TimberWest - May/June 2016

The Reality of Steep Slope Logging Starks Timber Processing Puyallup, WA

Transitioning to the Next Generation

R. L. Smith Logging Elma, WA

Taking Control

Wood Castle, Albany, OR

Tech Review

Processing Heads

Climbing Steep Slopes with the ClimbMAX B.C.’s Tolko Industries

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ON THE COVER

May/June 2016 Vol. 41 No. 05-06

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Starks Timber Processing out of Puyallup, Washington, operating one of its Tigercat LS855Cs on steep slopes.

Marketing Expertise

Marketing Expertise Cedarland Forest Resources helps private landowners find their niche.

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The Reality of Steep Slope Logging Starks Timber Processing discusses the need for safety when it comes logging on steep slopes.

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Transitioning to the Next Generation After 35 years, R. L. Smith Logging has seen is all. The next challenge will be passing the torch.

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Taking Control Wood Castle Fine Hardwood Furniture mills wood to guarantee supply.

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Three Questions to Ask Before Buying a Log Loader

The Reality of Steep Slope Logging

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Transitioning to the Next Generation

How to make the most of your next purchase.

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Climbing Steep Slopes with the ClimbMAX B.C.’s Tolko Industries is the first operation in North America to use a winch-assist forestry machine—the ClimbMAX steep slope harvester.

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Tech Review A look at processing heads.

Taking Control

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DEPARTMENTS

Page 4 .............................................................In the News Page 10 .................................................Firebreak Column Page 20 ................................................. Association News Page 36 ..................................................... Machinery Row Page 48 ........................................................ New Products Page 49 .................................................Advertiser’s Index Page 49 .................... Calendar of Events, Subscription Page 50 ........................................................Guest Column

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Housing Market’s Eight-Year High

Reuters reported, “New U.S. single-family home sales recorded their biggest gain in 24 years in April—16.6 percent—touching a more than eight-year high as purchases increased broadly, a sign of growing confidence in the economy’s prospects.”

There was more good news to follow.

The Commerce Department also recorded a surge in new home prices and offered further evidence of a pick-up in economic growth.

Resolute Files Suit against Greenpeace

Resolute Forest Products Inc. filed a federal lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia against Greenpeace International, Greenpeace USA, Greenpeace Fund Inc., STAND (formerly ForestEthics), and other associates. The complaint includes allegations of federal racketeering claims as well as racketeering, trademark, defamation, and tortious interference claims.

Resolute claims that a Greenpeace campaign falsely accused Resolute of, among other things: (a) “destroying endangered forests,” and “operating and sourcing wood . . . in violation of law”; (b) causing the “destruction of endangered species” and “critical caribou habitat” and risking a “Caribou Herd Death Spiral,” “extirpation” and “extinction;” (c) “abandoning” and “impoverishing” the Boreal’s indigenous communities; and (d) impairing the Boreal’s ability to mitigate climate change.

20-Year Thinning Study

The AFRC reported the results of a longterm study on the effects of forest thinning.

The “Siuslaw Thinning and Underplanting for Diversity Study,” recently completed in partnership by the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station and Oregon State University, aimed to compare and contrast the effectiveness of a range of thinning

and underplanting prescriptions in Douglasfir dominated forests on the Siuslaw National Forest over the course of 20 years.

The study considered three levels of thinning intensities: light, moderate, and heavy.

These treatments thinned forest stands down to 100, 60, and 30 trees per acre respectively.

It also considered unthinned control stands.

Among other findings, the study concluded that: 1. Individual tree diameter growth was greater for heavily thinned stands than for lightly or moderately thinned stands.

2. Abundance and diversity of herbaceous and shrub vegetation increased with increasing thinning intensity.

3. Natural regeneration was absent in unthinned stands.

Canopy closure in thinned units was relatively stable for two to three years following harvest, but began to close between three and eight years post-harvest—a rate of about two percent per year. In contrast, canopy closure of the unthinned units tended to decrease slightly throughout as canopies receded.

These results draw a clear conclusion that thinning, especially at moderate to heavy intensities, has positive net benefits toward overall forest health and diversity.

AFRC supports thinning as a management tool. However, the association had serious concerns about the almost exclusive use of thinning on public forestlands to achieve all forest resiliency and diversity goals.

Seneca Wood-Burning Power Plant Receives $1million

Seneca Sustainable ­Energy LLC, operates a wood-burning power plant north of Eugene. It prevailed in its lawsuit against the Oregon D ­ epartment of Energy, winning an extra $1 million ­subsidy. Seneca was previously issued a $10 tax credit but said under state rules it should have been $11 million.

TW

The Authentic Skull Bucket™ Hard Hat

Editor: Diane Mettler, diane@forestnet.com Copy Editor: Beth Szyperski Contributing Editors: Paul MacDonald, Allison McNeal, Diane Mettler, Lindsay Mohlere, Clayton Petree, Andrea Watts ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 (300 Admiral Way, Suite 105) 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, 300 Admiral Way, Suite 105, Edmonds, WA, 98020. Periodicals postage paid at Edmonds, WA and at additional mailing offices. Copyright 2016. 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.

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ContractorProfile Cedarland Forest Resources in the woods with a John Deere 2154D, using a 22B Waratah head.

Marketing Expertise Cedarland Forest Resources helps private landowners find their niche

By Andrea Watts

F

inding the market niches that

deliver the best value is just one of the services Cedarland Forest Resources offers its clients. And for the private landowners who don’t know where to turn when considering forest management activities, the Cedarland brothers, Joe and Ben, are welcome partners.

Developing a Business

Developing these markets began more than 20 years ago when their father, Tim, started Cedarland Tree Farms. Gradually their business expanded to managing timberland in the Hood Canal area and into Snohomish County. In addition to providing forest management services for clients, they also had a logging crew.

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In 2009, the Cedarlands expanded their management operations into South Carolina, where they purchased timberland originally owned by companies such as Weyerhaeuser and Plum Creek. Ben moved to South Carolina and spent the next four and a half years developing management plans that transitioned the land from an intensively managed plantation to a more sustainably focused vision.

Diversification Keeps Company Alive

This diverse timber portfolio carried the company through the recession, and Ben credits the demand for pine for keeping their company afloat. They were, however, forced to sell their logging equipment and let go of their crew.

When the market recovered in western

Washington, and with the management plans fully in place for their southern holdings, Ben returned to Washington to resume his work, alongside his brother and father.

Ben recalls his time in South Carolina as ‘totally fun’ and compares the management of a pine forest type as “apples and oranges” to the Douglas fir forests he was used to.

Working in Three Counties

The company’s office is located in Gig Harbor, and they work within a two-hour radius in counties surrounding the Hood Canal area (Pierce, Kitsap, Jefferson, Grays Harbor, and Mason). “We like working in the Hood Canal rain shadow,” Joe explains. Their current investment holdings of 850-900 acres are also located within these counties.

Though Tim is still involved with the

ContractorProfile marketing operations of Cedarland Forest Resources, it is now the brothers who oversee the day-to-day operations. Ben oversees the logging operations and the marketing of the timber while Joe handles the land acquisition. Ben says that this makes for a good partnership.

The equipment they were forced to give up during the recession has since been built back up and are all in use. They have a 2154D John Deere swing machine with a 22B Waratah head that they have owned since December. The Waratah head was purchased refurbished, and Joe says, “It looked like Christmas [all red] when it showed up.”

The brothers credit Chad at Papé in Fife with being with a great help when upgrading their equipment. “We’ve always been John Deere fans,” Joe says. “It does what we want it to, and it’s fuel efficient.” And Ben says the brand has improved in the last five years.

Cedarland’s other piece of equipment is a Tigercat 620 skidder that Joe describes as a workhorse, saying (tongue in cheek), “It will move some logs.”

Small but Mighty Crew

Cedarland’s three-person crew, Brandon Miller, Jim Merick, and Jimmy Harp, are guys that the brothers say they never have

Rick Kuyhndall with Joe and Ben Cedarland. to worry about. Jim, their operator, has been with the company the longest at seven years, with Brandon on the skidder at two years, while the newest crew member is Jimmy on processor who was hired last year.

Ben estimates the crew handles 10-15 loads a day, which is a “good sustainable pace

for us as we want to keep morale high.”

The hauling is contracted to Montesanobased Vessey & Sons. “We’ve had trucks in the past but it was a double-edged sword because of the maintenance, and hauling isn’t our main focus,” Ben explains. He also adds that in spite of the forested hills in the area,

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ContractorProfile

The Cedarland team: (l-r) Joe Cedarland, Jimmy Harp, JIm Merick, Brandon Miller, and Ben Cedarland they are not interested in getting into steep ground.

One Job at a Time

Having a small crew means, Cedarland only takes on one job at a time, and because its clients are private landowners, the jobs are typically fewer than 100 acres.

Ben says they look for efficiency when approaching a job. “Sometimes bigger isn’t better.” It’s all a numbers game when approaching a job, whether it’s clearcutting or thinning, to ensure it’s profitable for all involved, he explains. Ten acres or less, it gets

difficult to be profitable, he says. At the time of the article, the crew was working a 32-acre site, which Ben considers a good size.

When it comes to the permitting process, Ben says, “I really like all the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) field foresters, and they are really good people to work with.” For technical issues relating to permits, the company turns to Rick Kuyhndall with American Forest Management, who also used to work for DNR. In turn, the brothers may be called upon by Rick to handle a job for one of his clients.

The Cedarlands take on jobs for private landowners. Pictured here is a Timbco T445-B feller-bucher with a Quadco saw head.

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Marketing Timber

Ben considers the company’s experience in marketing timber as a special expertise.

