The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it is guaranteeing $80 million through the Timber Production Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program and the Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program to support timber processing businesses in Oregon and Nevada. The announcement, made by Acting Under Secretary Todd Lindsey, is aimed at expanding domestic timber production, reducing wildfire risk, and strengthening rural wood processing capacity.
The funding is split between two projects. Tahoe Forest Products, LLC in Nevada will receive $50 million in guaranteed loans, arranged in partnership with MapleMark Bank, to expand its processing capabilities, including new kilns, a planer mill, and a new saw line. The company said the expansion will allow it to shift from producing raw rough lumber to finished premium lumber suitable for retail distributors and large-scale construction markets, increasing its premium lumber capacity by 60,000 thousand board feet. Clatskanie Scion LLC in Oregon will receive $30 million in guaranteed loans, in partnership with First Interstate Bank, to fund construction of a new sawmill and related equipment for Myers Woodline, a project expected to create at least 35 jobs.
The Timber Production Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program is a joint effort between USDA Rural Development and the U.S. Forest Service, designed to help sawmills and wood processing facilities establish, reopen, expand, or improve operations. USDA said the program also supports wildfire mitigation by funding local sawmills that clear excess fuel from forestlands, reducing risk to nearby communities and infrastructure. Since its creation, the agency has invested a total of $165.2 million through the program across ten states, including California, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
KEY QUOTES:
“The Timber Production Expansion Partnership program showcases our unified USDA approach in action, bringing together Rural Development and the Forest Service to deliver results for rural America. These investments will help strengthen America’s timber industry, support jobs in rural communities, and expand the capacity we need to actively manage our forests.”
Secretary Rollins, USDA
“We must take decisive steps to protect our rural communities from the growing threat of wildfires. That’s why Rural Development, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, is making targeted investments in sawmills and wood processing facilities that expand economic opportunity through sustainable timber management.”
Todd Lindsey, Acting Under Secretary, USDA Rural Development
“This investment in the Timber Production Expansion Partnership program demonstrates an important step towards strengthening America’s wood products infrastructure, and rural economies.”
Chief Schultz, U.S. Forest Service
