It's business as usual for the Department of State Lands as the department continues to sell timber. But the rough economy will mean less money for local schools.

The money from these timber harvests goes into the Common School Fund, which pipes money to school districts twice a year, according to Julie Curtis, communications director with state lands.

On a local level, Coos Bay schools received $348,770 in 2008. This year, only $251,220 went to Coos Bay.

The Oregon Legislature saved the day this year. It will make up the difference with other funds from the state budget, according to Rod Danielson, business manager for Coos Bay schools.

"That really doesn't affect how much we are going to get," he said.

While cutting during the rough economy means a substantial drop in income for the fund, the state must stimulate the timber industry as well, said Jeff Foreman, spokesman for the Department of Forestry.

"We aim for about 10 timber sales per year on the Elliott (State Forest)," Curtis said.

Though it seems like a lot, timber sales happen on less than 1 percent of land in the Elliott, Foreman said.

Even in a rough economy, when lumber prices are down, the state cuts a consistent amount of timber, though it could cut less and wait for better opportunities, he said.

"We want to make sure we have a steady flow of income going into the Common School Fund," Foreman said.

Last year, the state dispersed $55.4 million from the fund to state schools. This year, it dropped to $40.3 million.

Foreman says that it would be difficult to play the market for timber because the economy is unpredictable and it is a risk to the consistency of money flow.

"We just make sure we are offering timber sales that are going to make money," he said.