It’s what they’re known for. “Because we have been in the business for over 20 years, this experience has let us develop markets that have really paid off,” says Ben. “By dealing exclusively with private landowners whose timber doesn’t fit within the commodity market, we can find niches that we can capitalize on. We’re pretty fortunate in that.”

The mills Cedarland has a good relationship with include Murphy, Alta Forest Products (for western red cedar), Weyerhaeuser, Interfor, and Manke Lumber Company.

For their clients, Cedarland Forest Resources handles all aspects of the sale: permitting, marketing, and even contracting out the writing of a forest management plan.

Ben says the brothers don’t consider a job finished until the replanting is done.

“We always want to make sure the land is replanted.” Ben even discusses the benefits of successional planning with landowners, something that older landowners don’t realize is a great way to keep the wealth of the timberland in the family.

“The landowners who we work with are really appreciative because they didn’t know where to start,” Ben says. “It’s this people part of it that I love.”

TW

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FireColumn

By Lindsay Mohlere

I

have the pleasure of hosting TimberWest Magazine’s new FireBreak column, which will be dedicated to keeping tabs on wildfire and fire-related news coming out of our region.

Additionally, we’ll look at how wildfires impact the Northwest timber industry and

discuss some of the important fire issues such as firefighter training, new technology on the fire line, fuel reduction programs, and publically funded benefits for private fallen firefighters.

Early Start

Fire season usually starts in June and runs through October, but this year we’ve already

had two significant wildfires in western Washington State. Both fires were burning west of the Cascades in dry, steep forested land. The Hot Shot fire, near Oso torched 80 acres of private ground that is currently being harvested. Media reports had the fire charging up a slope on the same line as a yarder operation, threatening to destroy a million-dollar forest machine. The other fire was the Proctor Creek 62 Rd fire, which ate up over 300 acres of Washington State DNR land about 60 miles from Seattle. The causes of both fires are under investigation.

It’s unusual to have a fire this early in the year, especially on the west side, but whatever ignited these fires, it’s important to follow best fire prevention practices at all times.

While it’s unlikely the weather caused the fires, the dry Northwest weather conditions certainly contributed to them.

Forecast

I’m not a climate change wonk, but the fire climate in the Northwest sure seems to be getting more acute year after year.

In March, the snow pack in the mountains looked close to normal. After last year, it was a relief to see Shasta, Hood, St. Helen’s, Adams, and Rainier covered in snow. Then April jumped ugly. Record heat. The snowmelt accelerated, taking the snowpack from above average to below in a matter of days.

According to Predictive Services of the National Interagency Fire Center, we’re going to see warmer weather with the precipitation outlook remaining uncertain in the Northwest. Fire danger will rise in June, with the risk of large fires remaining low until the end of June. July and August are expected to be about normal for large, costly fires.

In northern California, wildland fire potential is expected to be normal through June, with wildfire danger increasing in July and August.

Because we had near normal precipitation up until April, fire season is not anticipated to be more active than usual; however, fire danger is expected to reach fire season levels earlier.

La Niña

A lot of hope is riding on the arrival of La Niña to take the edge off an expected (continued on page 12)

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FireColumn (continued from page 10) long season. Since we’re riding out an El Niño year, optimistic forecasters expect the transition to La Niña conditions to limit fire danger in the late season.

El Niño is a climate cycle that usually appears in the Pacific Ocean every three to five years. It starts when warm water in the western tropical Pacific Ocean shifts along the equator. Both ocean temperatures and rainfall move east, resulting in below average rainfall and higher temperatures in the Northwest.

La Niña causes the opposite effects of El Niño and research shows that strong El Niño cycles are usually followed by a transition to La Niña. If we get La Niña, we might get lucky. More rain in August and September might take the legs out of fire season.

regimes in April, with the majority of crews ramping up in May. By the end of June, all crews are usually ready for call-out.

Fighting wildland fires is a tough, often dangerous, job. The young men and women who step up to the challenge and dare to face fire are not the weak of heart.

According to Dillon Sanders, managing director of InBound LLC, a private wildland fire-fighting contractor, individuals who sign on to fight fires “don’t like working in cubicles. They want a different life style. They want the adrenalin rush.”

Because the job at hand is so demanding, the physical fitness and training requirements eliminate many applicants. Only the fittest of the fit will pass.

In our next issue, we’ll hone in on what it takes to grab a Pulaski by the handle and slug it out with the best.

Firefighter Training Ramping Up

What’s Burning NOW!

Firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service, BLM, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and over 300 private wildfire fighting outfits have been gearing up for another long, hot season.

Since most fire crews are made up of seasonal workers, many begin their training

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There are several prescribed fires burning throughout the Pacific Northwest, Northern California, Montana, and Idaho. Spring and winter are usually the prime times for these “controlled burns,” which are used to reduce fuels that could feed potentially dangerous fires.

Below is a list of active and contained

Northwest fires as of June 16, 2016.

1. Pony Fire: 2700 acres – Lightening – Klamath National Forest – 15 mi. SW of Happy Camp. Northern California - 20% Contained.

2. Owyhee Canyon Fire: 22,000 acres – Lightening – 1.5 miles south of Rome, Oregon. Vale District BLM. 100% Contained.

3. Akawana Fire: 2000+ acres – Lightening – 13 miles NE of Sisters, OR – Timber, brush, logging slash. Private forestland protected by Oregon Department of Forestry. 80% Contained.

4. The Draw Fire: 497 acres – Lightening – 20 miles NE of Chiloquin, OR. – Ponderosa Pine, Lodge Pole Pine and brush. Winema National Forest. 100% Contained.

(Source: InciWeb, ODF, WA/DNR, NWCC) ___________________________________ That’s a wrap. Stay safe out there!

L. R. Mohlere TWfirecolumn@gmail.com TW

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SteepSlopeLogging

The Reality of Steep Slope Logging

Starks Timber Processing Puyallup, Washington

Starks Timber Processing operators spent many hours on the Tigercat LS855C, learning the ins and outs, before taking it on the steep slopes.

By Diane Mettler

S

teep slope logging may be

the new big thing, but it’s been part of Starks Timber Processing’s operation for four years. The company, based out of Puyallup, Washington, purchased one of Tigercat’s very first levelers in the state.

Today, Starks owns three Tigercat LS855C shovel loggers, and the machines provide new options not available a handful of years ago. But Starks wants to spread the word that although it opens up new possibilities for the industry, without proper training, mechanized steep slope logging also holds potential dangers for the industry as well.

McCullough says those first couple steep slope jobs were tense, “We had the DNR watching us like hawks.

So we had to do an extra good job.”

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Getting Started with Steep Slope

Kusiah McCullough, an LS855C operator for Starks, recalls how he first got involved with steep slope logging. He was

working up in Alaska and received a call from Starks Timber owner John Starks.

“He basically said, ‘I’ve got this idea. They’ve come out with this new machine for steep ground, the leveler shovel. Are you interested in running it?’ I said, ‘Sure’.”

McCullough came back to Washington and got to work, learning the ins and outs of operating the new LS855C. “We did a lot of long nights, long days trying to turn this system into a viable system that could produce and be safe at the same time.”

That was four years ago, and today, with approximately 10,000 hours on the leveler under his belt, McCullough is proud of Starks Timber’s operation. “We have no men on the ground. With our steep ground shovels, we set up and feed our wood to a grapple yarder.”

When asked if the company ever considered machines other than Tigercat, McCullough says there was no contest. “I’ve tested a lot of other people’s machines, and

SteepSlopeLogging

Kusiah McCullough, and the rest of the Starks Timber team, stress the need for training and hopefully certification to operate machines like the Tigercat LS855C. nobody’s comes close to what Tigercat is producing. They’ve been doing it for a long time, and their machines are just superior.”

Learning the Ropes

Starks Timber discovered early on that mechanized steep slope logging isn’t just about taking a machine up a hill. Operators have to be aware and react to the numerous variables—from soil types to machine limitations.

“You have to know how to keep from putting yourself in dangerous situations, just to get that one last log,” says McCullough.

“You have to know what your machine’s capable of, what it’s not capable of, and your limitations as an operator. And that right there is a very fine line.”

First Jobs

Operating the Tigercat LS855C wasn’t just new to Starks Timber, but to the industry

at large. Before the leveler, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) had only allowed Starks Timber to harvest on slopes up to a 40 percent incline. Starks had to prove they could safely go steeper.

McCullough says those first couple jobs were tense, “We had the DNR watching us like hawks. So we had to do an extra good job.” (continued on page 16)

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SteepSlopeLogging After only two jobs the DNR was so impressed, Starks Timber was allowed to harvest on sustained 60 to 65 percent slopes with its Tigercat LS855Cs.

The DNR was impressed. After only two jobs, Starks Timber was allowed to harvest on sustained 60 to 65 percent slopes. “They don’t like us to go over 70 percent slopes, but in small areas (not sustained slopes) we push 70 percent pretty regularly.”

The DNR was also impressed with the

leveler itself. In a lot of the DNR contracts, mechanized steep slope harvesting has to be done with only Tigercat levelers.

Industry Standards

Today everyone is looking to quickly add mechanized steep slope harvesting to their

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repertoire, and that worries the Starks team because it takes time to create a safe system.

“People have to be trained properly to run these machines or someone is going to get hurt or possibly killed. And if that (continued on page 18)

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SteepSlopeLogging (continued from page 16) happens, it’s going to ruin it for everybody,” says McCullough.

Currently there is some talk around training, and Starks Timber believes certification couldn’t come soon enough. “Anyone can go out and say ‘I’m qualified to do this job.’ To actually be certified to do this job—some sort of a license to do this steep slope stuff— that’s a completely different thing. And that means training programs put in place.”

Unfortunately, with everyone busy in the

woods working, it’s hard to find the people to step up to be the trainers and certifiers.

