TimberWest - March/April 2014

Inside: OLC Pictorial Review

The Next Generation Washington’s Precision Forestry

Small-Scale Sawmill Tackles Large-Scale Problems Wilfer Mobile Sawmill

From Cows to Timber Diamond R Ranch

Recycling Wood

Swanson Bark and Wood

ds from the major “I’ve run a lot of hea has stood out sse Pon rs. ure act manuf From durability, to among all of them. , to their openness accuracy of measuring operators, I of taking feedback fromthe best on the be consider Ponsse to one to watch for market. Ponsse is the stry industry!” fore innovations in the rator - Bruce MacLeod, Ope

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ON THE COVER

March/April 2014 Vol. 39 No. 03-04

Swanson Bark and Wood, out of Longview, Wash., turns waste wood into mulch, firewood, soils and biomass.

The Next Generation 6

The Next Generation Blair Standin, owner of Precision Forestry, may be young, but knows how to run a productive, 21st century operation.

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Woody Biomass Column When woody biomass brings music to your ears

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Small-Scale Sawmill Tackles Large-Scale Problems Scott Shaeffer and Kris Williams operate a customized small-scale sawmill, Wilfer Mobile Sawmill, in Colorado’s devastated forests.

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From Cows to Timber The Renner family began as farmers, but transitioned into trees, creating a diversified California business.

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Swanson Bark and Wood

Small-Scale Sawmill Tackles Large-Scale Problems

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From Cows to Timber

Owner John Leber sees his company as a big recycler with a focus on wood.

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OLC Review

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A pictorial review of the 2014 Oregon Logging Conference

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ILC Review Highlights of the 2014 Intermountain Logging Conference

DEPARTMENTS

Page 4 .............................................................In the News Page 24 ..................................................... Machinery Row Page 36 ................................................. Association News Page 48 ........................................................ New Products Page 49 .................................................Advertiser’s Index Page 49 ............................................... Calendar of Events Page 49 ................................................. Classified Section Page 49 ............................Subscription/Reader Service

Swanson Bark and Wood

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$1.5 Billion in Australian Timber

Australian company New Forests Inc. (with offices in San Francisco and Singapore) is planning a new wave of deals, targeting up to $1.5 billion of Australia’s state-owned pine forests ahead of an expected surge in demand from the U.S. and China. New Forests CEO David Brand told the Wall Street Journal, he is looking at 250,000 hectares (approximately 500,000 acres) of plantations owned by the New South Wales and Western Australian governments—even though they may be unwilling to sell.

Oregon Governor Announces Funding to Reopen Sawmill

The Rough & Ready Lumber Mill in O’Brien was forced to close its doors last year, but it may be reopening soon.

Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber announced a $5 million funding package made up of tax credits and a state loan that will allow the county’s last sawmill to reopen. Kitzhaber said the funding helps spread the economic recovery happening around urban Portland to rural parts of Oregon.

Once upgraded, the mill will be more automated, employ 67 people, and process the same amount of timber. The mill’s focus will be on smaller logs from thinning and restoration projects.

February 2014 DNR Economic and Revenue Forecast Highlights

Following is an overview of the latest DNR Economic and Revenue forecast.

U.S. Economy and Housing Market The U.S. economy is still improving in fits and starts. In October 2009, the unemployment rate peaked at 10 percent, dropping back to 6.7 percent as of December, while the unemployment rate for recent undergraduates continues to push 13 percent.

Year-over-year Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth remains modest at below two percent, averaged over the last four quarters ending in December The recent government shutdown will suppress GDP in this and future quarters.

The housing market continues to show positive signs: new housing starts in 2013 averaged 928,000 (up 18 percent over 2012 and 52 percent over 2011) and average U.S. housing prices have increased in each of the last 22 months through November.

The U.S. economy still faces significant challenges. There are still too many unemployed workers, though some have re-entered the workforce; the financial and 4

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economic crises in Europe are improving, but several European countries remain in recession; China’s economy has slowed; and the U.S. government still has not implemented a coherent, growth-driven economic policy.

Lumber and Log Prices Lumber and log prices were up in 2013.

While it varied widely, Random Lengths’ Coast Dry Random and Stud composite lumber price averaged $370/mbf—up 20 percent from the 2012 average of $309/mbf.

Pacific Northwest log prices have also moved up sharply after being fairly flat for 2011 and most of 2012. The price for a ‘typical’ DNR log delivered to the mill climbed dramatically to a nominal high of $587/mbf in April, the highest price since 2000. The log price then fell a bit before climbing back to $610/mbf in December, to average $564/ mbf for the year—up 18 percent from 2012’s average of $480/mbf.

West Coast Lumber and Log Exports Way Up in 2013

The West Coast timber industry can’t complain about 2013. Log and lumber exports rose sharply in 2013 as Asia increased its demand.

The USFS reported that the region’s lumber and log exports rose about 20 percent last year. Most of the logs were shipped to China, but there was an uptick in Japan’s needs as well.

Washington and Oregon were the big winners and represented 80 percent of the region’s export.

Xiaoping Zhou, a research economist with the USFS, said lumber exports have been on the rise since 2007, but there are no guarantees the trend will continue.

“It all depends on the price of American lumber exports,” Zhou said.

State Forest to Grow

The Gilchrist State Forest south of La Pine, Ore., will be growing larger soon.

According to a new release from the Forestry Department, the Oregon Department of Forestry plans to buy 28,800 acres, using $10 million in bonds and money from the federal Forest Legacy Program. The purchase will happen in increments over two years.

When complete, the Gilchrist State Forest will be 72,200 acres. The ODF says it can be managed to preserve habitat for deer and other species, generate revenue from logging and thinning, and provide hunting and other recreational activities.

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Editor: Diane Mettler, diane@forestnet.com Copy Editor: Beth Szyperski Contributing Editors: Barbara Coyner, Clayton Petree Andrea Watts, Kathy Coatney ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Sales Mgr: James Booth – jbooth@forestnet.com Director: Rob Stanhope – stanhope@forestnet.com Sales Contact Information: Toll Free: 1-866-405-6462 Phone: (604) 990-9970 • Fax: (604) 990-9971 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Publisher & Production Manager: Sheila Ringdahl – sringdahl@forestnet.com Office Manager: Betty Rosales – brosales@forestnet.com Corporate Office Information: Phone: (425) 778-3388 Fax: (425) 771-3623 timberwest@forestnet.com www.forestnet.com Send all materials - Insertion Orders, Contracts, Copy, Photos, Disks to: TImberWest Publications, LLC P.O. Box 610 (654 5th Ave. S., Suite 301A) Edmonds, WA 98020-0610 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Send both OLD and NEW Circulation information to: TimberWest Magazine Attn: George Aldridge P.O. Box 610, Edmonds, WA 98020 Fax: (425) 771-3623 • subscribetw@forestnet.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Advertising created by TimberWest Publications, LLC is the sole property of TimberWest Publications, LLC and may not be copied or reproduced without the express written permission of the publisher.

PUBLISHER’S EDITORIAL STATEMENT: TimberWest reports on the logging and lumber segment of the forest industry in the Western United States with emphasis on the states of AK, WA, OR, ID, MT and CA, providing current information on timber harvesting techniques, sawmill operations, news, legislation, events, people and products pertinent to this market.

TIMBERWEST (USPS #024858) is published bi-monthly (Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/Jun, Jul/Aug, Sept/Oct, Nov/Dec) by TimberWest Publications, LLC, 654 5th Ave. S. Suite 301A, Edmonds, WA, 98020. Periodicals postage paid at Edmonds, WA and at additional mailing offices. Copyright 2014. All rights reserved. Subscription rates to qualified subscribers are Free and all non-qualified subscriptions in U.S. are $22 per year payable in advance. Canada $35 (U.S.). Other $40 (U.S.). Single copies paid in advance $4. Company affiliation, title, date and signature must appear on subscription forms.

Publisher reserves the right to refuse non-industry subscriptions and advertising. All other advertising is accepted at the discretion of the publisher. Publisher does not assume any responsibility for the contents of any advertisement and all representations or warranties made in such advertising are those of the advertiser and not of the publisher. Back issues, if available, $4 each. Directory and Calendar issue $10 each.

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ContractorProfile

The Next Generation

By Andrea Watts

W

hile his contemporaries

in the Arlington-Darrington area went to Boeing for jobs, Blair Stadin remained true to his roots and fulfilled a dream he had since he was four years old — owning his own logging equipment.

While Precision Forestry’s 33-year-old owner might not have the multiple decades of experience in the timber industry that other owners have, logging is in Stadin’s blood, and he has had many mentors give him invaluable advice that is making his business successful.

Starting Young

Though his uncles and father were in the trucking and road building side of logging, Stadin went a different route and joined Pacific Logging when he was 15 years old.

His early responsibilities had him sweeping floors and cleaning equipment before learning how to operate the machinery. Working at Pacific Logging gave him the opportunity to run some of the first Waratahs in the state.

Following the dissolution of the company

Precision Forestry

in 2002, Maurice “Babe” Giebel, Tom Kriegal, and John Mattson started Precision Forestry in 2003 and based the company out of Arlington. Stadin came aboard as their first employee. “[Babe] took me under his wing, and John also taught me a lot about the logging,” Stadin says.

