The pieces might be falling into place for Wyoming’s timber industry to make a strong comeback, legislators and land management officials said.
The volume of timber being cut in Wyoming might outpace the state’s few remaining sawmills to meet the demand.
The increase in demand coincides with tariffs being placed on Canadian lumber, which for decades had been a main source of wood in the United States.
Last week, the U.S. Commerce Department announced a significant increase on countervailing duties of Canadian lumber imports, jumping an already high tariff rate to 35%, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
Long-term success of expanding the Wyoming timber industry hinges on building back the “local timber industry,” instead of trucking logs to mills in other states, Bighorn National Forest Supervisor Andrew Johnson.
Wyoming timber products could include “finger-jointed two-by-four” boards, as well as wooden posts and poles, and firewood, he said.
Johnson made his remarks on Tuesday before the Wyoming Legislature’s Select Federal Natural Resources Committee.
Optimistic Outlook
He and other land management officials gave optimistic reports as they informed the committee about the outlook for logging and lumber milling in Wyoming, due to recent state and federal policy changes.
The so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” signed into law July 4 by President Donald Trump, clears the way for extractive industries in Wyoming, including timber, officials said.
Trump earlier this year also signed Executive Order 14225, “Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production.”
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) credited that for $218,000 in Wyoming timber sales, totaling 3.4 million board feet.
Gov. Mark Gordon recently signed a similar state executive order – which Wyoming lumber industry insiders said gives them hope for the future of the industry here.
Growing Volume
Before the policy changes, the BLM planned for about 4.5 million board feet of annual timber sales in Wyoming, Jennifer Fleuret McConchie, the agency’s deputy state director of resource policy and management, told the committee.
With the changes, that estimate has increased to 7.5 million board feet, she said.
During fiscal year 2024, U.S. Forest Service timber sales in Wyoming totaled 33.5 million board feet, said Andrea Delgado, deputy regional forester for the Rocky Mountain region.
Sales have reached 30 million board feet so far during fiscal year 2025, she added.
The Forest Service is considering 40 long-term timber sales in Wyoming from 2025 to 2034, Delgado said.
Reducing Fire Risk
More timber cutting also dovetails into the statewide efforts to reduce wildfire risk, officials told the committee.
Federal agencies also look forward to more direct cooperation with the Wyoming State Forestry Division and county commissions in forest management, Johnson said.
“Stewardship sales,” aimed at cutting to improve forest health and reduce fire risk, might also be an incentive for Wyoming loggers, Fleuret McConchie said.
In some areas, the cost of cutting timber might outweigh the potential profits, she said. Stewardship sales offer loggers federal money to help cover operational costs.
Jackie King, U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis’ state director, told the committee that Lummis and others in Washington D.C. will continue working to reform or reverse federal policies that they think damaged logging and other extractive industries in Wyoming.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
