During a tour on Aug. 13, Sen. Cory Gardner learned about the process of the Montrose Forest Products timber mill and acknowledged its contributions to forest management.
United States Sen. Cory Gardner said he hopes to advocate for the business and industry of Montrose Forest Products after he toured the facility on Thursday, following a flight over the Pine Gulch fire north of Grand Junction. He had also made a stop to speak to 160 Republicans at a luncheon hosted by the Republican Women, where he discussed agricultural issues and balance in the Senate.
Gardner met with multiple team members for the facility, who expressed gratitude for his work on the Great American Outdoors Act (which brings in funds for deferred maintenance in national parks and other federal public lands) and explained the forest management component of the business, which involves removing dead trees that can contribute to forest fires and disease.
“There is a lot of benefit to the forests and our communities from salvaging dead trees across the landscape to reduce hazardous fuels and wildfire risks,” said Jim Neiman, president and CEO of Neiman Enterprises (the parent company of Montrose Forest Products). “I, along with the more than 200 people employed through Montrose Forest Products, appreciate the support of the community and the efforts from the Forest Service to salvage the material we can now while planning for the future forest through proactive management.”
Sen. Gardner’s tour of the Montrose Forest Products facility went through multiple buildings and up several catwalks to view the working operations.
Although a fire broke out at Montrose Forest Products on Aug. 7, operations were still in full swing during the tour. Neiman led the tour, which went through multiple buildings and demonstrated the extensive process of bringing timber from a bark-covered trunk to smooth, measured beams.
Following the tour, Gardner expressed his support for Montrose Forest Products and said that it makes a positive impact both environmentally and economically.
“The forest isn’t here to sustain the mill, the mill is here to sustain the forest. It goes to the very heart of our forest health, to be able to handle the trees that have died of insects or disease, to put an economic value to them,” Gardner said. “In doing so, creating hundreds of jobs across Colorado and the West, bringing value into Montrose and to Western Colorado and investing that into the communities.”
Part of the tour involved demonstration of the various software and technology used in the process.
Montrose Forest Products was certified last year by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and during the tour, explained that the industry is often misunderstood. Because the health of the forest is vital to the sustainability of their business, Montrose Forest Products aims to focus on environmental health in the way they operate and source their materials to both create economic growth as well as enhance forest management.
“Across Colorado, the millions of acres of pine beetle mortality and annual wildfires serve as reminders of the consequences of not caring for our forests through active forest management,” said Ben Wudtke, executive director of the Intermountain Forest Association. “We appreciate the efforts from Senator Gardner, and other members of Congress, to provide the tools and funding needed to improve the pace and scale of forest management.”
Gardner said that in addition to the environmental impact, the industry creates jobs and economic growth in communities such as Montrose, and that he hopes to continue to support the industry.
Sen. Cory Gardner and Jim Neiman, president and CEO of Neiman Enterprises, the parent company of Montrose Forest Products, demonstrate the COVID-19 6-feet rule using a beam from the Montrose Forest Products timber mill.
“We walked through 30 million dollars’ worth of new investments in the last several years, which is an incredible commitment to the community,” Gardner said. “These are good paying jobs, and it’s forest health, and it’s part of what we need more of across our forests. …I’m going to fight tooth and nail for these jobs, this industry and to make sure that we continue the kind of work that is good for our public lands, and that’s right here.”
