This sub-sector is made up of employers who grow trees on a commercial basis. There are four activities that dominate this sub-sector, transport, forestry and tree nurseries, harvesting and maintenance. The value chain is also versatile as it feeds into a number of other sectors of the FP&M SETA environment. This sub-sector incorporates the following industries:

• Establishment
• Re-establishment
• Maintenance
• Fire protection,
  fire suppression,
  fire prevention
• Forest Conservation
• Forest protection
• Forest Management
• Forestry and tree nurseries
• Harvesting
• Road construction and maintenance
• Transport (short haul and long haul)
• Fire protection,
  fire suppression and fire prevention in forest,
  bush and velds
• Forest Research

These industries are critical to the existence of this sub-sector. Trees form the base of which timber is produced and used to form other products which fall across the other sectors of the FP&M SETA. Timber is used in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production. It can be supplied either rough or finished, depending on the specific use or product to generate. Besides pulpwood, rough timber is the raw material for furniture-making and other items requiring additional cutting and shaping. It is available in many species, usually hardwoods. Finished timber is supplied in standard sizes, mostly for the construction industry, primarily softwood from coniferous species including pine, fir and spruce (collectively known as Spruce-pine-fir), cedar, and hemlock, but also some hardwood, for high-grade flooring.