Forestry
Nov 01, 2023
The Marks Lumber Difference: Sustainable Lumber Products with a Forest First Focus
Blog Category: Forestry
Marks Lumber is a family-owned circular sawmill located in Clancy, Montana, with over 75 years of experience sourcing quality fiber and producing beautiful circle sawn timber products. However, our unique circle sawn texture and family values aren’t the only things that set us apart from most other sawmills. We take...
Read Article
Oct 15, 2023
Celebrating Montana Forest Products Week: Extending Appreciation to the Forest Products Industry
Blog Category: Forestry
In 2011, the Montana Legislature established the third week of October as Montana Forest Products Week. The week is dedicated to honoring and extending appreciation to the forest products industry for providing locally-made wood products, stewardship of our private and public forests, and gainful employment. Learn more about the...
Read Article
Apr 05, 2023
Recreation and Forest Management: How Responsible Forestry Supports Recreational Opportunities
Blog Category: Forestry
Outdoor recreation is one of the many things that make our public lands special. Hiking, biking, fishing, camping and backpacking are just a few of the many activities we get to enjoy on our public lands. However, besides the growing number of people spending time outdoors, you may have noticed...
Read Article
Nov 09, 2022
Forestry Infrastructure: Sustaining Montana's Forests and the Timber Products Industry
Blog Category: Forestry
Maintaining healthy forests in Montana is the ultimate goal of the forest products industry. Despite strong efforts to restore our forests to diverse, healthy, and resilient ecosystems, there is still more that needs to be done. It takes a village to create a healthy forest, and having a robust sawmill...
Read Article
Aug 17, 2022
Forest to Flooring: Making Wood Products Even More Sustainable
Blog Category: Forestry
At the forefront of our attempts to find the most environmentally friendly building materials are wood products. Wood, unlike its concrete and steel alternatives, is a renewable resource that stores carbon even after it is manufactured and turned into finished wood products. Yet, there are still areas of improvement that...
Read Article
Jul 20, 2022
Forest Health and Human Intervention
Blog Category: Forestry
Nature vs. nurture. It’s a topic often discussed in psychology and genetics – a concept you may have even questioned in regard to your own children’s behaviors. However, it's also a point of contention in forest management issues. When it comes to forests, should we nurture them through intervention or...
Read Article
May 25, 2022
The Forest Products Industry: Providing Necessary Support for Active Forest Management
Blog Category: Forestry
The connection between forest management and the timber products industry is often misunderstood by the public. We all know that sawmills need trees to produce goods. But did you know that trees also need the timber products industry? While this may seem counterintuitive, the reality is that the manufacturing of...
Read Article
Apr 13, 2022
How Active Forest Management Can Aid in Carbon Sequestration
Blog Category: Forestry, Sustainable Lumber Practices
Active forest management is an excellent way to minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfires, protect air and water quality, and provide sustainable wood products. But did you know it can also help remove carbon from our atmosphere? This process, called carbon sequestration, is a natural system of removing carbon...
Read Article
Feb 23, 2022
After the Fire: The Effects of Catastrophic Wildfires
Blog Category: Forestry
Over the past year, catastrophic wildfires have wreaked havoc on the Western United States. These large-scale forest fires are a danger to society and the land, threatening lives, homes, and the entire forest ecosystem. Despite popular belief, high-intensity wildfires are not a new phenomenon. Catastrophic fires did occur on...
Read Article
Jan 26, 2022
Sustainable Forest Management in Action at the Sterling Ranch
Blog Category: Forestry, Sustainable Lumber Practices
In this video, Marks Lumber profiles John Ottman of Ottman Forestry Consultant, discussing his largest endeavor as a private forestry consultant - a 26-year project known as the Sterling Ranch. Located in Wolf Creek, MT, the Sterling Ranch Company is made up of four enterprises: the ranch, timber, hunting and...
Read Article
Jan 12, 2022
What is Sustainably Harvested Wood?
Blog Category: Forestry
Wood products are on the rise, not only because of their natural beauty but also because they are naturally sustainable. Wood products are one of the only renewable materials, giving it the upper hand over man-made materials such as steel and concrete. Additionally, trees and wood products both sequester...
Read Article
Nov 24, 2021
Ottman Forestry and the Sterling Ranch
Blog Category: Forestry
John Ottman, Founder of Ottman Forestry Consultants, has worked in the woods for nearly 40 years - learning, educating, protecting, and advocating for our forests. Ottman graduated from the University of Montana with a degree in Resource Management in 1979 and hit the ground running shortly after. His fifteen...
Read Article
Nov 17, 2021
Forest Health Defined
Blog Category: Forestry
What is a healthy forest? The phrase “healthy forest” is used so often in literature surrounding forest management decisions, that this may seem like a simple question. However, a strong, scientific definition is merely glossed over, leaving the general public to assume their own meaning. Additionally, people tend to...
Read Article
Oct 27, 2021
Marks Lumber Receives the Governor’s Inaugural Forest Products Award
Blog Category: Forestry
Last week, Marks Lumber was honored to be presented the Governor’s inaugural Forest Products Award. Governor Greg Gianforte created the Forest Products Award in 2021 to help encourage and abide by our commitment to actively manage forests in Montana. According to Governor Gianforte, the award recognizes “an individual or...
Read Article
Oct 20, 2021
Creating and Managing Healthy Forests: A Video for Montana Forest Products Week
Blog Category: Forestry, Sustainable Lumber Practices
This week, October 17-23, is Montana Forest Products Week. Established in 2011, Forest Products Week is dedicated to honoring the forest products industry and extending its appreciation for providing gainful employment and stewardship of our public and private forests. In celebration, Marks Lumber presents “Creating and Managing Healthy Forests,” the...
Read Article
Aug 25, 2021
On the Ground: The Forester's Role in Forest Management Decisions
Blog Category: Forestry, Lumber Process, Sustainable Lumber Practices
"The profession of forestry serves society by fostering stewardship of the world's forests. Because forests provide valuable resources and perform critical ecological functions, they are vital to the well-being of both society and the biosphere." - The Society of American Foresters. Foresters dedicate their entire careers to learning how to...
Read Article
Mar 24, 2021
The Good Neighbor Authority: A Step in the Right Direction for Montana Forest Management
Blog Category: Forestry, Marks News & Events
"Our forests give us countless benefits: clean drinking water, millions of jobs, recreation opportunities, and more. Keeping these benefits requires forest management – and no one group can do it alone." - The U.S. Forest Service. Forest management and fire mitigation are essential components of creating long-lasting, healthy, resilient forests...
Read Article
Dec 23, 2020
Montana’s Best Management Practices: Protecting Water Quality and the Entire Forest Ecosystem
Blog Category: Forestry
Water is one of our most precious natural resources, which is why protecting and maintaining our water quality is so important. The current rise in catastrophic wildfires across the country is beginning to threaten our water quality as ash settles into streams, and vegetation surrounding waterways is burned away...
Read Article
Nov 25, 2020
The Brooklyn Bridge Project: A Case Study
Blog Category: Forestry, Marks News & Events
In March 2020, Marks Lumber entered into an important public-private partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) – one that will preserve the safety and enjoyment of the Brooklyn Bridge area just outside Helena. Located south of Helena near the town...
Read Article
Oct 21, 2020
Responsible Forestry for a Healthier Montana
Blog Category: Forestry, Marks News & Events
This week, October 18th - 24th, is Montana Forest Products Week, which recognizes the forest products industry as a significant contributor to Montana forests and communities. In celebration of this, Marks Lumber presents the inaugural video of our ongoing multimedia educational series. In this series, we’ll be demonstrating the integral...
Read Article