Timber Tour to highlight local lumber industry

On Thursday, Oct. 19, the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce will lead tours to local lumber mills as part of Montana Forest Products Week.

Since its establishment by the state legislature in 2011, Forest Products Week has showcased different aspects of Montana’s logging industry. Julia Altemus, executive director of the Montana Wood Products Association, described it as “a time to acknowledge the vital contribution our forest products industry makes” to the state’s economy, environment, and everyday life.

As part of this week, the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce’s “Timber Tour” will visit the Weyerhaeuser and F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber Company Mills on Thursday, Oct. 19 from noon to 5:00 p.m. It will be free and open to the public. To register, visit www.kalispellchamber.com/manufacturing, or call (406)758-2803.

In addition to this tour, a new wood-based building material, Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), will be on display at Glacier Park International Airport throughout the month of October. Columbia Falls-based SmartLam LLC is one of the only U.S. firms to manufacture this material, which can often serve as a substitute for concrete, masonry, and steel.

For more information on these and more Forest Products Week events around the state, visit http://dnrc.mt.gov/divisions/forestry/forestry-assistance/biomass/forest-products-week or contact Angela Wells at awells@mt.gov or (406)542-4221.