Abstract:
Declines in timber harvest and changing economic opportunities in communities adjacent
to National Forest have challenged the traditional socioeconomic fabric of many
communities. Paralleling reductions in harvest levels, new resource management
activities are beginning to emerge which may have the potential to replace parts of this
lost economic driver. This report uses the Malheur National Forest as a case study for the
opportunity of the new natural resource economy, which includes activities such as
restoration, recreation and sustainable natural resource management. As many
communities are still struggling to initiate and realize economic benefits, this research
hopes to build capacity for communities, stakeholders and land managers to understand
and measure the socio-economic effects of new land management activities.
