Font ResizeCHEYENNE, Wyo. » A new survey finds that wood businesses in western Wyoming and southeastern Idaho are operating at a small fraction of their capacity.
The Bridger-Teton and Shoshone national forests in Wyoming and the Caribou-Targhee National Forest in Idaho distributed the questionnaire to get feedback from businesses such as loggers, sawmills and log-home manufacturers.
The survey garnered 23 responses from businesses in counties surrounding the forests.
Those businesses say they're using less than 1 percent of their combined capacity. The businesses say they're mostly interested in lodgepole pine, followed by Douglas fir.
Numerous sawmills in the Rocky Mountains have closed in recent years. Industry members blame low timber prices, inconsistent wood availability from federal lands and increased transportation costs.
