OREGON — Douglas County and timber often go hand in hand. An industry that gave Douglas County its name as the Timber Capitol of the World has changed. Once the catalyst for Oregon’s economy, the timber industry has been dominated by courts, legislation and reform of land stewardship regulations. These changes forced the industry to make necessary adjustments to stay viable. “Impact to the local industry came about in the ‘90s when you had the federal timber supply cratered with the spotted owl and the Northwest Forest Plan and those types of things,” said Douglas Timber Operators’ Matt Hill. “We lost half our mills then.” According to Hill, federal policies to protect the northern spotted owl and other species attributed to a nearly 90% cut to federal timber harvests locally. …CEO Steve Swanson said reinvesting money back into his company is one of the many reasons Swanson Group is still successful.