Increasing poverty in timber‐dependent areas in Western Washington

Abstract

During the 1980s (before the northern spotted owl was listed as an endangered species) the timber industry in the West went through an extended period of restructuring. At that time, inefficient mills were shut down, pay and benefits to workers were reduced, and work was contracted out to improve competitiveness. Because the 1990 census occurred just prior to harvest reductions brought on by listing the northern spotted owl as endangered, linking this census with the 1980 census captures much of the effects of the transition in timber‐dependent areas caused by restructuring. This research examines changes in timber‐dependent counties in western Washington between 1980 and 1990 compared with other nonmetropolitan and metropolitan counties in the region, focusing particularly on changes in poverty. Several factors contribute to poverty, including inadequate employment, low wage and salary incomes, and changing family structures. Each factor is examined to see if differences point to a minor lag between timber‐dependent and other areas or to a dramatic divergence prior to listing the northern spotted owl as endangered.

Keywords:

• Keywords income
• labor force
• poverty
• restructuring
• single‐parent families
• timber dependence