The partnership remained intact until 2007, the year which saw Mattson and Kriegal relinquish ownership after the company sold its tower and the economy went haywire. Giebel continued on as owner of Precision Forestry, with Mattson remaining on as part of the crew.

Taking the Helm

To remain viable, Giebel and his crew took jobs along the coast, traveling down to the Belfair-Hood Canal area for five to six years and working jobs in Montesano and Moclips.

The untimely death of Giebel three years ago left Stadin running the company with Giebel’s wife retaining ownership until July 1, 2013, when Stadin became the sole owner.

“That was kind of Babe’s

Blair Stadin’s work takes him mostly onto Washington State Department of Natural Resources forestland where he’s a subcontractor for Sierra Pacific Industries. Stadin says nothing goes to waste at Sierra.

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dream to pass it on, and Babe’s wife, Bonnie, is pretty excited to see the company continue,” Stadin says. “My family is also supportive of me assuming ownership; my wife always knew it was my dream to have a logging business.”

The company’s name says it all about how Giebel, and now Stadin and his crew, approach a job. “We like to have things precise,” says Stadin. “Everything needs to be precise, right on time every time.” He

ContractorProfile

Pictured is an example of railroad grades used when logging were hauled out by rail. adds that while for most companies it is all about production, his crew also cares about doing the cleanup, whether on the landing or where crews will be planting. Something the landowners appreciate.

“It is about taking pride in our work,” Stadin says.

Business Improves

An uptick in the demand for logs resulted in Stadin and his crew remaining around the Granite Falls area for the past two years where the Douglas-fir and western hemlock grow well and the volume of board feet on the landscape would surprise many.

“Lots of people don’t know all the timber that’s up here,” says Stadin.

At the Granite Falls job site where this article took place,

Stadin feels a connection to the area. His grandmother grew up in a logging camp not far from where he is working. “It’s kind of neat [that] what we’re logging is what they logged in the 30s and 40s.”

In 2013 Precision Forestry was “slammed with work,” having already processed an estimated 18-20 million feet and usually working 50-hour weeks. This year promises to be just

as busy. Precision Forestry was booked with jobs through June before the end of last year.

Working for Sierra Pacific

Jobs have included volumes of ½ million to 9.5 million, the latter being the largest Stadin has worked on. His work takes him mostly onto Washington State Department of Natural Resources forestland where he

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ContractorProfile serves as a subcontractor for Sierra Pacific Industries.

“One good thing about working with Sierra is they utilize all the wood. Nothing goes to waste,” Stadin says. He credits Fred Nyman at Sierra Pacific Industries for vouching that Precision Forestry could consistently produce the required daily 18-20 loads in spite of their three-person crew.

Precision Forestry performs groundbased operations. Stadin and his crew run year-round unless weather conditions, such as snow or excessive rain, shut down operations. Now that he is an owner, Stadin laughs, “there are no days off.” He also does some subcontract work for A.L.R.T based out of Bellingham, the Stella-Jones mill based out of Arlington, and Merrill Ring.

The crew includes Stadin and Martin Giebel, Babe’s older brother who started working in the industry when he was 18 years old. Now 73, he is still out on the job site working the shovel logger. “If I sit at home, I’d rust up,” Martin says. Even Mattson, who retired in 2011, can still be found out on the job site when he is needed to fill in, and Stadin consults with him on the difficult decisions.

The other crewman is 29-year-old John Spillman who Stadin met while working jobs in Belfair. I decided to bring him on because “he’s got a good background and can run anything,” Stadin says. Spillman is from a logging family in Seabeck and even before high school graduation, he was out working in the woods. He joined Precision Forestry a year and a half ago and has not regretted his decision.

Investing in New Equipment

To ensure consistent delivery of 18-20 loads each day, Stadin recently invested in new

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Operator John Spillman was hired because owner Blair Stadin says, “He can run anything.” equipment. When Stadin purchased a brandnew Link-Belt 350 from Triad Machinery (the Tacoma branch), he admitted having doubts whether he made the right decision because of the cost involved. “But Ken Schirman, the salesman made an offer I couldn’t refuse, and it’s a pretty good machine,” Stadin says. He describes the machine as having the same power as the 370, and its lighter weight does not appear to affect its stability.

The investment has now paid off, allowing Stadin’s crew increased production by two to three loads per day. His equipment portfolio is now all Link-Belt, and Stadin likes the brand for its reliability, quickness, and smoothness. Spillman describes the Link-Belt 240 with a 226b Waratah

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processing head as a nice machine. The crew’s shovel logger operates the new LinkBelt 350, while Martin operates another Link-Belt 240 to load the trucks.

The hauling side of the business is contracted out. Buck Thom’s Trucking dedicates one truck to Stadin’s jobs, and the rest are independents. The truck boss who handles all the logistics is Jim Sawyer, another former employee of Pacific Logging who has worked with Martin for 41 years.

Connecting and the Future

Along with listening to the stories and learning from the experience of other (continued on page 10)

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ContractorProfile (continued from page 8) folks in the industry, Stadin is active with Washington Contract Loggers Association and Hoo-Hoo. His company also has a Facebook page, which he credits for helping him connect with others in the industry.

In the future, he sees Precision Forestry possibly branching out into cable logging or into trucking, but even with this expansion, Stadin expects to stay small. “I don’t want to change. Why change something that’s working?”

He also sees his company becoming more of a family affair, with his wife eventually taking over the books when Bonnie retires, and his son likely joining. His son’s interest reassures Stadin that the younger generation is considering logging as a career. And having read articles that tell of the environmental groups and timber industry starting to see more eye to eye, he feels good about the future.

Stadin recognizes how unusual it is for someone his age to be an owner of a logging company, but he believes he and his company have earned the respect of his colleagues. And youth has its benefits. At the 2013 Deming Logging Show, he and Todd Covey earned the title of Best of Show Load of Logs and Best Load of Doubles.

“Even if I win the lottery,” says Stadin, “I would still be here on Monday.”

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The crew’s shovel logger operates the new Link-Belt. Spillman describes the Link-Belt 240 with a 226b Waratah processing as a “nice machine”.

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When Woody Biomass Brings Music to Your Ears!

By Barbara Coyner

D

id you know that kids who learn music get better math scores?

Did you know that kids involved in gardening are less apt to turn to crime? And did you know that a school district that utilizes woody biomass has saved enough money on heating and energy costs to hire a full-time music teacher AND build and heat a commercial greenhouse?

Savings Thousands of Dollars & Potential Wildfires

These are just some of the benefits an Alaskan school district is enjoying, while at the same time thinning adjacent forests

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to lessen wildfire danger. Indeed the Tok School in Alaska’s rural Gateway School District could be the poster child for prudent woody biomass usage since firing up its 5.5 million BTU biomass boiler in 2010.

The giant boiler measures 17 feet tall, six feet wide, and 12 feet long, and digests a diet of mill wastes, branches, and wood chips ground up by a Rotochopper.

The Tok story is exciting on several fronts.

First there is the ever-attractive numbers game.

After bringing the boiler online, the school district is now saving as much as $350,000 per year in heating and electricity costs.

The efficient wood boiler produces steam for a turbine that powers the school. Then the steam warms up glycol that heats the school. The feedstock is a massive pile of

wood chips made from trees cut to reduce wildfire risks near the community, which is surrounded by thick stands of spruce.

The small town of under 2,000 residents has been prone to wildfires because it is situated on 40,000 acres of continuous fuels. Over the last 25 years, more than two million acres in the entire region have gone up in smoke.

Fine Tuning

With the Tok system, chips feed onto a thin conveyor belt that slowly dumps them into a giant boiler. Things kick into gear when three pounds of wood are added to the boiler. (continued on page 14)

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WoodyBiomassColumn (continued from page 12) Of course like all woody biomass projects, tinkering with the wood supply has been critical, and the system briefly had a problem with consistent fuel. The silicaheavy pine needles melted in the boiler and left chunks of glass, clearly gumming up the boiler. The Artic winters present some challenges to burning wood evenly, as well. Yet the school officials and boiler operators have persevered, amending the wood supply and delivery system to overcome the obstacles.

Added Benefits

Once beyond the technical difficulties, the Tok School has taken its wood-based heating and power system to a whole new level, providing amazing ideas for other school districts. For example, initially the school district wanted to build a heat loop to provide heat to other community buildings, but they couldn’t find funding for the project. Instead, the school added a commercial greenhouse that is warmed to a comfy 70 degrees using the excess heat from the system. The idea was certainly better than leaving doors open when the classrooms got too toasty. The greenhouse uses wood chips

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for flooring, helping with insulation and also facilitating easier planting of the beds right on the wood chips.

The greenhouse contributes some definite value-added aspects in terms of fresh food for the school cafeteria, and the kids are seeing the advantages of growing their own produce. Along with that, students are also getting lessons in soil health and nutrition, as the residual ash from the boiler is used as a soil amendment. The school has cleverly repurposed old highway guardrails as planting troughs, adding another layer of practical education.

And there is more. Given the steady temperature of the greenhouse, even in Alaska, the school is growing tomatoes and such, processing sauces and salsas. The school cooks hope to create dishes like lasagna that can be frozen and served later, eliminating questionable preservatives in the school diet.