Finding Operators

McCullough has trained several operators at Starks Timber and says finding them has been a struggle. “I’ve had guys with 25 to 30 years of shovel logging experience—very good shovel loggers—completely freeze up on hillsides. They look at me and say, ‘You’re nuts, I ain’t doing it.’”

However, he adds, “In the first 10 or 20 hours, it’s obvious if the operator is right

for the job. And then you try to teach them the feel of the machine; what it’s capable of. Once you figure out what the machine’s capable of, it’s amazing.”

Final Product

In addition to being able to reach places that were previously only accessible through cable logging with yoders or towers, the Tigercat LS855C provides efficiency. Starks Timber estimates it’s about 85 percent as productive on steep slopes as on level ground.

And with the LS855C, there is less impact, which is good for the environment.

“There are less roads and less disturbance of the soil. And in the places where we do disturb the ground, we repair the ground when we’re done. You can stand back and look at the unit, and you can’t even tell how it was logged.”

Working with Tigercat has proved to be a good experience as well. “They’re awesome people,” says McCullough. “We’ve done a lot of collaboration with Tigercat on future engineering of the machine. We’re always communicating with each other, and they’re always asking guys like me, ‘What can we do different? What can we improve on? What do we need to do to make things safer for you guys?’ They’re an absolutely phenomenal company.”

Staying Focused on Safety

No matter how phenomenal the equipment, McCullough and the entire Starks team, continue to push for more safety when it comes to steep slope harvesting.

“If one of these machines tips, you’re not going to stop rolling for about 20 minutes, and that’s going to leave a mark,” says McCullough. “You can’t turn someone loose on one of these machines until you know they’re ready. You need to break them in slow.”

If McCullough could start industry training tomorrow, the primary focus would be on teaching the operators when they are in danger. “The machines will give you a huge false sense of security,” he says. “You feel so stable on a hillside. But if you slide off of a stump, or if you slip on a log that’s sideways in the mud underneath you or in the dirt, it’ll send you flying down the hill real fast.”

Secondly, before taking an 85,000 lb machine up the side of a mountain, McCullough would require the operator to know the machine front to back. He says sitting at a 65 percent slope, it’s vital to know the machine’s limits and whether it is operating properly.

“If we [the industry] set standards and the training programs, we’ll be so much farther ahead in the long run,” says McCullough.

“Everyone will be so much safer.”

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WSRI Meeting

A well-attended and productive 2016 WSRI Annual Meeting was held (jointly with the Forest Resources Annual Meeting) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on May 4, 2016. The meeting agenda included budget and dues discussions, a membership update, a marketing project report, discussion on whether WSRI research should be available only on a fee-basis for nonmembers, and the appointment of the 2016 Executive Committee.

WSRI Chair Crad Jaynes thanked retiring WSRI Executive Director Jim Fendig for his fourteen years of service to WSRI. He presented Fendig an appreciation plaque and leather bound keepsake book of tribute letters from colleagues who had worked with Jim throughout his distinguished forest industry career. Also presented to Jim was a WSRI Board of Directors resolution that grants Fendig lifetime WSRI membership.

2015 APA Safety and Health Award Winners

APA (the Engineered Wood Association) recently announced the winners of its 2015 Safety and Health Awards, a program that encourages and recognizes safety and operational excellence in the North American structural panel and engineered wood industry.

Resolute-LP Engineered Wood and LP Building Products won Safest Company Awards in their respective categories, while the coveted Innovation in Safety Award went

to two winners: LP of Jasper, Texas, for the Equipment-Based Innovation Award, and Boise Cascade of Kettle Falls, Washington, for the Jeff Wagner Process-Based Innovation Award.

Candidates for Public Lands Commissioner

The AFRC reported that following Dr. Peter Goldmark’s April 5 announcement that he will not seek a third term, three additional candidates have filed for the office. Former Washington state representative and current King County Councilman Dave Upthegrove formally filed on April 22. Upthegrove served in the state legislature from 2002 to 2011 and was Washington Conservation Voters’ Legislator of the Year in 2011. His campaign website displays a long list of endorsements from elected officials.

Mary Verner, current DNR Deputy Supervisor for Fire and Administration, filed April 14. Verner was Mayor of Spokane from 2007 to 2011 and has worked for the Spokane Indian Tribe. At present, she continues her work at DNR, campaigning on personal time. Hilary Franz, Executive Director of Futurewise (formerly 1000 Friends of Washington), filed April 27. A land use attorney and former Bainbridge Island city council member, she is currently on the Conservation Northwest board and formerly served on the boards of the Washington Environmental Council, the Center for Environmental Law and Policy, and Friends of the Farms. Franz will take

a leave of absence from Futurewise to campaign.

The three new filers join Karen Porterfield (D) and Steven Nielson (Libertarian).

OWIT Raises $75,000 for Talk About Trees

The Oregon Women in Timber (OWIT), on behalf of the Talk About Trees forest education program, want to thank everyone for their generous support at their 25th annual auction, held this past February. They estimate the auction raised more than $75,000 for the Talk About Trees program.

OWIT gave a special thank you to the Oregon Logging Conference for partnering with them each year and Richie Bros., who auctioneer the event. They also thanked Rick Kriege of Prineville for the “Partners in Education” fundraiser, which brought in $7,800. Big thanks also went out to the NW Ford Dealers Advertising Association who donated $5,000 and Westech Rigging who sponsored the raffle and filled the mystery money jar with cash.

“A huge thank you goes out to the heroes of the auction. They are the donors who come up with awesome items and the OWIT ladies who tirelessly put it all together, making it look like it took nothing to make it happen,” says an OWIT spokesperson. “Without you all, the auction would not be as successful as it is. We look forward to working with you all again next year. See you in February!”

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Highlights from The Deming Logging Show, Bellingham, WA

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ContractorProfile

Roger Smith, owner of R. L. Smith logging (right), standing with his older brother Gary Smith, in front of a Tigercat 870 feller buncher.

Transitioning to the Next Generation

R. L. Smith Logging

By Andrea Watts

swore I would retire when I was going back into a stand again,” Roger Smith says as we drive up the gravel road to a Rayonier jobsite—a jobsite he worked at in 1982 when he was a choker setter with NDC Timber.

afford recent investments in new equipment, Roger isn’t taking the good times for granted.

“Right now everyone feels invincible,” he says, “but there’s going to be a downturn eventually.” That’s one of the reasons he is wary of growing larger, not only because that would mean laying off employees but also, “If you get too big, you lose quality control.”

Weathering the Decades

Four Sides Stay Busy

“

I

After 35 years in the logging industry with 25 years as the owner of R. L. Smith Logging, Roger Smith has seen it all: the downturns and good times of log prices and the change of forestland ownership from private companies to timber investment management organizations (TIMOs). And just as the industry has evolved, so has Roger, not only keeping his company viable, but also preparing the industry for the next generation of loggers.

Looking back during the recession that affected many logging companies (including his own), Roger recalls being plagued by “what ifs” regarding whether he should keep the business going or get out. His company survived with a combination of “parking a lot of iron and waiting it out” and his wife’s business sense.

“Thank God my wife, Carmen, has always had a budget because you have to save for a rainy day.”

Even with the recent uptick of the market keeping everyone busy and allowing him to 22

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Roger keeps four sides busy when possible.

As before the recession, the work breakdown is still 95 percent for timber companies that include Port Blakely, Rayonier, Hancock Forest Management, and Anderson Middleton.

For the larger jobs that exceed his equipment portfolio, Roger brings in contractors, who are “treated just like they are one of ours.”

Ken Thompson is one of his regular contractors who brings two processors and good operators to the job sites. Black Lake Timber handles the cutting, and they also provide a buncher when needed. Bill Grandorff has also logged and loaded off and on for Roger for the past 15 years.

Out on the Rayonier jobsite, Roger is there to observe and comment on logistics instead of setting chokers and pulling rigging as he did in the past. Skip Russell, 23-year veteran, is running a Doosan, one of the three that Roger (continued on page 24)

ContractorProfile The rigging crew at work.

Left to right, Brandan Janzen, Justin Wilson and Steven Choate.

Eight-year veteran Nick Morris runs a yoder, a Komatsu PC 300-7 LL, while Shane Schexnider, a member of Ken Thompson’s crew, operates the Doosan 225LL processor.

Roger Smith’s nephew Nathan Murray has taken over the tower side. Roger Smith says the company and the crew are dedicated to safety. “We haven’t had a serious accident, and “knock on wood,” we won’t.”

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ContractorProfile (continued from page 22)

Nick Morris on the yoder. On average, 50 loads a day are hauled off the company’s job sites to mills.

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purchased two years ago from Cascade Trader, working with Jim Wark. “I’ve bought a lot of equipment from him... definitely a top-notch salesman and really good guy,” Roger says.

Eight-year veteran Nick Morris runs a yoder, a Komatsu PC 300-7 LL, while Shane Schexnider, a member of Ken Thompson’s crew, operates the Doosan 225LL processor.

During a pause while chatting with the crew, Roger remarks that, “One thing you will notice; everyone you talk to will have a smile on their face, and that’s what I want to see.”

At a second Rayonier site, Roger’s older brothers, Guy and Gary, are among the crew.

When asked how it feels to be taking orders from a younger brother, Guy laughs.

“There’s not too many orders to give because everyone knows their job,” says Roger.

Guy runs a Tigercat 855, and though he admits it costs more, “It’s sure a good piece of purpose-built equipment.” Gary is on a Tigercat 870C purchased in 2006, and when it comes to running the machine, Roger says, “He’s the best there is.” With all these industry veterans as part of his crew, Rogers says they are all top-notch operators and that in his company respect goes both ways.

