The University of Southern Mississippi hosted a webinar in partnership with the Mississippi Forestry Commission on the State of the Forest Inventory and Wood Products Industry in Mississippi. The webinar was facilitated by Drs. Shannon Campbell and Chad Miller with the purpose of exploring the state of Mississippi's Forest Industry and associated products, and determine possible ways to make the state more competitive in relation to its neighbors.  Guest speakers and topics included:

• Conner Miller, Graduate Assistant of USM Master of Science in Economic Development, topic of Overview of Forest Products Jobs in Mississippi

Researchers gathered data from five nearby states in the southeast and compared them to Mississippi to find where the state is competitively positioned. While Mississippi has grown at a rate of 1.7% over the last five years, this growth lags behind the nation (nearly 5% growth) and many of its regional peers, particularly Georgia (8.7%) and Alabama (6.1%). Subsequent conversations discussed Mississippi's forest inventory and market trends, as well as future opportunities in the forest product industry. Mississippi has a vast amount of wood resources at its disposal, but the forest inventory growth rate is not translating that into domestic products at a balanced rate. Export data indicates an estimated  40% of the state's timber is being shipped to neighboring states, substantially more than Mississippi's peers. The timber purchased by other states is then processed into commercial products which produces  greater economic value and benefits outside of Mississippi. Despite current lagging economic indicators , the state has immense growth potential in the wood products industry. Over $750 million in new investments has occurred in recent years throughout the southeastern United States, and Mississippi's abundance in timber inventory makes it well positioned to compete.