Roundtable
The Montana Forest Restoration Committee is focused on restoring federal forests and enhancing community economic viability. Given this mission, the MFRC Steering Committee is deeply concerned by the closure of Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation and what this closure means to Montana’s integrated forest products infrastructure. In order for state and federal land managers to effectively and sustainably manage our resources, we must retain and maintain Montana’s mill manufacturing capacity, professional logging contractors and log haulers.
Therefore, the Steering Committee has been hosting roundtable discussions with key individuals to lay out the issues, discuss potential solutions and markets and what policies and/or incentives are needed to maintain the remaining infrastructure, offer new opportunities, and keep our rural economies viable now and into the future.
Roundtable Participants
Julia Altemus, MT Wood Products Assoc - EVP
Matt Arno, Woodland Restoration
Lauren Caldwell, Senator Max Baucus' Office
Al Christophersen, Rocky Mtn Elk Foundation
Tom Coston, MT Rail Link
Eugene DeGayner, Forest Service Northern Region
Erin Gabrian, Congressman Denny Rehberg's Office
John Gatchell, Montana Wilderness Association
John Guthmiller, USDA Rural Development
Nicole Hagerman Miller, MT World Trade Center
Mike Halligan, Washington Corporation
Bob Harrington, Montana State Forester
Dale Harris, Great Burn Study Group/MFRC
John Hines, Northwestern Energy
Dan Johnson, USDA Rural Development
Matt Jones, USDA Rural Development
Brian Kahn, Artemis Common Ground
Joe Kerkvliet, The Wilderness Society
Julie Kies, MT DNRC - Forestry Div (Biomass)
Jim Lewis, MT Rail Link
John Manz, Citizen-at-Large
Tom Martin, Forest Service Northern Region
Todd Morgan, U of M BBER
Mark Nicholson, DA Davidson, Investment Co
Keith Olson, Montana Logging Assoc
Craig Rawlings, Forest Business Network
Chuck Roady, Stoltze Land & Lumber
Gordy Sanders, Pyramid Mtn Lumber/MFRC
Tom Schultz, Montana Trust Lands
Tracy Stone-Manning, Senator Jon Tester's Office
Jason Todhunter, Montana Logging Assoc.
Mark Vander Meer, Wastershed Consulting
Mike Volesky, Office of the Governor
Pat Wise, Governor's Office of Economic Dev
Roger Ziesak, MT DNRC - Forestry Div
Meetings
The Roundtable meets the 2nd Friday of each month at the DNRC, Missoula from 1-3 pm.
Minutes
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
Upcoming Events
Forest Products Industry Week
Oct. 17-21, 2011
In celebration of Montana Forest Products Industry week, events will be held across western Montana on each day of the week. To learn about Forest Products Industry week and the various events being held across the state, click HERE.
Schedule of Events:
MONDAY OCTOBER 17TH—HELENA—CLANCY
10:00—11:00 Kick-Off Tricon Timber’s log yard behind Wal Mart—HELENA
Speakers: Governor Brian Schweitzer (invited)
Gary Marks, President Montana Wood Products Association
Rex Anderson, President Montana Logging Association
Ken Verley, President Tricon Timber
12:00—2:00 Mill Tours—Marks Lumber and Marks—Miller Post & Pole—CLANCY
TUESDAY OCTOBER 18TH—BLACKFOOT AREA—SEELEY LAKE
10:00—12:00 Lubrecht Experimental Forest—POTOMAC, site discussion and tour
1:00—3:00 Mill Tour—Pyramid Mountain Lumber—SEELEY LAKE
3:30—4:30 Girard Grove—site discussion of fuel reduction/restoration, and view world record Western Larch
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19TH—SUPERIOR—ST REGIS
1:00—12:00 Mineral Co Hospital—SUPERIOR, new wood pellet heating system
1:00—3:00 Mill Tour—Tricon Timber—ST. REGIS
THURSDAY OCTOBER 20TH—KALISPELL
1:00—1:30 Glacier High School Commons—welcome by local and state dignitaries
1:30—5:00 Open House—highlighting locally manufactured forest products
1:30—3:00 Tour—Glacier High School biomass heating system
FRIDAY OCTOBER 21—MISSOULA
11:00—11:30 Tour—Blue Marble Biomaterials (directions attached)
11:30—12:30 Pizza for Missoula Chamber of Commerce Timber Tour attendees
12:30— 5:00 Chamber of Commerce Timber Tour kicks-off at Big Sky Brewing
Welcome by state House Representative Pat Connell
Travel/tour—Green Investment Group (Smurfit-Stone site)
Travel/tour—Deer Creek—hosted by The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Forest Service
Travel/tour—Roseburg Forest Products
5:15—6:30 Social at Big Sky Brewing—refreshments provided
Documents of Interest
Oct. 17-21, 2011
10:00—11:00 Kick-Off Tricon Timber’s log yard behind Wal Mart—HELENA
Speakers: Governor Brian Schweitzer (invited)
Gary Marks, President Montana Wood Products Association
Rex Anderson, President Montana Logging Association
Ken Verley, President Tricon Timber
12:00—2:00 Mill Tours—Marks Lumber and Marks—Miller Post & Pole—CLANCY
10:00—12:00 Lubrecht Experimental Forest—POTOMAC, site discussion and tour
1:00—3:00 Mill Tour—Pyramid Mountain Lumber—SEELEY LAKE
3:30—4:30 Girard Grove—site discussion of fuel reduction/restoration, and view world record Western Larch
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19TH—SUPERIOR—ST REGIS
1:00—12:00 Mineral Co Hospital—SUPERIOR, new wood pellet heating system
1:00—3:00 Mill Tour—Tricon Timber—ST. REGIS
1:00—1:30 Glacier High School Commons—welcome by local and state dignitaries
1:30—5:00 Open House—highlighting locally manufactured forest products
1:30—3:00 Tour—Glacier High School biomass heating system
11:00—11:30 Tour—Blue Marble Biomaterials (directions attached)
11:30—12:30 Pizza for Missoula Chamber of Commerce Timber Tour attendees
12:30— 5:00 Chamber of Commerce Timber Tour kicks-off at Big Sky Brewing
Welcome by state House Representative Pat Connell
Travel/tour—Green Investment Group (Smurfit-Stone site)
Travel/tour—Deer Creek—hosted by The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Forest Service
Travel/tour—Roseburg Forest Products
5:15—6:30 Social at Big Sky Brewing—refreshments provided