In November, Oregon Business Magazine focused on the impact diminishing supply and demand for timber has had on rural Oregon economies. The realities of this transition are what rural Oregonians have been living with since the eighties. The article, “Trouble in Timber Town” focuses on the work that economic developers are doing to grow their economies and keep their communities afloat. The solutions they discuss are ones that all of us who work in rural community building are familiar with: recreation and agritourism, supporting and pushing local entrepreneurship, sustainable yield strategies, green energy, and value added manufacturing. The article also briefly touches on what the loss of the timber economy has led to in these communities. The authors describe a bleak picture in Oakridge, Oregon:

No rail access at the industrial park, lingering pollution at the mill, stimulus dollars that have been slow to flow to forgotten small towns, an in-migration of welfare recipients, an out-migration of families with children, absentee landlords, sprawling vacancies, an aging population, soaring joblessness.
 

This economic transition and its externalities could cause rural communities to enter not only a economic depression, but an emotional one. It would be easy for rural community members to throw up their hands, and wish for old times. That’s not what I see in my work in rural Oregon, however, I see hope. I see communities learning from the past, updating their visions for a bright future, and dedicated community members working towards those visions. 

Ruralites are embracing new industries and ways of life, because they have hope that their children will want to return to where they grew up, and there will be ample opportunity for them there when they do. Although intangible, hope is an essential part of keeping our rural communities alive. It allows us to view vacant buildings in downtown as assets for future economic opportunity rather than depressing reminders of the way things were. Hope pushes us to bridge historical divisions in our communities and collaborate to get things done. Hope pushes old timber companies to manufacture new products and motivates entrepreneurs to open up shop in those vacant buildings. What role does hope play in the work that you do? What other intangibles do you think will be deciding factors for the futures of our rural communities?

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