The mill closings have resulted in large loses in jobs and
revenue to East Texas communities, said Dr. Darwin Foster, Texas
Cooperative Extension forestry specialist. The number of mills
both large and small, has decreased, but as larger mills have
become computerized and automated, they have also become more
efficient. Less wood is wasted to produce lumber, paper and
other wood products. More efficient means less need for labor.
With many communities depending heavily on the forest products
industry, these changes present serious challenges, Foster said.
For Texas, timber represents $12.9 billion in direct industry
output, a number which includes money received for harvested
trees as well as wholesales prices received for wood products.
The total economic impact is an estimated $22.1 billion per
year. In East Texas, brings in 35 percent of the region's
agricultural income. This translates to 80,000 wood-based jobs
and $2.9 billion in wages and salaries yearly. Lost mills also
means changes for those growing