• There are more than 5,000 wood and paper products that make our lives better
• Ice cream and salad dressings use a part of the tree called cellulose to make them thick, smooth and creamy.
• Some fabrics, such as rayon, are made from tree fibers.
• Tires, steering wheels, and molded armrests in cars and trucks are all made from trees or wood fiber products
• The average American uses the equivalent of an 18 - inch, 100 foot tree every year.
• An acre of trees can remove about 26,000 pounds of dust and gases every year from the surrounding environment

Issue:

West Virginians have been dependent on our forests for various products since the first settlers arrived.  Is the forest products industry still important to West Virginians?

Facts:

• The forest products industry is the only natural resource industry that extends into every West Virginia county.
• The forest products industry in West Virginia employs 30,000 people.
• Since 1987, the forest products industry has grown from a $950 million to a $302 billion industry.
• The state of West Virginia collect more than $3 million from timber severance taxes on timber in 2000.
• In 2000, the wood products industry was the 5th ranking industry in West Virginia in the number of new jobs (591) created.