In Montana’s case, the “lumber overrun” increased from 30 percent in the 1970s to 100 percent in the 2000s. In other words, for every estimated board-foot of tree going into the mill today, two board-feet come out.

“U.S. wood product & log measurements are really convoluted,” Morgan confesses. “If only we used the metric system, things could be a lot less complicated & confusing.”

The confusion grows from the evolution of sawmill technology. Over time, more efficient saw blades produced less waste and cut skinnier trees. Mills like the F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber Co. in Columbia Falls use computer imagery to cut straight boards out of curved logs that might have been rejected a generation ago.

The jobs have changed as well. Mechanized harvesters allow one logger to do the work of 20 in the forest, from the comfort of a climate-controlled cab with satellite guidance and Bluetooth entertainment.

Palma’s company employs just one or two loggers who cut trees on order and send them to a Mennonite community for the hand-finishing work. Ninety percent of his inventory ships out of state.