The Herald Business Journal’s Feb. 2 story, “Port sees logs headed to Japan for first time in decade,” which touted “great economic news” because a shipment of raw logs was headed for Japan really missed the boat!
When examining the economic benefits of a few part-time port jobs to load a ship with raw logs for Asia, it is important to look at the negative effect on local sawmills when their raw materials are taken away. Risking the jobs of people who are earning family-wages at a sawmill in Darrington to offset by the few temporary jobs at the Port of Everett makes no sense. The Darrington mill runs below capacity today due to a shortage of raw material.
Hampton Affiliates, a family business, employs 475 people directly in mostly rural Washington with above-average wages and benefits. Our manufacturing plants in Darrington, Randle and Morton provide not only jobs in smaller communities, but also generate significant revenue for the counties they reside in as well as the state coffers. Despite an improving global housing environment, these mills run according to available log volume. Radical environmental litigation has shut down the federal forests and the surge in raw log exports to Asia in recent years have created significant raw material shortages.
To be clear, I am not advocating to take away a private company’s right to export raw logs under state and federal laws, but we need to be reminded that not only are we exporting valuable natural resources, we are sending potential jobs to other countries. I would rather focus on exporting value-added building products off shore.
Next time you see finished lumber on a truck or rail car, then start the party!
Steve Zika
CEO, Hampton Affiliates
Portland, Oregon
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