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Traditionally, Oregon had a resource-oriented economy, strongly dependent upon its forests and farms. Through diversification, however, various new industries have been established, and tourism, recreation, and trade and service activities have grown. In 1950 the manufacturing of forest products employed nearly two-thirds of the state’s workforce; that figure had fallen to about one-fifth by the late 1990s, largely because of the growth of other industries, including biotechnology and the manufacture of plastics and software. Trade with Asian countries accounts for a substantial proportion of the state’s export revenue.
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
The agricultural land base of Oregon includes both cropland and pastures and rangeland. Livestock products contribute one-third of the total commodity value, led by cattle and calves; dairy and poultry products are also significant. Wheat is the leading crop, but potatoes, barley, pears, apples, and grapes for wine are also important. Oregon is among the leading states in the country in the production of hazelnuts, peppermint, raspberries, blackberries, and loganberries. It produces large export crops of cauliflower, cranberries, hops, onions, plums, prunes, and strawberries. The relative importance of agriculture to Oregon’s economy diminished somewhat with the advent of high-technology manufacturing. Cropland was reduced as urban areas expanded into much of the Willamette valley.
Nearly three-fifths of the state’s land produces (or is capable of producing) commercial timber. Public agencies control more than half of Oregon’s commercial forest and private owners the remainder. Additional forest is reserved for wilderness preservation, recreation, and other exclusionary uses. In the 1980s logging was substantially reduced on federally owned lands in the interest of protecting old-growth forests. The Oregon Forest Practices Act of 1971 was the first of its kind in the country and required that natural resources—including streams and wildlife populations—be protected during logging operations.
The forest industry began as a producer of lumber, and since 1938 Oregon has led the country in softwood lumber production. Products have changed, however, and by the early 21st century only two-fifths of the forest income was from lumber. More than one-third of the logs harvested go into plywood, which accounts for about one-third of the value of forest products. Pulp and paper plants and hardboard and particleboard plants contribute most of the remainder.
Shellfish, along with chinook, silver, chum, and pink salmon, are the most valuable fishery products. However, by the end of the 20th century, because of a marked decline in most wild salmon and shellfish populations, almost all were farm-grown. Other commercially harvested fish include flounder, tuna, ocean perch, and rockfish.
Resources and power
In terms of value, stone and construction sand and gravel make up the bulk of the state’s mining output. Quarrying occurs throughout the state, but the greatest quantities of mining products are taken near urban areas. Natural gas production at the Mist Gas Field in northwestern Oregon and industrial minerals production elsewhere in the state also are important to the extractive resources sector of the economy. Moreover, studies have shown that the state likely has additional extractable reserves.
Hydroelectricity provides more than two-thirds of the state’s power. The Bonneville Dam, which spans the Columbia between Washington and Oregon, has supplied hydroelectric power to the region since the late 1930s. Natural gas and, to a lesser extent, coal are the other major sources of power.
Manufacturing
Forest-product manufacturing accounted for about one-third of Oregon’s economic base at the end of the 20th century. The state supplies about one-tenth of the country’s lumber. Metals-related industries—primary metals, fabricated metals, and transportation equipment—were Oregon’s manufacturing pacesetters after World War II. In the late 20th century they were surpassed by high-technology industries—machinery, electrical equipment, and instruments. The greatest concentration of metals-related industries is in the Portland metropolitan area. The high-technology industries are concentrated in Portland and the Willamette valley, with a growing presence in the southwestern portion of the state. Nike Corporation, one of the world’s largest athletic-wear companies, is headquartered in Beaverton and has been located in the state since its founding in the early 1970s.
Services and taxation
Tourism is a major part of Oregon’s overall economy; it experienced notable growth in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Visitors to the state enjoy its scenery and myriad opportunities for recreation, including hiking, skiing, fishing, beachcombing, and windsurfing. One of the state’s principal tourist destinations is Mount Hood National Forest, which covers an area of some 1,700 square miles (4,300 square km) and is notable for its scenic views and Timberline Lodge (built on the mountain in 1937). Other attractions include Crater Lake, a spectacularly blue lake within a huge volcanic caldera, and the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, with its many waterfalls, notably the 620-foot- (189-metre-) high Multnomah Falls. The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (part of Siuslaw National Forest) and Newberry National Volcanic Monument (in Deschutes National Forest) are also spectacular areas for viewing wildlife and engaging in recreational activities. Many visitors to Oregon enjoy driving on the state’s scenic coastal highway. Tourism supports the many small businesses that provide food, lodging, fuel, and other supplies and services.
Oregon’s budget includes general fund revenue derived mostly from personal and corporate income taxes; other sources are property, excise, inheritance, and insurance taxes, as well as revenue from liquor sales. Other revenue comes from the state lottery, federal grants, use taxes, trust funds, licenses, and the sale of services and commodities.
Transportation
In addition to an extensive network of highways and roads under the jurisdiction of the state, the federal government, and counties and municipalities, Oregon has forest development roads, national park roads, and military and Indian reservation roads that are controlled by federal agencies and various local governments. Railroads provide north-south and east-west routes, and light rail serves commuters in the major cities of the Willamette valley. Amtrak provides passenger rail service connecting Klamath Falls and the cities of the Willamette valley with neighbouring states. The largest airport is Portland International Airport; other significant commercial airfields are at Eugene, Medford, Pendleton, Klamath Falls, and Redmond.
Throughout the state’s history, water transportation has been important. Six of the port districts are located on the Columbia above the head of deep navigation, where barge traffic is composed principally of grain and petroleum downstream and cement and structural steel upstream. Portland, open to oceangoing vessels, is by far the most important port. The other port districts stretch along the Oregon coast and up the Columbia on the deep-draft channel. Portland, Astoria, Newport, and Coos Bay have regular shipments to and from foreign countries.