As a third-generation Clancy-area sawmill operator, I've watched in dismay as, one by one, my fellow sawmill operators have fallen by the wayside and closed operations over the past 20 years. What was once a vibrant industry in Montana with more than 40 operations just 15 years ago now numbers only 16, with most of these on the brink of closure.

Market forces, foreign trade policy and public lands management policy have combined to squeeze these operations out of existence while destroying the livelihoods of thousands of Montana families.

Meanwhile, as you know, we're awash in a sea of timber in need of harvest. The pine beetle epidemic has exacerbated this timber supply situation, resulting in a scramble by federal, state and private landowners to attempt to mitigate the resulting catastrophic fire danger, protect wildland-urban interface-area homes, and make some attempt at managing the resource.

While much of this falls under the old adage of "too little, too late," nonetheless there is an effort under way. Foresters, woodsmen and sawmill operators like myself know that there is a short 18- to 36-month usability window for dead ponderosa pine timber before its only market is for pulp wood, which makes the restoration of these forests economically marginal under the best price scenarios and a major money loser under current market conditions. On another front, a major national emphasis is being placed on renewable energy, biomass utilization, bio-generation, carbon capture, cap and trade, etc. Innumerous federal and state programs are being rolled out commensurate with this priority.

However, I am dismayed that a simple, straightforward utilization of this dead and dying timber resource seems to be overlooked by our transportation officials. Treated wooden guardrail posts are no longer being utilized on highway projects. While officials give lip service to being open to their continued usage, the reality is that it's not happening.

Here's some concrete examples: The U.S. Forest Service put out a bid for Hyalite Canyon, specifying all steel posts (approximately 1,700 posts), Marysville project (approximately 7,000 posts), Bureau of Indian affairs - Browning, all steel posts, Garrison bridge across the Little Blackfoot River - all steel, etc. If you look at almost all new construction this summer, you see all steel.

Montana Department of Transportation officials cite all sorts of supposed reasons and rationale, including federal procurement policies, engineering design latitude, blah, blah, blah. But in the final analysis, when the smoke clears, we've got a dying Montana sawmill and lumber treating infrastructure, thousands of acres of dead trees with a short window of usability, and our highway projects specifying steel guardrail posts. To use modern vernacular, "What's up with that?!"

Why are we overlooking an obvious, right-under-our noses opportunity to address part of the utilization of dead forest resources puzzle while being squarely in the center of the in-vogue renewable-resources initiative? In fact, treated wooden guardrail posts are much more environmentally friendly from a renewable standpoint than their steel counterparts! (Oh, and by the way, it might just help sustain some scarce wood-products jobs and industry while providing top-quality highway infrastructure materials!)

If I sound frustrated it is because I am. In a world of seemingly endless, more glamorous, headline-gathering public policy arenas, it'd be nice if someone would just roll up their sleeves and accomplish this little no-brainer that would really help some of us little working people on the ground in Montana.

Steve Marks is owner of Marks Ranch and Lumber, and writes from Clancy.