New California Sawmill Receives Boiler Grant

A new sawmill in Truckee, Calif. that was approved by county officials in October recently received a $1.5 million grant from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) for the purchase of a second wood-fired boiler at the facility where officials are planning to begin operations in fall 2025. Though small by volume mill standards—the Alpenglow Timber sawmill is projected to produce 5.4MMBF in annual production—every bit of utilization capacity helps in developing markets for materials produced by forest health projects in the region.

Alpenglow Timber is owned by David Mercer, a local business owner who operates Crosscheck Services, a vegetation management contractor who’s worked in the region for years and was frustrated by the lack of local markets that was impeding forest health projects and the utilization of residual materials. The Alpenglow Timber sawmill plans to use logs 24 in. and smaller, and includes a kiln system supported by the boiler. A Phase 2 future expansion includes possible cross-laminated timber, glulam and truss beam manufacturing operations. Perhaps most interesting, the mill proposal includes six employee housing units in three duplexes for company personnel: Finding affordable and nearby housing in such operations is key to recruiting quality persons.