Tenacity

Amidst all the value-added angles, one has to credit assistant superintendent Scott McManus with bird-dogging the concept for over 10 years before it came to fruition.

Jeff Hermanns, a Tok area forester, also fought the good fight for the boiler system.

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Once the project got the green light, it became a partnership among the Division of Forestry, the Tok community, the Alaska Gateway School District, and the Alaska Energy Authority. They used research from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and elsewhere. Funding came from a $3.2 million state renewable-energy grant, as well as about $750,000 in grants from the Alaska Legislature.

This is definitely the kind of innovation and education that kids and rural communities need. School children learn about the cycles of nature, from forest health, to soil health, to food health, while the school district banks huge savings using woody biomass power. The district’s music program, previously phased out for lack of funding, is back in tune, and there have even been enough savings to add a guidance counselor.

What’s not to like about such a practical approach? With many in the West’s logging community also serving on school boards and city councils across the U.S., the Tok case study provides some great ammunition for school districts to embrace woody biomass power wherever and whenever they can.

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SawmillProfile

Small-Scale Mobile Sawmill Tackles Large-Scale Problems

Top: A sample of the charred timber.

Left: Scott Shaeffer, one of the owners of Wilfer Mobile Sawmill, operating a LumberMate Pro MX 34 mobile band-saw mill.

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SawmillProfile

By Barbara Coyner

A

s huge wildfires and pine beetles did a number on western forests again last summer, Colorado seemed to be ground zero for forest devastation. Experts agree the state has a large-scale problem, with over 80 percent bug kill in pine forests greatly increasing the fuels for wildfires. Yet there are no largescale solutions in the works. Meanwhile, Scott Shaeffer and Kris Williams are plying away at their own customized small-scale solution to Colorado’s forestry woes, operating Wilfer Mobile Sawmill out of Denver.

Mobile Option

“We’re the only mill in the metro area, including Boulder and Colorado Springs, that is mobile,” says Shaeffer of the LumberMate Pro MX 34 mobile band-saw mill he and Williams operate. The mill, produced by Norwood in both the U.S. and Canada, can handle logs up to 16 feet long and 34 inches in diameter. Currently Wilfer is milling 12foot lengths and working with timber up to 24 inches in diameter.

The mill’s downside, according to Shaeffer, is that it doesn’t compete economically with circular saws when cutting dimensional lumber like 2x4s used in structural work. It does, however, do a variety of custom cuts, providing marketable slabs, beams, and boards for mantels, countertops, and interior accent pieces. The big advantage is its portability.

“The benefit of the mobile sawmill is that it eliminates the need for large skidding equipment and big logging trucks,” says Shaeffer. “Hauling lumber is much easier than hauling logs. It’s also great for our custom milling customers because we eliminate the need for them to transport their logs as well. We can bring the mill to them.

That makes it very convenient for someone with no means of transporting logs, or someone with several acres of timber they would like milled.”

Giving Back

Portability resonates particularly with residents of the Black Forest, which sustained heavy residential losses in the 2013 inferno that destroyed nearly 500 homes. Much of the area didn’t qualify for disaster aid.

Shaeffer and Williams stepped up to offer services free of charge in exchange for the right to take the logs cleared from the residents’ land. The two will donate 10 percent of the profits from the Black Forest lumber sales to the Colorado Fire Fighter’s (continued on page 18)

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SawmillProfile

Business is good. Shaeffer and Miller say they are looking at a second mill to complement their LumberMate. (continued from page 17) Fund, in cooperation with Mitchell Dillman of www.LogFurnitureHowTo.com who originally developed the program for victims of the 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire.

Booming Business

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With dozens of logs waiting for the men to mill, business has been brisk, with 14 Black Forest landowners lined up to take advantage of the mobile sawmill services.

“After the fire, one guy who lost his home came to us and wants us to mill lumber from his burned timber to use in his new house,” Shaeffer says. “The mill has cut pretty well, and we’ve moved pretty fast. We aren’t a big operation working on high production rates.”

Whether the logs come from the Black Forest or some of the other areas Shaeffer and Williams work, their mill turns out a nice variety of products.

“We now have five or six species of wood in our storage barn, mostly beetle-killed pine, as that’s the hot ticket right now,” Shaeffer explains of Wilfer’s custom lumber yard in Arvada. “Customers can make an appointment and pick through our inventory to find only boards they can use, which cuts down on their waste. Most lumber yards make you buy bundles, which can have up to 40 percent waste. We can also take special requests for specific dimensions/species of lumber if customers are willing to wait.”

Small but Necessary

Of course Shaeffer and Williams know full well that their mill operation is small potatoes in the world of industrial sawmills.

“The big mills scoff at us,” Shaeffer laughs.

“They think we’re pretty cute, but we don’t claim to be on the same playing field.”

The woeful state of the timber industry within the state is no secret to Shaeffer.

“There’s a shortage of loggers and trucks here, and we just don’t have the infrastructure. The preservation movement of the (continued on page 20)

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SawmillProfile

Miller taking down burned trees that Wilfer Mobile Sawmill will later mill.

(continued from page 18) 70s closed down federal forests. These days it takes up to seven years to put together a Forest Service timber sale, and that means we are losing a lot of the resource. Beetle kill mitigation is way behind, and there’s just not much incentive to work with the Forest Service. In our case, where we work with private property owners, we probably have three or four years worth of work ahead of us right now.”

New Face of Timber Industry

In a way, Scott Shaeffer and Kris Williams represent the new face of the timber industry; those who combine their love of technology and Internet savvy with their feelings for the outdoors. “Lumber jocks” as some like to call them. Both of the 30-year-old men hail from metro backgrounds, with no connections whatsoever to the timber industry other than the fact that Shaeffer married a woman whose extended family works in the Idaho timber industry.

Shaeffer earned a business management degree from Fort Lewis College in Durango but found he was more drawn to working with his hands. During college, he tried landscaping and woodworking and eventually gained experience working for Bill

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(continued on page 22)

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SawmillProfile (continued from page 20) Alberts of Rustic Style in Mancos.

“During my time there, I developed a great appreciation for the transition the raw materials take from log to finished furniture, especially when my hands are making it happen. It really did feel quite incredible. I loved doing it, and that’s where I fell in love with log furniture.”

Later, Shaeffer plied the electrician trade for a couple of years, but ultimately moved back to woodworking. In the meantime, he

made two valuable connections: he met Tim Reader of the Colorado State Forest Service and Kris Williams, a rustic furniture builder creating products out of beetle killed pine.

Williams had spent 14 years in the machinist trade, and in time, started building rustic furniture from bug kill long before it became popular to do so. With a handson mastery of all things mechanical and an outdoorsy background, Williams’s skills complemented Shaeffer’s.

“Being a big outdoors man, Kris is affected on a personal level by the dead forests

because of the danger of dead-fall, the dilapidation of wildlife habitats, and the depressing scenery. This is why Kris got into the beetle-kill furniture business. He wanted to help, even if it was in a small way.”

With a rallying cry of “First we cut ‘em down, then we cut ‘em up,” Williams and Shaeffer shook hands on a deal to buy the LumberMate Pro MX34 and began their milling career some months ago.

Norwood a Good Choice

Both men are pleased with the mobile mill and its features.

“Norwood supplies a variety of accessories for the mill, including a really good sharpener,” Shaeffer explains. “We’ve both learned to make adjustments and gained a lot of our experience at the same time. The mill was shipped to us in pieces, so we had to assemble it and learned it from the ground up.”

Because of Williams’s mechanical aptitude, Shaeffer leaves much of the mill’s maintenance to his partner, while applying his own business skills to marketing the mill and keeping up the website. He also produces a variety of YouTube how-to videos on woodworking, and his wife Wendy keeps the company books.

Williams and Shaeffer credit the Colorado State Forest Service and its network with helping launch the business.

When the mill isn’t operating in the Black Forest or on other forest mitigation projects, the men turn their attention to the urban settings.

“The urban jobs offer us exotic woods that don’t grow naturally in Colorado such as elm, walnut, cherry, oak, and many others,” says Shaeffer. “We’ve operated our mill in alleyways, in suburban neighborhoods, and on golf courses.”

Bright Future

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As the pair gains experience and a steady clientele, their confidence has grown enough that they aspire to another mill, this time a circular saw that will stay at a fixed location.

Perhaps one day, Wilfer will add other employees, as well.

“Our logging operation is very green and environmental,” Shaeffer says. “Every tree we cut is either dead-standing or part of a plan such as a fire barrier, trail construction, utility interference, etc. When we talk to customers about logging their land, we refer to ourselves as ‘Sniper Loggers’ because we can take only trees we want with almost no collateral damage.”

More can be learned about Shaeffer and Williams at their website www.wilfermobilesawmill.com.

TW

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Kenworth Honors Papé Kenworth as 2013 TRP All-Makes Dealer of the Year

Papé Kenworth was named Kenworth’s 2013 TRP All-Makes Dealer of the Year for the United States and Canada during the annual Kenworth Dealer Meeting held recently in the Seattle area.

The award recognizes the Kenworth dealer that provides the best support for TRP parts and service among the more than 345 Kenworth locations in the Kenworth dealer network. Papé Kenworth was recognized

for achieving superior support by providing customers expert advice on a wide selection of TRP product offerings for trucks, trailers, and buses.