On average, 50 loads a day are hauled off

ContractorProfile their job sites and to the mills. One of those haulers is Roger’s brother-in-law, Bruce Baker, who has been with the company since day one.

To continue to meet customer demand, the company recently purchased a Tigercat 855 with grapple saw and is taking delivery of an EMS winch system in a couple weeks. Steep slope logging is now on its list of services.

Commitment to Safety

In keeping with his commitment to keeping good trucks and drivers, Roger recently purchased a brand-new Peterbilt. Another new investment is the ACDAT system in his yarder, and Roger is interested in the safety feature, calling it “another set of eyes.”

The commitment that Roger and his crew have to maintaining a safe working environment is demonstrated in their safety record.

We haven’t had a serious accident, and “knock on wood,” we won’t, he explains. His company participates in the L&I Logger Safety Initiative, and Roger also gives his crew a safety production bonus “We have such good people working … and they know how to do it safely.”

Not all of his crew is out on the jobsites.

In the shop are mechanic Casey, who is currently going to mechanic school, and six-year truck driver veteran Carl.

Giving Back

In recent years, in addition to running his company, Roger has become more involved with networking and giving back to the industry.

“Ten years ago, I never thought I would have time for this,” Roger says of going to the conferences, but now he is an advocate for attending. “It’s how you get to know other people in the industry.” He also sees the networking as a way to survive downturns.

“Everyone needs one another, that’s for sure.”

Fourteen years ago, once his two kids were out of school and he had more time, Roger started going to the Olympic Logging Congress. “I recommend all conferences.

When you have a downturn, these people are your friends.” He serves on the Olympic Logging Conference Board, along with the Pacific Logging Congress Board, and he is also a member of the Washington Contract Loggers Credit Union board.

Reflecting upon his years in the industry, Roger credits Carmen for the company’s success. “If I didn’t have her, I don’t think we’d be near as big as we are [because of all the paperwork and accounting].” Carmen agrees. “We are a good team, married 34 years and in business 25, but our success is also due to Roger being both a good operator and businessman.”

The Next Phase

Although Roger isn’t ready to retire anytime soon, he cannot ignore the reality that he is entering the next phase of his business.

“If you don’t plan for a succession, then you have 30 people without jobs,” says Carmen.

Just as Roger came to own his business through a family connection, his nephew, Nathan Murray, is also now striking out on his own. For three years, Nathan managed the tower side and expressed an interest in purchasing it for his own business, Roosevelt Logging.

Christi, Nathan’s wife, says that they discussed starting their business and decided it was worth a try. For the past two years, Christi has shadowed Carmen to learn the business side. “I’m trying to learn and be a sponge in what I do,” she says.

Nathan and Roger will continue to work together, with Roger finding the work and contracting it out to Nathan.

“Truthfully, I think Roger will appreciate the phone call from Nate asking, ‘What shall I do?’” Carmen says. Roger says it’s bittersweet handing over his tower side. “It’s like losing your best friend.” But he recognizes the value of the contribution. “You got to help out the young guys coming in, or there won’t be new guys.”

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PONSSE BEAR

POWER, PRODUCTIVITY AND JOY OF WORKING

THE FULLY UPGRADED PONSSE BEAR is the genuine king of harvesters in the forest. It represents the best performance, productivity and serviceability available at the moment.

THE EIGHT-WHEEL BEAR is an unbeatable and environmentally friendly powerhouse for heavy duty harvesting and demanding conditions.

The product upgrade focuses on efficiency, structural endurance and ease of maintenance and use. The successful ergonomics increases productivity and improves operating comfort and this is exactly what the Bear provides: the completely new cabin and its control equipment provide more space and comfort along with excellent visibility.

PONSSE BEAR IS A STRONG INDICATION of the significance of customer cooperation in the product development of forest machines: the new solutions enable more powerful, reliable and ergonomic harvesting.

NEW PONSSE H10 PROCESSOR HEAD • 360° rotation option • Largest opening (feed rollers) 32.75 in (830 mm) • Superior saw control and optimizing of the logs • Rubber or steel rollers • Rear delimbing knife and colour marking option

TO BETTER SERVE OUR CUSTOMERS IN THE PACIFIC NORTH WEST WE OPENED A PONSSE SERVICE CENTER IN THE EUGENE, OR AREA. PONSSE NORTH AMERICA INC 90712 Huntley Ct. Coburg, OR 97408 Office: 541-343-6926

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SmallSawmilling

Taking Control Wood Castle mills its wood to guarantee supply

Above: Ron Loe, owner of Wood Castle Fine Hardwood Furniture in Albany, Oregon. Below: Wood Castle Fine Hardwood utilizes a WM4000 for in-house lumber production.

Clayton Petree

R

on Loe’s family has almost

1,000 years of history in the woodworking business, going back to his Norwegian ancestors. Still, when Ron earned a degree in Forestry from Oregon State University in the early 1970s, he had little idea his knowledge of wood and wood processing would one day lead to him establishing his own forest products business.

Raised on Wood

Growing up in a family Ron describes as having been, “very active in the primary lumber industry in the Northwest,” Ron originally thought his degree would lead to a traditional career in the forest products industry, although he says he had always dreamed of owning and operating his own business. In 1978, after several years with Georgia-Pacific, Ron took the leap and founded Wood Castle Fine Hardwood Furniture in Albany, Oregon.

In the ‘70s, furniture makers were abandoning solid wood and moving heavily into particleboard products or, as Ron puts it, “disposable furniture.” Ron decided his company’s (continued on page 30) 28

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SmallSawmilling enough volume to assure an uninterrupted supply of that lumber to the plant. Also important was an ability to easily adjust the processing machinery to allow small quantities of unusual dimensions to be milled so that niche products could be offered to specialty markets at reasonable prices.

Choosing a Mill

Owner Ron Loe says it’s important to stay competitive. “Our competitors, worldwide, are getting better. If we stand still, they will surely pass us.”

(continued from page 28) mission would be to produce solid wood furniture that could still be fully functioning one hundred years or more into the future.

Today Ron says, Wood Castle depends on durable, and beautiful, woods like White Oak, Maple, Madrone, and Black Walnut, all species found in abundance near Albany, to manufacture dressers, chests, mirror frames, bed frames, night stands, and other furniture of equally high quality for hotels, banks, universities, and others wanting high quality furniture that will last.

About starting his own company, Ron explains, “Really, I had no idea about the number of challenges we would need to overcome to grow a successful business.” He adds that the need to face challenge is ongoing; in a world of rapid fire change, new challenges rear up even as old challenges are surmounted.

Lumber Supply

In recent times, Ron says, lumber supply has become a major issue for firms like his.

In its early years, Wood Castle purchased raw material from corporate lumber companies. Because of the firm’s location in the central Oregon town of Albany, near dozens

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of sawmills, supply was seldom an issue.

However, over the decades, as the forest products industry consolidated and the number of local sawmills dwindled, Ron says he became increasingly aware of the possibility that increased focus on softwoods by the few remaining local mills could potentially lead to a shortage of the quality hardwoods Wood Castle needs to manufacture product on a daily basis. As Ron says, “Like any business, in order to survive and prosper, we must be more efficient and creative in improving our business. Our competitors, worldwide, are getting better. If we stand still, they will surely pass us.” With that need in mind, Ron and his son Bjorn, set out to find a way to increase supply security for the times when lumber needs could not be met economically by traditional sources. The two were also interested in finding ways to bring niche products to specialty markets.

Ron and Bjorn decided that the only way to assure a reliable supply of very high quality lumber, ready when needed at an economically realistic price, was to control the processing of that lumber themselves. Weighing their needs against the options available, the two men looked for wood processing equipment that would allow them to process high quality lumber cut to furniture grades with

Ron decided a Wood-Mizer WM4000 band saw headrig equipped with a green chain and three-way conveyor would best suit Wood Castle’s needs. “The WM4000 allows us to cut for furniture grades including figured and quarter sawn woods versus lumber cut for production only by lumber companies.”

Ron also points out that a traditional circle saw mill typically has a kerf 1/4th of an inch or greater and produces lumber that often requires additional processing prior to use. Very thin kerf band saws remove as little as 1/10th of an inch to produce smooth and consistent lumber often useable without secondary processing with much less sawdust produced by the cut. More and higher grades of lumber are produced from each log processed, increasing productivity and profitability.

In order for Wood Castle to complete their in-house lumber production, the firm also installed kilns to dry the wood. Because Wood Castle uses a significant amount of Oak, particularly White Oak, the kilns had to be constructed with stainless steel to prevent the evaporated acids from destroying the kilns. The mill and kiln combination is efficient enough to keep up with production needs; the current production of around half a million board feet per year is a little less than 50% of the machine’s production capacity. This allows Wood Castle to save significantly on material costs for their business.

The second key to Ron’s strategy was to secure a reliable source of logs for the mill.

The solution to that challenge was an arrangement with Starker Forests, a fourth generation family-run Oregon business that

SmallSawmilling owns, grows, and manages more than 87,000 acres of forest near Albany, which contain a wide variety of species including Douglasfir, grand fir, western red cedar, western hemlock, Sitka spruce, noble fir, ponderosa pine, Oregon ash, bigleaf maple, red alder, cherry, chinquapin, and cottonwood. Wood Castle is able to select the logs they would like to use and transport those logs on a companyowned logging truck. The close proximity of the Starker forest to Wood Castle is a big advantage because transportation miles are minimized, further reducing costs.

The move to in-house lumber production has proven to be a success for Wood Castle Furniture in several ways. First, Ron explains, “The Wood-Mizer gives us the ability to create new niche products and provides security for times when custom lumber needs are not available by current lumber vendors.”

New Products

Second, Ron notes, “The market requires successful companies to be more nimble and creative in our R&D designs and products, something the WM4000 supports nicely.”

