When a sawmill closes, the effects reverberate throughout the local economy. And the impact cuts wider and deeper than you might suspect. That's one of the key findings of new research published by Michigan State University forestry researchers Basanta Lamsal, Jagdish Poudel and Raju Pokharel. In their paper titled <deep breath> "Regional economic and employment impacts of industrial decline in the forest sector: Evidence from sawmill closures in Michigan," the academics tie specific numbers to the decadeslong decline of Michigan's forest sector. Highlights of the findings include:  2019–2023: Michigan’s sawmill ...