Oregon Public Broadcasting

Last year's timber harvest in Oregon was the lowest since 2001.  As Pete Springer reports, economists blame the decline in the housing market.

The timber harvest last year was down twelve percent compared to 2006.

State, federal, and private land in Oregon produced three-point-eight billion board feet of timber last year.  The historic low is three-point-four billion board feet.

Gary Lettman is a forest economist with the Oregon Department of Forestry.  He says the demand for timber is down, along with the housing market.

Gary Lettman: “You know, overall the industry has done quite well given the demand shocks it’s had, but I think there’s some areas where we really need to focus on keeping the mills operating and you know keeping jobs for the Oregonians in these more rural communities.”

Lettman says mills in eastern Oregon are especially vulnerable because they aren't receiving as many logs. 

And he says the timber harvest this year is expected to be even lower than last year.