The post-war economy in southwestern Oregon boomed as new roads and technologies took the timber industry into the region’s mountains. This section looks at how the landscape changed as people moved from town to country. It reviews the gradual depletion of timber resources and the rise of environmental issues such as air and water quality, land-use planning, and wild area preservation. During this period, the arts, heritage tourism, and recreation gained prominence.
Roads and Ranchettes:
In the late 1960s, societal upheavals associated in part with the Vietnam War encouraged some people to get “back to the land” in isolated areas of southwestern Oregon. Families also built homes on rural properties, subdividing lands that previously had been devoted to agricultural and forest uses. Improved roads made it convenient for people to live in one place and work in another.
Stumps on the Hill, Money in the Till:
The timber industry developed as a major economic force in southwestern Oregon after World War II, when advanced technology and new roads allowed logging in the high country. The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management managed well over half of the lands in the region by the end of the twentieth century.
Sharing & Protecting the Treasure:
Concern about the timber industry’s effect on the environment and the rapid transformation of agricultural lands into subdivisions has led the region’s residents to look anew at the ways they use the land.
Unending Delight as well as Vigorous Exercise:
Recent recreational opportunities and improved road systems have encouraged tourists to explore the backcountry. Official recognition of several “wild and scenic” regional rivers and of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness has heightened residents’ awareness of special places. These designations, however, also increased tensions between timber industry representatives and advocates of environmental protection.
The Creative & Passionate Spirit:
Marked by steep declines in the timber and agricultural industries, the past thirty years have witnessed the blossoming of arts and historic preservation activities. Several communities have turned to tourism for economic well-being, supporting festivals and historic restoration projects that draw thousands of visitors to southwestern Oregon.
