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SCOTT DANE

In 1994,loggers from across the country met in St. Louis, Mo. to discuss forming the American Loggers Council, hoping to provide a national voice for the logging sector of the forest products industry.The meeting was precipitated by the American Forests and Paper Assn. rolling out the Sustainable Forestry Initiative—a program which was initiated without any input from the logging sector, with disreDane gard for the fact that the burden of implementation and compliance was going to lay primarily upon the loggers.

Spearheaded by Earl St. John, and 33 other logging leaders from across the country, the meeting was convened, and over the course of a few days the framework of the American Loggers Council was developed.

It was a gutsy move, especially considering that loggers were expected to be seen and not heard within the industry. Though loggers had previously been silent and fragmented, these leaders stood up and said, “We are going to be heard. We are not going to be dismissed and ignored. We are going to be represented!”

As we’ve recently celebrated Independence Day, it is good to recall that the founders of the American Loggers Council, like the founders of the United States, similarly risked personal ramifications, but still “pledged to each other our lives, our fortunes and our honor.” In retrospect the risk was worthwhile, as with our nation, so it has been for our organization. The battle belongs to the brave.

Today, the American Loggers Council is unquestionably the National Voice of the American Logger, representing more than 30 state and regional associations, nearly 100 Individual Logger Members (ILM), and all major primary industry vendors. You, as a stakeholder in the timber industry, are represented from coast to coast, north to south, from the landing to the halls of Congress.

Scott Dane is the Executive Director of the American Loggers Council. ALC is a 501(c)(6) trade association representing the interests of timber harvesting and timber hauling businesses across the United States. For more information visit www.amloggers.com.

The Sierra Pacific Foundation is awarding more than $519,000 in scholarships to 163 students as they attend colleges, universities and trade schools during the 2022-2023 school year.

“Our family is honored to continue to support students as they further their education,” comments Carolyn Emmerson Dietz, Foundation President. “The commitment to helping tomorrow’s leaders remains strong. We are investing in the future and in the generations to come as we help these outstanding young people pursue their dreams.”

The Sierra Pacific Foundation grants scholarships to qual-

ified, dependent children of Sierra Pacific Industries’ employees. Recipients are eligible for the scholarship for four years, with some granted a fifth year based on their school and finalizing their undergraduate degree or trade school program.

The Sierra Pacific Foundation is the philanthropic organization founded by the Emmerson family in 1979. Since the inception, SPF has awarded more than $9 million in scholarships. In addition to scholarships, the Foundation contributes to youth activities and other organizations in the communities where Sierra Pacific Industries operates. In 2021, the Foundation contributed $2 million to organizations in the local communities.

Virginia logging company Pittsylvania Forest Products and owner Nathan Harker received the Virginia Forestry Assn.’s Logger Merit Award earlier this year for “exemplify(ing) the highest professional standards” of the forestry industry.

“I have been able to really build some incredible friendships with some of the landowners in Pittsylvania County that we worked for from Java to Callands to Hurt—all over the county,” Harker said. “We made friends and have repeat business because of the way we do business. It’s very rewarding just to be recognized and it’s very humbling at the same time.”

Harker helps smaller landowners manage the trees on their property. “We come in, do an evaluation, work out a price either up front or by-theunit, and take their timber crop to market,” Harker said. “For our particular case, we work with the landowner from beginning to end. We’ll even help them line up reforestation, if that’s requested.”

A 2003 Virginia Tech graduate, Harker started out working for a small family-owned sawmill in Huddleston. In 2009, he started Pittsylvania Forest Products, which has grown to six employees aside from Harker.

“Right now we’re focused on surviving this economic crunch,” he said. “I’m trying to keep my employees busy and employed. I have six employees that I’m concerned about, trying to make sure they can provide for their families. If we can do that, and we can do it in a God-honoring way, that would be a victory for us.”

Converting an all-but-dead timberland at risk of significant wildfire into a strong future forest is a massive undertaking, but the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) is one step closer to achieving that in the Packer John State Forest. This spring 610,300 seedlings were planted over nearly 2,000 acres. Now those baby trees are growing thanks to a nearly $300,000 grant from the Arbor Day Foundation.

A major Douglas-fir tussock moth infestation peaked in Packer John in 2019 and was the final blow to the forest’s health after several years ➤ 38