U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Oregon State Director Jim Carmack announced on July 23, 2026, that Clatskanie Scion LLC will receive $30 million to finance a new sawmill.
Clatskanie Scion will use the funding to expand operations for family-owned Myers Woodline to manufacture industrial lumber products and bolster the region's timber industry. This project includes construction to permanent financing for a new sawmill and the installation of related equipment.
The mill will be ready to operate in about 18 months, bringing at least 35 jobs to the area, Brian Myers, a partner in the business, told columbiacountyspotlight.com.
"It's just a wonderful spot," Myers said. "We hope to be good stewards there and good partners with the community. … We've been together since the 1980s — my father, myself and my brother. (We've) been doing it for a long time."
Once built, the sawmill will manufacture industrial lumber products, including wooden separators used for shipping, crates and more, columbiacountyspotlight.com reported.
The name of the project contractor wasn't released.
"Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and the Trump Administration is increasing domestic timber production and unleashing America's affordable and reliable energy sources," Carmack said. "This project is a win for job creation, rural prosperity and timber production in Oregon. It helps turn wouldâbe excess forest fuel into valuable products while supporting local businesses."
"Oregon's working forests depend on a strong wood products industry and investments like this one keep that relationship productive," said U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region Regional Forester Jacque Buchanan. "Turning excess forest fuels into marketable timber supports active management, reduces wildfire risk, and sustains the rural communities that have always been part of how we care for these lands."
This project is funded through USDA's Timber Production and Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program (TPEP) and Business & Industry Guaranteed Loan Program in partnership with lender First Interstate Bank.
TPEP is made possible by a partnership between the USDA Rural Development and the U.S. Forest Service and ensures sawmills and other wood processing facilities have the necessary funding to establish, reopen, expand or improve their operations. The program also helps address the wildfire crisis by investing in local sawmills that clear out dangerous fuel in our forestlands, helping to remove the most immediate threats to communities, critical infrastructure, and natural resources.
Since its inception, USDA has invested $165.2 million through TPEP in the states of California, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
