2021 grad Emmet Melior receives Alta scholarship

“All my life I have loved the outdoors,” Bonners Ferry High School graduate Emmet Melior wrote in his winning 2021 Alta Forest Products Skilled Trade and Forestry Scholarship essay.

“My dad took me out to the mountains, going hiking, fishing and camping,” Melior wrote. “One of my favorite parts about these trips was [...] studying the ecosystems, watching the trees slowly start to transition from low valley forests to subalpine climates. I wondered what factors cause cedar groves to grow in one place and ponderosa pine to grow in another.”

Winning the $1,000 Alta scholarship takes Melior one step closer to those goals as he prepares to attend the University of Idaho in the fall.

Melior’s words resonated with those in charge of awarding the scholarship.

“It is with great excitement that I would like to congratulate you for your success as the winner,” wrote Alta’s safety and human resources manager, Jeremy Dineen, in the scholarship award letter. “Your application displayed high quality, attention to detail and a willingness to complete difficult tasks with excellence.”

The winning essay also expressed Melior’s love of the Northwest. “I hope to study forestry or environmental science, to gain the knowledge and expertise to protect the ecosystems, livelihoods and people in Boundary County and North Idaho.”

He also talked about job-shadowing local forester Kennon McClintock for his senior project. “His guidance and advice helped expand my understanding of forests and the environmental field, as well as helping shape my future career goals.”

Alta, the largest cedar fencing producer in the world, has been awarding scholarships since 2017, with the goal of supporting local students who may not be interested in going to college but are interested in a skilled trade or a forestry-related career.

“Over 1/3 of Alta employees are trade careers,” said Dineen. “Alta wanted to support students who are interested in this career path. Trades also offer some of the highest wages available to workers and so, are a great choice for students who are not college bound.”

Skilled trades may be a good alternative for many students. A 2018 study from the Strada Institute found that 43% of students who completed their degree were underemployed in their first job. Further, two-thirds of those workers were still underemployed five years later.

The Associated General Contractors of America, by contrast, reports that 70% of construction companies nationwide were having trouble finding qualified workers, and the National Electrical Contractors Association reports that while 7,000 electricians join the field each year, 10,000 retire, leaving an ever-widening gap of qualified workers in the industry.

Bottom line? There may be a lot of opportunities in pursuing a skilled trade.

Melior’s plans to pursue a degree may seem counter to these statistics, but the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that both forestry and environmental science are growing much faster than other occupations, and they are both fields that go hand in hand with the goals and needs of a business like Alta.

Alta sources timber from managed forests across North America, purchasing from a variety of sources like small family tree farms to industrial-scale timberlands, never importing from overseas where questionable environmental regulations are the norm. They are also a zero-waste manufacturer, turning their residuals into many by-products including wood chips, sawdust, mulch and biofuel and are committed to sustainable forestry and zero-waste manufacturing.

As this year's scholarship recipient, Melior had the opportunity for a mill site tour to see it in action at every level. His passion for both the logging industry (which Alta is dependent on), and preserving local ecosystems, is obvious in his essay.

“I have seen areas that had been logged irresponsibly, ruining local ecosystems,” he wrote, “and I had seen the economic impact that heavy restrictions on logging, and the closures of mills have wrought upon our community. I care tremendously about the town I grew up in and I want to help keep it stable and safe.”

“We talked about his plans for the future,” Dineen added when mentioning the tour. “Alta was pleased to give Emmet the scholarship and wish him the best as he pursues his career and interests.”