Privately-owned working forests are impacting the U.S. economy by the billions, according to information released by Forest2Market and analyzed by The National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO).

According to reports, these private working forests account for a whopping $288 billion dollars in sales and manufacturing as well as supporting 2.5 million jobs while simultaneously offsetting 12-15% of total U.S. emissions each year. Additionally, private working forests are currently supporting $109 billion in payroll.

“This report verifies what we already know – that working forests are the unique place where environmental stewardship and economic prosperity align,” said Dave Tenny, founding President and CEO of NAFO. “There is a widely accepted view that we must choose between economic growth and environmental stewardship, and this data proves that to be false.”

“These outstanding economic numbers are just one side of the coin,” Tenny added. “The environmental benefits our working forests provide are also unmatched in their scale.”

NAFO’s report also confirmed that 70 percent of the country’s working forests are privately owned, supporting and optimizing efforts on an economic and environmental scale in rural communities.

“In many rural communities, forests are the economy,” Tenny said. “We see that by growing trees, we can put millions of Americans to work on the front lines fighting climate change.”

Additionally, NAFO revealed the $288 billion in sales and manufacturing exceeds the amount of entire GDP of Connecticut while the 2.5 million working forests jobs are greater in number than the entire population in San Antonio, reiterating the monumental impact on the American economy.

“Modern forestry is the common ground Republicans and Democrats are looking for on any future climate policy.”

Source: EIN Presswire