Montana Forest Industry Faces Continued Declines and Uncertainty

Montana’s forestry industry is entering 2026 amid low lumber prices, workforce housing challenges, and tariff uncertainty, although opportunities for strategic adaptation remain, the Montana State Exponent reported (2-2-26).

That assessment comes from Samuel Scott, a forest economist at the University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER).

Scott said the most significant development over the past two years was the closure of Roseburg Forest Products’ Missoula facility in March 2024, which resulted in the loss of about 150 jobs. The plant had processed byproducts from other mills statewide, creating ongoing impacts across the sector.

“The closure of Roseburg Forest Products’ particleboard facility has affected nearly every mill in the state by reducing outlets for residuals,” Scott said, adding that the closure will remain “an issue” in Montana next year as well.

The Roseburg shutdown followed the announcement, one week earlier, that Pyramid Mountain Lumber in Seeley Lake would close, eliminating about 100 jobs. In late summer 2025, UFP Edge in Bonner also closed, costing another 100 jobs tied largely to home construction products.

Statewide, Scott said private-sector forestry employment in Montana has declined from 9,845 in 2005 to 7,649 workers in 2025. Last year, average annual earnings per forestry worker rose only marginally, from $58,000 to $59,000.