The fate of Pyramid Lumber has been very much a topic of local discussion over the last few months. It isn’t just the employees and owners of the mill that will be affected if it closes. Foresters, loggers and truckers are all part of the machinery that generates “timber dollars.” More than recreation, those “timber dollars” are what caused Seeley Lake and the Seeley-Swan Valley to grow in a stable fashion and become complete communities with schools, churches, grocery stores, hardware stores, auto parts, pharmacies and even a medical/dental clinic. I believe the flow down from those timber dollars is what pays the teachers, mechanics, doctors, pharmacists and clerks — not recreation dollars. The loss of Pyramid Lumber could seriously jeopardize those timber dollars.
As a resident of the Double Arrow Ranch, I hear and read disparaging comments frequently made about the residents that live here. While those comments may have some basis in reference to some (not all) of the part-time residents of DAR, the full-time residents I know act, support and participate in this community. We have the same concerns, questions, hopes and desires as everybody else here because we care about Seeley Lake. We go to high school football games and elementary school Christmas programs because we have friends and neighbors whose children are involved in those activities and we want to support them. Notice I said neighbors. Many people in Seeley would be surprised to know exactly how many working people with children live on the DAR. We, too, are part of the heart and soul of Seeley Lake.
I have read some commentary that Seeley Lake just needs to accept its fate and embrace becoming a “recreation town.” The truth is that most recreation towns have more problems than Seeley due to the uneven nature of that type of economy. The ongoing national dynamic of the “haves and have nots” is magnified even worse. If you think there is a housing problem here, check out Lake Tahoe, Aspen or Telluride. To be sure, the recreation dollars help many of Seeley’s businesses prosper, but I don’t think many would even survive without timber dollars. The recreational economy just isn’t strong enough on a year-round basis. Timber is Seeley’s heart and soul.
I do not possess much knowledge about the financial nature of the timber industry, but there has been much written and reported lately about “interested parties” concerning Pyramid Lumber. Some of what has been reported included statements from one of the Missoula County Commissioners about the need for those parties to explore changing the business model of the mill to revolve around “forest restoration” activities. I’m not sure what that business model entails, but it would seem that somewhere along the line the current owners of Pyramid Lumber would have looked at all potential avenues to keep the mill running profitably. Profitability is the key here. Without a more in-depth explanation of this business model, it would seem to be a bit of a boondoggle. Is this business model dependent on some sort of government subsidy? More taxes to support that subsidy? Only in Missoula County would this seem like a realistic possibility. It’s not what the timber industry, Seeley Lake or the state of Montana should be about. Subsidies do not provide heart and soul. Only working citizens producing and building things can provide that.
As the clock winds down, I hope Pyramid or an interested party can figure something out. The heart and soul of a little town I love may depend on it.
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