Cover of the OFRI special report, Keeping Drinking Water SafeKee

Diagram of the water treatment process

Map of the Eagle Creek fire in relation to the Bull Run watershed.

Nearly half of Oregon is forestland. Oregon forests vary by species composition and ownership. There are more than 30 distinct forest types, but Douglas-fir dominates in western Oregon, ponderosa pine in eastern Oregon, and mixed conifers in southwest Oregon. In terms of ownership, the federal government manages 61% of Oregon forests; private owners manage 34%; state and county governments manage 4%; and Native American tribes manage 2%.

Oregon’s forests are managed to reflect the varied objectives and practices of a diverse array of landowners. These include the federal government, which owns the largest portion of Oregon’s forestland, as well as state, county and municipal governments, private timber companies, nonprofits, tribes and small woodland owners, each with a range of goals for their land. Some forests are managed primarily for timber production, while others are set aside as parks, wilderness areas or reserves to protect old-growth, riparian or endangered species habitat.

Oregon’s forests are managed to reflect the varied objectives and practices of a diverse array of landowners. These include the federal government, which owns the largest portion of Oregon’s forestland, as well as state, county and municipal governments, private timber companies, nonprofits, tribes and small woodland owners, each with a range of goals for their land. Some forests are managed primarily for timber production, while others are set aside as parks, wilderness areas or reserves to protect old-growth, riparian or endangered species habitat.

The amount of total public and private forestland in Oregon has held mostly steady, at about 30 million acres, for nearly 100 years. In fact, it’s estimated to have been about 30 million acres in the 1600s, as well.

While the federal government manages most of the forestland in Oregon, only a relatively small portion of Oregon’s timber harvest happens on federal land, and most of that is from thinning. About 76% of the total state harvest comes from private timberlands.

Timber harvest levels from public and private forestlands over the past 20 years have remained relatively stable, although the Great Recession (2007-09) and the collapse of the housing market brought a severe contraction in the U.S. demand for lumber. Consequently, Oregon’s timber harvest reached a modern-era low in 2009, the smallest harvest since the Great Depression in 1934. By 2013, the harvest had rebounded to roughly pre-recession levels. In the five most recent years where data is available (2017-2021), Oregon timber harvest averaged around 3.8 billion board feet.

Oregon forests grow about 2.8 billion cubic feet of new wood per year. Overall, about 39% is harvested, 25% ends up in trees that die from natural causes, and 36% adds to the volume of standing timber. On private forestland, where most timber harvest happens in the state, the amount of wood harvested each year is about 77% of the annual timber growth. About 11% of that growth is offset by trees that die from causes such as fire, insects and disease. On federal lands, only about 8% of the annual timber growth is harvested each year.

Oregon has led the nation for many years in producing softwood lumber and plywood typically used for homebuilding. Oregon’s lumber output of 6.1 billion board feet in 2021 accounted for about 16.5% of total U.S. production, while Oregon plywood mills accounted for about 28% of total U.S. plywood production in 2021.

Oregon has led the nation for many years in producing softwood lumber and plywood typically used for homebuilding. Oregon’s lumber output of 6.1 billion board feet in 2021 accounted for about 16.5% of total U.S. production, while Oregon plywood mills accounted for about 28% of total U.S. plywood production in 2021.

Oregon is also a leader in producing value-added engineered wood products such as cross-laminated timber (CLT), glue-laminated timber (glulam) and mass plywood panels (MPP).

Forest-related employment in Oregon totaled 61,970 jobs in Oregon in 2021, according to the Oregon Employment Department. This is about 3% of the total jobs in Oregon. However, in four rural Oregon counties--Jefferson, Douglas, Crook and Lake--forest sector jobs account for more than 10% of total jobs. The average annual wage of those jobs was $68,200, roughly 7% percent more than the average wage of $64,000 for all Oregon employment. In some Oregon counties, especially rural ones, forest sector jobs have significantly higher-than-average wages.

The Labor Day 2020 fires burned nearly a million acres of public and private forestland, primarily in western Oregon. Compared to the average Oregon fire year, the Labor Day 2020 fires were unusual for involving more private land and burning more acres in western Oregon. This had a large economic impact on the state’s forest-related businesses, according to a study commissioned by the Oregon Forest Resources Institute that examined the economic impacts of the Labor Day fires on Oregon’s forest sector.

The Labor Day 2020 fires burned nearly a million acres of public and private forestland, primarily in western Oregon. Compared to the average Oregon fire year, the Labor Day 2020 fires were unusual for involving more private land and burning more acres in western Oregon. This had a large economic impact on the state’s forest-related businesses, according to a study commissioned by the Oregon Forest Resources Institute that examined the economic impacts of the Labor Day fires on Oregon’s forest sector.

The Labor Day 2020 fires burned nearly a million acres of public and private forestland, primarily in western Oregon. Compared to the average Oregon fire year, the Labor Day 2020 fires were unusual for involving more private land and burning more acres in western Oregon. This had a large economic impact on the state’s forest-related businesses, according to a study commissioned by the Oregon Forest Resources Institute that examined the economic impacts of the Labor Day fires on Oregon’s forest sector.