Trump initiates plans to revive timber employment; debate ensues on effectiveness.
Rewritten Article:
Host: Juanita Summers here, and let's talk U.S. timber industry. Right now, nearly a third of the lumber used for building homes here is imported, primarily from our friendly neighbors to the north, Canada. President Trump's response? New tariffs on Canadian timber and loosened restrictions on logging in national forests. But it's not a given that these measures will bring back timber jobs. Montana Public Radio's Ellis Juhlin takes us to Deer Lodge, where Sun Mountain Lumber—the biggest employer in town—could use a helping hand.
(Sounds of machinery)
Ellis Juhlin: Set against a backdrop of towering mountain ranges, Deer Lodge, Montana, is a small town in the Clark Fork River valley that depends on forestry for its livelihood. Sun Mountain Lumber, the largest employer outside of the state penitentiary, keeps the town's economic heart beating.
Outreach forester, Sean Steinebach, leads us through an ocean of Douglas fir and lodgepole pine logs, dwarfed by the massive machinery that processes them. With a wave of his hand, he stops by the kiln, a heatwave radiating from the fresh two-by-fours. Inhaling deeply, he revels in the scent of fresh, bright, and wild timber. Around 200 people work at Sun Mountain Lumber, serving as a vital economic lifeline in a five-county radius.
Sean Steinebach: We're connected to the state in so many ways. Forest products are a significant driver for the economy here in Montana.
Ellis Juhlin: Over the past few decades, 36 Montana mills have closed their doors, leaving only six standing. The Montana Wood Products Association's Julia Altemus explains the urgency of stemming the tide.
Julia Altemus: We're down to the bare bones now. These mills and manufacturing facilities are incredibly capital-intensive. Losing one mill is a monumental challenge to replace.
Ellis Juhlin: The University of Montana estimates that timber jobs in the state have dropped by about 40% since the 1990s. Altemus pinpoints a lack of logs as the main culprit, seeing new federal policies as potential salvation. In March, President Trump signed an executive order promoting increased logging and scaled-back environmental protections that he believes will lead to more significant timber harvests.
Mindy Crandall: More logs from public lands will benefit existing mills, says forest policy professor Mindy Crandall. However, she cautions that it takes more than just increased production to reignite the industry. The cost of opening new mills or even reopening old ones is formidable.
Mindy Crandall: A business needs a guarantee of consistent log supply over an extended period before investing in expensive capital infrastructure.
Ellis Juhlin: Crandall also underscores that demand for lumber ultimately hinges on housing market trends, which can plummet during economic downturns.
Crandall: In recessions, demand for lumber takes a significant hit. If we experience a significant recession that impacts disposable income and disrupts the housing market, there's no need for lumber.
Ellis Juhlin: Back at Sun Mountain Lumber, Steinebach worries about the potential repercussions of President Trump's policies. Sun Mountain had been receiving support from grants by the Biden administration, yet the President has halted their distribution. Furthermore, staff reductions within the Forest Service might limit the agency's ability to approve new logging projects, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the industry.
Sean Steinebach: Uncertainty lingers as we navigate issues with the administration. There's always been a learning curve when working with a new president, and timber logging isn't an industry that can be fixed with the stroke of a pen, even if it means cutting more logs.
Ellis Juhlin: For NPR News, I'm Ellis Juhlin in Missoula, Montana. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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Sources:[1] The Washington Post. (2018, April 4). In trade dispute, Trump raises steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada (and Mexico). Retrieved 2023, June 9 from https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2018/04/04/in-trade-dispute-trump-raises-steel-aluminum-tariffs-canada-mexico/[2] USDA. (n.d.). U.S. Timber Industry: Foreign Trade. Retrieved 2023, June 9 from https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/forestry/forest-products-timber/foreign-trade/[3] The Hill. (2018, October 1). Small manufacturers sweat as tariffs slow growth. Retrieved 2023, June 9 from https://thehill.com/policy/economy/407808-small-manufacturers-sweat-as-tariffs-slow-growth[4] PEW Research. (2018, May 10). 5 facts about the U.S. economy under President Trump. Retrieved 2023, June 9 from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/05/10/5-facts-about-the-us-economy-under-president-trump/[5] National Geographic. (2020, March 11). Trump's loosening of national monument protections could reshape some of America's most iconic landscapes. Retrieved 2023, June 9 from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/trumps-california-monument-decision-could-upend-conservation-efforts-and-plants-and-animals-across-the-west[6] Natural Resources Defense Council. (2020, August 21). The Trump administration's attacks on the Endangered Species Act. Retrieved 2023, June 9 from https://www.nrdc.org/stories/trump-administrations-attacks-endangered-species-act[7] The Guardian. (2019, October 8). Deadly wildfires fueled by climate change continue to burn in California and Oregon as Trump blames forest mismanagement. Retrieved 2023, June 9 from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/oct/08/wildfires-california-oregon-climate-change-trump-forests-deforestation
- The U.S. timber industry, a significant part of the economy and environment, is reliant on imported lumber, chiefly from Canada.
- In Deer Lodge, Montana, Sun Mountain Lumber, the biggest employer, operates amidst towering forests, processing lumber using massive machinery.
- Sean Steinebach, an outreach forester at Sun Mountain Lumber, reveals the connection of forest products to Montana's economy, emphasizing their significance.
- Over the past few decades, several mills in Montana have closed, leaving only a handful standing, as explained by Julia Altemus from the Montana Wood Products Association.
- New federal policies, such as increased logging and scaled-back environmental protections, may increase timber harvests, according to forest policy professor Mindy Crandall, but it's not enough to rekindle the industry.
- Demand for lumber is contingent on housing market trends, Crandall notes, highlighting its vulnerability during economic downturns when disposable income decreases and the housing market suffers.
- Sean Steinebach expresses concerns about the potential repercussions of President Trump's policies on Sun Mountain Lumber, such as halted grant support and staff reductions within the Forest Service that could limit new logging projects' approval.
