Montrose, CO -Michael Bennet, U.S. Senator for Colorado, visited the Inter-Mountain Timber Mill today and met with its owners, mill employees, loggers, timber industry representatives, U.S. Forest Service officials, the Public Lands Partnership and other groups involved in timber harvest and forest health.

"A strong timber industry can be a great ally in helping to keep our forests healthy," Bennet said. "These kinds of partnerships are crucial, not only to the economic viability and sustainability of the Western Slope, but also to ensuring a cost-effective and efficient framework for maintaining forest health."

In addition to supporting the local economy, the Inter-Mountain Timber Mill, the largest remaining timber mill in Colorado, is a major processor and vendor of timber produced by hazardous fuel mitigation projects. Timber mills across Colorado are among the largest purchasers of the wood byproducts of hazardous fuel mitigation projects, which help keep local communities safe from the threat of wildfires.