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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Fatal virus resurges in area blacktails Medford crosswalk sting set for Friday Community poetry highlights 29th Hiroshima-Nagasaki Remembrance Crater Lake park rangers investigate report of hiker falling over rim Since You Asked: Fern Valley work still on schedule Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Crater Lake park rangers investigate report of hiker falling over rim Rains fall over parts of the Oregon Gulch Fire Medford man who was misidentified as arson suspect released from jail Emergency Services Still fighting lots of fires in national forest, but sizes are small Politics and Elections Medford council veterans plan exit Medical marijuana patients run for council seat Former colleagues laud Atiyeh's 'practical' leadership Bates-Dotterrer race called critical to Senate control Richardson challenges Kitzhaber during debate Education Free meals program expands in Grants Pass Migrant student numbers soar $21 million Science Building upgrades begin at SOU Eagle Point district mulls fate of Trail school SOU Provost James Klein plans to retire State news Nation - World Obituaries Emma Elizabeth Ronald J. 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Coach Riley prepares Beavers for fall camp Mannion, Beavers look to close the gap Pro Sports Isner loses to Dodig in Rogers Cup Serena secures Stanford tourney Giants rally to beat Bills in HOF Game McIlroy victorious at Bridgestone Allred finishes sixth at Barracuda Community Sports Larkins named Oregon Bowling Proprietors of Year Mavs capture Legion A state title Medford Mustangs win American Legion state title Allred to enter Hall of Fame at Pepperdine Comet rally falls short in Legion A tourney Business Latest Stories $200 million development begins in south Medford Blog: Part 2: How to Stay Cool in 100 Degree Weather Avista requests rate hike of 9.7% Blog: Study finds Oregon's exports slow to recover Contractor sweep nets 34 violations in S. 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Dining India Palace Taco Riendo Uber Herbal Coquina Restaurant Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Other Views: Federal logging lags Oregon needs balance between timber harvest levels on private, public land The Oregon Department of Forestry's annual report on timber production shows the need to increase logging on federal lands. By The Roseburg News-Review MailTribune.com By The Roseburg News-Review Posted Jul. 26, 2014 @ 2:00 am By The Roseburg News-Review Posted Jul. 26, 2014 @ 2:00 am » Social News The Oregon Department of Forestry's annual report on timber production shows the need to increase logging on federal lands. The report contains good news and restates a troubling trend. On the plus side, timber harvests in 2013 topped 4 billion board feet for the first time since 2006. Oregon produced enough timber to build 419,920 houses. Recovery from the Great Recession continued, and demand for timber has room to grow. Housing starts nationally were still only about two-thirds the historical average. The troubling trend is Oregon's overreliance on private timberlands to the detriment of the environment and economy. Privately owned forests make up 34 percent of Oregon's timberlands and produced 77 percent of the timber. The federal government manages 60 percent of the timberlands and yielded 13 percent of the harvest. It's an old story. The federal government sells a fraction of the timber that grows each year on the lands it manages, putting pressure on private lands to meet demand. Annual harvests on private timberlands are sustainable for now. But they might not be if construction fully recovers and overseas demand for raw logs stays high or picks up. Gov. John Kitzhaber's task force on Oregon & California Railroad lands concluded in early 2013 that Oregon's private timberlands would be insufficient in flush times. "Timber from public land is likely necessary to allow Oregon's mills to respond to a prolonged surge in demand," the report stated. Harvests on private and federal lands were once roughly proportional. Federal timberlands accounted for 57 percent of the harvest in 1988, two years before the spotted owl was listed as a threatened species. Since then, federal timber harvests have fallen by roughly 90 percent. Meanwhile, private timber harvests have fluctuated, depending on demand. The yield peaked in recent years at 3.6 billion board feet in 2004 and hit bottom at 2.1 million in 2009. In contrast, federal forest management defies economics. In the high-demand year of 2004, the Bureau of Land Management sold 96 million board feet. In the recession year of 2009, it sold 147 million board feet. Private timberland owners have cut more in each of the past four years to meet the gradual increase in demand. Private lands, however, can only produce so much. The Department of Forestry estimates that 3.8 billion board feet grow each year on private timberlands. The yield last year was 3.2 billion board feet. Private forests still have untapped capacity and may be able to meet demand. Still, communities surrounded by federal forests won't benefit as much as they should from the good times. Mills that depend on federal logs will miss out, too. Also, private timber can be exported as raw logs, diminishing the number of jobs created. The timber is there for the federal government to cut. The BLM estimates 1.2 billion board feet grow annually on O&C lands alone in Western Oregon. The annual harvest since 1995 has been about 150 million board feet. Yes, the timber industry is bounding back. Right now, though, the federal government has a ceiling over how high the rebound can be. By The Roseburg News-Review MailTribune.com By The Roseburg News-Review Posted Jul. 26, 2014 @ 2:00 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. 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