BLM Timber Sale in Western Oregon Brings in Nearly $10.6 Million

WASHINGTON - A Bureau of Land Management timber sale in western Oregon has brought in nearly $10.6 million and is expected to produce 23.5 million board feet of timber, according to the agency.

The 400-acre sale, called the Pumpkin Pi Timber Sale, set what the BLM described as a modern record for the amount of timber sold in a single sale. The agency said it surpassed the previous record by nearly 5.5 million board feet.

“This record-breaking timber sale is a major boon for western Oregon’s economy,” BLM Director Steve Pearce said in a statement. “Beyond the revenue shared with 18 counties, this sale will generate more than $70 million in local economic activity.”

The Pumpkin Pi sale was one of several timber sales completed by the BLM in Oregon during August.

According to the agency, more than 40 million board feet of timber was sold during the month across approximately 1,400 acres in western Oregon. Those sales generated more than $17 million.

The BLM estimates the timber sold during August could provide enough lumber to build about 2,500 single-family homes and support approximately 550 jobs.

Pearce attributed the volume of timber being offered in part to changes under the Trump administration, including streamlined approvals and expanded management tools. The BLM said those policies are intended to increase domestic lumber production, support rural economies and reduce reliance on imported building materials.

The agency manages approximately 2.4 million acres of forestland in western Oregon, including lands governed by the Oregon and California Revested Lands Sustained Yield Management Act of 1937, commonly associated with the O&C lands.

Revenue generated from timber harvested on O&C lands is shared between the federal government and 18 western Oregon counties.

Those timber receipts have historically been used by counties to help pay for services and infrastructure, including schools, libraries, jails, public buildings and other local programs. Federal programs such as the Secure Rural Schools Act have also provided funding for restoration projects, search and rescue services and wildfire-related work in communities with significant amounts of federal land.

The BLM said its forestry program is intended to provide a continuing supply of timber while also supporting forest management, wildfire risk reduction and fish and wildlife habitat.

Timber sales on federal lands have also been the subject of longstanding debate in Oregon, with discussions often centered on the balance between timber production, rural economic needs, wildfire management, recreation and environmental protections.

The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land nationwide, primarily across western states and Alaska, along with approximately 700 million acres of federal subsurface mineral estate.