The timber industry has always been a part of western life, especially where I grew up in Wallowa County. As a kid, there were 5 sawmills here, running 24/7. But due to harvest regulation changes, there were zero by the time I graduated high school. A lot of hard-working folks lost their jobs overnight and our local economy was in crisis. David Schmidt was the first to open a new mill in the county, but with a very different business model. David found the timber industry at an early age. After seeing bark beetle infested lumber wasted, he decided to go to Oregon State University to study Wood Science and Engineering. David wanted to figure out how to better use wood in forest products, which he did his senior year by making cross laminated timber. Now, with his company, Heartwood biomass, David is focused on restorative logging that maintains forest health, while still providing good paying jobs and quality wood products.   Heartwood BiomassWebsiteInstagram