Forests and Trees

Conserving and expanding resilient forests across New York State strengthens our communities and ecosystems. Forests and trees:

•  Are nature’s filters of water and air, protecting groundwater and capturing and absorbing air pollution.
• Absorb  and store carbon, reducing the impact of greenhouse gas emissions.
• Cool the air through shading and evapotranspiration.
• Mitigate extreme weather events by capturing and absorbing stormwater runoff, buffering wind, and helping to reduce the impacts of extreme heat.
• Provide habitat for wildlife and sustain native species, helping to protect and enhance biodiversity of invertebrates, plants, and animals.
• Provide jobs for thousands of people through the sustainable forest products economy, outdoor recreation and tourism.
• Improve human health and wellbeing, countering gray infrastructure with green, especially in communities that are disproportionately impacted by environmental and public health challenges.

New York State’s Forests

The 25 Million Trees Initiative aims to bolster New York’s tree planting efforts to achieve our state’s climate goals.

New York State is 62% forested. Much of this land is privately owned and managed for forest products including wood (for high quality cabinetry and furniture) and pulp (for paper and durable wood products). New York State is committed to conserving Open Space, including both working forests with sustainable timber harvests as well as the Forest Preserve, which encompasses much of the Adirondack and Catskill Parks.

DEC's Division of Lands and Forests cares for and manages nearly five million acres of land including the Adirondack and Catskill Forest Preserve, State Forests, Unique Areas, the State Nature and Historic Preserve, and Conservation Easements. The majority of these properties provide recreation opportunities for the public.

New York's forests are also important economic resources. According to the Empire State Forest Products Association, the forest industry employs almost 97,000 people and directly contributes some $22.9 billion to the state's economy each year.

Conserving and enhancing our forests benefits individuals, local communities, industries, and the environment.

New York's Forests at a Glance

New York Land Area: 30.2 million acres. State Population: 19.9 million

• New York State forested area: 18.6 million acres, 62% of land area, about one acre per resident
• 55% of New York State’s forest lands are owned and managed by small family forest owners, providing livelihoods, benefiting local economies, and mitigating the impacts of climate change
• DEC forests  Almost 3 million acres of Forest Preserve and more than 820,000 acres of State Forest
• DEC Conservation Easements on privately-owned forestland: 939,347 acres
• Number of tree species: more than 100 commercial and non-commercial
• Most common forest type: maple/beech/birch (55.1% of forest land area)

Economic Importance of New York's Forests and Harvest Information

• $300 million in annual payments to private landowners
• 488 million board feet of logs
• 2.1 million green tons pulpwood and wood chips
• 17% of New York timber harvest is exported for processing, with a majority percentage of export volume shipped to Canada.
• Economic contribution of forest products-related manufacturing and services: $14 billion (US Census)
• Forest-related tourism: $1.9 billion

Why Forests are Important

Forests cover 31% of total global land area.

• Forests are home to 300 million people around the world.
• Forests house 80% of our terrestrial biodiversity.
• The livelihood of more than 1.6 billion people depends on forests.
• Approximately 60 million people, mainly members of indigenous and local communities, reside in forests.
• Forests store almost 1 trillion tons of carbon.
• Spending time in forests has many health benefits.
• More than 1/4 of modern medicines originate from tropical forest plants.
• 16 million acres of forest continue to be lost worldwide per year.
• Deforestation accounts for 12 to 20% of the global greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.
• The five most forest-rich countries (Russia, Brazil, Canada, United States of America, and China) account for more than half of the total forest area in the world.
• More than 33 million people are employed by forest-based industries. The annual value of wood removed from forests is estimated to be more than $100 billion.