The versatility offered by the mill has allowed Wood Castle to introduce a new product line utilizing figured and quarter sawn lumber milled to exacting specifications.

Wood Castle teams with local company, Starker Forests, that grows a variety of species including: Douglas fir, grand fir, western red cedar, western hemlock, Sitka spruce, noble fir, ponderosa pine, Oregon ash, bigleaf maple, red alder, cherry, chinquapin, and cottonwood.

Last, Ron says, “Our customers are becoming more aware of the supply line and efficient use of resources, rewarding companies who respond accordingly.” With the Starker Family log supply being so close to Wood Castle, and highly efficient in-house lumber production, Wood Castle arguably uses some of the most local, and sustainably produced, wood in the world. Wood Castle’s investment in on-site production has helped position the company for success today and well into the future.

A reliable and economical supply of

specialty wood has become a problem for many manufacturers as the forest products industry has consolidated. As Wood Castle Fine Hardwood Furniture has demonstrated, on-site milling and partnerships with the owners of forested timberland, harvesting contractors, and other forest products participants allows “stump to finished product” relationships to be built and sustainably maintained over time to the benefit of everyone in the supply chain.

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EducationSpotlight

Three Questions to Ask Before Buying a Log Loader How to make the most of your next purchase Allison McNeal

K

nowing what questions to ask before buying a log loader can be difficult. However, by basing your decision on three important machine characteristics—performance, reliability, and comfort—you should feel confident that your purchase will fit your needs. Here are three simple questions to consider before your next log loader purchase.

1. How will the log loader perform?

When working in forestry applications such as timber harvesting, skidding, forwarding, and shovel logging, you want as much swing power, swing speed, and lifting power as you can get. Making sure the machine is running in the highest power mode is a crucial feature to look at when grabbing, moving, and placing your heaviest loads with a grapple attachment into a pile or onto a truck bed.

“Fuel consumption is a big topic of discussion in this industry,” says Mike Stark, Doosan log loader product specialist. “Many times fuel trucks can’t get to the log loaders because of the lack of accessible roads in the forest. It takes time and effort for operators to move their machine to the fuel truck.

However log loaders that have an additional fuel tank don’t have to be filled up as often, saving operators time.”

For instance, the Doosan DX300LL-5 log loader has an Electronic Power Optimizing System (EPOS) that maximizes machine productivity while minimizing fuel consumption. This system connects the log loader hydraulic system and engine controls via a data transfer link. The power mode on Doosan log loaders helps improve cycle times in heavy-duty forestry applications.

Before you buy, make sure the log loader has a strong hydraulically mounted heel to stabilize the log. The heel works in tandem with a log grapple and allows you to easily grab the end of the log, swing it around, and lay it onto a truck bed or on the ground.

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EducationSpotlight Additionally, you should decide the height of cab riser you will need to effortlessly move logs into trucks or containers. Many log loader cab risers can be hydraulically tilted for easier transport.

2. What can I do to minimize downtime?

When working in forestry applications, the last thing you want to happen is your machine breaking down. By making sure the machine has added upper-structure protection, undercarriage and cab guarding, and heavy-duty side doors with guarding over the hydraulic pump and cooling system access doors, you can maximize uptime.

Additionally, a machine that has a highwalker undercarriage can protect your machine from debris and save you a tremendous amount of downtime.

“When operators are cutting down trees, they are continuously moving over stumps,” Stark says. “The stumps may not be that high, but since the forest is untouched, the ground is typically soft and can allow the machine to sink a bit. With the high-walker undercarriage, operators can get the extra height over the stumps and easily clear them without hanging up the machine.”

Additionally, many log loaders have

OPTIONS TO CONSIDER

Log loader manufacturers offer customers a variety of options (may vary by model).

Options may include the following: • LED lights • Side camera • Straight travel pedal • Block heater • Diesel-powered coolant heater • Fuel filler pump Visit your local log loader dealer to best equip your next machine. full-length, track-guiding guards that support the tracks when moving over stumps.

Log loader tracks can be fitted with heavyduty single grouser shoes, giving you more traction when going up or working alongside hills.

To help save valuable diesel fuel, some log loaders have an auto-shutdown feature that automatically shuts down the machine during nonworking conditions. Many times operators can configure the idle time to approximately three to 60 minutes. When enabled, the feature will shut down the log loader’s engine when the preset idle time is met. Stark says this can be helpful when

operators are waiting for loggers to cut down or cut up parts of trees with chainsaws.

Newer log loaders have online tracking devices—known as telematics—that track the log loader’s location, operating hours, fuel usage, and fleet status. These devices monitor fault and warning codes as well as allow you to review maintenance schedules. Gaining a better understanding of your equipment and reducing your operating costs is a win-win, according to Stark.

Choosing a log loader that has easily accessible service points, including wide door access for cleaning the cooling system, boom pivot bushings, and engine, helps you increase machine uptime and productivity.

Operators should get to know their dealer maintenance department well. Establish a working relationship with the dealer’s mechanics in the event that something happens and an operator needs an answer quickly. It could be something as simple as an error code on the display panel and can be resolved over the phone. In the end, it’s all about maximizing uptime.

3. What do I need to know about comfort features?

Operator comfort is a third and important consideration to assess before buying a

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EducationSpotlight

log loader, especially for operators who work long days in forestry applications. Before buying, Stark says to check the machine to make sure it has ergonomic controls, a quiet cab, an adjustable suspension seat, proper lighting, good visibility to the working area, and a display monitor with machine parameters.

“Many times loggers are working in their machine from eight to 10 hours a day, or longer, starting before the sun rises and working after the sun sets,” Stark says.

“When working in remote places, loggers generally can’t just hop out of their vehicle and take a lunch. So the cab has to be comfortable and roomy since they are pretty much living in the machine for the day.

Good lighting is important, too, because of the long hours the logging companies work to stay on schedule.”

Other cab features that have a direct impact on operator comfort include ergonomic joystick controls that facilitate precise machine movements, adjusting up or down

based on operator preference. Some log loaders have a rearview and optional side cameras to help loggers when backing up or swinging the machine to improve safe operating conditions.

Be sure to ask these critical questions and keep performance, uptime protection, and comfort in mind the next time you’re purchasing a log loader.

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Eliminate engine overheating and operator downtime with a Flexxaire engine-cooling fan.

Variable Airflow | Saves fuel AutoReverse | Cleans the radiator 34

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flexxaire.com

Peterson Awards Komatsu Forest Dealer of the Year

Bandit Receives Presidential Award

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker presented Bandit Industries Inc. with the President’s “E” Award for Exports

at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on May 16. The President’s “E” Award is the highest recognition any U.S. entity can receive for making a significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. exports. This year, 123 awards were presented, with 72 awards going to manufacturers.

Bandit Industries President Jerry Morey and International Sales Manager Felipe Tamayo accepted the award for Bandit during the ceremony held in the U.S. Department of Commerce building.

Peterson Pacific, a Eugene, Oregonbased manufacturer of horizontal grinders, drum and disc chippers, blower trucks, and

screens, announced Komatsu Forest Pty. Ltd. of Australia as their 2015 Dealer of the Year. This is the second time that Komatsu Forest Pty. Ltd. has won this award.

Peterson presented Komatsu Forestry Pty. Ltd. this distinguished award at the 2016 AusTimber Show in Victoria, Australia.

Barko Launches New Website

Barko Hydraulics announced the launch of its new website at www.barko.com. The website offers simplified navigation and extensive information on the company’s product lines, including loaders, harvesters, feller bunchers, forwarders, industrial wheeled tractors, and whole tree chippers. The site offers customer testimonials, product selection content, and feature and specification information for each machine.

Rotochopper welcomes new SE Sales Manager

Rotochopper, Dave Whitelaw, known to many in the wood and organics recycling industry as “The Grinder Guy,” to the sales team and is regional sales manager for Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.

He has over 20 years in the business and his expertise includes high-speed grinding equipment, slow-speed shredders, screening equipment, and more.

Forest2Market Rebranding

Forest2Market Inc. announced a corporate rebranding initiative. This rebranding includes a revision of Forest2Market’s visual identity to more directly reflect the company’s expansion internationally.

Forest2Market began operating in the southern United States in 2000. The company’s current markets and expansion plans include the following timber-rich regions of the world: North America; Latin America— Brazil, Uruguay (2016), and Chile (2017); Europe—Scandinavia and the Baltic States (2016); Russia (2016); and Australasia (2017).

This global expansion will open the door to additional product and service offerings.

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James Robert Pendergraft “Jim” July 7, 1945 – April 7, 2016 Jim passed away April 7th after a heroic fight with cancer. His will to live and effort last year to work hard to take care of his family and support his customers was simply unbelievable at best. From the onset of the illness, the first Doctors were floored by the sight of him sitting by the window in his hospital room working on quotes and deals. He hid his health concerns from customers for most of the year and would schedule chemo towards the end of the week so he could recover over the weekend to be ready to go on Mondays. Remarkably, he had one of his best sales years ever with Bejac in 2015.

We would speak every few days and it was tough not to find him in a very upbeat and positive mood. While he definitely loved his family, especially wife Patty, he truly enjoyed his customers and while Bejac was his employer, he had only one concern—taking care of his customers.

Drinks always in tow, and lunch for the side rods when in the woods—his attitude was that you needed to know the guys on the job as well as the owners.

Having spent time in the truck with Jim, it is safe to say everyone in the woods knew Jim. Jim will definitely be missed. He leaves a legacy of dedication, ethics, and perseverance that will certainly leave a hole in this world where strong values seem to be the exception. I personally will truly miss him and hope that if my health were ever to falter, I would have the guts, determination and strength to fight as Jim did this past year.

