Salvage

Salvage and recovery operations began immediately after the blast. Much of the downed timber was still usable, but at great risk of being damaged by insects and diseases.

Salvaging timber around Mount St. Helens required paying extra attention to the safety and health of the company's employees. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) first conducted a study to assess health hazards of working in the ash. Six months after the blast, full-scale salvage of downed Douglas fir, hemlock, silver fir, noble fir and western red cedar was ready to begin.

• More than 1,000 people were involved in the salvage efforts on Weyerhaeuser lands.
• 600 truckloads of salvaged logs were removed each day during peak summer months.
• Salvage work continued for nearly two years.
• 850 million board feet of timber were salvaged from Weyerhaeuser land.
• The wood Weyerhaeuser saved was enough to build 85,000 new three-bedroom homes.