hardwarestore

I am a hardware store and I can confirm this.

Or is that a kitchen fire?

I'd encourage you to visit Powers, Coos Bay, or Mapleton to see how economic downturn impacted the areas since regulation in the 70s. Obviously regulation was needed then, but to describe the jobs issue as red herring seems disingenuous.

I'd also point to the increase in large timber companies operating at economies of scale, while smaller, more community oriented operations have declined, being unable to operate as regulations increased (and 300 mills have closed in the state). There's a reason Weyerhaeuser owns over 12 million acres of forestland, and I question how much they care about their communities compared to a family company.

Do you have an opinion on how increasing environmental regulation could impact the economy of the state in areas outside of Willamette valley/pdx? There are a lot of towns on the coast range that struggle with the idea of cities legislating on their behalf. I see a lot of the practices you mention on a daily basis, and while I do agree some things need to be changed, dramatic regulation changes will necessarily cause the closure of smaller timber companies and mills, leaving only large companies with more financial power to operate in the state, not to mention the increased wildfire potential of unmanaged forests. Do you see this as an overall good for the state?