STE. GENEVIEVE COUNTY, Mo. – Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08) visited Naeger Forest Products in Ste. Genevieve County recently, touring the sawmill with owner Mike Naeger to discuss the challenges facing Missouri’s timber industry.

Congressman Smith said, “Mike has spent more than four decades building this sawmill into one that produces some of the highest-quality cedar in the country, and it was clear from our conversation just how much pride he takes in that work. We talked about the flood of cheap, fake wood products coming in from China, the toll the railroad merger has taken on the tie market, and the need to open up new domestic and foreign markets for Missouri timber. Our forest products industry is every bit as important to America’s supply chain security as our farm, food, and pharmaceutical industries, and I’ll keep fighting in Washington to make sure it’s treated that way.”

Mike Naeger has worked in logging for 41 years and opened his sawmill 34 years ago. The mill specializes in cutting Aromatic and Eastern Red Cedar sourced from within a 100-mile radius of Perry, St. Francois, and Jefferson Counties. The mill also processes hardwood, selling oak to McLain Forest Products in Van Buren and pine to buyers in Indiana and Illinois, moving roughly 3 million board feet of lumber a year.

Congressman Smith also discussed the challenges facing Missouri’s timber industry with Missouri Forest Products Association President Brian Brookshire, including the decline of the industry in recent years, competition from imported imitation wood products from China, and the impact of railroad consolidation on the tie and barrel whiskey markets. They also discussed efforts to have the U.S. Forest Service and Department of Commerce work to expand markets for American-made wood products.

The Fix Our Forests Act, which Congressman Smith voted for, allows for more active management of fire-prone federal forestland through logging, thinning, and restoration projects that reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health. He continues to push for policies that support domestic timber production, expand markets for American wood products, and reduce reliance on foreign imports.