Feb 18, 2008. /Lesprom.com/. A slowdown in the home construction industry has forced US Timber to close down its Baker City mill, a company official confirmed. The mill may reopen later if market conditions improve, said Darrel Garoutte, vice president for US Timber Company's western region. The decision to suspend operations affects about 18 workers. “It's simply the case that there's too much lumber being supplied for too little housing construction going on”, Darrel Garoutte said. Problems related to the number of subprime mortgages that were sold to homeowners and the resulting credit tightening and the housing recession that's still playing out across the nation "have raised havoc in the building industry. We have had to curtail operations due to market conditions. Conditions in the lumber industry are very poor due to the housing crunch", Darrel Garoutte said. Other US Timber Company mills are "still operational, but at a lower production rate," he added.