Editing Cave Junction, Oregon (section)

== Economy ==
[[Image:Chateau-Oregon-Caves-1.jpg|thumb|left|The Oregon Caves Chateau]]
Starting in the early 1850s, gold mining was the main source of income in the Illinois Valley.  As gold mining dwindled in the 1860s and 1870s, the economy diversified into ranching, fishing, logging, tourism and agriculture.  In the years after [[World War II]], timber became an increasingly large part of the county's finances.<ref name="SI"/>  There were 30 lumber mills operating in the valley after the war, but by the late 1980s the number had dwindled to just one.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cavejunction.com/cavejunction/history.shtml |title=Cave Junction and The Illinois Valley |access-date=2007-09-27 |publisher=Cave Junction Chamber of Congress}}</ref>

Because of President Roosevelt's creation of the Siskiyou National Forest, and the reversion of [[Oregon and California Railroad]] lands to federal government control, by 1937 the [[United States Forest Service|U.S. Forest Service]] and the [[Bureau of Land Management]] were in charge of 70% of the land in Josephine County, and a large part of the Illinois Valley.  Because this decreased the county's potential tax base, the government shared money earned from timber sales with the county,<ref name="NPR">{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7122963 |title=Federal Subsidy Expires on Oregon's Timber Towns |access-date=2007-09-30 |last=Brady |first=Jeff |date=2007-02-02 |work=Morning Edition |publisher=NPR}}</ref> and [[PILOT (finance)|payments in lieu of taxes]] from the federal government became a large part of its tax base.  In 1989, Josephine County received $16,756,000 in various federal payments; by 1999, the payments had fallen to $9.6 million.<ref name="SI">{{cite web|url=http://www.sierrainstitute.us/neai/OR_case_studies/Cave_Junction_OR.pdf |title=Cave Junction, Illinois Valley, Oregon |access-date=2007-09-30 |last=McLain |first=Rebecca |author2=Will Kay |publisher=The Sierra Institute |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071007231129/http://www.sierrainstitute.us/neai/OR_case_studies/Cave_Junction_OR.pdf |archive-date=2007-10-07 }}</ref>

Because of these budget cutbacks, Southern Oregon has used tourism as a means of attracting small businesses and retirees.<ref name="Mapes"/> The movement of California retirees in particular has helped the economy grow.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newsreview.info/article/20060115/NEWS/101160047 |title=Booming Winston |access-date=2007-09-30 |last=Gillespie |first=Danielle |date=2006-01-15 |publisher=The News Review}}</ref> Although jobs have been created as a result, they are usually low-paying.<ref name="Mapes">{{cite news |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/printer/printer.ssf?/southernoregon/oregonian/related.ssf?/special/oregonian/ninestates/part2.html |title=Growing its own way: Southern Oregon |access-date=2007-09-30 |last=Mapes |first=Jeff |date=2003-11-03 |newspaper=The Oregonian}}</ref>  Today the principal industries are tourism, timber and agriculture.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ohs.org/education/folklife/Josephine-County-Profile.cfm |title=Josephine County Community Profile |access-date=2007-09-29 |publisher=Oregon Historical Society}}</ref>  Since about 1960, the community has evolved into a center for [[Oregon wine|wine]], retirement, tourism, and small businesses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.passport2oregon.com/cat_index_172.html |title=Southern Oregon : Cave Junction |access-date=2007-09-27 |publisher=Passpor2Oregon.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070712064845/http://www.passport2oregon.com/cat_index_172.html |archive-date=2007-07-12 |url-status=live }}</ref>  In November 2007, Rough & Ready completed a $6 million [[biomass]] plant to replace their existing wood-fired boiler, as market forces have increased demand for dry timber.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.illinois-valley-news.com/archive/2007/05/30/biomass.html |title=R&R biomass project awaits public hearing |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208114956/http://www.illinois-valley-news.com/archive/2007/05/30/biomass.html |archive-date=2012-02-08 |last=Jorgensen |first=Scott |date=2007-09-30 |newspaper=Illinois Valley News}}</ref> It finally closed in November, 2016.

The Illinois Valley Community Development Organization (IVCDO), formed in 1994, has attracted notice for its work directed at improving the Illinois Valley economy.  In 2006, Cave Junction was awarded the Great Strides Award by the Northwest Area Foundation for the IVCDO's efforts to reduce long-term poverty.  In 2004, the IVCDO began a partnership with the National Park Service that resulted in the assumption of 40 seasonal and year-around jobs managing the Oregon Caves Chateau.  The project uses local produce, food products and wine at the Chateau, and the proceeds are directed back into the local community. However, the Oregon Caves Chateau has been closed since 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Swindler |first=Samantha |date=2024-05-10 |title=Oregon Caves Chateau has been shuttered for 6 years. A new effort aims to bring it back |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/travel/2024/05/oregon-caves-chateau-has-been-shuttered-for-6-years-a-new-effort-aims-to-bring-it-back.html |access-date=2024-08-29 |website=oregonlive |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://programs.nwaf.org/pr/nwaf/info/Great-Strides-Winners.asp |title=Great Strides Award winners - Dayton, WA; Enterprise, OR; Cave Junction, OR; and Salmon, ID |access-date=2007-09-27 |publisher=Northwest Area Foundation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070813131203/http://programs.nwaf.org/pr/nwaf/info/Great-Strides-Winners.asp |archive-date=2007-08-13 }}</ref>