Forests & Timber Production
Federal Legislation Places Dependence on Private Harvesters
Why is it important?
Since the days of the Gold Rush, timber harvesting has continuously occurred in the Sierra Nevada.8 A large majority of the state’s diverse forest resources are found within the Sierra Nevada.9 In terms of gross revenue, timber is one of the Sierra Nevada’s most valuable products. Timber is also one of the largest net contributors to county government funds through forest reserve revenue and timber yield taxes.
Timber harvest is directly related to supply and demand, while USDA Forest Service management policies affect the supply of timber on public lands.10 A decrease in available timber harvest leads to mill closings, lost jobs, and decreasing potential financial capital. Also, well-managed forests help maintain healthy water quality and plant biodiversity, and contribute to forest fire prevention.
Since the mid-1940s, about 16 percent of oak woodland regions have been converted to other uses including rangeland and urban development.11 Policy and funding changes demonstrate the value of the Sierra Nevada’s natural environment and community dependence on its environment. The community value placed on timber production shows the need for responsible forest management and production.
How are we doing?
The majority of timber production in the Sierra Nevada now comes from private harvests. Federal legislation on forest production, particularly the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment and the Roadless Land Initiative, has contributed to reduced availability of timber production on public land. The majority of timber now comes from private lands due to decreases in logging on public lands. Past management practices of logging the larger, more valuable trees combined with a policy of fire suppression has forced federal land managers to reduce timber harvest activities to protect sensitive species. This decline in timber output from public lands in response to past management activities combined with global market forces has led to an increase in harvesting on private lands in the Sierra Nevada. Timber exports throughout the Sierra Nevada continue to be an important source of revenue. Although it has decreased slightly as shown in exports by product sector, a financial capital indicator.
The North Sierra continues to rely heavily on timber harvesting as an integral part of the economy. While the North Central and South Central Sierra produced the largest amount of timber in 2002, its diversified economy is less reliant upon this resource. The East Sierra’s low-lying plains provide little marketable timber.
8 Economic Assessment of the Ecosystem. Retrieved May 10, 2005 from http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/docs/data/0700/777/HYPEROCR/hyperocr.html
9 California Forest Products Commission . Retrieved May 12, 2005 from http://www.calforests.org/all_about_california_forests.html?ID=19
10 2000 Sierra Wealth Index Sierra Business Council. 2000
11 Summary of the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project Report, p 6. Retrieved May 10, 2005 from http://ceres.ca.gov/snep/pubs/web/PDF/exec_sum.pdf
