Mark Udall: Leveling the campaign-finance playing field
|
|
|
[date]
Udall: Montrose Sawmill Reopening Will Create Jobs, Aid in Reducing Fuel Loads in Forests
Mark Udall welcomed the sale and reopening of the Montrose sawmill, previously operated in receivership, calling it a critical piece of the puzzle to reducing fuel loads in Colorado forests and turning the state's bark beetle problem into profit.
"The reopened Montrose sawmill has the potential to support good-paying, stable jobs in the community and to give forest health managers a powerful tool to address beetle-killed trees and fuel-load reduction," Udall said. "It is my hope that this sawmill and its new owners will be a force multiplier for forest managers, entrepreneurs and builders alike. We all have a role to play in restoring Colorado's forests."
Udall, who serves on the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, has been a longtime advocate of public-private partnerships aimed at improving forest health. He also has been a leader in increasing federal support for reducing fuels in national forests and removing beetle-killed trees. Last year, Udall helped broker a deal between the U.S. Forest Service and three western Colorado sawmills, including Montrose, which allowed them to stay financially viable by offering "mutual cancellation" of their timber contracts.
Udall also recently commended Denver Lumber for selling beetle-killed lumber for construction. Denver Lumber has purchased their lumber from the Montrose sawmill.