More than 80 percent of the Basin is forested, and before the 1980s logging and timber industry were its greatest sources of revenues. Listing the Spotted Owl changed that. Trey Senn of the Economic Development Association noted that the County's population decline caused by the timber industry's layoffs during the 1980s was the County's economic low-water mark. Bob Reitman, a silviculturist for the Winema National Forest said that the 1,040,000 acre Winema is currently being logged at about 10 percent of its former rate. Reitman is quick to point out that the change in practices has not necessarily produced a universal benefit.
Selective cutting is very invasive.
You are always returning to the same area. With a clear cut, you stay out of that section of woods for a number of years afterwards. He also points out that habitat created by clear cuts can benefit certain species that do not do as well in the older growth. Additionally, the reduced cut has raised new concerns for the Forest Service. Food for insects, disease, and fire.