Woodland-Based Industry Thrives in Fairfield County
A whopping 504 square miles (almost 800 square kilometers) makeup Fairfield County, home to 146k souls and a bustling scene of 201 businesses. The county boasts an array of agriculture farms and wooded acres that offer a cornucopia of economic advantages.
Eating establishments, government organizations, service providers catering to structures, and private hospitals account for the city's heavyweights in terms of employment. Agriculture in Fairfield County showcases diverse yield, primarily agronomic crops and livestock, spread across approximately 172k acres.
Democratize your knowledge about forests by understanding some technical jargon. An acre, a unit of measurement, equates to 43,560 square feet or 208.7 feet by 208.7 feet. Forest Type Group refers to a classification system based on the prevalent tree species in the area. The Growing Stock Volume and Sawtimber Volume are the net volumes of trees measuring over 5 inches in diameter, taken at 4.5 feet, and the board feet-worthy logs of sawlogs and timber trees, respectively.
Comprehend the impact of the forest industry with these terminologies. Direct Economic Impact refers to the effect generated by the industry under evaluation in an economic analysis, reflecting employment, value-added, and industrial output. Employment sums up both full-time and part-time jobs in the industry. Direct Federal and State Tax Impacts represent the taxes paid to federal and state authorities, respectively. Indirect Business Taxes are sales and excise taxes paid by individuals to businesses, excluding corporate profits and dividends taxes. Industrial output is the total value of goods produced, calculated as the sum of value-added and the cost of purchased goods and services. Value-added is the aggregate of labor income, interest, profits, and indirect business taxes.
Properly managing your woodland comes with benefits; it promotes forest health, aesthetics, and wildlife habitat, offers soil stabilization, clean water, self-satisfaction, and can potentially serve as a source of income. Timber management also requires less long-term investment compared to many other land uses. You may possess the chance to earn cost-sharing funds for your woodland, enjoy tax credits while managing your forest property, and potentially gain favorable tax treatment at harvest. Timber functions as a steady form of wealth, often maintaining performance akin to mutual fund investments.
Fancy yourself a more experienced woodland manager? Engage in your property's stewardship, join local forestry associations, widen your horizons with Ohio State University Extension resources, consult your local service forester, acquire soils information from the local Soil and Water Conservation District, and consider hiring an Ohio Master Logging Company for your harvesting operation.
Explore the following resources to further your understanding of forest management:
- School of Environment and Natural Resources at The Ohio State University
- Ohio State University Extension, Fairfield County
- Ohio Division of Forestry
- Fairfield County Soil and Water Conservation District
- Ohio Society of American Foresters
- Ohio Forestry Association Master Logging Company Program
- Call Before You Cut
Sources:1. Minnesota IMPLAN Group. (2004). IMPLAN Professional: Users Guide, Analysis Guide, Data Guide (3rd ed.). MIG, Inc.2. USDA Forest Service. (2020). Data and Tools. Forest Inventory and Analysis National Program.3. Woudenberg, S.W., Conkling, B.L., O'Connell, B.M., LaPoint, E.B., Turner, J.A., & Waddell, K.L. (2010). The Forest Inventory and Analysis Database: Database Description and Users Manual Version 4.0 for Phase 2. United States Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture.
We appreciate Nathan Irby, Mississippi Forestry Association; Kathy Smith, School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University; and Stan Smith, Ohio State University Extension, for their valuable feedback on this document. Kindly note that the figure does not account for wooded acres within local and state parks, wildlife areas, and nature preserves.
- Agriculture in Fairfield County, apart from agronomic crops and livestock, also involves forestry, contributing to the county's diverse economic advantages.
- Proper forest management can lead to multiple benefits, including forest health, wildlife habitat, soil stabilization, and potential income through timber harvest.
- Science plays a significant role in forest management, with resources like the Ohio State University Extension offering valuable information and guidance.
- The environmental-science sector intersects with forest management, as proper forest stewardship can have positive impacts on the environment.
- Financial aspects are crucial in forest management, with opportunities for cost-sharing funds, tax credits, and potentially favorable tax treatment at harvest.