Services were held on April 14th at the Ullrey Memorial Chapter in Yuba City, CA. Along with our Anderson staff and employees from other branches, over a hundred family, friends as well as past and present customers attended the service.

Provided by Ron Barlet/President Bejac Corporation

SteepSlopeLogging

Purchasing a ClimbMAX machine was part of an effort by Tolko to support their logging contractors in making the move to new equipment, and to encourage innovation. But the real driving force for the company was to improve safety in the woods.

Climbing Steep Slopes with the ClimbMAX

B.C.’s Tolko Industries is the first operation in North America to use a winch-assist forestry machine—the ClimbMAX steep slope harvester

By Paul MacDonald

T

olko

Industries

Ltd.

Forester, Ryan Potter, an avid rugby fan, was in New Zealand in 2011 for the Rugby World Cup, when he happened to pick up a logging magazine—and read about the ClimbMAX steep slope harvester, manufactured by NZ-based ClimbMAX Equipment.

Tolko took delivery of only the third ClimbMAX produced, in September 2013.

The Machine

The ClimbMAX steep slope harvester is an excavator-based machine equipped with a felling head and a winch and is capable of felling trees on extremely steep slopes. It essentially allows a logging outfit to remove workers, such as fallers, from the hill face and replaces them with one machine operator who is protected by a cab. In addition to being able 38

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to fell trees, the ClimbMAX is also able to hoe chuck wood or bunch logs for more efficient extraction via a yarder or skidder. All the way around, it’s a win on the safety side.

Since 2013, Tolko has been working with ClimbMAX #3 on steep slopes in the B.C. Interior—and ClimbMAX #5 is also now in use on Vancouver Island, with several more machines ordered for use on the Coast.

“But the real driving force was safety,” says Potter, who is now area supervisor steep slopes specialist for Tolko. “It was primarily safety driven, the concept of getting guys off the hills, and reducing exposure for hand fallers.”

So far, the ClimbMAX machine is showing it has good application on steep slopes.

Over the past half-dozen years, his company has been logging on gentle slopes, with only about five percent of the volume coming from steep slope operations. “Going forward, we’re looking at doing probably closer to 30

per cent of our volume on steep slopes. It’s a significant shift.

He adds, “We’re looking at contractors retooling, and we’ve hired some new contractors with cable and a couple of other systems, to try and help us address the steep slopes.”

Stepping Outside

With the ClimbMAX and other equipment such as yarders, they are looking to go beyond the ground that is handled by leveling bunchers. The self-leveling bunchers can operate on steep slopes up to around 50 percent. But Tolko has significant amounts of ground on slopes up to 80 percent—perfect ground for the ClimbMAX. The ClimbMAX is not alone in this equipment niche. There are a number of winch-assist logging machines in the market now. “But the ClimbMAX looks to be the only large static line system out there at the moment,” says Potter.

SteepSlopeLogging There are static line machines at work and available from Europe, but they are usually smaller machines, and are designed for much smaller wood than is standard in B.C. “The ClimbMAX is definitely unique in the piece size that it can deal with.”

Carriers and Feeling Head

Although one ClimbMAX machine has been built on a Hyundai 270 carrier, the machines have mostly been built on Hitachi carriers. The first machines were built on Hitachi 400 carriers, and more recently, on 330 carriers.

Though their machine was built on a 400 carrier, the 330 carrier would have worked fine with Tolko, too says Potter.

“The 330 is a little bit lighter, with about 2,000 kgs less weight. But the 400 works fine for us. There is very little wood that we have that the machine would have any issue with.”

ClimbMAX essentially takes a Hitachi machine, and strips it down, building a wide undercarriage, and re-positioning components to get as much weight as low as possible, to achieve a lower centre of gravity.

Among the items they keep, though, are the engine, the pumps and some track gear—pretty much everything else is custom. There are custom hydraulics, a custom boom and arm (which are longer) and a custom cab, all manufactured by Trinder Engineers, which produces the ClimbMAX. The machine comes with its own Trinder directional felling head.

“The only difference between the Trinder head and a Waratah or Southstar head is that the Trinder has a retractable sawbox,” says Potter.

“It can be retracted out of the way, so you can have the full grapple width for hoe chucking.

“It makes the ClimbMAX way more productive as a hoe chucker—it has a very large (60”) grapple when the sawbox is back and out of the way.”

Some customizing work was done to Tolko’s ClimbMAX before it left New Zealand. “They put in an additional escape hatch, which was a WorkSafe requirement, and they installed a cab heater and a hydraulic heater—that was about it,” says Potter.

Cable Assist

As ClimbMAX notes, and Potter emphasized, the machine is cable assisted—the cable does not hold the machine in place.

“It’s just a winch assist—it’s not holding the machine on the hill,” explains Potter. “Pretty much everyone you talk to about the machine thinks the winch is holding the machine—until they see it in action.”

Potter notes that the machine does not need the winch to work—it (continued on page 40)

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Tolko’s ClimbMAX machine has been built on a Hitachi 400 carrier. ClimbMAX essentially takes a Hitachi machine, and strips it down, building a wide undercarriage, and repositioning components to get as much weight as low as possible, to achieve a lower centre of gravity.

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39

SteepSlopeLogging just helps it get around on the slope, and gives it additional traction. There is little, if any, weight on the cable when the machine is working. More often than not, the winch is in auto mode, which allows it to take in or let out cable, as required, as the machine moves up and down a slope.

“With a feller buncher, in the right conditions you can run to a fairly steep slope.

However, at a point, the machine’s tractive effort is overcome by gravity. Even with very large track grousers and with its mass, a buncher has a hard time getting up steep slopes.

“With the winch on the ClimbMAX, you add 15 tonnes of pull and you assist the machine. The going is much easier. The machine does not sit there and chew and dig trenches—the winch, which is secured to an anchor at the top of the slope, helps to walk the machine up.”

Tolko’s ClimbMAX was equipped with a 7/8” swaged cable and the winch is designed

by Trinder.

Safety and Service

As a safety measure, the ClimbMAX is equipped with a rear blade that can be

activated by the operator to self-arrest the machine should something fail.

Working with the machine’s manufacturer, and Trinder Engineers, Tolko developed an in-depth work procedure for the ClimbMAX before a B.C. operator ever stepped into the cab.

“The operator works on slopes less than 40 percent for a set amount of time, then does 40 to 60 percent, then goes to 60 to 80, and can go up to 80 to 100 percent,” says Potter.

Service-wise, Potter says the ClimbMAX people have gone over and above to keep the machine working and productive. “They’ve definitely bent over backwards to keep us operating. Back then, it was a prototype, and when we bought the machine, it was only one of three in the world. We did run into a few issues, as you would with any new machine.”

Production

THEIR LOADER.

OUR LOADER. FASTER LOADING. The butt saw on the Pierce GP is positioned up and out of the way to make sorting and loading much more efficient.

In fact, the Pierce GP’s loading time is often a mere 7 minutes. Other machines take nearly twice as long.

Faster, more efficient work. That’s what you get when you buy a machine that’s purpose designed.

WWW.PIERCEPACIFIC.COM TOLL FREE: 800.760.3270 PORTLAND, OREGON EDMONTON, ALBERTA JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI 40

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TimberWest May/June 2016 www.forestnet.com

GP

™

How is the machine delivering, in terms of production?

“We’re able to eliminate a good amount of hand falling on the steep slopes,” says Potter. Over the course of a year the machine is replacing the falling production of 2 hand fallers.”

The directional felling head is also an especially good fit for wind blowdown. “The directional head gives a lot of flexibility in blowdown—it’s able to retrieve the stems a lot easier and with a lot less breakage than other machines. It has quite a long reach, 10 metres, and with that reach and the full 360 degree wrist, the directional felling head can grab a log and thread it through the standing trees in one piece.”

The six-cylinder Isuzu engine on the ClimbMAX delivers good fuel economy, he added. “Considering that it is a 400-size machine, and is working quite hard on steep slopes, it really does not consume that much fuel when you look at the job that it is doing.”

There were some interesting surprises with the machine over the last two years, says Potter.

“As far as ground conditions, the machine’s ability to work in rock was somewhat surprising because track machines traditionally don’t do well on rock. But as long as it wasn’t solid bedrock, the winch assist can help the machine get around rock and continue to operate.

“It’s a new piece of equipment, and with that comes some uncertainty,” says Potter.

“But in applications where you have a lot of steep slopes and you’re wanting to either bunch wood for a yarder or not use a yarder at all, it definitely has application.”

TW

Processing Heads Barko

The Barko CF18 single-grip fixed harvesting head provides optimal performance on a wide range of harvesting and processing applications. Featuring a patent-pending design equipped with an IQAN control

system and onboard valving, the CF18 is precisely engineered for fast and efficient cutting and delimbing.

360-degree continuous rotation with center hose routing enhances maneuverability while protecting hoses from tangling or tearing, thereby reducing hose replacement costs. The CF18 has a maximum roller opening of 18.5 inches and provides feed force of up to 11,792 foot-pounds. www. barko.com

Caterpillar

Caterpillar sells and supports the full line of SATCO harvesting attachments for cutto-length and processing operations, robust attachments that fell and process trees at the stump or roadside. SATCO attachments are known for their durability and high performance.

In the northwestern U.S., a good choice would be the SAT323T, according to Glenn Brown, a Caterpillar product application specialist. The SAT323T, with a cutting capacity of 29 inches and topping saw capacity of 18 inches, features heavy-duty piston roller drives, larger roller arm cylinders, and the SATCO DEAD-LOCK pin retention 42

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system to provide maximum power and structural strength. SATCO’s robust ¾-inch base saw system delivers speed and dependability to tackle big wood.

