News
New technique to help pine forests adapt to climate change
Source: Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences – University of Florida A breakthrough in pine tree breeding will lead to forests better adapted to climate change and bioenergy use, University of Florida researchers report. The improved forests will stem from a...
read moreBeetle Battle Moves North
Source - Rapid City Journal Battle lines in the war against the mountain pine beetle are shifting north in the Black Hills, as hordes of the burrowing bugs emerge from dying pine trees to infect whole new sections of forest. The spread of the beetle, which has...
read moreMontana Trivia Question #3
Picture from: Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Question: The paddlefish, found in the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers in Montana, is found in what one other place in the world? Answer: The Yangtze in China
read moreAnalysts say Montana mills may be near sustainable level
By Rob Chaney of the Missoulian After several years of contractions and downturns, what remains of Montana’s timber industry may find a sustainable level of work. “All the mills have their log prices in line with what the lumber prices are,” said Craig Rawlings,...
read morePutting lawsuits before results: Environmental groups suing over timber sale need to collaborate
Source: Missioulian Photo compliments of: Big Sky Country Photos Nearly everyone – environmental groups, timber companies, private landowners and public lands agencies – would agree that land management decisions are best made outside the courtroom. Years of bitter...
read moreForest Service study promotes wood as a “Green Building Material”, but not all agree
Source: Missoulian Picture compliments of: Big Sky Country Photos Calling wood a "green building material" seems redundant. Nevertheless, the U.S. Forest Service has published a study arguing the American building industry has overlooked that fact. Its authors want...
read moreMontana Trivia Question #2
Picture compliments of: Big Sky Country Photos Question- From 70 Fahrenheit below zero to 117 Fahrenheit above, Montana has the greatest temperature range of any state with 187 degrees Fahrenheit. Which state comes in second? Answer- North Dakota. With a range of 181...
read moreForest industry pushes feds for more timber
Source: Duluth News Tribune Federal Forest Resource Coalition Pushes Feds for More Timber A group of timber industry leaders from across the country announced Thursday that they have formed a new lobbying group and opened a Washington office. The new Federal Forest...
read moreLocals in Blackfoot and Swan Valleys disappointed by forest lawsuit
Source: Montana Restoration Picture compliments of: Big Sky Country Photos Four groups have filed a lawsuit on a forest project near Seeley Lake, which has local supporters of forest restoration and collaboration, which aims to reduce these types of forest conflicts,...
read moreLawsuit over Seeley timber sale reveals split among environmental groups
Source: Missoulian A lawsuit challenging a timber sale north of Seeley Lake shows either the U.S. Forest Service can’t follow the law or some environmental groups can’t agree to work together. The Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Friends of the Wild Swan, Montana...
read moreMontana Trivia question #1
Picture compliments of: Big Sky Country Photos We live in an incredible state so for fun we thought we'd post a Montana trivia question once a week. Montana Trivia Question #1 Question- What town holds the national record for the greatest drop in temperature in 24...
read moreBeetle Kill Blue Stain Pine
Most of our customers know we live in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. What many don't know is that a small little beetle (Mountain Pine Beetle) about the size of a grain of rice has killed millions of acres across Montana, the Western U.S., and Canada. So what...
read moreMontana Gets $4 Million for 9,300-Acre Conservation Easement
Source - Missoulian Montana received a $4 million federal grant Wednesday to purchase a 9,300-acre conservation easement from Stimson Lumber Co. near Troy. The easement will help protect some of the state’s best native fisheries and wildlife habitat, officials said....
read moreDouglas Fir Flooring. Exotic Wood?
A friend of mine in the lumber industry asked if our Douglas Fir flooring could be classified as an exotic wood. Being that I live in Montana and see Douglas Fir trees every day I never looked at it as being exotic. It wasn't until I started to look into the term...
read moreJurenka Custom Homes
We would like to give Joe Jurenka of Jurenka Custom Homes a personal thank you. Joe has been instrumental from the time we got started. He actually helped us pick our original 5 colors and used or flooring in 2 of his homes in the Helena Building Industry Association...
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