TERRACE, BC — Skeena Sawmills is closing down for an unknown length of time as of Feb. 8, citing high operating costs, lack of a secure fibre supply and weak markets combining to make its operation uneconomical. The announcement follows a halt to log deliveries just over a month ago so that the mill could run down the inventory of what it had in its yard. The closure includes the next-door pellet plant subsidiary, Skeena Bioenergy, which uses residue from the mill. More than 150 people are affected, a number that grows when factoring in the mill’s logging contractors and other suppliers. “Over the past month the challenges facing the industry have not improved, said company chief operating officer Greg DeMille. …A company statement indicated it remains confident it will re-open when conditions improve.