Data recently released by the Oregon Department of Forestry shows that timber harvest levels statewide have increased for the second year in a row. Harvests, which were at a low of 2.75 billion board feet in 2009 following the collapse of the domestic housing market in 2008, posted gains in 2010 and 2011.
In 2011, approximately 3.65 billion board feet were harvested in Oregon, an increase of 32% from 2009’s low and 13% from 2010’s harvest numbers.
“Much of these gains can be attributed to an active export market to Eastern Asia, especially China,” said Brandon Kaetzel, the Oregon Department of Forestry’s principal forest economist. “The U.S. housing market’s slow recovery and other domestic markets are also driving demand for Oregon wood products.”
Locally, both Columbia and Clatsop counties have seen similar harvest increases. Columbia County, which had seen a decline of more than 26% in 2008 and another drop of nearly 2% in 2009, has rebounded to pre-2009 export numbers.
From The Chronicle: https://www.thechronicleonline.com/news/article_0e0fcc60-f163-11e1-a8c8-0019bb2963f4.html