If you thought that forests were a rural phenomena, you will find the data compiled by a Dovetail Partners report eye-opening. In their report, Urban Wood Utilization and Industrial Clusters, they describe the growth of the urban forest in the lower 48 states from an area the size of Vermont and New Hampshire in 2000 to the size of Montana in 2050.

Equally interesting is the discussion about the volume of wood, removed annually from urban forests. The amount is significant — from 16 to 38 million green tons per year. This is more than the total annual harvests from America’s National Forests. Yes, you read that correctly.

This report focuses on an emerging urban wood-based industrial (business) cluster in the Minneapolis-St. Paul (Twin Cities) metropolitan area. Examples of Twin Cities’ cluster-based wood utilization activities and corresponding cluster-building techniques are highlighted. Recommendations for advancing wood utilization activities on a community-wide basis are offered.

The complete report may be found here.