Michigan Forest Facts

Michigan is a richly forested state, and has 20.3 million acres of forest land.  The Upper Peninsula has the most forest land and the Southern Lower Peninsula has the least, but the amount of forest land in southern Michigan is growing!

Facts from the Michigan Forests 2014 report

  • Sugar maple/beech/yellow birch forest type accounts for 19 percent of the State’s forest land

  • Aspen type accounts for about 12 percent

  • White oak/red oak/hickory 7 percent.

  • Balsam fir, red maple, and sugar maple are the three most common species by number of trees

  • Every ash species, paper birch, yellow birch, and American beech are experiencing a decline in growth and numbers.

  • Non native species such as Emerald Ash Borer, and Beech bark disease are decimating our Ash and Beech trees.

  • Michigan’s wood products and paper industries directly employ 34,951 workers with an output of approximatley $10.2 billion annually.