Traditional forestry and restoration forestry can produce higher levels of direct, indirect and induced jobs than other infrastructure investment. Photo by Rex Storm.

via OFRI: Forests are engine for Oregon's economy

By Mike Cloughesy, OFRI director of forestry

If you were around during the ‘80s, you remember the burger commercial with the skeptical granny asking, “Where’s the beef?” That old catchphrase comes to mind when one hears talk of a “jobless” economic recovery. But, three recent studies show, the “beef” may very well be found in the jobs created by our forests and forest sector, especially in Oregon.

One study, by the University of Massachusetts Political Economy and Research Institute, found that federal stimulus money invested in forests created more jobs than money invested in any other sector. Investments in reforestation and land restoration yielded 39.7 direct, indirect and induced jobs per million dollars invested, compared with 20.3 jobs for road and bridge repair, 17.4 jobs for building retrofits and 14.5 jobs for electricity transmission.

A study by the University of Oregon Ecosystem Workforce Program examined the number of jobs created by investing in forest and watershed restoration through Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board grants. The study concluded that for each $1 million of OWEB investment, from 15.7 to 23.8 jobs were created.

A third study by Forest2Market examined the economic impact of privately-owned forests in 29 states. In Oregon, the study found 5.1 jobs were created for every 1,000 acres of overall forestland, but 11.1 jobs were created for every 1,000 acres of private forestland – more than double. Of interest, while the Oregon numbers were similar to those for Washington, Idaho and California, other regions showed less difference. This contrast suggests that private lands are especially important for job creation in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.

Another interesting way to examine jobs in the forest sector and the importance of timber harvest is to look at the number of jobs created per million board feet of timber harvested. Extrapolating data for forest sector employment and timber harvest from OFRI’s 2009 Oregon Forest Facts & Figures shows that every million board feet of timber harvested created 20.1 direct jobs and another 24.1 indirect jobs.

Investment in Oregon’s private and public forests produces jobs. Managing and conserving private lands produces jobs. And actively managing all forests using sensible environmental practices so they produce forest products creates jobs. In an economy that sorely needs jobs, the “beef” is in the trees.

Mike Cloughesy has been the director of forestry for OFRI for seven years. He is currently the chair-elect for the Oregon Society of the American Foresters. Before joining OFRI he was on faculty at Oregon State University for 16 years, serving in the Forestry Extension program.