Global Forestland Trends

Any discussion of sustainability for Oregon’s forests must include an understanding of their place in the larger national and global context. Between 1990 and 2000, the world’s forests were reduced by 9 million hectares per year (a hectare equals 2.47 acres). The loss of 12 million hectares in mostly tropical, developing countries was offset somewhat by 3 million newly forested hectares in non-tropical areas, particularly in China. In contrast, more than 90 percent of the forestland that was in Oregon 400 years ago remains today. Forestland must stay in forest use to sustain the environmental, social and economic contributions it provides.

U.S. Wood Consumption and Production in a Global Context

The United States uses about one-third of the industrial wood produced around the globe, though it has only 5 percent of the world’s population. The United States and many other developed countries are net importers of wood, often from areas with lower environmental standards for harvest and forest management. Wood use has increased by 40 percent since 1960, and is expected to rise by another 50 percent by the middle of this century. Oregon has some of the most productive forestland in the world, where trees grow larger and faster than most other places. Oregon is also utilizing wood more efficiently, using more of the tree and applied technology in the manufacturing process to make more products out of fewer trees. Oregon still produces more wood than it consumes, but the percentage of imported wood used in Oregon is increasing steadily.

Actual Oregon Harvests Compared with Growth Rates and Potential Sustainable Harvest