(Teacher)
The Pacific Northwest enjoyed a strong timber economy for most of the 20th century. It is not surprising to note that where there were trees, people would build towns near the forests where they worked. Residents of the Willamette and Rogue Valleys of Oregon were strong, dedicated people who believed in a hard workday. Farms and retail built up around the timber communities and it seemed that as long as there were trees to cut down, there would be a booming economy. However, there were a few hiccups with that plan, and soon the loggers realized that unless the forest was maintained, there would be no more wood for anyone. Environmentalists became involved in the process and laws were set it place to ensure that the rich mountainsides were not bare from over-harvesting the natural resource that timber has to offer. This effected the economy that was centralized around timber harvesting.
About 30 million acres of timberland takes up about half of the state of Oregon, US. The forest is one of the area’s most renewable natural resources and is one of the most critical parts of the state’s economy, especially near the mountains where the timber is harvested. Timber is one of the most important cornerstones of Oregon, especially where wood products are the largest employers of the area. Timber centered towns were built around the forestry industry such as logging companies, lumber mills, and forestry product shipping companies, including paper product processing plants. The forest product industry is about twenty percent of Oregon’s economy and although it has slowed down, it still continues as the shipping industry takes forest products out-of-state and sometimes out of the country. The only competition that the forestry industry has is technology and agriculture. (Oregon Forest Resources Institute)
The forest product and services are responsible for a little over 110,000 jobs in Oregon. This includes timber processing such as plywood and construction materials, machinery, and trucking to transport the wood from forest to the supply chain. Wood products are approximately half of all the manufacturing employment in Oregon. Workers average annual wages of around $44,000, which is above the state average for income, and is enough to support a household of 4, in most timber communities. The timber industry surprisingly had a small negative impact during the Great Recession that occurred between 2007 and 012. Although forest product use was reduced during this time, mostly due to the lack of new construction, the increase in new construction has had a positive impact on the timber industry and continues to grow again. (Oregon Forest Resources Institute)
Because forests take up about half of Oregon and are the capstone of life for many Oregonians, it is essential to maintain the health of the forests from a renewable resource perspective. As part of one of the most important parts of Oregon’s economy, the replanting and maintaining of forests today, make a renewable resource for tomorrow. Trees have been an essential part of Oregon economy for most of the 20th century and into the 21st. Private forest accounts for more than half of the replanted logged timber and are growing at a reasonable rate. However, the reforestation of public lands that were harvested for old growth timber are not logged as much as they were in the early part of the 20th century. Therefore, regrowth has become one of the most valuable inventories available for harvest. (Oregon Forest Resources Institute)
The amazing thing about the Oregon timber industry is that the forests have maintained about the same volume of useable timber since the mid-20th century. Oregon has produced enough lumber products to build about 20 million homes since the mid-1950s, which is astounding to think about, despite the series of summer forest fires that plague Oregon forests every year from lightning storms. The forest still grows and the logging companies replant new trees every year. The industry standard is to plant 3-5 new trees for every tree that is cut down. (Oregon Forest Resources Institute) Talk about renewable sustainability!
More than 75 percent of the timber harvest in Oregon comes from privately owned land. This is in the form of private family owned, native tribes, and privately owned companies. These private owners are forest managers who use sustainable practices to ensure that there will be an active growing harvest available for generations. Part of these managing practices include reforestation thinning, preventing damage, and harvest technology. In this way, Oregon’s natural timber reserves will remain a natural resource for the future. (Oregon Forest Resources Institute)
The leftover 20 percent of the timber harvesting is from forest owned by the United States Government, county government, and state government, and is considered public lands. These public lands account for about one quarter of harvestable forest on about half of Oregon’s forested areas. The remaining public land belongs to reserves, national parks and other forested areas that are protected from harvesting. (Oregon Forest Resources Institute , 2013) Oregon tries to maintain healthy forests and will not allow harvesting in areas that may be prone to wildfires, wildlife habitat destruction, pest infestations, or diseases that could be spread through too much human activity. (Allen, Cain).
Although the recession caused harvests to decline, and caused the price of lumber to increase, the sustained new growth continued to get larger, which meant more board feed per tree. As the demand for lumber increased less trees needed to be harvested in order to supply the same demand for lumber products. This was good news for the planet and for the environmentalists who maintain that timber harvests are destroying essential habitat for threatened species and other animals. There are loads of court cases that are caught up in a legal scuffle about the federal laws, policies, and interpretation of those laws. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).
When a forest is managed and owned responsibly over a long period of time, it is referred to as a working forest. This management benefits the property owner, the environment, and the public. These kinds of forests are managed specifically to provide sustainable and renewable resources for economic and social benefits. For example, those who enjoy the economic benefits of a privately owned forest are not only the family who owns the land, but also the logging company, the mill where the logs are processed, the lumber transport company and drivers, the hardware stor owner where the lumber is sold, and the consumer who enjoys the local goods that were supplied by a local family and half-a-dozen locally owned companies to get the lumber to the store. The local economy of Oregon has worked this way since the late 1800’s and although it has gone through financial ups and downs, it is one renewable resources that keeps growing. (Allen, Cain).