Brindle’s 330 Exhibited at ConExpo

Jerry Brindle’s new 330 log loader left Eugene shortly after the OLC and travelled to Vegas to be featured as part of Hyundai’s exhibit at ConExpo. Seen here is Jerry Brindle being handed the keys to Brintech Inc.’s new log loader by Sam Yoon, President

and CEO of Hyundai Equipment Americas, Inc. From left to right: Rich Lennox, Cascade Trader Inc.; Sam Yoon, Hyundai Construction Equipment Americas, Inc.; Jerry Brindle, Brintech, Inc.; and Mike Duch, Cascade Trader Inc.

Multitek Appoints Vimek

Multitek North America, LLC appointed the Vimek distributor for the US. Vimek manufactures small forwarders and harvesters with high ground clearance, low ground pressure, and low investment cost. The small scale forestry equipment is designed for contractors and woodlands owners looking to maximize value from their forests. Multitek will be displaying two models of the machines at the Essex Junction Forestry Expo in Vermont as well as the Richmond Expo in Virginia this coming May. www.multitekinc.com

Patrick Lumber Elects Halsey as President

Specialty lumber remanufacturer, distributor, and exporter Patrick Lumber, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in January, has announced that company president Jim Rodway retired at the end of the year. The company’s board of directors elected Dave Halsey to succeed Rodway as president, effective February 1, 2014.

Rodway spent his entire career with Portland-based Patrick Lumber, joining the company immediately upon graduating from Oregon State University in 1979. He became president of the company in 2001 when the current management team took controlling interest in the company.

Niessner Named General Manager of Omak Wood Products

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New Wood Resources announced that David Niessner has joined the company as general manager of Omak Wood Products in Omak, Wash.

Niessner will help manage the 90-person team at Omak Wood Products, which was formed through an agreement with New Wood Resources and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation to restart the veneer mill in Omak and enter into a long-term log supply agreement from tribalowned timberlands.

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ContractorProfile

Left to right: Alex Renner and father Tim Renner. Tim handles the forestry side of the operation while Alex and his brothers manage the dairies.

From Cows to Timber

California’s Diamond R Ranch takes diversification to the next level

By Kathy Coatney

H

ow do you combine dairy

cows, beef cattle, and logging? For Diamond R Ranch it was a relatively smooth transition, says Tim Renner, part owner of Diamond R Ranch in Ferndale, Calif.

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Diamond R is a family owned and operated business. Tim handles the forestry side along with this son Alex, while brothers Dave and Robin manage the dairies. His sister, Marilyn, a botanist for Humboldt Redwood, is also an owner of the company.

At 90, Renner’s father, Rob, remains active in the business. “He goes to the barn

twice a day, every day. He can’t get away from those cows,” Renner says.

From Logging to Cattle to Logging

Renner’s parents settled in the northern California coastal community of Ferndale in the 1940s and built the dairy from the ground up. Originally a camp where railroad ties were made out of old-growth redwoods, the property was covered with tree stumps.

Renner’s father used more than 140 cases of dynamite to remove them.

After the dairy was established, Renner’s father began purchasing 80-100 acres of adjoining cutover land from timber companies.

Renner and his brothers began logging when they were in grammar school. A typical summer day consisted of milking the cows and doing the chores on the dairy, then Renner and his brothers cut the trees with their father.

At the end of the day, they’d take a load of logs to the mill, then go back and milk cows.

ContractorProfile

Renner is sold on CAT’s reliability, longevity, and service. Especially important is the local dealer in their isolated location.

Steeped in Logging

The boys learned at a young age to run the logging equipment, and the family purchased their first logging truck in 1974, a Kenworth.

“We’d skid logs to the landing and load them. We had one old International log truck, and my dad would drive the truck until my brothers and I got old enough to get a license, and then we started driving the trucks,” Renner says.

After Renner and his brothers got out of school, they started looking for contract logging jobs, and the operation evolved into a logging business and two dairies—one organic and one non-organic.

Going organic has literally saved our bacon, Renner says. “If it wasn’t for that market, there probably wouldn’t be as many dairies here.”

Diamond R also raises organic beef cattle and runs them on the property’s open ground.

that goes hand-in-hand with treating your employees fairly and paying them a decent wage, he says.

In order to pay a fair wage, he has to get a fair price for the jobs he contracts, and the landowners have to get paid enough to log the timber from their land.

One Side Operation

Renner says he only runs one side. “Most of the time, there’s only four of us out here and one truck driver.”

Diamond R does mostly grapple hooking and a small amount of cable logging. “There are some steep slopes that require line logging, but as far as yarder logging, we don’t do any of that type of cable logging,” says Renner.

Using one logging truck, Renner can only get out two loads a day. “If we had enough trucks to haul for us every day, we’d

get at least six or eight loads a day, but as it is, it’s only one truck.” On the weekends and later in the season, more trucks are available to hire, but in the meantime the log decks just keep getting bigger.

Renner will have to replace or convert his

Switching Up

Owning his own timber gives Renner the flexibility to contract log or harvest timber from the ranch.

“If there’s years when there’s not a lot of jobs, or you can’t find a job that pays well enough, we’ll log on our own property,” he says. “Or if the price of logs is really good one year, we might cut some of our own timber. It comes down to wherever we can make the most money whether we cut our own timber or let it grow.”

Logging Short Seasons

Renner anticipates working all year at his current site, which means year-round employment for his crew. This is unusual as a normal season for him is June first to October fifteenth due to California regulations.

Renner says he’s fortunate to have loyal employees who’ve stayed with him, but

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ContractorProfile

Owning their timber gives the Diamond R Ranch the flexibility to contract log or harvest timber from the ranch. If there are years without a lot of jobs or timber prices are high, they can log their own trees.

logging truck in 2017-18 to meet California’s air quality standards. This has created a dilemma for him. He has been using a dump truck as a water truck, and so far it’s been able to keep up, but it’s only capable of watering about a third of the 13-mile road

every day. It will get him through one year of a two-year job.

The big dilemma is with the air quality regulations on trucks, he would be better off buying a new log truck and turning the other log truck into a water truck, but the

old truck would still have to be upgraded to the tune of about $13,000 to meet air quality regulations.

Equipment

Renner, for the most part, is a CAT man, like a majority of the loggers on the northern California coast. This is primarily due to the fact Caterpillar is the only dealer in the area.

Renner is sold on his experience with CAT’s reliability, longevity, and ease of getting parts and service. “It’s just too difficult without a local dealer, especially on the coast where it’s more isolated,” he says.

Renner’s current lineup of equipment includes: • CAT 950 front end loader • CAT 517 track skidder • CAT 515 rubber-tired skidder • CAT D6D dozer • Thunderbird 738 heel-boom loader • Stihl chainsaws, 044 and 362 • 1998 Kenworth T800 “We’ve run Stihl for years, and we’ve had good luck with them. They’re tough, durable.

We run them for years and have had some saws for 10 years,” says Renner. “They hold up really well.”

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Renner purchased the Thunderbird log loader used from the Peterson CAT dealer about nine years ago. “It’s actually been a pretty good loader,” he says.

Renner is able to get parts for the Thunderbird because the early machines were built out of Hyundai excavators. He has parts delivered overnight from a Hyundai dealer, and the company has mechanics who are familiar with the equipment available for consultation.

Overall, Renner has been able to fix any problems with the Thunderbird, which have been few and far between. With more than 15,000 hours on it, Renner says it has proven its reliability.

Renner hasn’t purchased any new equipment since the CAT 517 track skidder in 2005 and luckily doesn’t anticipate any new purchases. “The only thing I could see that we might do in the future would be if we wanted to get more mechanized getting a processor or something like that,” he says.

In the meantime, Double R is going to do what they do best — keep a highly diversified business going strong, juggling between cows and trees.

TW

History Corner

Logging trucks have come a long way.

Griffith and Graeber Logging owned a fleet of Kelly trucks in the 1920s, including this primitive little one. Throughout the 1920s and 30s, trucks evolved into real workhorses.

Engines were beefed up and braking system improved. “The old narrow, solid rubber—sometimes steel—treadless tires were replaced by wider pneumatic ones with treads.” By the mid30s trucks were pulling as much wood out of the Pacific Northwest forests as locomotives.

(Oregon Historical Society) TW

ANY WAY YOU CUT IT,

IT’S GOT TO BE

WOOD-MIZER 800.522.5760 | woodmizermax.com © 2014 Wood-Mizer LLC AWMV 34395 TimberWestJanFeb_CutItGeneralBlades.indd 1 Lames à bande d'alliage haute qualité

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BiomassProfile

A Big Recycler with a Focus on Wood Swanson Bark and Wood

Swanson Bark and Wood turns waste wood into firewood, mulch, soils and biomass.

Clayton Petree

A

s the economy slowly pulls itself out of a deep slump, and shuttered mills (or mills operating at reduced levels) begin the tedious regulatory process of re-opening or expanding, post-harvest forestry support services that are already in place will play a vital part in the future success of those mills.

