Logs Wanted in Winton

Leavenworth area landowners take note: These guys are buying logs at the Winton log yard.

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Since the Longview Winton Sawmill closed, trucking expense and low log prices have made many small harvests uneconomical. Good logs go to pulp or, worse, the fuel stays in our forests.

Don Reed and Dennis Buss of Formark are trying to change that. They're buying sawlogs at the Winton log yard near Coles Corner and reloading them for transport to their yards in Everett and Tacoma. The logs eventually are exported to Asia.

There's not a mill at Winton, and Formark does have to truck logs from Winton to the coast, so the prices they pay reflect that cost. The advantage for local landowners is that instead of one Darrington trip a day their trucks can make two or three trips from the woods to Winton.

Today Formark is buying Douglas fir, pine, larch, white fir, grand fir, silver fir and spruce. Fir and pine 8 inches and up, 26-40 feet (wants average 33 feet), bring $500/MBF.

Better sorts of fir go to stronger export markets and pay closer to $600. They get containerized, so the maximum length is 38'10".

Don Reed runs the yard at Winton and can visit your site to give you a better idea of prices for your logs. 509-630-0338.

Of course the ideal situation for us east of the mountains would be for a mill to open at Winton. One can always hope, but it's better to get on with your fuel reduction strategy.