SALEM – Georgia-Pacific announced the permanent closure of its Coos Bay sawmill yesterday, decimating more than 100 jobs and delivering another economic blow to the county which already has one of the highest unemployment rates in Oregon. According to the Oregon Employment Department, this spring, the wood products manufacturing industry in Coos County had returned to pre-recession employment levels. With the most recent mill closure, that recovery has proven to be short-lived. The company cited issues with the lumber market, supply of timber and rail service as driving factors. The Coos Bay Rail Link – which is over 100 years old – has been closed between Coquille and the North Spit of Coos Bay due to an inoperable swing span on the rail bridge over Coos Bay. A reload facility is available for companies shipping products from facilities that are located south of the bridge. The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay, which operates the rail line, estimates the swing span bridge repairs will be complete before the end of April. Following are statements from three coastal legislators on the closure of the mill, which has operated in Coos Bay since 1956: Sen. Arnie Roblan (D-Coos Bay) – “It is always difficult to see our friends and neighbors in such turmoil. Many of those workers were students at Marshfield High School during my time there, and my heart goes out to them. I am hopeful that the mill site will be put to good use soon so that we can create jobs to replace the ones we are losing. Let my office know if there’s any way we can help. To the workers of GP in Coos Bay: We want you in our community and we want to help you get back on your feet.” Rep. Caddy McKeown (D-Coos Bay) – “I was so saddened to hear that Georgia-Pacific will leave Coos Bay and take over 100 good, union, family-wage jobs with them. Our community deserves a break, it deserves better, and it cannot afford to lose any more young families. I ran for office to fight for better opportunities for House District 9 and I will continue to do everything I can in Salem to bring back the jobs that my community has been losing.” Rep. David Brock Smith (R-Port Orford) – “Once again, the epidemic that we have in rural Oregon due to the lack of federal timber supply, GP has followed the Swanson group in another closure of a mill in SW Oregon. We recently learned that the Georgia-Pacific Mill in Coos Bay will close by June and our communities will lose 111 jobs, due to competitive Asian markets and the issue of little to no federal timber supply. The lack of management on the federal lands and subsequent lack of supply continues to have devastating impacts to our rural economies.”
