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Vol. 52 No.4

(Founded in 1972—Our 607th Consecutive Issue)

F E AT U R E S out front:

A Hatton-Brown Publication

Phone: 334-834-1170 Fax: 334-834-4525

www.southernloggintimes.com

When Baker Land and Cattle owner Cody Baker, left, graduated high school nine years ago, he planned to follow in the boot prints of his dad Kevin Baker, right. He started cutting timber only so he could clear a pasture for the cattle business he intended to run at that time. Then he realized he liked logging better than farming. Today he runs a sizable operation in the woods, with best friend Loader, front and center, keeping everyone in line. Story begins on Page 8. (David Abbott photo) Southern Stumpin’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 From The Backwoods Pew . . . . . . . 22 Industry News Roundup . . . . . . . . . 24 Machines-Supplies-Technology . . . 30 Trucking Safety Focus . . . . . . . . . . . 32

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April 2023

Iron Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Turpentine History Part 2 Of 3

Coming Events/Ad Index . . . . . . . . 38

Publisher David H. Ramsey Chief Operating Officer Dianne C. Sullivan Editor-in-Chief Rich Donnell Senior Editor Dan Shell Managing Editor David Abbott Senior Editor Jessica Johnson Publisher/Editor Emeritus David (DK) Knight Art Director Cindy Segrest Ad Production Coordinator Patti Campbell Circulation Director Rhonda Thomas Online Content/Marketing Jacqlyn Kirkland ADVERTISING CONTACTS DISPLAY SALES Eastern U.S. Kathy Sternenberg Tel: 251-928-4962 • Fax: 334-834-4525 219 Royal Lane Fairhope, AL 36532 E-mail: ksternenberg@bellsouth.net Midwest USA, Eastern Canada John Simmons Tel: 905-666-0258 29 Bugelli Dr. Whitby, Ontario, Canada L1R 3B7 E-mail: jsimmons@idirect.com Western Canada, Western USA Tim Shaddick Tel: 604-910-1826 • Fax: 604-264-1367 4056 West 10th Ave. Vancouver, BC V6L 1Z1 E-mail: twshaddick@gmail.com Kevin Cook Tel: 604-619-1777 E-mail: lordkevincook@gmail.com International Murray Brett Tel: +34 96 640 4165 +34 96 640 4048 58 Aldea de las Cuevas • Buzon 60 03759 Benidoleig (Alicante), Spain E-mail: murray.brett@abasol.net CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING

Bridget DeVane

Tel: 1-800-669-5613 • Tel: 334-699-7837 Email: bdevane7@hotmail.com

Southern Loggin’ Times (ISSN 0744-2106) is published monthly by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc., 225 Hanrick St., Montgomery, AL 36104. Subscription Information—SLT is sent free to logging, pulpwood and chipping contractors and their supervisors; managers and supervisors of corporate-owned harvesting operations; wood suppliers; timber buyers; wood procurement and land management officials; industrial forestry purchasing agents; wholesale and retail forest equipment representatives and forest/logging association personnel in the U.S. South. See form elsewhere in this issue.

All non-qualified U.S. subscriptions are $65 annually; $75 in Canada; $120 (Airmail) in all other countries (U.S. funds). Single copies, $5 each; special issues, $20 (U.S. funds). Subscription Inquiries— TOLL-FREE 800-669-5613; Fax 888-611-4525. Go to www.southernloggintimes.com and click on the subscribe button to subscribe/renew via the web. All advertisements for Southern Loggin’ Times magazine are accepted and published by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. with the understanding that the advertiser and/or advertising agency are authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. The advertiser and/or advertising agency will defend, indemnify and hold Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. harmless from and against any loss, expenses, or other liability resulting from any claims or lawsuits for libel violations or right of privacy or publicity, plagiarism, copyright or trademark infringement and any other claims or lawsuits that may arise out of publication of such advertisement. Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. neither endorses nor makes any representation or guarantee as to the quality of goods and services advertised in Southern Loggin’ Times. Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to reject any advertisement which it deems inappropriate. Copyright ® 2023. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery, Ala. and at additional mailing offices. Printed In USA.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Southern Loggin’ Times, P.O. Box 2419, Montgomery, AL 36102-2419

Other Hatton-Brown publications: ★ Timber Processing ★ Timber Harvesting ★ Panel World ★ Power Equipment Trade ★ Wood Bioenergy

