This website is an attempt by economists at ECONorthwest to promote a balanced and realistic understanding of how salmon-conservation measures would affect the regional and local economies of the Pacific Northwest. It is a work-in-progress and is continually changing, so please check back for periodic updates.

Our primary aim is to provide a clearinghouse for recent economic reports that address one or more of these objectives:

• Establish standards for analyses of the economic consequences of salmon-recovery proposals.
• Clarify the economic benefits, as well as costs, that may accompany salmon recovery.
• Explain the economic forces, institutions, and policies that affect salmon populations.
• Describe opportunities to enhance the economic and community benefits of salmon conservation.

We've divided the reports into 4 categories. Click on the links below to browse available reports. Newly posted reports are listed directly below.

• Salmon Economics - Reports that examine the economic impacts of salmon and restoration efforts.
• Lower Snake River - Studies focusing on the economics of the dams on the Lower Snake River.
• Salmon and Sustainability - Reports that look at the relationship between salmon restoration, economic sustainability, and ecological sustainability.
• Natural Resources and Communities - This section includes reports not specifically related to salmon, but they illustrate economic reactions to changes in resource management.

Many of the reports are in pdf format. If you are unable to read pdf files, then click on the Adobe Acrobat logo, and download Adobe Acrobat Reader.

What's New!

A Letter from Economists to President Bush and the Governors of Eleven Western States Regarding the Economic Importance of the West's Natural Environment (84K) December 2003.
More than 100 economists from across the country sent this letter to President Bush and the governors of eleven western states, telling them that protecting and enhancing the quality of the region's natural environment would strengthen the ability of western communities to generate more jobs and higher incomes. The list of signers includes economists from the eleven western states and other places in the U.S. and includes two Nobel laureates.

Economic Issues Underlying Proposals to Conduct Salvage Logging in Areas Burned by the Biscuit Fire (112K) October 2003.
By Ernie Niemi of ECONorthwest. This report analyzes the underlying economic issues related to various salvage-logging proposals for the area within the perimeter of the Biscuit Fire in the Siskiyou National Forest in southern Oregon. The report explains that the value of the burned logs is not the only factor that matters. Logging costs are also important. Many trees in the burned area are either of marginal value or of no market value to regional mills because they are too small, too degraded by the fire, or too far from established roads and landings. Even the most valuable trees may not be worth the costs of bringing them to market and cleaning up after logging is finished. This report presents data on log values, logging costs, and impacts on jobs to help forest managers and the public understand the economic issues and the potential economic consequences of the different salvage-logging alternatives.