Kulongoski plans boost to timber industry
By Tony Hazarian
Of fo« Emerald
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ted Kulon
goski presented his plan to revitalize Oregon's troubled
wood products industry at a north Eugene lumberyard
Friday
Speaking under overcast skies, Kulongoski gave
the industry a sunny forecast by proposing plans for
pursuing new markets for processed wood products,
re-tooling and modernizing mills, developing new wood
products and re-bidding existing timber contracts
“State government can provide the direction,
leadership and assistance to the wood products in
dustry in making the basic changes that will assure the
industry its strength for the future,'' Kulongoski said
"I will not wait, as (Gov ) Victor Atiyeh has done,
until six weeks before the election to either recognize
the problem or begin to work on the solution I say that
because, if action is not taken immediately, our wood
products industry will continue to decay,” he said
The University and the state's higher education
system would play an important role in his plan,
Kulongoski said They would provide necessary re
search and working closely with the timber industry
This research can help "find new and more valuable
ways” to increase timber production, he said
Kulongoski's main priority would be finding new
markets for processed and manufactured wood
products, nationally and internationally, "so that
Oregon can get the maximum value out of every tree cut
in our state ”
To compete in these new markets, Kulongoski said,
Oregon’s mills need to re-tool and modernize
“As our globe shrinks and our markets increase.
Oregon's lumber firms must be able to cut to the
specifications of builders in the Orient and elsewhere in
order to make sales,” he said
“It's an acknowledged fact that exporting
processed wood products creates three times as many
jobs as exporting raw logs,” he said
Kulongoski vowed that as governor he would work
with the Board of Forestry and the state forestry
department to sharpen forest management on state and
private lands
He would also immediately propose voiding exist
ing timber contracts on land not being harvested and
rebidding them
"I recognize fully well those contracts were made in
an era of optimism and timber speculation,” Kulongoski
said "But the reality is those high-priced contracts are
keeping some Oregon timber from being harvested and
keeping many Oregonians from going back to work in
our mills and forests "
Kulongoski said he would also lobby for the in
dustry on the federal level and would work with state
representatives in formulating a state wilderness bill
"that both assures adequate timber for the economic
health of the timber industry and protects our scenic
wilderness resources ”
Emerak) photo
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ted Kulongoski
announced his plans for revitalizing Oregon's wood
products industry by modernizing and developing new
products and markets.
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