Stoltze firm receives state 'Excellence' award

The Daily Inter Lake

F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Co. has been awarded the 2009 Montana Excellence in Forestry Award by the Montana Society of American Foresters.

The award recognizes landowners and managers who have actively worked toward improving and advancing the practice, science and art of forestry in Montana through collaborative and innovative land management practices.

Stoltze, which operates a sawmill west of Columbia Falls, owns about 38,000 acres of land in the upper Flathead Valley.

The company actively manages its land not only to provide a timber harvest of 8 million to 10 million board-feet annually, but also to provide excellent wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities, society spokesman Jason Brandt said.

Stoltze land also is home to the Northwest Montana Forestry Expo site, which allows hundreds of school children every year to gain knowledge and experience in natural resource conservation. The company is one of the oldest and longest supporters of sustainable forestry certification in Montana, having had its land enrolled in the Montana Tree Farm system since 1960.

Company foresters have helped teach forest stewardship classes and the company's employees overall are active in charitable organizations in the community and participate in other community activities, Brandt said.

The Stoltze mill is the oldest privately owned, operational lumber mill in the Northwest. It was incorporated in 1898, with $12,000 in capital stock and 120 shares subscribed.

The company temporarily shut down its Columbia Falls sawmill for about seven weeks in February and March to allow time to sell some lumber during an economically challenging time. The sawmill restarted on March 23.