How a Kremmling sawmill turns beetle-killed pine into lumber
share
KREMMLING, Colo. — Colorado forests now emit more carbon than they store.
That’s according to a new report from researchers at the Colorado State Forest Service, which completed the state’s first comprehensive assessment of how much carbon forests capture, store and release.
Trees capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis and convert it into organic matter as they grow. When trees die, much of that carbon is released into the atmosphere where it traps heat, causing climate change.
Researchers found that wildfires, disease and insects caused significant disturbance to Colorado forests, leading to high tree mortality that outpaced new tree growth.
“Insects and diseases caused 85% of disturbances, accounting for 64% of disturbance-related carbon losses,” the researchers wrote.
Mountain pine beetles have killed five percent of forested areas in the western United States since 1997. Warming temperatures and drought make trees more vulnerable to infestations.
Harvesting trees affected by such disturbances can help to store carbon for longer.
“Products, ranging from furniture to building materials can serve as long-term carbon reservoirs, effectively delaying the return of carbon to the atmosphere for decades, even centuries,” the report read.
Lisa Hara, owner of The Mill in Kremmling, Colorado, is transforming beetle kill pine into construction grade lumber, thereby delaying the release of carbon.
Pine beetles burrow into a tree’s bark and lay eggs, impairing the tree’s ability to transport water and nutrients. Beetles also carry fungi that tends to leave a bluish-gray tint to wood, something many of Hara’s customers seek out for its unique look.
The Mill processes approximately 40 truckloads of locally sourced timber every year. In the summer, almost all the wood comes from fire mitigation projects on National Forest land in Routt County.
Workers use log loaders to sort the wood by species and size. In addition to milling beetle-kill pine, The Mill also processes Douglas fir and Engelmann spruce.
Before logs are cut, workers use a peeler to strip bark from the trunk. Peeling the tree by hand adds a unique, grooved texture, Hara said.
Workers at The Mill must first peel bark from the tree trunks. Video: Cormac McCrimmon, Rocky Mountain PBS
Unlike larger mills that often specialize in stud lumber, like two by four boards, The Mill uses a circular saw that allows workers to cut logs of nearly any size.
“Ninety percent of our customers are general contractors, builders or designers that are going after a [specific] look for super high-end houses,” said Hara. “People want to feel like they’re outside when they’re inside. They’re doing neat faux walls, cool paneling, siding, big, beautiful beams.”
Video: Cormac McCrimmon, Rocky Mountain PBS
“We don't have the same monster trees that the Pacific Northwest does, but we have beautiful, really usable timber,” said Hara, who bought The Mill in 2023.
In 2020, Colorado was home to 27 sawmills, down from 84 in 1982.
Workers sort wood after it’s cut. Unusable pieces are turned into firewood, and saw dust is sold as bedding for chickens. Video: Cormac McCrimmon, Rocky Mountain PBS
Hara said that land and equipment costs, alongside operating knowledge, are the biggest hurdles to running a sawmill.
Fire mitigation projects that pay loggers to remove wood and allow them to sell the timber afterwards offer the best chance to make a profit, according to Hara. More traditional arrangements, where loggers pay for the wood they cut, are less viable in Colorado, she said.
One of the benefits of working with beetle-killed wood is that most trees arrive pre-dried and ready to cut. This means the workers do not have to use a kiln to prepare timber.
But beetle-killed trees are also susceptible to checking or cracking in the wood, caused by dry conditions, said Brath.
Although harvested wood products offer a viable long-term method to store carbon, they make up just 0.4% of total forest carbon stocks, according to Colorado State University researchers.
Type of story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
To read more about why you can trust the journalism of Rocky Mountain PBS, please visit our editorial standards and practices page.