . . . .  3,089 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   8,879,039
St. Landry . .  8,194,789 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130,979,971
St. Martin . .  2,132,375 . . . . . .  568  . . . . .  75,811,620
St. Mary . . . .   14,125 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  45,495,733
St. Tammany  . 15,255,012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  94,316,646
Tangipahoa . . 14,912,483 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  86,029,674
Tensas . . . .  2,206,286 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  81,676,303
Terrebonne . . .  384,001 . . . . . .  215  . . . . .  80,182,966
Union  . . . . 38,329,862 . .  132,417,653  . . . . . 189,637,424
Vermilion  . . .  137,925 . . . . . 22,011  . . . . . 183,343,631
Vernon   . . . 61,760,989 . . . .  683,700  . . . . .  82,026,482
Washington . .  9,758,064 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  54,016,437
Webster  . . . 18,685,580 . . .  8,221,075  . . . . .  78,805,596
W. Baton Rouge  2,444,720 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  25,920,176
W. Carroll . . .  461,871 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  60,357,506
W. Feliciana .  8,244,436 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  16,523,095
Winn   . . . . 71,220,276 . . . 42,412,000  . . . . . 120,554,033