Ditidaht mill working around tariff problems

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While the fight between the United States and Canada over the softwood lumber agreement continues to smolder, the Ditidaht First Nation's mill continues to crank out specialty lumber products destined for markets across the continent and around the globe.

"The softwood lumber agreement has been a problem, and we had to be creative to get around the tariffs," said Ditidaht treaty communications officer Robert Joseph. "We switched from custom cutting cedar for Weyerhaeuser to cutting railroad ties from our own logs which allows us to market and sell them ourselves."

With Weyerhaeuser marketing and selling the custom cut cedar, the Ditidaht mill was barely surviving. And according to Joseph, instead of going back to Ditidaht membership for more operation funds, a partnership was struck with Hayes Logging which has alleviated many of the operational and profitability concerns.

"We're working with Hayes to begin logging next year when cut blocks become available," said Ditidaht chief councilor Jack Thompson. "We recently completed a forestry interim measures agreement for 300,000 metres over the next 10 years, with an additional 30,000 cubic metres still to come for this year."

Currently, the mill is cutting rail ties out of hemlock and balsam, and shipping them to Portland, Oregon and Ashcroft. More than 140,000 board feet of railroad ties and 50,000 board feet of crossing ties have been milled so far, and a similar amount will be produced over the next month.

After that, the mill will switch to custom cutting hemlock destined for the Japanese market.

The Ditidaht mill employs 22 people working 10-hour shifts, four days a week, and is looking to hire more sawyers.