Before everyone gets their knickers in a knot, remember that more lumber is being processed today than 10 years ago. According to Tri-Pro, they are increasing and consolidating all production in Oldtown ID. It is a newer mill that Orofino, logs will be trucked to Oldtown now. This is reality, not a bunch of environmentalist hogwash. They bought the Konkol family holding for their timber land, the mill just happened to be part of the sale. They ran the mill until it was not economical.

A mill over 10 years old is now outmoded and out of date. 5 Simpson mills were closed and replaced with one Sierra Pacific mill. Simpson’s mill 5 was “state of the art” 10 years ago. That is how fast things are changing. Orofino produced 2 million board feet a year. That can be produced with very little if any extra payroll in Oldtown. Right or wrong, it is automation that is killing off timber jobs, not environmentalists. Hydraulics and better lights wiped out better than 75% of the jobs in the woods 30 years ago. What took 12 people to log 30 years ago, now take two. Same acreage, just better machines and automation. It also takes less time with the two people.