SANDERS COUNTY – At the start of the month, it was announced Plum Creek Lumber was being bought out by the Weyerhaeuser Company; Tricon Timber, though, is not worrying about it yet.

The purchase was announced at the start of November. Tricon Vice President of Operations Calvin Sheahan said they have not spoken to anyone from Weyerhaeuser yet, though it was likely going to happen. Tricon has deals with Plum Creek, but it is unknown what the merged company plans to do with them; they are not sure if Weyerhaeuser will honor the original agreements or negotiate new ones.

“We’re hopeful to have a relationship with Weyerhaeuser, like we had with Plum Creek, and work with them moving forward,” Sheahan said.

He noted it is hard to speculate what will happen as a result of the buy out, since it is still very early in the process. It is also unknown what the merger will mean for Tricon’s ability to operate, given how much land they now own.

According to the Weyerhaeuser Company’s website, the merger creates the largest private ownership of timber land in the United States at more than 13 million acres of forest land.