"Unfortunately, these steps are necessary to match supply with the eroding demand for our wood products." - Rick Holley, Plum Creek president and chief executive officer

"Eroding demand for our products" isn't exactly the language any corporate executive wants to use about their industry; however, finally the timber industry is being straight and honest with the public, which is a good thing.

Remember, as recently as a few months ago (and certainly over the past five years as many of us warned of the dire economic consequences of over-consumption and over-development) the timber industry and their supporters (including the past publisher and environmental reporter for the Missolian) were still telling us that the timber industry just needed more trees from national forests to solve their problems.

NewWest readers could go back and look at many articles and accompanying comment sections for some of this "we need to just log our national forests more" rhetoric. That was never the case during this emerging economic crisis, which is rooted in over-consumption/development. And it certainly isn't the case when you consider Plum Creek specifically, the largest private land owner in Montana (and the nation) that has unlimited access to their own timber lands.

Hopefully, elected officials and the public will now better understand the true and honest scope of the situation facing the timber industry so that we can better move forward with solutions. I've said all along that solutions not based on economic reality really don't get us anywhere and certainly don't help workers or communities get on the right track for a clean, green and sustainable future.

"recession in Montana".. thanks for being honest, New West. That's the first time I've ever seen that phrase in Montana media. It's a reality, but nobody wants to report it.

One of the lessons in all of this may be that folks living in small towns and counties in the mountain west should start a long term quest for economic diversification as much as possible.