Funds will be used to upgrade a sawmill to integrate improvements on critical production equipment, including the head RIG, sharp chain, gang, and edger

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Region 2 - Rocky Mountain Region awarded a Project Grant of $457,363 to Montrose Forest Products LLC under the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act Financial Assistance to Facilities that Purchase and Process Byproducts for Ecosystem Restoration program (CFDA 10.725) on September 18, 2025. The grant funds critical upgrades to the awardee's sawmill production equipment, including improvements to the head rig, sharp chain gang, and edger systems. These enhancements integrate advanced imaging and processing capabilities designed to optimize lumber recovery, reduce waste, and improve product quality while increasing operational throughput.

The project, with a completion deadline of September 1, 2028, is expected to deliver a 1-4% incremental improvement in mill efficiency through real-time data analytics and precision equipment adjustments. By enhancing the facility's capacity to process byproducts from federal ecosystem restoration projects, this investment supports the program's core objective of decreasing the cost of ecological restoration activities involving vegetation removal on federal lands. As a small disadvantaged business with established experience in forest management through its Rocky Mountain Restoration Project Stewardship work, Montrose Forest Products LLC is positioned to increase utilization of restoration byproducts while advancing regional forest management objectives.

These upgrades are designed to enhance the mills efficiency, optimize lumber recovery, and improve product quality by leveraging advanced imaging and processing capabilities. By providing real-time data and precision adjustments, these improvements will allow the mill to reduce waste, improve throughput, and maximize the value extracted from raw timber resources. The upgrades are expected to provide an incremental improvement in efficiency of approximately 1-4%, which will have a meaningful impact on overall productivity and profitability.