Oregon forestland values at risk as wildfire danger reshapes timber economics

Oregon forestland values at risk as wildfire danger reshapes timber economics

Oregon’s Douglas fir forests may lose up to half their value as rising wildfire danger and volatile timber prices force plantation owners to harvest trees decades earlier than optimal, according to new research from Oregon State University. The study shows that under worst-case scenarios, the most economically sensible harvest age would drop to just 24 years — less than half the 65-year optimal rotation in areas without significant fire risk. “B…