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"Forests and Forestry in Indiana"
January, 1998

The southern half of Indiana is blessed with some of the finest and most productive hardwood forests in the United States. Moreover, this state's hardwood sawmilling industry is one of the most advanced in the country. Some of the finest office furniture manufactured in America is made here. 

But forests in Indiana face an all-too-common threat: urbanization. Urban sprawl between Indianapolis and Bloomington is gobbling up forests at an alarming rate. Absentee timberland owners, often the heirs of Indiana pioneers, are selling out to developers. Loss of productive forestland is a big worry for the state and its sawmills. 

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen's Association hired Evergreen to investigate the situation. In this special report - distributed to more than 90,000 Hoosiers - we profile the state's hardwood industry and answer frequently asked questions concerning Indiana forests.