The federal government has awarded $800,000 to the Montana Department of Labor and Industry for people affected by the closures of Pyramid Mountain Lumber and Roseburg Forest Products.
The U.S. Department of Labor sent the money as a part of the National Dislocated Worker Grant, which gives assistance to “areas experiencing a major economic dislocation event,” according to the Department of Labor.
The money will move into seven counties and two reservations as some employees seek to relocate toward industrial hubs. More than 250 people have been or will be laid off by Pyramid and Roseburg this year.
Tim Wood, head grader at Pyramid Mountain Lumber, oversees operations at his station at the sawmill’s operating facility on June 19, 2024.
In March, Pyramid announced plans to close its doors for good after struggling to find housing for its employees. The mill ran its final logs through the sawmill last week as it winds down operations.
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Pyramid has been in operation for the last 75 years and has been Seeley Lake’s largest employer for decades. The mill’s closure could cause an economic backslide in the small mountain community, while also rattling the state’s wood products industry.
Missoula-based Roseburg announced it would close in May, just days after the Pyramid news.
The $800,000 will go to Missoula, Flathead, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral, Powell, and Sanders counties, as well as the Confederated Salish and Kootenai and Blackfeet tribes.
In April, the state labor department announced a new program to help reemploy timber workers though a skills matching dashboard.
Griffen Smith is the local government reporter for the Missoulian.
