After struggling through nearly two weeks of devastating fires and a thick blanket of smoke, rains finally brought a measure of relief late last week. Now comes the work of grappling with the damage. This New York Times feature article, which draws from an interview with OREI executive director, Lee Davis, explores the impact of Oregon's natural resources economy.
"The human toll of Oregon’s worst wildfires in a century has been substantial. Thousands of Oregonians have lost their homes or businesses. Several perished or went missing in the firestorms. But in economic terms, the greatest damage to the state from the fires does not come from lost structures.
It comes from the trees.
Oregon’s economy remains deeply rooted in its forests. Though in recent decades the state’s reliance on natural resource extraction has shifted to jobs in human services and high technology, the woods are a cornerstone of Oregon’s lifestyle appeal to high-skilled workers from California and points east. And the timber industry, while diminished, still powers rural economies, along with travel and tourism to lakes, campgrounds and hiking trails through the majestic old-growth canopies."