"Sawmills, Timber, and Change: L-P's Legacy in Metlakatla"

 

How Louisiana-Pacific's sawmill and the broader timber industry shaped — and challenged — our community and Southeast Alaska

When you look at the history of Metlakatla, Alaska, it’s impossible to ignore the industries that have helped shape the community. Fishing, seafood processing, and forest products have long been pillars of our local economy. Among those, the timber industry — and specifically, the role of Louisiana-Pacific (L-P) — left its mark on our town's story.

In the early 1980s, L-P built a sawmill right here in Metlakatla. For nearly two decades, though operating intermittently, that sawmill provided jobs and economic opportunity for many local families. It became one of the few sources of steady income outside of fishing — offering hope for more sustainable livelihoods.

But the story of L-P and the timber industry in Metlakatla isn’t just one of jobs and paychecks. It reflects a broader chapter in Southeast Alaska’s complicated relationship with forest resources. At its peak, timber operations like the Ketchikan Pulp Mill, which L-P also owned for a time, fueled economic development across the region. These mills provided thousands of jobs, supported local businesses, and, for a while, gave communities like ours a measure of financial stability.

However, as many here will remember, the timber boom came with its share of challenges. Growing environmental concerns — particularly around old-growth forest harvesting — sparked public debate and eventually led to stricter government regulations. The days of long-term timber contracts and steady pulp prices faded, replaced by uncertainty.

The closure of the Ketchikan Pulp Mill in 1997 marked the beginning of the end for much of the region's large-scale timber operations. Metlakatla's sawmill shut its doors for good in 1998. What followed was tough: job losses, economic hardship, and strain on our local utility as the loss of logging revenue rippled through the community.

Still, the legacy of L-P and the timber industry in Metlakatla is complex. For some, it represents a time of growth and opportunity. For others, it serves as a reminder of how dependent small communities like ours can become on outside industries — and how quickly things can change when markets shift or policies evolve.

Today, as we look ahead to building a sustainable future for Metlakatla, the lessons from our timber past still echo. They remind us of the need to balance economic opportunity with stewardship of the land — and the importance of creating industries that can weather the ups and downs that history so often brings.