Sen. Ron Wyden is to blame for the closure. In his Senate committee he wouldn’t sign off on an agreement that would disallow environmentalist lawsuits which would be aimed at stopping any forest logging. R&R’s mill is set up for large diameter logs, and they couldn’t get the appropriate type of logs.
As far as Wyden sees it, there are more votes to be had in the Portland area (enviro votes) than in Josephine Co.
Too bad for the 85 families. They were sacrificed on the alter of Ron Wyden’s reelection campaign.
Thanks Twotone.
Thanks, that is a much better explanation of why R&R had to close. I moved away from Oregon in 1985, and don’t follow the political scene there very closely.
This story personally saddens me, as I knew the family that ran the company (and had run it for 4 generations).