4 ● APRIL 2023 ● Southern Loggin’ Times

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SOUTHERN STUMPIN’

By David Abbott • Managing Editor • Ph. 334-834-1170 • Fax: 334-834-4525 • E-mail: david@hattonbrown.com

Lonoke, Arkansas, 1952 ouple weeks ago I went on the road to visit some loggers in Mississippi and Arkansas (one, the fabulous Baker boys of Malvern, appears in this issue). My first night on the road took me up from Mississippi through Memphis and west from there on I-40. I stopped around 10 p.m. at the first hotel I saw, a Holiday Inn Express off a random exit somewhere east of Little Rock. It didn’t really matter where it was; it was just a place to sleep a few hours before continuing on my journey the next morning. All the same, just out of curiosity, when I registered at the front desk, I asked the hotel clerk, “What town is this?”

“Lonoke,” she answered.

“Well, I’ll be,” I nodded. “Lonoke, Arkansas.

That’s where my dad was born, 81 years ago.”

Fact is he did indeed live with his parents in Lonoke for part of his childhood before he finished growing up in nearby Cabot. “Bill Abbott from Cabot” spent the rest of his youth and early adulthood in a rock house his dad, John Floyd Abbott, the one-legged barber, cattle farmer and politician, had built during the Great Depression.

It’s been a lot of moons since I’ve been out that way, but as I understand it, Cabot Emergency Hospital is now there on what was my grandparent’s property back then.

There’s a story my dad tells. He’s a storyteller, like me in a sense. This is one I’ve heard many times over the years. When daddy was a kid, his brother-in-law, my uncle, Vernon Vestal Barentine, bought the first television set in Lonoke County, back around 1952 or so. Uncle Vestal and his bride, my dad’s older sister, Aunt Marjorie, lived right next door, and daddy spent a lot of time with them since he was still a kid himself. During his childhood in the post-World War II years, the Abbott family would listen to the Grand Ole Opry or Arthur Godfrey on the radio. But now they had a TV, the first in the area. Progress!

There’s a problem with having the first TV set in Lonoke, Arkansas in 1952. The set doesn’t do you much good if there’s nothing on. The closest station then was in Memphis, 115 miles away. The signal didn’t come in too strong. Poor Uncle Vestal must have wasted hours trying to adjust the antenna and pick up something, anything. Aunt Marjorie would get frustrated. “Why do you even bother messing with that thing?” she’d ask him.

“There ain’t nothing on it but static!” It must have seemed like a silly waste.

Here’s the thing, though. Eventually, the infrastructure developed to allow the TV to do what it was made to do. More stations were built, closer to Lonoke, broadcasting stronger signals, and more programs were produced, and within just a few years the Abbott/Barentine clan could watch I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, Andy Griffith, The Bev-

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erly Hillbillies and so on. Uncle Vestal got to spend the next 60 years enjoying TV (mostly football).

Late Adopters Now fast forward to just last week: my dad, having witnessed the entire history of broadcast television thus far, finally cut the cable and switched entirely to a streaming service, the current modern delivery method for home entertainment. He’s still figuring it out, but he decided it was time to let go of the old ways and move forward.

This is a little surprising because dad and I have this in common too: unlike Uncle Vestal, we are not early adopters to new technological innovations. We’ll keep doing the same old thing as long as we can, no matter how outdated or behind the times we are, just because it’s what we’re used to. It’s 2023 and I still listen to music entirely on the same CDs I bought 20+ years ago. I understand what Spotify is and that I can stream it through my phone; I just don’t want to.

That’s just the way I’m wired; if I’m happy with something, I don’t get in a hurry to change it. I’ve never been one to chase trends; “I am into basics and I don’t like fads,” as Hank, Jr. sang.

Maybe some of you can relate.

But here’s the thing: even for those of us slow to embrace change, things do change, eventually, inevitably. “Life’s about changing, nothing ever stays the same” was a lyric in a Patty Loveless song a long time ago. The only constant is change, whether we like it or not.

I mentioned this month’s cover story feature, a profile on Cody and Kevin Baker of Malvern, Ark. They have an employee on their crew who is 82 years old and still working all day every day, still sharp in mind and body. This guy has been working in the woods since 1963 (it’s his 60th anniversary in logging). Even before that, actually, when he was just eight years old his daddy had him in the woods on one end of a crosscut saw.

