DAYTON - A group of developers officially an- nounced plans this week to construct a large facility in Columbia County, near Starbuck, to produce pulp for paper products from wheat straw. Their company, called Columbia Pulp, hopes to have its pulp mill up and running in the fall of 2015. It would produce more than 400 tons of pulp per day and would likely employ more than 130 full-time workers.

According to lead partner John Begley, Columbia Pulp has secured a 450-acre site along Highway 261 near the entrance to Lyons Ferry Ma- rina. The firm has also begun applying for various zoning and envi...