BEMIDJI— U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., made a stop Thursday at the Bemidji Potlatch plant to discuss economic matters from the viewpoint of the timber industry.

Klobuchar talks timber at Bemidji Potlatch plant: Senator stresses workforce training, forest management in Bemidji visit

MN trooper, spokesman Sgt. Grabow charged with driving 94 mph in a 55 zone

Moorhead road construction sign says ‘Bush did 9/11’

"We talked about the issues they're facing, we talked about how stable the plant has been, how they've expanded and how well they pay their workers," Klobuchar said after her visit to the plant.

"Now that we are through the downturn and the housing market is expanding, there are some ways we can have economic opportunity, and that includes the timber industry," Klobuchar said. "One of the ways is to manage the forest better. We're not getting enough wood. Second, there's the issue of biomass as a form of energy, and I've advocated to the EPA that it's clean energy."

Along with forest management, another important factor for Klobuchar regarding the industry was job openings and the need to find skilled employees. Klobuchar praised the Minnesota Innovation Institute, a cooperation between Greater Bemidji, BSU and Northwest Technical College for its work in meeting employer demands.

"We need more kids to go into these kinds of jobs," Klobuchar said. "The idea that you can have kids get their degrees while working or while they're in high school is a really smart thing, especially when we have job openings in the state."

The visit to the Bemidji facility was part Klobuchar's Grand County Tour, which began in East Grand Forks and will end in Grand Marais.

"Every year, I visit all 87 counties, usually businesses, farms, hospitals and I get to talk to people at colleges and cafes," Klobuchar said. "It mostly centers on economic opportunities."

The five-day tour included 15 counties total. Before arriving Thursday in Bemidji, the senator visited Roseau to discuss the nearly complete flood diversion project, and Rainier to discuss issues such as rail safety and services. The stop in Rainier followed the collapse of the Ericsburg rail bridge in May.

"I get a lot of good ideas while I'm out there," Klobuchar said. "With their (Potlatch) topics for example, I'm going to work with forest management to see how we can push the forest department to get more wood."

Following the Fourth of July weekend, Klobuchar said some of the next matters on her agenda are at the international level.

"I have my bill to lift the embargo on Cuba, I'm going to be working to find more authors for that," Klobuchar said. "And then we will see if there's an agreement coming out of the Iran discussions, we'll have a long approval process on that."

Other stops after Bemidji on Klobuchar's tour included Brainerd, Aurora and Eveleth.