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"West Virginia is blessed with abundant natural resources that have
provided jobs and prosperity for its people for decades."
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West Virginia is the third most heavily forested state with 12 million acres of forestland and more than 80% of forest coverage. Forest industry is the only natural resource industry present in all 55 West Virginia counties and contributes $3.2 billion annually to the state economy with more than 30,000 employees and over 260,000 forest landowners. At annual harvest rates of 1 billion board feet in West Virginia, this resource presents a tremendous opportunity for the wood products industry in the Appalachian forest region.
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The primary objectives of the Biomaterials and Wood Utilization Research Center are two-fold: (1) to provide research leadership to the forest products sector in the Appalachian region, and (2) to promote the success of the wood products industry and economic development in this region. Specially, we plan to accomplish these objectives through the following actions:
- Assess the fundamental principles of Appalachian hardwoods to improve utilization and manufacturing efficiency,
- Explore research and development opportunities for utilizing low-quality, underutilized materials for value-added products and woody biomass for bioproducts or biofuels, and
- Enhance the global competitiveness of Appalachian hardwood industries through efficient use and marketing strategies.
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WVU WUR Fact Sheet
National Wood Uitlization Research Strategic Plan
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2010 WVU WUR Request for Proposals Budget Template Bowlby Fellowship
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