VIRGINA
Virginia Loggers Association Ron Jenkins, Executive Director, Virginia Loggers Association VLA is a 501 C 6 trade association designed to bring your Voice to those in all government and private sectors. VLA serves our forest products industry, emphasizing loggers while also supporting forest products mills to keep them healthy and strong.
VLA has a Voice in Congress through personal contacts and membership to the American Loggers Council. VLA is an active member of the ALC, and therefore our VLA members reap benefits provided by ALC too. Significant discounts are available through several large global companies.
Our mission is to serve as a collective Voice for our industry. We accomplish this through our activities at all levels of government that are focused on healthy businesses, fewer regulations, low taxes, and pro-business policies.
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FMIC SUMMER 2021
Forestry Mutual Insurance and VLA have a special bond with a common interest, ensuring that our members operate safely all the time. We work together to emphasize safety through training! Through a long-standing contract agreement, we work together on common goals. Forestry Mutual Insurance provides membership in VLA when business owners decide to become policyholders for workers’ compensation. Because of Forestry Mutual, VLA now has 195 members whose membership dues are paid by our partner. Thomas & Thomas, Accountants for VLA, have estimated that membership dues are 98% tax-deductible. However, they also recommend you check with your accountant advisors about your specific situation.
VLA is very active on the political level and especially at the local and state levels. VLA has a political action committee for state representatives to which members can also make financial contributions. The three-member PAC committee carefully considers candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, House of Delegates, and Virginia Senate before making any campaign contribution. VLA seeks candidates who are pro-business and support legislation that allows growth without over-burdensome regulations. VLA members are actively
working on local ordinances, such as the current efforts to seek county adoption of the new law authorizing them to exempt personal property taxes on forest harvesting equipment. We have been active on many transportation issues such as hauling weight, bridge closures, and truck prohibitions.
Our members continually work with local, state, and federal officials to build trust and binding relationships that positively impact our business owners. VLA was active on recent state legislation, including the 90,000 hauling weight permits, flashing lights authority, and the latest forest harvesting tax exemption. These positive changes in Virginia laws have created a safer and more competitive environment for Virginia business owners.
We are actively seeking passage of the Safe Routes Act (HR 2213 to authorize the states’ legal maximum weights on interstate highways and much more at the federal level. This work is done through our membership in the American Loggers Council. Passage of the Safe Routes Act will create safer roads for everyone. VLA adamantly supports moving as much commercial transportation to our interstate highways as possible. continued on page 27
VLA Members in Washington DC 2019
