A sawmill in Banks that closed earlier this year will remain shut down indefinitely due to a lack of available timber, according to its owner, Hampton Lumber. The mill employed 58 people. …Hampton CEO Randy Schillinger said the company would continue operating three other Northwest Oregon sawmills in Willamina, Tillamook and Warrenton, which employ 600 altogether. …Schillinger singled out the declining amount of timber it can cut on state forests due to potential adoption of the Habitat Conservation Plan. The plan is aimed at stopping the decline of endangered wildlife… while providing a sustainable amount of timber. But the plan has become controversial because it would bring some decline in harvest. The controversy has pushed back its adoption. …Environmental groups said Hampton was using the HCP as an excuse to close a mill that was aging. They pointed out Hampton was investing $150 million in a nearby mill in Willamina.

Additional coverage in The Banks Post: City officials react to closure of Hampton mill