Abstract:
Oregon's forest product industry continues to be the nation's number one
producer of wood products. The forest products industry contributes significantly
to Oregon's economy. Changes in timber supply, land use policy, technology,
and product demand create significant impacts on the region. The activities of
the wood products industry translate into jobs, payroll, taxes, and the purchase
of services and materials from other industries. In order to trace the
contribution of the wood products industry to the state of Oregon's economy, a
thorough understanding of how wood is utilized at all subsequent stages of
processing is necessary. This study provides an in-depth look at the forest
products industry by estimating the volume of wood, number of jobs, and value
added of product shipments at each stage of processing, from harvest to final
product.
The forest products industry as defined in this study includes six primary
wood processing industries: sawmills; veneer and plywood mills; pulp and board
mills; shake and shingle mills; pole, post & piling mills; and log export firms.
Seven secondary and/or residue converting industries are included: structural
members, which produce engineered wood products such as laminated veneer,
glu-lam beams, and I-joist; millwork; furniture; materials handling, which
includes pallets, dunnage and other products used in shipping; reconstituted
wood products, such as particle and hard board; converted paper and board
products; and miscellaneous wood products. Forestry services and
regeneration, logging operations, and hauling are also included to the extent
possible.
The results of this study indicate the forest products industry in Oregon
supported in excess of 80,000 jobs and provided value added in manufacture of
more than 5.2 billion dollars in 1992. The estimated harvest volume in 1992 was
1,409.4 million cubic feet and 1,547.1 million cubic feet of logs were consumed
in Oregon primary wood products industries. The employment numbers in this
study are not directly comparable to other studies because the definition of
"wood products industries" may be broader than in other reports. Using the
traditional definitions of SIC 24 (lumber and wood products) and SIC 26, (paper
and allied products) 63,000 people were employed in wood products industries
in 1992.
