By Gerelyn Terzo, Global AgInvesting Media
Chinook Forest Partners, a Grants Pass, Oregon-based natural-capital investment manager, has unveiled its plans to acquire the assets of South Coast Lumber on behalf of long-term investors. The deal covers a massive 104,000 acres of premium coastal forestland and modern manufacturing facilities in Southwest Oregon, which will be managed by Chinook on a fully integrated platform within its portfolio of high-quality natural capital investments, according to the announcement.
Founded in the early 1950s in Brookings, Oregon, South Coast Lumber traces its roots to the Fallert family’s pioneering logging efforts, evolving from a modest mill in Clackamas County to a fully integrated, fourth-generation wood-products business. In 2019, Ron Fallert’s nephew Mike Beckley became CEO as the second youngest member of the family’s third generation, highlighting how the family has kept leadership and stewardship intact even through the generational transition. Over decades the company expanded its timberland holdings, purchased the Brookings Plywood business and invested in specialty manufacturing, while maintaining deep ties to its community, workforce and forest-rich region.
For its part, Chinook Forest Partners specializes in natural capital investing by acquiring and stewarding top-tier working forests to deliver steady, risk-adjusted returns over the long haul. Launched in 2018 by a seasoned team with deep roots in timberland and landscape finance, the firm collaborates closely with institutional investors to build out integrated operations in flourishing timber regions, managing them in a sustainable and productive way.
Of the deal, Chinook Forest Partners CEO Scott Marshall said, “South Coast is an exceptional organization — built over generations and guided by a team with deep expertise and vision. Our approach is rooted in long-term management: investing in people, operations, and communities to ensure these assets thrive for generations. This acquisition reinforces our commitment to sustainable forestry and positions Chinook as a differentiated partner to our investors.”
South Coast CEO and President Mike Beckley commented, “This transition reflects our shared values and mutual respect. Chinook understands what matters most: our people, our land, and our community. We are confident they will honor the legacy the Fallert family has built over four generations, while helping South Coast reach new levels of growth and opportunity.”
The U.S. Pacific Northwest, spanning Washington, Oregon and Idaho, earns its reputation as a global timber powerhouse through a mild climate, quick-growing softwoods and mature supply chains that run deep. Its forests drive a hefty chunk of America’s softwood lumber production, fueled by stands of Douglas fir and western hemlock ideally suited for building, packaging and engineered wood. Analysts highlight the region’s strategically located export hubs and rich forestry heritage as key draws for big institutional capital flowing into working forests and full-scale wood operations. The Chinook/South Coast Lumber deal is slated to wrap up by the end of 2025.
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