Plum Creek Montana

Plum Creek’s history in Montana began in 1945 when D.C. Dunham moved his lumber mill to Columbia Falls, Mont., from the banks of Plum Creek in Bemidji, Minn.  Dunham’s relocated mill processed the timber harvested to make way for the construction of the Hungry Horse Dam a few miles from Columbia Falls.  After Dunham’s death in 1966, his family sold the Plum Creek mill to Northern Pacific, which had timberlands throughout the Pacific Northwest and later became part of Burlington Northern Railroad.

In 1987, Burlington Northern Railroad separated its land-related businesses from its railroad operations and created Burlington Resources, which sold its timberlands to Plum Creek in 1989.

Over time, Plum Creek expanded its production base in Northwest Montana to include board and stud mills, plywood plants and medium-density fiberboard facilities.

Plum Creek continued to grow its timber assets and acquired 865,000 acres of Montana lands from Champion International in 1993.

Today a majority of Plum Creek’s employees – approximately 775 people – are in northwest Montana. They work in the company's manufacturing facilities; forestry management; sales and real estate; and other corporate departments. The company’s main Montana office is in Columbia Falls. Dozens of local contractors work for Plum Creek.

The estimated total annual economic impact of Plum Creek in Montana is more than $600 million.

The company’s conservation and environmental activities have also had a considerable impact on Montana, assuring that significant wildlife and fish habitat will be protected. By creating the Montana Legacy Project (also known as the Montana Working Forest Project), a partnership with The Nature Conservancy and Trust for Public Land, and by working with government agencies and other conservation groups, Plum Creek has committed approximately 600,000 acres in Montana to conservation through land sales, easements and land exchanges. All of Plum Creek’s lands are open to the public year-round for hunting, fishing and recreating, without charge.

Plum Creek is part of the Montana community and committed to supporting community activities through the Plum Creek Foundation. Its real estate business, which is directed by a subsidiary, Township 110 Land Company, takes a community-minded development approach.

Plum Creek is committed to sustainable forestry practices and is third-party certified to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®).