Table 2-20 Current Employment and Income Related to Timber Harvest 1/ Based on percent of timber harvested from JKSYU public lands flowing to various destinations. 2/ Taken from USDI, BLM (DYRAM) 1978b. 3/1976 County Average Covered payroll per employee in the lumber and wood products industry. Local Personal Income and Employment Related to BLM Resources in the JKS YUS 1/ Total local income effect $4,916 (1975 Jackson County income per capita) x .39 (Jackson County labor force per capita). 2/ Total local income effect $4,916 (1975 Jackson County income per capita). Source: USDI, BLM, Medford District Office. Jackson-Klamath Planning Area Analysis. 1977. Table 2-22 O&C Revenue Disbursements Expressed as Property Tax 1/ Calculated as follows: O&C payment tax rate equivalency =0&C payment divided by Total true cash value of property (thousands of dollars) --Total true cash value estimates are from: Oregon, State of, Summary of 1977 Assessment Rolls, Department of Revenue, Salem, Oregon, November 10, 1977 and from: Oregon, State of, Oregon Property tax statistics 1976, Dept. of Revenue, Salem, Oregon, 1977. 2/ Calculated as follows: Percent supplement to levy =0&C payment divided by levy of all taxing units within and including the county. Levy estimates are based on Oregon, State of, Telephone inquiry of Mr. Dick Yates, Dept. of Revenue, November 4, 1977 (for 77/78 levy), and the second reference in footnote 1 for the 76/77 levy. Note: O&C payment for FY 1976 are based on receipts from 7/1/75 to 6/30/76: for FY 1977 the payments are based on receipts from 10/176 to 9/30/77. Source: USDI, BLM. Final Environmental Statement: Josephine Sustained Locally, conflicts relating to timber management are common. Intensive timber harvest is favorably viewed by community members whose economic livelihood and security comes from timber harvesting and processing but is seen as potentially harmful by those whose primary interest is esthetics or recreation. These value conflicts are likely to increase in southwest Oregon as more people migrate to the area. Sixty interviews were conducted in communities within the Jackson and Klamath Sustained Yield Units to identify attitudes and social values which might be affected by BLM actions. Those interviewed did not answer specific questions but were encouraged to talk about issues of concern to them. The sample size and interview method therefore do not permit precise description of the extent to which specific values are held by the population. Rather, the objective was to indicate which values relating to timber management appear to be shared by many people and which are likely to clash with possible BLM actions. A technical report, containing a detailed description of the methodology and the limitations of the social analysis, is available in the Oregon State Office in Portland and the Medford District Office. 2.18.2 General Social Values Applied to the JKSYUs Within the SYUs, four groups with diverse social values are identified. One group is established in farming and logging. Another includes those long-time residents who moved to the valley to work in the mills or light industry; another is composed primarily of young people who were drawn to southern Oregon in the late 1960's and early 1970's to "return to the land". The newest group of arrivals is characterized as financially independent people in search of small town friendliness, good schools, a slower pace of life, cleaner environment, and esthetically pleasing surroundings. If labels were applied to these groups the latter two might be combined into "environmentalists" who generally favor less interference with nature and strongly favor esthetic values over economic values. Alternatively, the established residents who would benefit from economic development (real estate and business interests, logging and light industry) tend to give priority to economic values and favor growth and development. Other less relevant divisions among groups would be between the city dwellers and the rural county residents, or young people and older, retired people. Population growth is an example of a controversial public issue. Some see growth as a mixed blessing while others view it as a necessity to economic survival. Other related problems include employment, housing, economic stability, transportation, air quality, and general quality of life. At some point, most of these concerns relate to the timber industry. SOCIAL CONDITIONS 2.18.3 Attitudes about Forest Management There has been an increasing concern about the stability of the timber industry, its corresponding local economic impacts, and forest management practices on private and public lands. As the old-growth timber resources become depleted, demands on BLM to manage timber in such a way as to ensure the health of the timber industry, local job market, and tax revenues may be in direct conflict with those demands of recreationalists and preservationists. Some of these contrasts have surfaced in a series of public meetings held by the BLM in selected communities. Written comments submitted at these meetings show moderate agreement over the following issues: Providing free access to BLM roads Continuing grazing Protecting wildlife Regenerating forests Protecting air and water quality Making wood available for firewood cutting Becoming involved with salvage harvesting Permitting mining Controlling motorized vehicles Becoming involved in precommercial thinning Issues that did not seem to show community agreement were: Whether to increase recreation on public lands Whether to increase their own staff Whether to build new roads Whether to use herbicides Whether to do more clearcutting Whether to sustain current harvest levels vs. increasing harvest Except for clear cutting, county-wide interviews indicate similar preferences and disagreements. They reaffirm support for reforestation, precommercial thinning, increased availability availability of firewood, firewood, protection of wildlife, and increased salvage harvest. The areas of disagreement were over the use of herbicides and fertilizers, recreational developments, harvest cutbacks, and road building. While the interviews suggest that most people oppose clearcutting, comments received by the BLM at their meetings indicated that clearcutting is favored by others. On a broader scale, most of the interviewees have been unhappy with Federal agencies for diverse reasons including concern with the watershed, the use of herbicides, loss of wildlife in the forests, or the loss of grazing privileges. In addition, a number of respondents employed in or working with the timber industry expressed a concern over the deficiency of knowledge regarding |