Companies that have existing, difficultto-permit infrastructure can, and do, enable mills throughout Washington and Oregon to operate. Companies such as Swanson Bark and Wood Products in Longview, Wash., provide services that are nearly impossible to acquire economically on a mill-by-mill basis but, at the same time, are services required by regulatory agencies for the successful pursuit

of permits to operate. Without companies like Swanson, the comeback of the forest products industry might be more of a dream than a reality.

Recycling

As described by owner John Leber, Swanson Bark and Wood products is “basically just a big recycler with a focus on wood.”

While that description might be technically accurate, SB&W is much more than just a big wood recycling business to the companies with whom the firm deals.

As a wood products processor, Leber says Swanson Bark and Wood accepts millions

of pounds of material, “whether it’s bark or log chunks or chips or whatever,” from a variety of sources in the region, especially sawmills and other wood processing operations. Material that might be difficult and extremely expensive to dispose of or treat as waste produced by an individual operation becomes a resource in the hands of Swanson Bark.

“We think our job is to turn it [waste wood] into something useful to society. It could be firewood, mulch, soils, or biomass,” says Leber. “There was a time when sawmills had to pay someone to make material go away, but right now, we pay them for some of the material.”

Based on the amount of conversation regarding biomass, it seems “waste” wood should be a “hot” commodity in short supply, but the immense barriers entering the business of wood waste disposal make the proposition sound a lot better than it is.

As John explains, barriers to entry include “intensive government regulation and a lack of consistency.” As it applies to local mills, John says that the lack of consistency in Washington makes the huge investment of time and money exceptionally risky. “If a mill built a wood fired boiler today, the operator would have no idea what their regulations would be tomorrow.”

Challenges Handling Wood Waste

Currently, Swanson Bark operates a 68acre yard in Longview and still owns the 30

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BiomassProfile

company’s original location, a second yard on Talley Way in Kelso, to provide for reserve capacity.

Both the Longview and Kelso facilities have extensive environmental protections built into them such as sprinkler and

leachate systems. As Leber explains, “You have to control your stormwater and your biology, because typically if there is any bark or green waste in the stormwater, it’s very active biologically and can create all kinds of interesting opportunities.”

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SB&W works hard at using the biology as an advantage for the company and for the end user by, “creating soils that are great at holding water, creating compost, and making the dirt a plant is growing in better than it was before.”

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Starting a new Bark and Wood product company is also a difficult proposition today, says John, because the mulch business is treated as a commodity with small profit margins and very high costs associated with the expensive equipment needed to handle the resource, manufacture product, and then deliver the product to the marketplace. He jokes, “Being in the wood products recycling business is expensive... It’s a lot like trying to become a logger!”

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The Right Grinders

Grinders, large and small, are a key part of a bark and wood processing operation.

Swanson uses both Peterson and Morbark grinders. The two Peterson 4710s are portable and both are wheeled and tracked because it makes them handier, even on Swanson’s all-paved property. The Morbark grinders are used for stationary situations.

John says other grinder brands may be excellent but, for his own operation, “Peterson

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and Morbark seem to be best for what we do.”

Demonstrating the flair for innovation that has made John a success in a challenging industry, he says that in the future he would like to try track machines with a small diesel power plant to move them around and, as he describes it, use a giant umbilical cord to plug into electric. According to John, combining the mobility of a tracked machine (continued on page 34)

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• Profitable – With an average fuel consumption of 2.25 tons of micro-chips produced per gallon of fuel used, the Morbark 40/36 MicroChipper allows you to reduce costs and maximize profits.

In customer tests, up to 95% of the micro-chips produced passed through a ½" grate, and an average of 65% passed through a ¼" grate.

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Building EquipmEnt that CrEatEs OppOrtunitiEs

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BiomassProfile (continued from page 32) with the reduced maintenance and fuel costs of electrically powered grinders should enhance both productivity and profitability.

Other Machinery

For wood, Swanson uses primarily BM&M screens made in Surrey, British Columbia. For rock, however, the company uses CEC screens because they are made nearby, and there is never much downtime for parts delivery.

Swanson also operates a large fleet of trucks for both pickup and delivery. Because the trucks operate all day, every day, John prefers Kenworth because of the durability of the vehicles and for parts consistency.

Right now, John says, Swanson stocks its own maintenance and repair parts, but Kenworth recently opened a store nearby, so the firm is looking into the possibility of reducing its stocked parts inventory.

Here to Stay

Swanson has shown itself to be an innovator with staying power. By way of example, Swanson recently partnered with Rooflite, the only FLL Certified Green Roof Growing Media available in North America.

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Employees bag up product that will be shipped out on Swanson’s large fleet of trucks.

Rooflite, manufactured with material from Swanson’s plant, has been successfully used on a variety of projects including a 12,000 square foot roof in Tacoma on the Center for Urban Waters building and a 26-story building in downtown Seattle.

Swanson is also looking to expand its market reach. In 2010, the firm added a rail

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spur to its Longview facility to increase its capability to ship product throughout the United States.

Expanding, even in a down economy, Swanson Bark and Wood Products is positioning itself as a national leader in the use, reuse, and repurposing of wood.

TW

Contact: Olofsfors Inc. Tel: (519) 754-2190 Fax: (519) 757-1100 Email: info@olofsfors.com Circle Reader Service Card 127

ECO-Tracks™ is a trademark of Olofsfors AB

OSHA 300 Log

The WCLA would like to remind companies that an OSHA 300 Log, that tracks worked-related injuries and illnesses is required if they have 11 or more employees.

The log covers, loss of consciousness, restricted work activity, days away from work, medical treatment behind first aid, and more.

For more information go to www.osha. gov/recordkeeping/RKforms/html

Logger Safety

Jerry Bonagofsky, WCLA CEO, reported in the Springboard that “Eighty companies signed up for the Logger Safety Initiative

(LSI) by the end of December and become eligible for a 10 percent rate discount for risk classification 5001, effective January 1.

To give you an idea of what that discount could mean overall, the 80 companies that signed up reported about 506,000 hours in risk classification 5001 in 2012.”

It’s important to sign up as soon as you can, as discounts cannot be applied midquarter. For example, if an application were received during quarter two (April-June); the employer would receive the discount beginning in quarter three, which begins July 1. For more information, visit www.lni. wa.gov/main/loggersafety.

Bonagofsky will be conducting two-hour workshops on the LSI program. If you are interested, call 1 (800) 422-0074 ext. 113.

ALC Annual Meeting

The Associated Logging Contractors will be holding their annual meeting April 25 and 26 at the Best Western Lodge in Orofino, Idaho. President Steve Sherich says, “Our staff is planning a great program that should provide ALC members with the latest insights on the challenges we are facing in our logging and wood hauling industry and tools we can use to benefit our bottom line.”

Also scheduled are the famous trap shoot and a golf tournament. For more information, call (208) 667-6473 or 1 (800) 632-8743.

Taxable Donations Can Help Forest Operations & Students

Looking for a great place to make your charitable donation? Consider the University of Idaho Forest Operations Program and Logging Crew.

The Idaho Logger reported, “Currently the Student Logging Crew has saws, two woods-modified farm tractors, a small Koller yarder, and an OLD Cat 318 line skidder.

While this is enough to get students moving wood, it’s not typical of most modern logging operations in the state.”

Here are a few items from the crew’s wish list: • Medium to large excavator, Cat 320C or larger • Self-loading log truck • Feller buncher with self-leveling cab • Stroke or danglehead processor (any) • Grapple skidder – rubber tired with swing grapple • Swing yarder or Yoder – any For more information, contact Rob Keefe at (208) 310-0269 or robk@uidaho.edu.

New Guide From APA and ICC

APA, the Engineered Wood Association, has teamed up with the International Code Council (ICC) to publish “IECC Compliance Options for Wood-Frame Wall Assemblies,” a free guide with tips and recommendations for building energy codecompliant wood walls using continuous wood structural panel wall sheathing.

The 20-page publication details several wall assemblies that comply with the R-20 and R-13+5 prescriptive requirements for many of the climate zones included in the 2009, 2012, and 2015 editions of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).

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OLCPictorialReview

Oregon Logging Conference Review

I

f you attended the 2014 Oregon

Logging Conference and thought there were more people attending than last year, you were right. OLC Conference Manager Rikki Wellman says, “We had a great response. Attendance was up 25 percent over last year. Well over 5,000 people attended.”

Vendor participation was also up. Booth

space sold out in December, and new space had to be created.

This is great news for an industry that has been hard hit over the years by the recession.

Dealers debuted various new equipment for loggers excited to be back in the woods. They included: • Quadco 28B Disc Saw Felling Head.

The 28B is the largest of the B series,

designed for heavy and tall timber. The heads feature independent arms with the “Arms Down” feature, for increased leverage and greater holding power in tall timber. Two cylinders per set of arms (instead of one cylinder with linkage) contribute to maximum holding power.

All cylinders are cushioned to reduce wear and tear.

Komatsu / Modern Machinery

Joral LLC

The Modern Machinery display featured Komatsu’s WA500 Loader, a big PC390LL-10 and the new PC240LL-10 Log Loader, which featured a 177 HP, Komatsu SAA6D107E-2 engine (Tier-4), Komatsu’s new purpose-built Oregon OSHA/ROPS/OPS/FOPS/TOPS/WCB certified forestry cab, and Komatsu’s purpose built 38’ HD live heel forestry boom, KOMTRAX & Komatsu Care.