The SAT323T features the SATCO TRI-KNIFE system, which improves measuring because it holds the tree in line with the measuring wheel better than two single knives. The TRI-KNIFE system “is more like a grapple,” said Brown, which makes it more adept at picking a log out of a pile and re-stacking cut logs.

Cat dealers provide support and stock genuine service and maintenance parts for the complete line of SATCO heads. All SATCO products are backed by Caterpillar warranties. www.cat.com

Komatsu

The Komatsu 398 Harvesting and Processing Head, built for big timber selective harvesting, clear-cut harvesting, and processing pre-felled timber, is designed for installation on track carriers 27 metric tons or larger. Its rugged design allows it to handle timber averaging up to 23” diameter.

The powerful “carry style” feed system features four motors (2 x 1048 cc and 2 x 630 cc) and three driven rollers, which provide a firm 3-point grip while reducing friction for high feed power. A traction control system senses and controls roller spin for improved log quality. The five rugged delimbing knives have programmable proportional pressure control and deliver fast and effective delimbing results.

Cutting is handled by a well protected 31-inch capacity 3/4-inch pitch bottom saw for high performance large wood cutting, and an 18-inch capacity 0.404 pitch integral

top saw for high processing efficiency. A patented measuring system, with constant measuring wheel contact and a find end photocell sensor system, provides exceptional measuring accuracy. Komatsu’s advanced MaxiXplorer smart control system, with intuitive graphical interface and large color screen, manages all aspects of head control and performance. All maintenance and service points are readily accessible for ease of service. www.KomatsuForest.ca

Log Max

For over 35 years, Log Max has engineered reliable and productive harvesting and processing heads. The Log Max design

TechReview offer unprecedented versatility. They can handle big timber up to 52” in diameter and are ideal for picking individual stems as well as handling multiple logs without crisscrossing. www.piercepacific.com

gives clients a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Many of their products can be installed on smaller equipment, allowing for decreased total package price and overall fuel savings without compromising performance or uptime. There are many applications in the forestry market from first commercial thinning to final harvesting and processing.

Log Max offers a wide range of products from the Log Max 928, weighing in at 923 lbs., to the Log Max 12000XT, weighing in at 9,900 lbs. With a Log Max head and its advanced Log Mate 500 control system, you will receive top performance, uptime, and support. www.logmax.com

Ponsse

The new PONSSE H10 processing head offers unbeatable quality and productivity in

Pierce Pacific Manufacturing

The Pierce GP sorts, shovels, and loads like a grapple, and it delimbs, measures, and cuts like a processor.

The GP’s innovative design allows it to reposition long logs, handle bundles of short wood, and distribute brush. It can be used with both new and preexisting log loaders, making it economical as well as efficient.

Groundbreaking features include integral feed wheels that allow the GP to shovel logs farther with each turn and easily move or reposition logs without rehandling while loading or sorting.

The GP allows a single unit to accomplish tasks that normally tie up two machines, offering loggers significant savings in time, fuel, labor, and maintenance costs, not to mention radically improved equipment utilization. The GP also features a full scale measuring system for calculating log length and diameter, allowing the processing function to easily merchandise logs.

The state-of-the-art grapple arms also

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TechReview a new size class. The PONSSE H10 is designed and built for heavy-duty processing work in hard conditions. Robust structure, strong grip, and powerful feeding guarantee high efficiency and a long service life.

The PONSSE H10 is specifically designed to work effectively as both harvesting head and processing head. Wide geometry of feed rollers and knives support even big trees from underneath, which enables lower pressures to be used — better feed with lower fuel consumption.

The PONSSE H10 weighs 5,732 pounds and has a 35.4” maximum opening of the front knives and a 36.6” maximum of the rear knives. Thanks to the Opti control system, the H10 is dimensionally very accurate. The product development work performed in cooperation with customers has focused on the easy controllability and maintenance of the harvester head. www. ponsse.com

time required and superior availability are the main factors that will reduce the afterinvestment costs. In normal conditions, maintenance is limited to changing the 7 saw bearings annually 2000 hours. www. quadco.com

SouthStar Equipment

SouthStar offer the QS450, QS500, QS600 and QS630 processors. Of the four, the The QS630 is designed for the tough-

Quadco

Quadco offers a variety of harvesting processing heads, including the Ultimate 5660, which is basically the same as the original 5600, but with a different saw base imported from our 6000 model. The saw has a 24” cutting capacity and develops 60 percent more power.

est harvesting environments, for the largest sized stems with an optimum operating size of 24-32” in diameter. This heavy-duty processor has not compromised speed and is packed full of design features, such as the 4X4 extra wide feed rollers for increased surface contact with the log and large diameter wheels for increased speed.

The innovative parabolic spring drive arm timing link allows for variation in stem profile without loss of traction. And the wide chassis Structure provides improved structural strength and increased single and multi-tree processing capacity. It features a clean hose through design with Taimi swivel or 360 rotation option to better protect hoses and large diameter pins with taper lock collar design for decreased wear and increased life expectancy. www.southstarquipment.com

Key features include the extremely good routing and protection of hoses; the use of special expander pins for longest possible life and low maintenance, as well as the computer-controlled proportional pressures on knives; and feed rollers with different settings available for different species to provide maximum performance and productivity.

Equipped with the specially designed processing knives and a topping saw, the SP 761 LF becomes a dedicated processing head with great performance for processing decked wood out of a pile. The SP 761 LF is truly a compact and heavy duty all-rounder.

The SP 761 LF reaches top performance in stands with diameters between 10” and 20” bhd, but thanks to the LF principle, it can efficiently work larger tree sizes. spdistributing.us

Tigercat

Tigercat harvesting heads are built to match the high performance capabilities of Tigercat track carriers and are well suited to a variety of jobs including at-the-stump harvesting, roadside processing, and debarking.

SP Distributing

Thanks to its new High Speed Hydraulics and Quad Tooth®, the saw’s fast cutting speed provides high production and quality cuts. The circular saw is more “forgiving” than bar and chain and practically trouble free. Operating benefits also include the capability of cleaning unwanted underbrush to enhance visibility resulting in high production, long tooth life and low stumps.

In comparison to other systems, the great durability of the teeth, low maintenance 44

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The SP 761 LF is a compact, heavy duty, and high performance harvester head. It’s designed according to SP´s low friction principle for minimum friction and maximum productivity and is suited for working on large wheel-based harvesters as well as tracked harvesters and excavator carriers.

The high capacity in combination with the compact, protected, and heavy-duty design makes the SP 761 LF able to handle a variety of different demanding harvesting applications with great performance.

(continued on page 46)

TechReview (continued from page 44)

Waratah

The new 570 is the latest addition to the lineup. It is a two-wheel drive harvesting head best suited to in-stand harvesting with an optimal range of 150-510 mm diameter.

With optional hydraulically timed processor knives, the 570 can also be used for roadside processing.

The 575 is a heavy-duty three-wheeldrive harvesting head also best suited to in-stand harvesting in the 175-560 mm diameter range. It is very effective in tough applications like large limbed hardwood and crooked trees. With optional mechanically timed processor knives for easier picking, the 575 is also an excellent roadside processing head.

The 575 features Tigercat’s unique three-two drive system. When processing a tree, the head starts in three-wheel drive, maximizing feed force for faster acceleration and quickly powering through bigger trees.

As the load drops, it automatically shifts to two-wheel drive, improving efficiency and increasing feed speed up to 30%.

Tigercat’s D5 control system combines field-proven hardware and bucking control with a simple and intuitive Tigercatdeveloped user interface. www.tigercat.com

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Recently, Waratah introduced a new four roller, multi-stem-capable processing model in the Pacific Northwest, the HTH622C 4x4.

The HTH622C 4x4 features a new fourwheel-drive system for improving traction and feeding of large logs. It also permits productive processing of multiple smaller logs, including a shuffle feature that can align log ends automatically or manually, which minimizes saw log waste and operator processing time.

The productive and efficient TimberRite system responsively controls a new high-flow

hydraulic valve for improved soft clamping, faster feeding, improved saw performance, and when coupled with the new 3/4 pitch auto-tension saw unit, adds extra operational efficiency.

The model comes standard with 360 continuous rotation for improved assortment piling and features new innovative maintenance updates based on customer input, which reduces servicing time and increases uptime.

Waratah also introduced a new smart phone application, WaratahMate, for all TimberRite measuring systems. This application assists with transferring production data, work statistics, or other information quickly and reliably when regular productivity data is required from logging sites.

The app easily transfers data from the onboard controller to the office using wireless and cellular technology in a simple interface, eliminating the need for USB flash drives. www.waratah.com TW

Bandit Builds Your Bottom Line.

The NEW 30-Tooth Option on The Beast® Increases Production and Lowers the Cost of Processing Logging, Sawmill and Green Residuals.

Bandit’s extremely popular Model 3680XP has undergone some design improvements which increases its production and lowers its operation costs. We build The Beast better to help you Build Your Bottom Line!

The improvements include: • A new 30-tooth grinding pattern – which lowers your wear parts costs • A faster mill rpm – material clears the mill faster, which lowers your wear parts costs • A more-open mill housing design – reduces wear in the mill chamber, which lowers your wear parts costs • Additional screening area – which increases production • A new proportional feed drive system – which increases production The result is up to a 40% increase in production and a lower per-ton grinding cost. The Beast will process as much as 500 cubic yards an hour in typical green residuals and does exceptionally well in processing cull logs, cut offs and chunkwood.

If you want to lower your operating costs while increasing your production, take a look at the best – take a look at The Beast!

Let us prove it to you.

