Wood You Know: Wisconsin Forest Products Are All Around Us

Andi Sedlacek and Jada Thur

Andi Sedlacek is communications director for the DNR and Jada Thur is a communications specialist in the DNR's Office of Communications.

Money doesn’t grow on trees, but toilet paper, mulch and maple syrup do — kind of. Those three things and many more have something in common: They’re all Wisconsin forest products.

Wisconsin’s forest products industry is a powerhouse, contributing $42 billion in total economic value to the state, ranking second nationally for production value. The industry also ranks sixth nationally in generating forestry employment, with more than 123,000 related jobs in the state.

Forest products are not only important to Wisconsin’s economy, but they positively impact our lives. From paper products such as food packaging and toilet paper to lumber used to build homes, flooring and furniture, we depend on forest products daily.

Forest products also play a vital role in mitigating the changing climate. Trees store carbon, offsetting greenhouse gas emissions while they are growing, and they retain the stored carbon throughout the useful life of forest products.

From the backyard to the doctor’s office, Wisconsin forest products are everywhere.

Around The House

• Toilet paper

• Toilet seats

• Paper

• Paper grocery bags

• Holiday trees and décor

• Wooden toys

• Softwood and hardwood lumber to build homes, furniture and flooring

In The Kitchen

• Locally produced maple syrup

• Liquid smoke

• Coffee filters

• Wood cutting boards

• Wooden rolling pins

• Wooden spoons

In The Mail

• Cardboard and paper packaging

• Shipping envelopes

• Excelsior for packaging (thin, curly wood shavings used for packing or stuffing)

In The Backyard

• Mulch

• Wood chips

• Skateboards

• Baseball bats

• Cedar fence posts and furniture

• Wood pellets for heating and smoking meat/barbecuing

• Mushroom logs for growing mushrooms

At School Or In The Office

• Wooden alphabet blocks

• Desks

• Copier paper

• Construction paper

For Food Packaging

• Cardboard strawberry containers

• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup wrappers

• Cupcake wrappers

• Popcorn bags

At The Doctor

• Medical paper products

• Dental bibs

• Moist towelettes

• Surgical towels

• Disposable exam gowns

Wood Items From Urban Trees*

• Furniture

• Wall panels

• Flooring

*The highest value of an urban tree is when it’s living; however, if a tree in an urban area is killed or damaged and needs to be removed for safety reasons, there are many ways to give it a new purpose as a forest product.

Learn More

Harvesting trees in the name of forest management has benefits beyond producing products we use every day. Forest management is important to encourage tree growth, manage habitat for wildlife and improve water quality.

Find out more about Wisconsin’s forest products industry and DNR forest management efforts. Scan the QR code or check dnr.wi.gov/tiny/3866.