By Pepper Fisher

NEAH BAY – The Makah Tribe at Neah Bay will be hosting the grand opening of their new sawmill on Thursday, May 30.

The mill has already been in operation this month cutting lumber for customers both private and commercial. Their website says they take custom orders for rough and surfaced lumber in cedar, fir, spruce, hemlock and alder. They also offer kiln drying.

As we reported in April, the Tribe is working with the Composite Recycle Technology Center (CRTC) to mill lumber from western hemlock, a tree that is often disposed of by the timber industry. When hemlock dries, it twists and cracks, making it poor wood for lumber. CRTC has found a way to change that with a process called thermal modification, and then integrate carbon fiber with the wood fiber to create cross-laminated timber panels for use in construction.

CRTC is so committed to the project that they built the mill for the Tribe, but it will remain under the Tribe’s ownership and operation.

Again, the Grand Opening of the mill is set for May 30 at 10:00am at 113 Quarry Road. Pictured below are Sawmill Operator Devon Halttunen and Sawmill Manager Jed Johnson.