Many private forest owners are facing a tough decision during the economic downturn: Sell timber or sell the land.
As the value of timber declines, many owners can make more money selling their land for subdivisions than harvesting it, said Matt Donegan, co-president of Forest Capital Partners.
The firm buys and manages forests across North America. Donegan said more than a million acres of forest, roughly the size of Delaware, are lost every year.
In Oregon, about 85,000 people directly depend on timber for their livelihoods. That doesn't count those who work in mills and manufacturing plants, which also depend on productive forests.
"Once these forestlands are gone, they're gone," Donegan said during a recent tour of private forestlands in Oregon's Benton County.
The tour was hosted by the Oregon Forest Resources Institute and drew participants from both the public and private sectors.
Barte Starker is one of the co-owners of Starker Forests, which has 73,000 acres of timberland in Benton, Polk and Yamhill counties. Benton County accounts for 80 percent of its property.
Beyond the 22 people who work for the company are more than 100 independent contractors.
"As forestlands are converted or degraded, it puts pressure on jobs," Starker said.
Private timber growers have to compete on a global scale but face escalating costs, such as paying for most of their fire protection, Starker said. Only 40 percent of the money comes from state government.
It doesn't help that Oregon's population is growing, he said.
"There's bound to be friction between the interest in keeping forests and finding places for people to live," Starker said.Seattle Times
