Are federal sustained yield units equitable? A case study of the Grays Harbor unit.

Abstract

The Grays Harbor Federal Sustained Yield Unit (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service) was established in 1949 to enhance the economic stability of the forest products industry and dependent communities in Grays Harbor County, Washington. Provisions of the unit's charter require that all logs harvested from the Quinault Ranger District of the Olympic National Forest receive primary processing in Grays Harbor County. Periodic reviews have resulted in few changes in the operation of the unit. In 1981, however, restrictions were incrementally relaxed so that by 1985, only 50 percent of the logs had to be processed in Grays Harbor County. This paper describes an analysis that was part of a review to determine whether the 1981 change should be continued or rescinded. Findings of this study suggest that the forest products industry and the economy in Grays Harbor County are healthier than in the contiguous nonmetropolitan counties and that continuing the restriction may be to the detriment of neighboring counties that are not as well off.

Citation

Schallau, Con H; Maki, Wilbur R. 1986. Are federal sustained yield units equitable? A case study of the Grays Harbor unit. Res. Pap. PNW-RP-369. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 17 p