230 leaders map new markets for working forests

By AI, Created 3:51 PM UTC, May 27, 2026, /AGP/ – More than 230 leaders met in Madison, Wisconsin, to outline practical steps to strengthen markets for lower-value wood and help support rural communities tied to working forests. The findings will feed a National Action Plan due this summer, as the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities pledges $10 million over three years to help attract more investment.

Why it matters: - Working forests rely on steady demand for lower-value wood, including chips, sawdust and manufacturing residues. - Weak markets reduce incentives to keep forests actively managed. - Mill closures can ripple through rural economies, affecting jobs, sawmills, truckers, local tax bases and wildfire risk. - The effort aims to preserve both forest health and the communities that depend on forest-based business.

What happened: - More than 230 leaders from industry, government, investment, Tribes, research and nonprofits met in Madison, Wisconsin, from May 19-21 for the Markets Matter Convening. - The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities hosted the three-day event. - The convening focused on practical actions to build markets for small diameter wood, manufacturing residues and residual wood fiber. - The convening’s findings will inform a National Action Plan to be developed in the coming months.

The details: - Since 2015, more than 40 pulp and paper mills have closed. - Those closures eliminated an estimated 60 million tons of annual demand for wood from forest regions across the country. - A new economic analysis commissioned by the Endowment and conducted by AFRY Management Consulting says additional pulp and paper capacity remains at risk. - Working groups identified priority market opportunities, barriers to investment and actions that could move forward through cross-sector collaboration. - The National Action Plan will include near- and long-term recommendations on market development, capital investment, policy and workforce. - The U.S. Forest Service said expanding wood-product markets supports active forest management, job creation and local economies. - The U.S. Endowment said it will commit $10 million over the next three years to help attract additional investment and pursue emerging markets. - The Endowment said it will share additional details on the convening’s findings and the National Action Plan in the months ahead. - The Endowment describes itself as a not-for-profit public charity working with public and private partners on the health of working forests and forest-reliant communities. - More information is available on the Endowment’s website.

Between the lines: - The convening reflects a shift from diagnosing market weakness to organizing around specific fixes. - The $10 million commitment signals an effort to use catalytic capital to unlock larger private and public investment. - The inclusion of Tribes, investors and researchers suggests the sector is trying to align land management, manufacturing and policy around one strategy.

What’s next: - The National Action Plan is expected this summer. - The Endowment will roll out more detail on the convening’s conclusions in the months ahead. - Additional investment efforts will target emerging markets for forest products.

The bottom line: - Forest markets are now being treated as infrastructure for rural resilience, not just a supply-chain issue.