"West Virginia is blessed with abundant natural resources that have provided jobs and prosperity for its people for decades."

West Virginia is the third most heavily forested state with 12 million acres of forestland and more than 80% of forest coverage. Forest industry is the only natural resource industry present in all 55 West Virginia counties and contributes $3.2 billion annually to the state economy with more than 30,000 employees and over 260,000 forest landowners. At annual harvest rates of 1 billion board feet in West Virginia, this resource presents a tremendous opportunity for the wood products industry in the Appalachian forest region.

West Virginia has been progressively successful in attracting wood products industries that use new technologies to better utilize Appalachian hardwoods. Likewise, the West Virginia University Division of Forestry and Natural Resources has been leading the way in research and extension efforts that meet the needs of private and public sectors in West Virginia. In order for West Virginia to continue to expand its wood products industry, and manage its forest resources in an environmentally sound manner, the primary goals of the West Virginia University Division of Forestry and Natural Resources’ Wood Utilization Research Program are to provide research leadership to the forest products sector in the Appalachian region and to increase the success of the primary processing and manufacturing sectors of the wood products industry.

2006 Request for Proposals  Budget Sheet National Wood Uitlization Research Strategic Plan