Utah's forest resources, 2003-2012

This report presents a summary of the most recent inventory of Utah’s forests based on field data collected from 2003 through 2012. The report includes descriptive highlights and tables of area, numbers of trees, biomass, volume, growth, mortality, and removals. Most sections and tables are organized by forest type or forest-type group, species group, diameter class, or owner group. The report also describes the inventory’s design, inventory terminology, and data reliability. Results show that Utah’s forest land area totals 18.3 million acres. Fifteen percent (2.8 million acres) of this forest land is privately owned, and another 35 percent (6.3 million acres) is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service. The pinyon/juniper forest-type group which, is comprised of juniper woodland, pinyon/juniper woodland, and Rocky Mountain juniper forest types, is the most predominant group covering more than 10.7 million acres and accounts for 59 percent of the forest land in Utah. The State’s most predominant forest type is pinyon/juniper woodland covering nearly 8 million acres and accounts for 44 percent of the forest land in Utah. Gambel oak is the most abundant tree species by number of trees, and Utah juniper is the most abundant by volume or biomass. Utah’s forests contain 15.3 billion cubic feet of net volume in trees 5.0 inches in diameter and larger. Gross growth of all live trees 5.0 inches in diameter and larger averaged 207.2 million cubic feet per year. Average annual mortality totaled 256.7 million cubic feet per year, resulting in a negative net growth of -49.5 million cubic feet per year.