Local loggers bemoan Sierra Pacific mill closures

The closure of a third Sierra Pacific Industries facility in the Sierra this summer has at least one local logging firm yearning for the old days when sawmills were abundant in northeastern California. Ed Walker at Robinson Enterprises was not sure Wednesday what the full impact would be of the recent closure of SPI's mill at Sonora and the earlier shut-downs of the small-log mill in Quincy and the mill in Camino. “There's just that many fewer mills to take logs to,” Walker said. Robinson took logs to all three mills from lumbering sites over the years, but those logs will all probably go to SPI's mill in Lincoln now, he said. That could also add to fuel expenses for trucks that will pass by the closed mills to get to Lincoln. Both Walker and Bob Mion of the California Forestry Association blamed lawsuits by environmentalist groups for tying up federal timber sales this year and causing fewer logs to flow into the system...TheUnion