A Montana reference
Montana Forest & Wood Products Statistics
Eight sourced facts about the forests, timber, and wood products that shape this place. Made for writers, woodworkers, and anyone who wants a clear picture of Montana’s working woods.
Last updated October 2, 2026
The big picture
A state built with trees in the background.
Juniper Maiden makes one-of-a-kind wood goods in Montana. This page gathers dependable public figures about the forest landscape and wood-products economy behind that wider tradition. Every number below names its source and the date of the source, so it is easy to check and cite.
26,354,697
acres of forest land
That is 28% of Montana’s sampled land area, according to the state’s most recent Forest Inventory and Analysis snapshot.
Source: U.S. Forest Service, Forests of Montana, 2020, published 2025 ↗20,005,767
acres of timberland
The Forest Service classifies this portion of Montana’s forest land as capable of producing commercial timber crops.
Source: U.S. Forest Service, Forests of Montana, 2020, published 2025 ↗11.8 billion
live trees on forest land
The count covers live trees at least one inch in diameter on Montana forest land.
Source: U.S. Forest Service, Forests of Montana, 2020, published 2025 ↗52.1 billion
cubic feet of live-tree wood volume
This total measures sound bark and wood in live trees at least five inches in diameter.
Source: U.S. Forest Service, Forests of Montana, 2020, published 2025 ↗7,592,973
acres of Douglas-fir forest type
Douglas-fir is Montana’s most common forest-type group, covering 28.8% of the state’s forest land.
Source: U.S. Forest Service, Forests of Montana, 2020, published 2025 ↗2.14 billion
metric tons of carbon stored
The estimate includes carbon in live and dead trees, forest floor material, litter, and soil on Montana forest land.
Source: U.S. Forest Service, Forests of Montana, 2020, published 2025 ↗793,000
acres of forested state trust land
These lands are less than 4% of Montana’s forested landscape, yet the state agency says they produce nearly 20% of annual harvested volume.
Source: Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Timber Sales, accessed October 2, 2026 ↗$28.65 million
in Montana wood-product exports in 2023
Wood products represented 2.1% of the state’s manufacturing exports that year.
Source: Montana State University, 2024 Montana Manufacturing Report, reporting 2023 data ↗Sources & method
How to read these figures
The forest figures come from the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis program, which measures a systematic network of field plots on public and private land. The state trust-land figure comes from Montana DNRC. The export figure comes from Montana State University’s manufacturing report and reflects 2023 exports in 2023 dollars.
- U.S. Forest Service, Forests of Montana, 2020: FIA annual snapshot, published 2025 ↗
- Montana DNRC, Timber Sales, accessed October 2, 2026 ↗
- Montana State University, 2024 Montana Manufacturing Report, reporting 2023 data ↗
Want to cite this page?
Juniper Maiden. “Montana Forest & Wood Products Statistics.” Updated October 2, 2026. Use the linked source beside any figure you quote.
From Montana wood to your home
Made one piece at a time.
Explore one-of-a-kind boards, signs, and home goods made with the character of natural wood in mind.
Shop wood goods