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<DIV><FONT face=Arial><SPAN class=389180120-28072009>Oregon Department of
Forestry</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><SPAN class=389180120-28072009>NEWS
RELEASE</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><SPAN class=389180120-28072009></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=389180120-28072009>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><?xml:namespace
prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State><st1:PersonName
w:st="on">'</st1:PersonName>s timber harvests plummet toward historic
low</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial>FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial>July 28,
2009<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN><FONT face=Arial>Contact:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Gary Lettman,
503-945-7408<o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face=Arial>09-29<o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State>’s timber harvests
continued to decline in 2008, with a total harvest of 3.44 billion board feet.
The total cut decreased nine percent from the 2007 harvest volume of 3.80
billion board feet. “These are the lowest harvest levels we have seen in
<st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State> since
the recession-based lows of 2001,” said Gary Lettman, Oregon Department of
Forestry forest economist.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“That
harvest was also 3.44 billion board feet and only a fraction of a percent lower
than this year’s levels. Preliminary data for 2009 project harvest levels will
drop even further – to approximately 3 billion board
feet.”<o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial>The drop in
harvested volume came primarily from a continued decrease in harvests by private
forestland owners. A 9 percent, or 247 million board feet, decrease in volume
from forest industry land owners was accompanied by a 35 percent decline in
harvests on non-industrial private forestlands, which declined from an overall
harvest of 240 million board feet in 2007 to 156 million board feet in 2008 – a
63 percent decrease since 2006. Federal harvests remained at historically low
levels, accounting for only 9 percent of the total harvest. State harvests
increased marginally, from 276 million board feet in 2007 to 278 million board
feet in 2008, due to wood salvaged in 2008 from the storm in early December
2007.<o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial>The falling
timber harvests have environmental and economic repercussions for Oregonians.
Mills closing and lower lumber and wood products employment have hit rural
communities hard, and contributed to the current statewide unemployment rate of
12.2 percent. Sixteen percent of <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State>’s lumber and plywood mills have closed
since 2005 and few remain in many rural areas.<o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial>“Only nine
sawmills remain in operation in all of eastern <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State></st1:place>,” said Lettman. “This reduction in
lumber and plywood mills across <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State> also means there are less mill
residuals available for biomass energy and paper products, and less industry
infrastructure remaining to complete much-needed forest restoration
work.”<o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial>Harvests
decreased in all western <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State></st1:place> counties except for Clatsop, Jackson,
Multnomah and Tillamook; resulting in the nearly 9 percent harvest decrease in
the region. <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Lane</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceName> remains the highest producer of timber in
<st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State>;
however the 432 million board feet harvested in 2008 is a 14 percent decrease
from the 2007 harvest of 504 million board feet. <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Clatsop</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> was second, increasing their
harvest to 420 million board feet due to storm-damaged trees. <st1:place
w:st="on">Douglas</st1:place> and Coos counties were third and fourth; with 416
and 282 million board feet respectively. <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial>Harvest levels
in eastern <st1:State w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State> also significantly
diminished; with the exceptions of Baker, Deschutes, Jefferson, <st1:place
w:st="on">Lake</st1:place> and Umatilla counties. Klamath county remains the
highest timber producer, despite a nearly 40 percent reduction in harvests since
2007. <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial>For more
information, please contact Gary Lettman, Principal Forest Economist, at
503-945-7408 or glettman@odf.state.or.us <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial>This information
and more is available in the recently-released Oregon Department of Forestry
2008 Annual Timber Harvest Report – a compilation of statewide data pertaining
to timber harvests.<SPAN class=389180120-28072009> T</SPAN>he 2008 report, as
well as previous annual reports, is available online on the department’s website
at
www.oregon.gov/ODF/STATE_FORESTS/FRP/annual_Reports.shtml<o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face=Arial>###<o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
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