The federal government is placing a $115.2 million bet on timber production as the solution to two converging crises: a shortage of domestic sawmill capacity and a surge in catastrophic wildfires on national forest lands. On March 23, 2026, the USDA announced guaranteed loans to sawmills and wood processing facilities across eight states, deploying the…
Roseburg Forest Products restarted construction on its $450 million Dillard MDF plant in Oregon on March 4, 2026, after pausing the project in early 2025 amid economic uncertainty and state policy concerns. The facility is expected to employ more than 140 workers when operations begin in late 2028.
A malfunctioning belt sander generated sparks that ignited the sawdust collection system at Holmes Custom Moulding in Holmes County, Ohio, injuring six workers with burn wounds and blowing a wall off the building’s foundation. The incident is a stark reminder of the combustible dust risks present in nearly every woodworking and moulding operation.