Merkley, Wyden Announce $30 Million Federal Support to Expand Clatskanie Scion Sawmill

SALEM, OR - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will finance $30 million for Clatskanie Scion LLC to expand a new sawmill.

Clatskanie Scion LLC will use the funding to expand operations for 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 installation of related equipment.

"In recent years, Oregon has seen numerous timber mills closing across the state. In 2024 alone, there were seven mill closures, which resulted in 700 jobs being lost, many in rural areas. As we continue to address hazardous fuels, this investment into our mill infrastructure is a win-win-win, by supporting wildfire risk reduction, supporting good-paying mill jobs, and increasing forest resiliency," said Merkley, who serves as ranking member of the Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, which provides funds to the Forest Service for hazardous fuels programs. "This critical federal support is the exact type of common-sense investment we need to keep communities safe and strong."

"This fresh investment for Clatskanie is great news that will generate good-paying sawmill jobs throughout Oregon's northwest corner and help in the ongoing battle to reduce wildfire risks throughout our state," said Wyden. "I'm gratified that this project in Columbia County has earned these federal resources, and will keep fighting to secure similar investments for communities across Oregon."

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 - authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law - offers low-interest, long-term loans for timber and wood processing companies to invest in their facilities and equipment, with a particular emphasis on supporting timber mills processing hazardous fuels. This simultaneously boosts rural economies and reduces wildfire risk on public lands.

Merkley leads bipartisan legislation - Supporting American Wood and Mill Infrastructure with Loans for Longevity (SAWMILL) Act- to permanently authorize TPEP, which is currently set to expire at the end of this year.

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