Now, consider this: do you think that gentleman (Darrell Rice by name) is still out there working a crosscut? Nah, he’s upgraded; he changed with the times. He’s in a Tigercat bogie skidder, and he loves it.

Sometimes some folks in the logging industry can be like me and my dad: slow to embrace change, still using technology that was obsolete decades ago. Sometimes some loggers can be like my Uncle Vestal: the first guy in town to try something new, even before there’s any way to really use it. It can be wise not to jump too quickly onto every shiny new thing that might not last. But it’s always foolish to assume that how it is now is how it will always be.

I think it’s a question of vision: can we imagine the potential of a new thing, what it can become,

grow into? See Aunt Marjorie only saw the TV as it was: nothing was on, it was useless. But Uncle Vestal saw what it could, and would, become.

Potential Whenever a new technology is under development, there will always be some naysayers: that will never happen, it will never work. They lack the vision to imagine something different from what they know. Or, they see the early problems in the new thing and assume those problems can’t be solved. “There’s nothing on that TV.” I think about that anytime I hear someone skeptical of emerging innovations, like self-driving or electric vehicles. Sure, there are problems, but give it some time. New technologies take time, often decades, to develop into practical application and work out the bugs. The TV came before the stations and programming, like cars came before there were roads and refueling stations. Always give it time. Now me, I’ll stick with what I know and wait it out, let other people do the trial and error. But I won’t write them off.

They just might figure something out. If history is any guide, they probably will, sooner or later.

Think of how far logging has come in the years since my dad and Mr. Rice started out in the woods. Think how much change they’ve seen. How it was in 1963 is not how it is in 2023.

Do you think we’re done? That this is it, we’ve reached the summit of our potential, and we won’t change any further? I don’t.

Last year I reported on Ponsse’s electric machine prototype in development. It uses diesel half the time in a generator to charge the fully electric drive train. Gas prices this year hurt everyone, but I know loggers with a $20,000 a week diesel bill. Imagine if you could cut that cost in half. Maybe you can, if Ponsse’s machine does what they think it might do.

Will it work? Is it really feasible in practice? I don’t know, but if so it could be a game changer, and maybe not just in heavy equipment. Imagine applying that concept to all cars: we’d still use gas, but only half as much, to charge an electric vehicle battery via internal generator instead of plugging in to a charging station. That cuts both fuel consumption and pollution in half, without the added strain on the electrical grid. If they can figure it out, and it might be a big IF right now, but IF that concept really works, that could be revolutionary for the whole world, and it would have originated right here in the logging industry.

So, I say let’s stay open-minded to new developments and changes, let’s be cautiously optimistic, imagine potential, look for opportunities, and always give every new thing some time to see how SLT it goes. Excelsior!

6 ● APRIL 2023 ● Southern Loggin’ Times

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Accidentally In Logs ■ For Cody Baker, logging was incidental to cattle, but quickly became the main event.

By David Abbott MALVERN, Ark. ody Baker, 27, calls his compa★ ny Baker Land and Cattle, but these days his business is in the woods, not the pastures. The name may be misleading, but it’s also appropriate.

Baker and his dad, Kevin, 52, don’t actually run cattle anymore, but they did for a long time, and in fact that’s what led them to logging.

Cody went to work for himself shortly after graduating high school in 2014, but he did not initially set out intending to go into the logging business. “I got into logging by accident,” he jokes. Kevin had done some small scale logging years before, but had spent his life mostly in construction and cattle farming.

With a similar career path in mind, Cody bought 140 acres right after high school, aiming to use it for pasture. He bought some old and worn out logging equipment to clear it for that purpose, hoping to offset some of the cost by logging it himself. After finishing, he realized he really enjoyed the logging, and decided to try more of it. Nine years have passed and he’s still in timber.

They got out of the cattle business then, but Kevin plans to eventually return to his roots there, once Cody no longer needs his help in the woods. He wants to do it so his grandkids can grow up around it the

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Cody Baker, left, with his dad Kevin Baker, right, and crew dog Loader, center

way Cody did. “It taught him a lot of responsibility and I want my grandkids to learn the same responsibility,” the elder Baker says. For now, though, logging takes up all their time.

Operations Logging wasn’t plan A for Cody; he also didn’t really set out to have an outfit quite so big. On a single crew,

the Bakers run two loaders, two skidders and a cutter, with multiple backups. “We were sort of forced into getting as big as we are,” the younger Baker explains. “When we first started we had trouble with quotas. We were small so we were the first ones they wouldn’t let haul.” Now they haul a minimum 15 daily loads, often getting closer to 20. (The day before Southern Loggin’ Times visited in early March, they hauled 22).