KomatsuForest.us

Logging Encoders.com produces a rugged duty pulse generator specifically for the logging industry, increasing the lifespan of the sensor from months to years. At the OLC, Logging Encoders.com shared information on replacement sensors that fit Waratah, Valmet, Risley, Quadco, Log Max, Denharco, John Deere and Fabtek (CAT) harvesting heads. www.LoggingEncoders.com

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OLCPictorialReview

• Ponsse H10. This large harvesting head was designed specifically for North America’s demanding harvesting conditions. The heavy-duty processing and harvesting head, for track-based machines, weighs 5,700 pounds. It features three feed rollers and has a feed force of 9,667 lbf, with a feeding speed of 17 ft/s and a 32.7” opening. The delimbing unit has one floating and two to three moving knives.

• The D&L 10-inch, 180-degree Swing Blade Sawmill. The 180-degree swinging saw has a number of advantages over the 90-degree swing, including easy double cutting, sawguard that swings with the saw (protecting the operator), guards that remain in place, a head that doesn’t have to be removed and turned to cut, the ability to cut from either side, and the ability to cut large 10x20 beams without turning.

• Ponsse C5 Boom. The integrated hydraulic hose system is housed inside the boom.

The slide, implemented through steel rollers with bearings in the extension booms, minimizes friction in the extension. This significantly decreases fuel consumption compared with an extension with slide pads. The sliding boom crane offers 10 percent more lifting power and up to 30 percent more slewing power. (continued on page 40)

Feenaughty Machinery

Eagle Carriage & Machine

Feenaughty Machinery Company has been supporting the construction and forestry industries for over 100 years. Since its beginning in 1901, Feenaughty has been a family-owned business that believes in hard work and loyalty to its customers as well as employees. Although the industry has gone though many changes since 1901, Feenaughty remains dedicated to supporting its customers needs with honesty and integrity.

Going forward Feenaughty will continue to support its customers with the equipment, as well as the service, they have come to expect since 1901. www.feenaughtymachinery.com

Eagle Carriage & Machine has been building quality carriages since 1979, producing ten different carriages and grapples. The most recent too its line up is the Eagle V S. We also produce the hydrostatic, slack pulling eagle VI as well as the Super Eaglet carriages. Eagle Carriage takes pride in its service and customer satisfaction. Don’t let our geographical location get in your way, as we go out of our way to service our customers. www.eaglecarriage.com

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OLCPictorialReview (continued from page 39) • Hangzhou Quiri Tools Co. This Chinese manufacturer and marketer of replacement parts and accessories was new to the show. They offered the MAYA cutting technology — a range of cutting attachments for the harvesters.

• The Summit XD-60 Grapple. This grapple is extreme. Designer Eric Krume says he built it up everywhere grapples have broken on him in the past. It’s built to last — from bigger pins to larger cylinders.

• The Komatso PC240LL-10. The 177HP machine features a Komastu-designed 38’ live heel logging boom with Komatsu

cyclers and boom/arm cylinder guards. It features a high and wide forestry undercarriage (9’7” gauge, 28” ground clearance), an HD forestry log loader one-piece track frame, a PC290 final drive component with 56,244 lbs drawbar pull, and more.

• The Defender. The fixedtooth brush grinder is equipped with a Quadco® four position one-piece, steel alloy knife, a 2400 RPM high speed 14” grinder drum, hydraulic direct drive with rubber dampener washer, and universal bolt-on quick attach/pin-on mount. It has a cutting width of 26” to 36” and weighs between 700 and 1,500 pounds.

• T-MAR 550 Swing Yarder. T-MAR has

designed a completely new swing yarder from the ground up. It’s easy to transport on public roads, keeping cost and weight reasonable. It features a reliable sideby-side main drum arrangement with regenerative braking in both directions.

It’s driven by the popular CAT C9 Acert 8.8 liter engine and Cat CX28 Powershift transmission (5 forward speeds).

Education

The OLC has always been a big supporter of education. As in years past, they offered two days full of seminars and panels, where attendees could earn up to 11 professional logger credits.

All were well attended, like the “Better

Ponsse

T-Mar Industries

PONSSE introduced its new harvester head models, PONSSE 10 and PONSSE H8 with a top saw, at the Oregon Logging Conference. The harvester heads are designed for the demanding harvesting conditions of North America. The H10 is a heavy-duty processing and harvesting head for track-based machines weighing over 25 tonnes. With the new size class of harvester heads, Ponsse is responding to the harvesting needs of local harvesting entrepreneurs. www.ponsse.com

First time exhibitor, T-Mar Industries Ltd., used the OLC to introduce loggers to the first new swing yarder built in North America in decades.

T-Mar is well known throughout western Canada for its cable yarding and yarder rebuild capabilities and drew on its years of experience to design and build a modern, versatile and high production yarder. T-Mar also manufactures extreme duty log grapples, excavator mount rock drills, yarder parts and related forestry equipment. www.tmarequipment.com

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OLCPictorialReview

Ideas/New Technology in Logging” panel, which covered everything from storm water treatment and video surveillance, to satellite tracking and machine stability.

Events

Another sign that the industry is recovering was the participation from folks in the auctions.

“The Oregon Women in Timber anticipate making between $65,000 and $75,000 from their annual dinner and auction,” says Wellman. These funds will be used to support the Talk About Trees program, which has educated over two million school children about forestry.

Other events raised money as well, like

Jane Moran’s Desserts for Dreams fundraiser, which earned money for the Sunshine Industries, and the OLC breakfast auction, which raised money for the OLC Foundation Forestry Scholarship Program.

Log Loader Competition

This year marked the 5th annual log loader competition. Talented operators battled it out to see who is the Best in the West.

This year the winners were: • First Place: 3.38, Ross Cribbs, Van Well Timber Co. • Second Place: 3.49, Zane Byrant, Michael Bryant Logging • Third Place: 4.02, Trevor Rhea, Rose Logging Inc.

Preparing for 2015

The OLC officers and staff are already looking ahead and planning the 2015 event.

With the economy slowly moving in the right direction, it looks like it will be even better than this year.

TW

Wood-Mizer

CleanFix NA

Wood-Mizer now offers blades in four distinct brands to meet every type of wood cutting application, from green softwoods to abrasive and exotic hardwoods. Offering more than 60 basic blade profiles and an extensive array of combinations based on profile, tooth height, width, thickness, tooth set and length, Wood-Mizer blades offer unmatched cutting flexibility across the board. www.woodmizerblades.com

Cleanfix Reversible Fans with its patented blade rotation, is the number one reversible engine fan, on the market today. Available as a standard fixed pitch model or a horsepower and fuel saving variable pitch model, both systems will keep your cooling system free of debris as well as running smoothly. All day, every day! www.cleanfix.org

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OLCPictorialReview

Brake Systems

Pierce Pacific Manufacturing

Brake Systems Inc. displayed their complete line of Williams Control air valves, air cylinders, shifters, air throttles and Blue Ox exhaust brakes.

All are manufactured in Portland, Ore., for logging and the heavy duty industry. Brake Systems is Williams’ largest stocking distributor and a Haldex Superstore, with a complete line of air compressors, air valves, brake boosters, converters and more. BSI also remanufactures air valves, roto chambers, air compressors and brake boosters for heavy duty applications, and is ISO 9001-2008 and ITAR certified. For your air control specialist count on Brake Systems Inc. parts@brakesystemsinc.com, www.brakesystemsinc.com

Since 1931, Pierce Pacific Manufacturing, Inc. has been designing, engineering, manufacturing, delivering, and supporting customized products that meet the demands of heavy industry, and the needs of our customers. With expertise in scrap, refuse, and bulk material handling, as well as demolition, specialty excavation, forestry, and heavy-duty crane applications, our product knowledge is vast, comprehensive— and always growing. www.piercepacific.com

Triad Machinery / Link-Belt

Hangzhou Quiri Tools

Triad Machinery, your Pacific Northwest Leader in Forestry Equipment, Construction Equipment, Material Handling Equipment, Wheel Loaders, Rough Terrain Cranes as well as Crawler Cranes. Our equipment coverage spans Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. We specialize in New and Used Equipment, Equipment Rentals, Parts and Service. Our major lines include: Link-Belt Construction and Forestry Equipment, Tigercat, Waratah Forestry Attachments, Link-Belt Cranes, Kawasaki Wheel Loaders plus Terex Construction Equipment. www.triadmachinery.com

Hangzhou Qirui Tools Co., Ltd is a Chinese professional manufacturer/ marketer of replacement parts and accessories for the chainsaw and harvester line. Hangzhou Quiri carries the celebrated MAYA brand, with advanced cutting technology for the forestry industry, offers you a complete range of cutting attachments for your harvester. MAYA products are designed for efficiency and built for toughness. No matter what your cutting application, MAYA is your ideal solution. www.qiruibar.com

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Cascade Trader / Hyundai

Morbark

Cascade Trader displayed Hyundai’s 330 Log Loader during the Oregon Logging Conference. These high performance machines provide plenty of strength as well as efficiency to help you complete a variety of tough projects – on time and budget. Hyundai’s 330 has a large reinforced cab, which provides excellent 360 degree visibility. Also the Hi-mate remote management system uses GPS and the internet to let you access machine data from anywhere in the world. www.cascadetrader.net