The working forest is not a hands-off type of natural resource. It takes a cooperation of economic, environmental, and social rules and regulations that ensure the forest, even a privately owned one, must continue through tireless effort that will ensure the working forest is part of the Oregon landscape for generations to come. Economic incentives that ensure the private forest owner will comply with the rules of reforestation, selective logging, and fire prevention are essential to forest health. Government financial incentives in the form of tax breaks are one way that the federal government can ensure that these forests are not clear cut for their one-time economic value, but instead are treasured for their sustainability and their addition to the old saying of “Keep Oregon Green”. Which can be seen on roadway signs throughout the state. (Allen, Cain).
As long as working forests are maintained they will continue to be an active part of the national resource infrastructure because they are a capstone in the archway of national economy and at some points, part of the global economy as well. Working forests also maintain habitat for fish and wildlife, they provide economic stability for rural timber communities, and provide serene recreational space for those who enjoy the great outdoors. Forests account for keeping rivers and streams clean and create life-giving oxygen for the planet. It is essential that the forests are maintained in a healthy and sustainable manner. Working forests are essential for climate change and they help to reduce carbon usage by providing renewable biomass energy that is easy on the environment. ( History of the Oregon Land Use Planning Program)
Because of Oregon’s climate, the rich, deep soil, and abundant rainfall, there is no wonder why Oregon enjoys being the leader in the manufacture of forest products. Oregon grows trees very well and businesses know that, which us why Oregon lumber can be found across the United States and beyond. Oregonians support forests and the stable economy that comes with them. Environmental and sustainable care of the forests is one of the reasons most rural Oregonians will fight for the timber industry when big business tries to come in and change things to ruin the forests. Oregon enjoys the benefits from educating students from an early age about the importance of maintaining forests. Most Oregon colleges and universities have an environmental science section to train young people about how to care for the forest environment, which includes water, air, and soil health. Some of the classes also include environmental law, which helps to train young people to fight for the forests and the environment. Perhaps the next generations will do a wonderful job at maintaining and sustaining the healthy forests while they enjoy the economic benefits that timber products provide. (Forest Land Protection Program)
The commercial delivery of raw timber goods in the form of sawdust and veneer are transported via train and semi-truck. It is common to see a train pulling from over 20-100 cars loaded with either raw timber products or processed product such as plywood and construction lumber. These trains employ hundreds of people who also add to Oregon’s economy. The workforce involved in such a large renewable resource industry is sometimes unimaginable to those who haven’t grown up around the forest industry. (Forest Land Protection Program)
Throughout this paper, Oregon’s economy seems to be completely stable, however most of the stable economy is in communities west of the Cascade Mountain Rage. Eastern Oregon does not share such stability. The lack of stable forest supply has impacted the economy of many communities and the result has been an increase of ranching and other high desert agriculture. One thing that this writer has learned about Oregonians is that they are tough, tenacious, and when there is disparity ahead they find a new way to survive through almost anything, including a tough recession that almost kills them. (History of the Oregon Land Use Planning Program)
The public is not the only benefactor of a healthy forest industry. The government enjoys its portion of the revenue. The state and local government averages over 250-350 million dollars if taxes which are spread out to help schools, public safety resources such as police and fire personnel, and other publicly funded programs. The federal forests are managed by the US Forest Service and also by the Bureau of Land Management, who are paid through moneys collected by taxes through the foresting industry as well as agriculture and manufacturing. (Oregon Forest Facts & Figures)
During the recession, the state experienced a revenue loss from counties that use federal forests as their main source of economic resource. That meant the state had to reduce monies set aside for public saftey programs, schools, and attempt to recover the money by increasing taxes on property owners. Oregonians were understandably upset and many lost their homes due to the recession. However, the timber industry is making a slow return to the economic stability that has been such a mainstay in Oregon’s history. A strong timber industry means a better population in many of the timber towns of Oregon. (Oregon Forest Facts & Figures)
The use of paper and wood in the United States has an economic importance that is dependent on the health of the forests in Oregon. For example, because so many products are made with wood from Oregon, there is a very good chance that anywhere in the United States that you go, you will either use toilet tissue, writing paper, or the structure you are in, was made from timber in Oregon. (The Wall Street Journal)
Wood is responsible for creating oxygen, taking carbon out of the environment, and the best part is that it is the only building material that is renewable. People can always grow new trees, but it is impossible to grow new steel or plastic. That is something worth thinking about. Perhaps the tough and rugged early Oregon pioneers got something right when they decided to look at the forest as a resource and they were wise to learn how to replant so they could always have a natural resource. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).
Works Cited
Allen, Cain. "The Oregon History Project- A Pacific Republic". Oregon Historical Society Web 4 April 2016.
"Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development Forest Land Protection Program." Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development Forest Land Protection Program. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
"Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife – Present Duties and Responsibilities". Oregon Blue Book (Online). Salem, Oregon: Oregon Secretary of State. 2006. Retrieved April 3, 2016
"Working Forests." State of Oregon: Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
"Oregon Forest Facts & Figures 2013" (PDF). Oregon Forest Resources Institute. p. 3. Web April 4, 2016.
Population of Oregon: Census 2010 and 2000 Interactive Map, Demographics, Statistics, Quick Facts. Web. April 4, 2016
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (1992), (2209). "Clear cut." Terms of Environment: Glossary, Abbreviations and Acronyms. p. 6. Document no. EPA-175-B-92-001. Web. April 4, 2016.
Real Time Economics The Wall Street Journal. Web April 4, 2016
