FOREST INVENTORY DATA FOR NORTH CAROLINA AS COMPILED BY THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE

The last complete forest inventory data for North Carolina was completed in 1992.  The complete report can be found on the web at by clicking here.   

In general, the survey revealed that North Carolina is now covered by forests on 58% of its land mass.  Due to the growth surrounding the state's urban centers, North Carolina lost some one million acres of forestland since the last survey that was completed in 1990.  North Carolina now has over 17.6 million acres of forestland and private landowners own 90% of these forests.  

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QUICK FACTS  

Total Acres in North Carolina :  31 million acres

Acres in Forestland : 17.6 million acres (58% of State)

Acres Lost to Development since 1990:   1.6 million acres

Acres Gained from Agricultural Land :   600,000 acres

Net loss of Forestland Since 1990:  1 million acres

Ownership of Forestland :
Public:  1.93 million acres
National Forest:   1.2 million acres
Other Public:   700,000 acres
Private: 15.67 million acres
Forest Industry:   1.5 million acres
Non-Industrial Private:  13.8 million acres

Estimated # of Private Landowners:         >600,000

Timber Species Mix:
Hardwoods:   55%
Softwood (pines):   28%
Mixed Stands:  17%

Acres Harvested/Year and Retained in Timberland:     247,000 acres/year 

Annual Reforestation:  315,000 acres/year (67% natural)

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The state is divided into four different regions:  the Northern Coastal Plain, the Southern Coastal Plain, the Piedmont and the Mountains.  

Prior to the completion of the entire state in 1992, the U.S. Forest Service released information on each of the four regions.  The Southern Coastal Plain was the first released, followed by the Northern Coastal Plain and finally, the information pertaining to the Mountains and Piedmont regions were released together.  

Listed below are the individual releases from each region that the NCFA released at the time the information was made public.

	The Southern Coastal Plain Region July 18, 2001
	The Northern Coastal Plain Region March 14, 2003
	The Piedmont and Mountains Region December 18, 2003

Prior to the release of the North Carolina survey, two separate reports were published that discussed the health of North Carolina's forests.  The Southern Forest Resource Assessment was released that surveyed forests in the South.  The North Carolina Chip Mill Study researched the perceived economic and ecological impacts wood chip production facilities were having on the state's forests.  The NCFA published brochures highlighting the findings in both of these studies.  

	The Southern Forest Resource Assessment November, 2001
	The Chip Mill Study July, 2000

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