The Employment and Economic Impacts of Forest and Watershed Restoration in Oregon

4 p.With the current focus on developing the green economy as a strategy for economic recovery, there has been an increasing emphasis on investing in renewable energy development, energy efficiency, and businesses that have more sustainable supply chains and end products. Today’s focus on a green economy builds on a much longer standing effort in the agricultural and natural resource sectors to foster organic agricultural products, certified wood, and ecological restoration of forests and watersheds. F or more than fifteen years state and federal governments have invested in forest and watershed restoration in the Pacific Northwest. The purpose of this study was to examine the employment and economic impacts of public investments in forest and watershed restoration in Oregon.This briefing paper was made possible with funding from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, the Freshwater Trust, Bella Vista Foundation, Ford Foundation, and the University of Oregon