62,000 Oregonians

That’s the number of individuals who own between 10 and 5,000 acres of forestland in our state. Their holdings are often referred to as "family forestlands," because many of these properties have been handed down through generations.

The amount of timber coming from family forestlands varies greatly depending on market demand for wood products. Family forestlands accounted for about 12 percent of Oregon’s annual timber harvest in 2022.

Not all family forestlands are managed for timber production. Family forest landowners also manage forests for recreational use, fish and wildlife habitats or pure aesthetics.

Most of these landowners are not professional foresters. They are retirees, doctors, teachers, accountants and clergy. They’re also quite possibly your neighbors. That’s because a lot of family forestland is located close to residential areas in the foothills just outside Oregon’s primary metropolitan areas.

Family forests at risk

Most family forest landowners want to keep their property as forestland, but caring for forests costs money. In many cases, family forest landowners use their land to earn a living. If the cost of regulation and management gets too expensive, they will turn to alternatives and, unfortunately, consider selling the family forest for subdivisions, strip malls, vineyards or other development.

How you can help

Keeping family-owned forests economically viable is critical to forest sustainability. Even if you don’t own forestland, you can help by increasing awareness of the important role private land plays in the forest ecosystem, and encouraging public policy that helps keep family forests as forests.

Forest landowner education

For more information about educational programs and resources for forest landowners offered through OFRI and other organizations, visit KnowYourForest.org.