04/16/2026 | Forest Business Network, Written by Clifford "Craig" Rawlings (May 28, 2025)

A Glimpse Inside the National Museum of Forest Service History, Built by Dick Anderson Construction

Trees and timber have long played an important role in Montana’s ecosystem. Now, with the new National Museum of Forest Service History, visitors will get to see this showcased in beautiful fashion. Dick Anderson Construction is leading the project build, with contributions from many partners including:

• Vaagen Timbers: 300+ CLT wall panels and numerous CLT glulam beams.
• Freres Engineered Wood: Mass Plywood Panel (MPP) roof panels and MPP stair treads.
• The CLT and MPP products were pre-treated at Vaagen’s and Freres’ respective factories with a Sansin KP12 stain.
• Simpson Strong Tie: Connectors and fasteners.
• VaproShield: SlopeShield Self-Adhered Plus, a multi-purpose air barrier and permeable vapor retarder membrane.

Craig Rawlings, a writer for Forest Business Network and mass timber expert, writes about his experience touring the jobsite with DAC Field Project Manager, Hunter Hesian. The building will be “an invaluable educational experience and calling card for our industry’s immense contributions to beautiful, healthy, and sustainable buildings — and healthy forests — for an expected 80,000–100,000 visitors each year,” he writes.

Read his full recap of the tour, here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/missoulas-mass-timber-showcase-glimpse-inside-museum-forest-rawlings-xq2xc/