Morbark displayed its 3800XL Wood Hog horizontal grinder at the Papé exhibit area. The 3800XL provides outstanding material flow into the milling chamber via a 59¾” x 40” infeed opening. There’s plenty of space under and within the mill for turning large and bulky material into saleable products. Powered by a 700-800 HP Cat engine, the 3800XL incorporates a proven driveline protection system that protects against catastrophic contaminant damage. Standard features include the Morbark Integrated Control System (M.I.C.S.). Operators can adjust feed systems for increased output while maximizing fuel efficiency. www.morbark.com

Farmland Tractor

Caterpillar

Farmland Tractor Supply is a family owned and operated company. It’s your source for repair, replacement as well as machining of all Farm, Commercial plus Industrial Machine parts. The company’s 25 employees ensure top quality service and reliable parts that you can depend on, with over 30 acres of inventory on-site plus a huge database of parts to find what you need. Farmland Tractor backs everything it sells with full service as well as support. www.farmlandtractor.com

Peterson Cat and Caterpillar Forest Products featured equipment for both in the woods and in the millyard. The display included large, medium and small wheel loaders, including the Cat 988K, which burns less fuel without compromising power. Logging equipment included harvesters, skidders and log loaders. For complete harvesting systems fully supported by Caterpillar, several Cat FMs and SATCO processors were also showcased. www.cat.com

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OLCPictorialReview

Peterson

Quadco USA

Eugene, Oregon based Peterson Pacific was proud to attend the 2014 OLC show again this year. Peterson displayed a 2700C horizontal grinder as well as a DS6162 deck screen. “We are busier than ever, and are really excited on how things are picking up in our industry!” said Michael Spreadbury, Marketing Manager for Peterson Pacific. www.petersoncorp.com

As a true visionary and pioneer in the forestry industry. Quadco embraces quality craftsmanship, business relationships plus loggers needs. We are recognized worldwide for revolutionizing the forestry industry through development of the Quad Tooth® System as well as other valuable products used by loggers every day. Our line – up includes forestry cutting tools, saw discs, and attachments. www.quadco.com

Cascade Trader / Doosan

White Mountain Chain

Cascade Trader specializes in the sale of used logging and construction equipment. Over the years business has expanded to include the offering of parts, sales as well as service for Doosan Construction and Forestry Equipment including Excavators, Wheel Loaders plus Purpose Built Log Loaders. For the past three years, Cascade has been one of the top five machine volume dealers for Doosan in the U.S. www.cascadetrader.net

Let White Mountain Chain give you the safety that only a high quality chain can give The quality and durability of a chain does not solely depend on the quality of the steel it is made from. It also depends on the production technology and the quality control procedures that are used on the way from raw material to finished chain. In this process TRYGG chains are the market leaders. www.whitemountainchain.com

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John Deere / Pape Machinery

Laser Technology, Inc.

Papé Machinery Construction & Forestry displayed a variety of powerful John Deere, Hitachi, Fecon, and Morbark equipment, including the John Deere 2454D Harvester, 648H Skidder, 319E, and 50G. The John Deere 3754D Swing Machine stood alongside the 2454D and 2154D models—all featuring powerful swing and track systems, best-in-class horsepower, and smooth hydraulic systems. Also exhibited were the Hitachi Z240F road builder and the John Deere 825i gator and 5100M tractor. www.deere.com

LTI’s Log Deck Volume campaign created a lot of buzz at the show because it gave attendees the opportunity to win a complete laser system that can measure and calculate MBF in mere minutes. You too can win by taking an online survey. Start tracking “just-in-time” inventory quicker and safer. Learn how now. www.lasertech.com/tw

Log Max

Tigercat / Triad Machinery

Log Max engineers products that promote healthy forests, providing harvesting as well as processing solutions to its clients, big or small and in any type of forestry application. The 7000XT and 10000XT continue to be popular with the PNW loggers. However the demand for smaller heads has become apparent in the industry’s changing markets. Log Max has a wide variety of harvesting as well as processing heads for all applications, from the little 928 to the 10000XT and 12000XT. www.logmax.com

Tigercat’s 880 Logger was showcased at the Triad Machinery exhibit during the Oregon Logging Conference. The 880 logger is a multi-purpose, no compromise carrier that can be equipped for shovel logging, loading or processing with a live heel, power clam, butt-n-top or processing attachment. Tigercat produces track feller bunchers, forestduty harvesters, skidders and purpose built shovel loggers that are well matched to extreme PNW harvesting conditions. www.triadmachinery.com

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ILCReview

Intermountain Logging Conference Review Who Will Log for the Next Generation?

By Barbara Coyner

I

t was the classic version of the kid

in the candy store as dozens from the timber industry drooled over the new logging equipment on display during the annual Intermountain Logging Conference in Spokane recently. Harvesters, excavators, processing heads, and other machinery lined the parking lot as loggers climbed into cabs and pored over specs.

For an industry that easily embraces new technology, there was plenty to consider as equipment vendors fielded questions.

Ironically, the learning sessions indoors coincided, as logging contractors listened to speakers address the question... who will be driving that new equipment in the future?

business. This is not a desk job, and that is an advantage for some. It’s active and knowledge-based.”

Decker emphasized the challenges loggers face, from knowing environmental principles to how to handle high-tech machinery. “You have to think about how you might have to keep from disturbing the soil while pulling 6000 pounds uphill,” he said by way of example.

Decker also pointed out that young people are savvy about emerging technologies and

can learn quickly, making them good candidates for working in the woods. “The older generation has to pass down knowledge but also be willing to yield to the new generation and adapt. We have to figure out how to keep younger people around, teach them and not just cut them loose. Keep them engaged, ask questions. After they’ve got it figured out, you have to throw them to the wolves.” Decker also reminded his audience that decent pay

New Vision

“We have to get past the notion that there’s no future in the woods,” ILC President Bob Danielson said in his opening remarks. “The average age of loggers is now 55 to 60. We need to use experts to engage and train new employees.”

The conference featured a range of motivational experts and educators, but nobody hit the ball out of the park quite like two younger loggers who are now running their own outfits. T.C. Decker, a logger from Libby, Mont., noted, “We have to get young people involved and encourage, not discourage, people from coming into the is important, as is having a business plan for transitioning to new ownership.

Missoula logging contractor Ben Smith carried a similar message, reminding his listeners, “You can teach a guy how to log, but you can’t teach him how to work hard.”

In too many instances, other forestry-linked professions don’t teach the realities of logging, he said, noting, “Logging isn’t just a job, it’s a lifestyle. Wages can’t always compete with the oil field or mining, and there might be long hours away from home. You can’t let your guys get bored.”

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ILCReview dealers, and experienced loggers as new people enter the profession and need handson training.

Some suggested that the new social media avenues also get the word out on employment opportunities, with some people successfully using sites such as Craigslist for recruitment. However, speaker Ron Nilson of Ground Force Equipment said much more should be done to train future workers.

When he needed 50 welders at one of his plants, he found that the local college was instead cutting out vocational training in

favor of academics. “There’s this premise that manufacturing is dying,” he said. “Where is the vocational education? The demand is there, but there is no training. We need to change our educational system.”

Despite the uphill climb to train more workers for the timber industry, it was clear at the conference that there are still a number of logging families passing the torch to the younger set. As attendees checked out the various indoor and outdoor displays, there was a sense that the new generation is eager to show what it can do.

TW

Repairing Negative Images

Prominent rural activist and past logger Bruce Vincent related a first-hand account of his parents being advised by his school counselor not to let their son go into logging, but rather follow a college path more in line with his high test scores. He did go into logging despite the advice, although the family logging business eventually folded.

Vincent’s son Chas (a state senator from Libby) took an alternate path into politics, although he too would have preferred to be part of a family logging business. The father-son pair recapped the long hard fight to overcome negative images in logging, the ineffective activism of the past, and legislation that constantly works against the timber industry. Vincent calls it a collision of visions, but today he sees a new situation in which urban people are falling in love with rural areas and feeling nostalgic for the rural lifestyle. That offers opportunity, he said.

Additionally, as rural landscapes burn due to neglect, and as people study carbon sequestration that comes with healthy forests, some are moving away from the rabid environmentalism that birthed the conflict industry. “Our forests are being protected to death,” Vincent said. “We’ve had 50 years of Bambi and Disney movies in which wolves were raising rabbits.”

New Attitudes & Education

Despite the negative images of past logging, he sees new attitudes in the country.

He also sees new alliances with farming, mining, and ranching as rural people try to preserve their communities.

Conference speakers offered several positive developments on the education front, with one new grant-funded vo-tech program in Coeur d’Alene training 116 students last year in related fields such as trucking and chip hauling.

Speakers constantly stressed the need to reach out to community colleges, equipment

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Peterson Introduces 5710D Horizontal Grinder

The all-new 5710D horizontal grinder is the latest design of high production grinders by Peterson. The grinders are powered by Tier IVi Caterpillar C27 engines (1050hp).

At 88,500 pounds, the 5710D was designed for operations that require frequent moves between jobs without a special permit.

An optional transportation dolly allows the Peterson 5710D to be easily moved and set up for operation within minutes.

