Riley Creek cuts 31 jobs

Thirty-one sawmill workers lost their jobs this week when Riley Creek Lumber Co. eliminated a shift at its Moyie Springs plant.

The mill wasn’t getting enough logs to continue all three shifts, said Julie Shifflet, Riley Creek’s chief financial officer.

“We had issues with the timber supply in that part of North Idaho,” she said. “There’s a lot of Forest Service land in the area, but not a lot of Forest Service timber sales.”

The Moyie Springs mill lies 30 miles south of the Canadian border. To keep the mill competitive, company officials opted to scale back production and upgrade its dry-kiln equipment, Shifflet said. The new kiln equipment will allow the mill to process a wider array of tree species.

“We remain very committed to the timber industry, and to the economy of North Idaho,” Shifflet said.

About 170 workers remain at the Moyie Springs mill after the layoffs. The mill makes 2-by-4s and other framing products for the construction industry.

Sunday was the last day for workers whose jobs were cut. Four of the 35 people on the shift accepted transfers to other Riley Creek mills, Shifflet said.

The company purchased the Moyie Springs mill last year from Louisiana-Pacific. Riley Creek operates three sawmills in North Idaho, producing more than 600 million board feet of lumber annually. Its other mills are located in the communities of Chilco and Laclede.