Contact Bandit Industries today to arrange for a demonstration and find out how Bandit Builds Your Bottom Line. Call 1-800-952-0178 or visit us online at www.banditchippers.com. www.banditchippers.com | 1.800.952.0178 | Remus, MI - USA

Chelsea Collection by Helly Hansen Workwear

Helly Hansen Workwear has a new offering called the Chelsea Collection, which is ideal for construction, logging, and any rugged trade use. The Chelsea Construction Pant, in particular, is fairly innovative, bringing new value to the work pant. They feature reinforced nylon knees and built-in tool holsters that can be tucked away in the front pockets when you clock out. Other features include a 79% Cotton/21% Polyester blend that is more durable and breathable, reinforced areas of 100% Nylon Cordura - 219 g/m² (7x stronger than non-branded reinforcement), reflective elements, higher back to prevent plumber’s crack, and much more. www.hhworkwear.com/usa

Caterpillar Introduces Seat Suspension Technology for Wheel Skidders

Caterpillar Forest Products has introduced the Cat Advanced Ride Management (Cat ARM) seat suspension system—a semi-active suspension that dampens vibration and minimizes end stop events, significantly improving operator comfort.

Semi-active means the suspension can adjust the rate of damping in real time. The suspension senses the suspension motion and adjusts its rate of damping in response to changing ground conditions. Cat ARM automatically applies higher damping in rough ground conditions like those found in clear-cut applications and applies lower damping under smoother conditions, such as well-kept skid trails.

The benefits of Cat ARM include better stabilization, elimination of end stop events (reducing accelerations operators may be exposed to by up to 80 percent), and potentially improving tire life of high-ply rated tires while maintaining a smoother ride. www.cat.com

John Deere G-Series Wheeled Harvesters

The John Deere G-Series harvesters are now available to loggers in North America.

Perfect for final felling and late thinning, the John Deere 1270G and 1470G Harvesters combine high productivity with excellent fuel economy.

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“Designed based on customer feedback, the updated G-Series harvesters build upon the popular features of previous models to create a powerful and efficient machine, ideal for all types of terrains. The new machines boast increased power, torque, and tractive force, as well as upgrades to the controls, improving efficiency,” said Keith Berger, wheeled cut-to-length forestry instructor.

As a key feature of the G-Series, Standard Processing Power Control (PPC) optimizes fuel efficiency by matching the appropriate

processing level to the work conditions and size of the tree. Simply select Energy Saving, Normal, or Boost Mode, and PPC does the rest of the work. www.johndeere.com

Nokian Tyres Launches Forestry Skidder Tires

Nokian Logger King LS-2 is the ultimate workhorse for full-tree forestry work.

The completely new design provides brilliant features in a very robust form. Logger King is targeted for use on skidders, and it

comes in five sizes of 23.1-26, 28L-26, 24.532, 30.5L-32, and 35.5L-32. The two largest sizes also have an extreme version available for the most demanding forestry work when normal is just not enough.

The new product comes in two versions: Logger King LS-2 and Logger King LS-2 Extreme. The standard version is suitable for the majority of the environments and machines starting from small to medium sized skidders. Both versions feature a new rubber compound resulting from a test period of many years in the most demanding conditions all over the world. Logger King LS-2 Extreme has a more robust carcass structure and extra steel layers giving it a high ply rating and ultimate protection against punctures. www.nokiantyres.com/loggerking

Fecon’s New Mobile Balancing Systems

Fecon introduced its new mobile balancing systems, the FMB-100 and FMB200. The mobile balancing systems work on any make or model of forestry mulcher. It is an extremely cost-effective solution to the damaging vibration caused by rotor imbalance. The FMB-100 mobile balancer tells you how out-of-balance the rotor is (magnitude) and where adjustments are needed (phase/angle). Once balanced, the difference is amazing.

The Fecon FMB-200 is a state-of-the-art dynamic balancer, with full spectral analysis, not only walks you through the balancing process, indicating where to add weight and how much, it also analyzes all frequencies to help troubleshoot vibrations not caused by rotor imbalance. It can tell the difference between a rotor imbalance, a failing bearing, and other issues that cause damaging vibration. www.fecon.com

Ridewell Introduces RAR-251 Stub Axle Air Ride Suspension

Ridewell Suspensions expands its air ride suspension line with an integrated

stub axle suspension system for heavy haul applications. The RAR-251 Stub Axle Air Ride Suspension contains two beam assemblies that can be integrated with a 32” track Ridewell axle configured with Wabco PAN 19 disc brake assemblies.

“The unique pivot design and excellent lateral stiffness of the RAR-251 suspension provides a significant increase in capacity for trailer manufacturers wanting a multitire configuration that provides a 40,000 pound capacity per axle line,” says Bruce Barton, director of Engineering at Ridewell Suspensions. “In addition, the air ride suspension offers a better ride quality for trailer owners seeking an alternative to mechanical trunnion suspensions.” http://www.ridewellcorp.com TW

CALENDAR July 1-4 Annual Logger Rodeo, Sedro-Woolley, WA 360-770-8452, www.loggerodeo.com July 15-16 Darby Logger Days, Darby MT www.darbyloggerdays.com July 15-17 South Fork Loggers Day Festival, South Fork, CO 719-873-5512, www.southfork.org July 24-26 Pellet Fuels Institute Annual Conference, Asheville, NC 703-522-6778, www.pelletheat.org August 11-14 74th Annual Morton Loggers Jubilee, Morton WA 360-496-6362, www.loggersjubilee.com September 8-9 Montana Wood Products Association Annual Convention, Missoula, MT 406-241-7047, www.montanaforests.com September 8-10 71st Annual Lake States Logging Congress, Oshkosh, WI 715-282-5828, www.timberpa.com September 15-18 Orofino Lumberjack Days, Orofino, ID 208-476-3412, www.orofinolumberjackdays.org September 22-24 Demo International Conference, Maple Ridge, BC 902-897-6961, www.demointernational.com

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www.forestnet.com May/June 2016 TimberWest

49

GuestColumn

Things You Should Know about Pollution-Related Incidents and Your Insurance Coverage

By Geoff Stathos

I

t is important to understand what exposures you have when it comes to pollution claims, because a pollution-related accident can be costly. Here are just two examples.

Costly Accidents

Recently we had a client lose control of his vehicle. The pickup landed upside down in the median strip of Interstate 5. The driver was OK, but a 110-gallon diesel fuel tank mounted in the bed of the pickup started to leak fuel onto the ground. Due to the amount of diesel fuel escaping, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) was called to assist with the cleanup.

The spill resulted in the need for a backhoe to remove the contaminated soil, and a trucking company was dispatched to haul the contaminated soil to a hazardous waste dump. Total emergency response costs totaled $35,000.

Another pollution incident happened when a logging contractor was moving a delimber across a bridge, and the bridge collapsed resulting in the machine lying on its side in a river. Immediately oil, solvents, and fuel began leaking into the river, with a fish hatchery several miles downstream.

DEQ responded to the incident and had the fish hatchery set out absorbent booms to soak up the oil, solvents, and fuel before it reached the hatchery, possibly killing the fish. As a result of this incident, no fish were lost but the expense of having the fish hatchery set out its absorbent booms and monitor the situation until the delimber could be removed from the stream was expensive. The total cost of the spill was $45,000 and billed to the contractor.

Will the insurance company defend and pay the claims described above?

When it comes to pollution claims, insurance companies will offer limited coverage in the Business Automobile Policy.

For example, if the fuel used to power the vehicle causes a pollution incident, you have 50

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TimberWest May/June 2016 www.forestnet.com

coverage or if you hit another vehicle that is transporting pollutants, you have coverage.

What about the diesel fuel and oil that are hauled in the back of pickups, service trucks, etc.?

There are insurance carriers that offer pollution coverage for transporting off-road diesel, oil, and solvents, but this is added to the Business Auto Policy by endorsement, and the insurance company will normally make a premium charge per vehicle or a flat premium charge based on the exposure. Without this pollution endorsement, the logging contractor has no insurance for pollutants that are being transported in the back of a vehicle.

When it comes to the delimber lying in a river, it can be more complex. Some insurance companies will provide pollution coverage for Inland Marine Equipment (a delimber falls under this category) for sudden and accidental pollution incidents such as described above, providing the event was unexpected and unintended from the standpoint of the insured.

However, several insurance companies will endorse the Commercial General Liability Policy with Absolute Pollution Exclusion and provide no pollution coverage with respect to heavy equipment. This endorsement must be discussed with your insurance agent.

What can the logging contractor do to protect himself in the event of a pollution claim?

Communicate with your insurance agent.

Bring up the examples that I have mentioned and ask how your insurance policies will respond to these types of incidents and whether you have the proper coverage. Also ask if your current insurance program can be endorsed to protect you in the event of a pollution claim resulting from your vehicles transporting diesel or oil. Additionally, see if your General Liability Policy will respond for heavy equipment pollution losses providing the loss is unexpected and unintended.

Have your insurance agent also explore the option of a separate Pollution Policy for your company. These policies are normally broader

Geoff Stathos than the coverage we find in the Business Automobile Policy and Commercial General Liability Policy. They will provide coverage for Contractors Pollution Exposures and can be expanded to also cover transportation exposures for your vehicles. I have found that these policies are best suited for accounts that transport large quantities of fuel in fuel trailers or fuel trucks or have a large fleet of vehicles that transport pollutants.

The examples I have described above do not address contaminated soil at your business locations that can seep into ground water, surface water, roadways, etc. Logging contractors are subject to all kinds of pollution claims. What I have described are the two most frequent claims we see with our logging contractors.

Address the Problem before It Happens

It’s important to assess the potential exposures you have regarding pollution claims.

Pollutants are stored in the shop, on vehicles, in equipment, and on the jobsite. It’s also important to assess your exposure to loss and either elect to minimize your exposure, selfinsure, or pass the exposure off to the insurance companies.

Geoff Stathos is a sales executive of Propel Insurance, www.propelinsurance.com.

TW

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