Vermont’s timber industry has lost nearly 150 sawmills since 2000, including Putney Paper Mill in January 2024 and Mill River Lumber in June 2024, reported Seven Days newspaper. A. Johnson Company, one of the state’s largest lumber mills, shut down in November 2023 after 117 years in operation. The industry, which still supports over 13,000 jobs and generates more than $2 billion in economic output, faces increasing challenges from declining demand, foreign competition, and climate impacts.
Despite Vermont’s forests growing three times more wood annually than is harvested, mills struggle to source logs as timber sales become less profitable for private landowners and public opposition to logging increases. The state loses over 12,000 wooded acres yearly, further pressuring the industry. Rising costs and the closure of regional mills also make it harder for loggers to sustain their businesses.
While some mills, such as Clifford Lumber, have survived by shifting to niche markets and local demand, others have not adapted fast enough. Entrepreneurs like Vermont Wildwoods’ Parker Nichols see potential in specialty wood products, but traditional sawmills reliant on high-volume sales continue to shut down.
Vermont's government is working to support the industry through the 2024 Forest Future Strategic Roadmap, which promotes workforce training and sustainable forestry. However, with fewer mills and an aging workforce, the long-term future of the state’s timber economy remains uncertain.
