Lumber mill closure leaves Seeley Lake wrestling with a timberless future

By Austin Amestoy
Montana Public Radio
April 18, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

MONTANA — The signs of Seeley Lake’s timber-town origins are everywhere you look. The community is nestled in a valley packed with pine trees. Signs warning of “log trucks entering” are sprinkled along the highway toward town. Log buildings are everywhere. But, Seeley Lake may not be able to call itself a timber town for much longer. The community — and the state’s once-booming lumber industry — suffered a blow in March when Pyramid Mountain Lumber announced plans to shut down. …Now, mill workers and Seeley Lake residents are grasping for a future that may not include timber. …Now, Seeley Lake residents are grappling with the potential fallout of losing their largest employer. …Since school funding in Montana is tied to enrollment, those possible departures could mean layoffs at the elementary school. Gibbs wonders what will happen to the electricians and plumbers who work with the mill.

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