Restorative Forest Products Open New Sawmill in Bellemont, Arizona

The largest sawmill in the Southwest has officially opened near Flagstaff, helping Coconino County in its forest restoration efforts to prevent wildfires. Restorative Forest Products invested $120 million in the sawmill, creating 170 local jobs and enabling the processing of 120 million board feet of lumber annually, supporting about 30,000 acres of forest restoration.

Sean Golightly, community relations manager for Coconino County Flood Control District, and Jay Smith, the county’s Forest Restoration director, emphasized the importance of the sawmill in reducing the costs associated with dealing with wood from forest thinning. The sawmill will be critical for advancing forest restoration by providing a use for the biomass and timber removed.

Additionally, post-wildfire flood prevention has been a major focus, with $100 million in federal grants already allocated. USDA Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Dr. Homer Wilkes, who attended the mill’s opening, praised the work being done in Coconino County and announced that further federal efforts will follow.