With a feed opening of 60 x 40 inches combined with Peterson’s high lift feed roll, the 5710D can readily reduce a wide range of material including stumps. It also features a larger grate area. www.petersoncorp.com

New Cat® Site Prep Tractor

The new Cat® 586C Site Prep Tractor is a multi-purpose, heavy-duty machine with the muscle to run power-hungry mulchers and brushcutters. “The tractor runs cool and doesn’t collect debris, so you’ll spend less time cleaning and more time working,” said Matt McDonald, Caterpillar Forest Products product specialist. “Plus, you can tackle a variety of projects with one machine, lowering your owning and operating costs.”

Rotochoper B-66 TD

Rotochopper introduced its B-66 TD at this year’s CONEXPO. This versatile dolly system allows a grinding contractor to quickly and easily move the machine without a lowboy.

New Cat work tools have been developed to match the powerful capability of the 586C. The Cat HM825 Mulcher and the Cat BR624 Brushcutter will be available from the factory and supported by Cat dealers. Other attachments, such as buckets and rakes, are offered by Cat dealers. www.cat.com

Wood-Mizer Releases New High Performance Bi-Metal Blade

Wood-Mizer LLC has introduced the heavy duty, high performance Bi-Metal blade. Engineered for production sawing, the innovative Bi-Metal blade will complement Wood-Mizer’s extensive line of bandsaw blades.

With an RC hardness of 67 on the tooth edge, the Bi-Metal blade provides a longer sawing sharp life, especially for cutting abrasive, exotic wood species. The tooth is manufactured with a ribbon of high-speed steel that is electron beam welded to a high alloy backing material. This high alloy backing material offers a combination of durability and fatigue resistance, enabling a sharp life that is 2-3 times longer than carbon blades. www.woodmizer.com

Register(today(at(olcnw.com(for(the(upcoming(

(

There are several key benefits of the new Barracuda, a slow-speed shredder Morbark recently debuted at CONEXPO. First is the ease of maintenance. All daily maintenance, such as cleaning the air filter and checking and changing fluids, can be done while standing at ground level.

Second is versatility. The Barracuda’s ground-level adjustment door allows you to adjust grates in as little as two minutes. The counter knives can be repositioned to five different heights. And available setup options, from 20 to 40 hammers and counter knives, give you multiple alternatives to find the right mix of speed, fuel economy, and output. Lastly, the Barracuda has low operating costs. www.morbark.com

Timber'West' 2x3'

( April(30(:(May(2,(2014( !

Featured!Speakers! !!!!!!!!!!!Mike!Phillips'—'Hampton'Affiliates'' !!!!!!!!!!!Don!Taylor'—' ' !!!!!!!!!!!Tom!Leeds'—'Pacific'Lumber'&'Shipping' ' '''''''Richard!La!Mont'–'Timberland'Appraisal' '

Conference!Highlights!

'''''What’s'New'•'Jack’s'Logging'History'•'Loggers'Safety'Initiative'•'Thinning'! '

Activities!

!

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Morbark Debuts Slow-Speed Shredder at CONEXPO

Stihl Introduces 63 cm guide bar

(

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The 765 HP B-66T is fuel-efficient and offers great versatility when it comes to handling different types of material, and the end product is consistent.

The machine will be going out to the Pacific Northwest for demos immediately after the show. www.rotochopper.com

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Weighing in at just 780 grams, the STIHL Rollomatic ES Carbon is the world’s lightest 63 cm guide bar. The company says that at 780 grams, it weighs 800 grams less than a conventional chain saw (Rollomatic ES) with a guide bar of equal length — a weight reduction of more than 50 percent.

Thanks to the STIHL Rollomatic ES Carbon, the company will be able to cut chainsaw weights considerably in the future.

Less weight combined with the same reliable performance is a major plus for forest professionals. Note: the unique carbon guide bar will only be available as a special limited edition. www.stihl.com TW

CLASSIFIED AD INDEX

CALENDAR

PG COMPANY RS# 27..... AGRI-TOOLS & Supply................... 119 9....... BANDIT INDUSTRIES / BEJAC......... 104 7....... BRAKE SYSTEMS inc..................... 102 14..... CASCADE TRADER / DOOSAN......... 108 34..... CASCADE TRADER / HYUNDAI........ 126 31..... CLEANFIX NA................................. 122 20..... EAGLE CARRIAGE & MACHINE........ 113 10..... FARM LAND TRACTOR.................... 105 24..... FEENAUGHTY / DOOSAN................. 117 18..... GEM CHAIN BARS........................... 111 36..... HANGZHOU QUIRI Tool co............ 128 11..... HUSQVARNA CORP......................... 106 47..... JAMES G MURPHY......................... 130 5....... JOHN DEERE.................................. 101 31..... JORAL LLC..................................... 123 21..... KOMATSU forest......................... 114 28..... LASER TECHNOLOGY...................... 120 23..... LBX / TRIAD MACHINERY / BEJAC... 116 8....... LEFT COAST SUPPLIERS................. 103 25..... LOG MAX....................................... 118 33..... MORBARK...................................... 125 35..... OLOSFORS..................................... 127 48..... OLYMPIC LOGGING CONFERENCE... 131 37..... PACIFIC LOGGING CONGRESS......... 129 13..... PETERSON..................................... 107 15..... PIERCE PACIFIC MFG...................... 109 2....... PONSSE......................................... 100 52..... QUADCO USA................................. 133 51..... SENNEBOGEN................................ 132 17..... T-Mar industries........................ 110 19..... TIGERCAT/TRIAD MACHINERY......... 112 32..... WAY MACHINE................................ 124 22..... WHITE MOUNTAIN CHAIN............... 115 29..... WOOD-MIZER................................. 121

May 6 26th PricewaterhouseCoopers Global Forest, Paper & Packaging Ind. Conf. Vancouver, BC 604-806-7032, www.pwc.com/fpp May 6-9 Forest Resources Assoc. Annual Meeting, Virginia Beach, VA 301-838-9385, www.forestresources.org May 7 Global Softwood Log & Lumber Conference, Vancouver, BC 604-801-5996, www.woodmarkets.com May 16-17 Montana Logging Association 29th Annual Meeting, Polson, MT 406-752-3168, www.logging.org May 16-17 Expo Richmond 2014 , Richmond VA 804- 737-5625, www.exporichmond.com May 21-23 Expo Forest 2014 Brazilian Forestry Fair, São Paulo State, Brazil 55 413079-1088, www.expoforest.com.br June 3-5 World Bioenergy 2014, Jönköping, Sweden 4608 441 70 80, www.elmia.se/en/worldbioenergy June 3-6 National Conference of Private Forest Landowners, New Orleans,LA 404-325-2954, www.forestlandowners.com

100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116

134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150

117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133

151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167

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guest columnist

When Lewiston, Idaho, Women Ruled the Logging Rodeo

By Documentary Producer Dave Jones

F

our girls from a small Idaho

town. Eleven log rolling World Championships. One pond monkey.

This is their story.

Between 1958 and 1972, four young women from the timber town of Lewiston, Idaho, ruled the sport of log rolling, or birling, as it was also called. (It was also called roleo. More on that later.) Log rolling aficionados call it a perfect storm of opportunity. The timber industry was thriving. The Potlatch Forests Inc. mill in Lewiston gathered millions of board feet of timber from annual log drives down the Clearwater River.

Roy Bartlett, a pond monkey in the Potlatch millpond, knew a thing or two about how to stay on a log. He and his co-workers practiced log rolling in their off-hours at work.

The savvy parks and recreation department in Lewiston knew a good thing when they saw it and asked Roy to teach the sport to the wider community. Thousands of young

Betty Ellis people in the Lewiston-Clarkston valley learned how to stay on a rolling log, or at least how to get back on it!

Roy was an award-winning log roller himself, and he had an eye for talent.

Among the birlers under his tutelage were Betty Ellis, Barbara Peturka, Cindy Cook, and Penni McCall.

These four women and their pond monkey coach are the subject of a documentary entitled “Queens of the Roleo,” currently in production. These women were special athletes. They took the World Championships in Hayward, Wisconsin, by storm.

Ellis and Cook won eight world titles between them. And each of these world champs will tell you up front: without the coaching of Roy Bartlett, none of them would have won a title. Bartlett might respond with, “Heck, I just loved to watch the kids compete.”

Today Bartlett is a spry 85 years young. His second bedroom in his modest Clarkston, Wash., home is a shrine to his log rolling past — a tribute to a sport that no longer thrives as it did when the mills were

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buzzing and logs were spinning under calked shoes. But he remembers every turn of every log like it was yesterday.

“Queens of the Roleo” documentary producer Dave Jones of Bend, Ore., has gathered hundreds of photos and newspaper articles as well as rare home movies of the “Queens of the Roleo” competing. Jones expects the film to be completed this spring. You can follow the progress at www. facebook.com/QueensoftheRoleoDocumentary.

TW

Purpose-built

from the ground up Log Loaders from SENNEBOGEN – 44,000 lbs. to 750,000 lbs.

Simple design… Lift more. Move faster. Save fuel. Run longer. www.sennebogen-na.com Tel: +1-704-347-4910 Circle Reader Service Card 132

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