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 pride in our ability to source local timber products in a sustainable fashion, all while doing our part to care for our community. Read on to learn about the Marks Lumber difference.

Locally Sourced Timber

At Marks Lumber, we understand how important sourcing local timber is to creating healthy, local forests and reducing wildfire risk in the wildland-urban interface. That’s why we work hard to source our timber from Montana forests, with the majority coming from within 150 miles of our sawmill. Not only does this help minimize the transportation emissions associated with hauling logs, but it also helps restore and maintain local forests and support local jobs.

Creating Safer, Healthier Communities

Marks Lumber is currently working to help clean up the Brooklyn Bridge area, located just outside of Helena, approximately 20 miles from our manufacturing facility. This wildland-urban interface was identified as an area of “high wildfire risk” by the U.S. Forest Service, posing a severe threat to Helena and the surrounding areas. Through the Good Neighbor Authority, the federal and state agencies formed a crucial partnership that allowed for immediate intervention. Marks Lumber proudly joined the program to help protect the greater Helena community using proper fire mitigation and forest restoration techniques. Once complete, the project will help minimize wildfire risk, support safe recreational activities, and create a healthy forest ecosystem.

Utilizing Montana’s Best Management Practices

The Best Management Practices (BMPs) are a set of national guidelines that provide guidance on how to protect water, soil, and other natural resources and achieve zero negative impacts during logging activities. While the BMPs are specifically focused on protecting water quality, Montana’s BMPs are made up of more than 100 different practices related to slash disposal, site preparation, and road and timber harvest planning. Despite Montana’s BMPs being completely voluntary, Marks Lumber works hard to make sure that our fiber is sourced from foresters that follow the BMPs. By doing so, we ensure alignment between our values and execution, protecting our natural resources while maintaining and restoring our forests.

Zero Waste Emphasis

At Marks Lumber, we take pride in our ability to use the whole log and generate revenue from previously non-performing wood fiber. We utilize our Rotochopper B66 grinder to help turn wood waste into marketable products, such as our Engineered Wood Fiber (EWF), colored mulch, and industrial biofuels. Additionally, Marks Lumber also sells non-merchantable logs as firewood for your fireplace or campfires.

You can’t go wrong with choosing locally sourced wood products, but choosing a sawmill that does so in a sustainable fashion while caring for the Helena community is an even better option. Contact Marks Lumber today to learn more about our sustainable circle sawn flooring, siding, and timbers.