Jul 30, 2009. /Lesprom Network/. Oregon’s timber harvests continued to decline in 2008, with a total harvest of 3.44 billion board feet, Portland Business Journal reported. The cut decreased 9 percent from the 2007 harvest of 3.8 billion board feet. “These are the lowest harvest levels we have seen in Oregon since the recession-based lows of 2001,” said Gary Lettman, Oregon Department of Forestry forest economist. “That harvest was also 3.44 billion board feet and only a fraction of a percent lower than this year’s levels. Preliminary data for 2009 project harvest levels will drop even further — to approximately 3 billion board feet.” The drop in harvested volume came primarily from a continued decrease in harvests by private forestland owners. A 9 percent, or 247 million board feet, decrease in volume from forest industry land owners was accompanied by a 35 percent decline in harvests on non-industrial private forestlands, which declined from an overall harvest of 240 million board feet in 2007 to 156 million board feet in 2008 — a 63 percent decrease since 2006. Federal harvests remained at historically low levels, accounting for only 9 percent of the total harvest. State harvests increased marginally, from 276 million board feet in 2007 to 278 million board feet in 2008, due to wood salvaged in 2008 from the storm in early December 2007. Harvests decreased in all western Oregon counties except for Clatsop, Jackson, Multnomah and Tillamook. Lane County remains the highest producer of timber in Oregon; however the 432 million board feet harvested in 2008 is a 14 percent decrease from the 2007 harvest of 504 million board feet.