Monroe County contains 456 square miles (291,840 acres) of land and is home to 14,642 citizens[1]. There are 119 industries in the county, with the median household earning an income of $37,080. Major employers include businesses in the sectors of extraction of oil and natural gas, alumina refining and primary aluminum production, and state and local governments[2].
The land resources of Monroe County provide many economic benefits. The county's 630 agricultural farms produce cattle and calves, dairy and milk, and oats and hay, among others[3]. Over 90,000 acres of land are in farms.
An abundance of forested acres are also present in Monroe County. 
Responsibly managing these woodlands provides community support by producing economic activity in four forest industrial sectors. These businesses directly generate $10.8 million in industrial output and $715,000 in taxes[2]. This fact sheet presents some key terms and figures for describing the many contributions Monroe County's forests and forest industries provide to the local economy.
Forest Resource Terminology[4]
Acre: A unit of land measure equal to 43,560 square feet (208.7 feet x 208.7 feet). One square mile equals 640 acres.
Forest Type Group: A classification of forest land based on the species forming a plurality of live-tree stocking. Forest types sharing closely associated species or site requirements are often combined into major forest type groups.
Growing Stock Volume: Net volume
, in cubic feet, of growing-stock trees 5.0 inches in diameter and larger, measured at breast height (4.5 feet). Height is recorded from a 1-foot stump to a minimum 4.0-inch top diameter outside bark of the central stem, or to the point where the central stem breaks into limbs. Gross volume minus deductions for cull equals net volume.
Sawtimber Volume: Net volume in board feet, by the International ¼-inch rule, of sawlogs in sawtimber trees. Gross volume minus the deductions for rot, sweep, and other defects that affect use for lumber equals net volume.
Forest Industry Impact Analysis Terminology[6]
Direct Economic Impact: The effect generated by the industry of 
interest in an economic impact analysis. This is measured through employment, value-added, and industrial output produced to meet demand for the manufactured product(s).
Employment: The total wage and salary and self-employed jobs in a geographical area. This number includes both full- and part-time jobs in an industrial sector.
Direct Federal Tax Impact: Taxes collected by the U.S. government. These taxes are generated from labor income, indirect business taxes, households, and corporations associated with the industry of interest.
Direct State and Local Tax Impact: Taxes paid to state, county, and municipal governments. These taxes are generated from labor income, indirect business taxes, households, and corporations associated with the industry of interest.
Indirect Business Taxes: 
These taxes are primarily sales and excise taxes paid by individuals to businesses through normal operations. They do not include taxes on corporate profits and dividends.
Industrial Output: The total value of production measured as the sum of value-added plus the cost of buying goods and services to produce the product(s).
Labor Income: Wages and benefits paid to employees plus proprietary income for self-employed work.
Value-Added: The sum of labor income, interest, profits, and indirect business taxes.
Why Should I Manage My Woodland?
- Properly managing your woodland improves forest health, aesthetics, and wildlife habitat. It also provides soil stabilization, clean water, self-satisfaction, and a
potential source of income. - Managing timber requires less long-term inputs compared to many other land uses.
- You are able to obtain cost share funds to establish your woodland, tax credits while managing your forest property, and preferable tax treatment at harvest.
- Standing timber is a stable form of wealth, often comparable in performance to mutual fund investments.
How Can I Learn to Better Manage My Woodland?
- Become actively involved in the stewardship of your property.
- Join your local forestry association.
- Search Ohio State University Extension's website Ohioline for further study of forestry-related topics: ohioline.osu.edu.
- Contact your local service forester to help you develop a management plan for your property.
- Obtain soils information from your local Soil and Water Conservation District.
- Enlist the assistance of a professional forester when planning a timber sale.
- Consider hiring an Ohio Master Logging Company to conduct your harvesting operation
Resources 
School of Environment and Natural Resources
Ohio State University Extension, Monroe County
Ohio Division of Forestry
Monroe County Soil and Water Conservation District
Ohio Society of American Foresters
Ohio Forestry Association
Call Before You Cut
References
National Agricultural Statistics Service. (2010). Agricultural Statistics 2010. United States Department of Agriculture.
downloads.usda.library.cornell.edu/usda-esmis/files/j3860694x/pv63g307d/np193c978/Agstat-05-03-2010.pdf.
United States Forest Service. (2012). Moving from Status to Trends: Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Symposium 2012. United States Department of Agriculture.
fia.fs.usda.gov/sciencestakeholder/proceedings/pubs/2012_FIA_Proceedings-opt.pdf.
Woudenberg, S.W., Conkling, B.L., O’Connell, B.M., LaPoint, E.B., Turner, J.A., & Waddell, K.L. (2010). The Forest Inventory and Analysis Database: Database Description and Users Manual Version 4.0 for Phase 2. United States Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture.
fs.usda.gov/rm/pubs/rmrs_gtr245.pdf.
We thank David Apsley, Ohio State University Extension; Nathan Irby, Mississippi Forestry Association; John Lusk, Ohio certified tree farmer; and Dave Schott, Monroe County SWCD, for their reviews of this fact sheet.
1All other crop farming includes (1) growing crops (except oilseeds and/or grains; vegetables and/or melons; fruits and/or tree nuts; greenhouse, nursery and/or floriculture products; tobacco; cotton; sugarcane; or hay) or (2) a combination of crops (except a combination of oilseeds and grains; and a combination of fruits and tree nuts) with no one crop or family of crops accounting for one-half of the establishment's agricultural production (i.e., value of crops for market).