Acceptance of Mass Timber Opens New Opportunities for Texas Forestry

With more than 130 mass timber projects in Texas completed or underway, CLT is gaining traction as a building material that could open new opportunities for the state’s forestry economy, according to the Texas Farm Bureau (1-9-26).

CLT panels are used for floors, walls, and roofs and offer an alternative to traditional steel and concrete construction. Adoption has been supported in part by a surplus of timber in East Texas, where growth has outpaced harvests.

“Across East Texas, we’re growing nearly double the amount of timber we’re harvesting. That surplus creates a need for new markets,” said Dr. Aaron Stottlemyer, department head of forest analytics at Texas A&M University. “Mass timber, including CLT, is one of the most promising avenues for utilizing that excess in a sustainable way.”

Stottlemyer’s team tracks forest growth and harvest rates statewide and provides data for land management and economic development. He said mass timber could help support a circular economy that benefits private landowners, the forest industry, and working forest conservation, while reducing reliance on carbon-intensive construction materials.

Texas’ largely private forest ownership structure also makes market development critical.

“Texas is 95% privately owned, and when markets slump, you often start to see forests converted to non-forest uses like shopping malls, subdivisions, things made with concrete,” Stottlemyer said. “Strong timber markets encourage landowners to keep their land forested and invest in stewardship. That’s good for the environment and the economy.”