PRAIRIE CITY – Saws are set to begin whirring next month, as the Prairie Wood Products sawmill prepares for its reopening. Grant County Commissioner Jim Hamsher informed the EMG Newsroom that the mill in Prairie City is planning to reopen, and that information was confirmed August 24th by Prairie Wood Products CFO Trent Middlebrooks.

Middlebrooks told the newsroom that there are logs in the deck to be processed, and the company is actively working with the U.S. Forest Service to move forward. The mill has been shut down since March 1st, 2024, due to timber hauling contract complications with the Forest Service.

Middlebrooks wanted to express to the community that the company is available for fire mitigation efforts as well.

He wasn’t sure on an exact date the mill would reopen in September, and said they will likely be starting operations on a limited basis. Grant County’s economy heavily relies on forest products and natural resources. Following the closure announcement of the last remaining sawmill in John Day earlier this summer, the news of the Prairie City sawmill’s reopening comes as relief to many within the community.

Source: elkhornmediagroup.com