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“We have to have 75-80 loads a week just to survive right now, the way we are set up,” Kevin says.

“Rain won’t let you get more than that in the winter and in the summer mill quotas won’t let you get more, so you can only increase production so much.” Trucks make four or five trips each per day, which is possible because the mills are within 50 miles.

“With fuel as high as it is there is no money in hauling long distances,” Kevin continues.

They have six trucks (mostly Macks with Kenworth and Western Star in the mix) and 10 trailers (Pitts, Magnolia, Viking), but don’t run them all full-time. “Finding drivers is the biggest problem we face,” Cody says. “I think it’s everybody’s problem.”

In the woods, both main loaders are Prentice machines, a 384 and a 2484C, bought used from Stribling Equipment. Both use CSI delimbers and buck saws.

Two Tigercat skidders, a 630 on duals (28L back, 30.5 front) and a 625 bogie, came from MidSouth Equipment in Caddo Valley, along with a 726D feller-buncher.

Cody keeps spares of everything: two extra loaders, a John Deere skidder and another Tigercat skidder. He has a Tigercat 845 track cutter reserved to run in very wet conditions.

He also still has, and occasionally still runs, his first cutter, a Hydro- Ax; Weiler can still provide the parts to keep it running.

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Standing, Cody's brother Brett; in cab, Darrell Rice, 82

“I love the newer equipment, and I bought two new skidders, but with equipment prices and everything else going up, I couldn’t imagine trying to make another payment on a new machine right now,” Cody admits.

“My cutter is a 2008 model; we just put a new motor on it and plan to run it a while.”

With all that investment in the woods and on the roads, Baker has enough R&M work to keep a fulltime mechanic and an assistant busy.

“They pretty well stay swamped at the shop working on trucks and trailers,” the young logger says. Along with filling in as an operator when needed, Cody also tries to keep himself free to handle preventive maintenance and repair work on equipment in the woods. “I keep a spare piece on every job so the operator can keep producing while I work on breakdowns.” And they aren’t limited to routine stuff, either; they build engines, rear ends, everything. “On the newer Tigercat machines, when they throw codes I have to call someone to read it,” Cody says.

The Baker team also has a Morbark clean flail chipper, but not in the woods. “A few yeas ago we tried to split it up into two crews with inwoods chipping on one job, but trucking was such a problem that we couldn’t keep both jobs going, so I parked the chipper,” Cody explains.

Keith Draper with Tigercat cutter

Loader man C.J. Sherman is mechanic Chris Sherman's son

Mechanics Chris Sherman and Greg Smith stay busy at the shop, and sometimes in the field.

Now once or twice a year, the Evergreen Packaging paper mill in Pine Bluff hires him to chip on their wood yard. “I normally shut my log crew down when we do that; my help out here goes up there and we chip 24 hours a day, six or seven days a week, for three months this year. It takes all of my help and I hire some temporary help while we’re up there.” He has Peerless chip vans to haul from wood yard to the mill a few miles away.

Operators rarely gets out of a machine cab, but when they do have to do some work on the ground they wear proper PPE. Cody and Kevin both keep a watchful eye on everything in the woods and on the road, and discuss safety concerns as they arise, especially on the trucking

A rebuilt motor keeps the 15 year old cutter running.

side. Trucks are covered with Progressive Insurance, while Cody looks to Amerisafe for liability and workers’ comp.

Land Kevin secures a lot of the timber that Cody buys for the crew, relying on his years of experience and connections in the region. “Once you survive the first 10 years you start getting the repeat business and then you don’t have to look for timber as much any more; it just comes to you,” Kevin notes.

In early March, the Bakers and their team were working an upland site with a breathtaking view, a 280acre mature pine clear-cut for the

PotlatchDeltic mill in Ola. This job was a little outside their normal territory, an hour and a half from home base, but a mill closure forced them to widen their net. “Plus in wet weather the hills are better to work in,” Cody adds. And the weather has been particularly wet of late. “It takes about a day for the job to dry out after a big rain, and then it rains again. But it’s not killing us too bad; we’re making it.”

The Bakers do often cut PotlatchDeltic tracts in winter months just because the ones back home are better suited for summer harvests.

With the mill shutting down in Malvern, though, Cody is unsure if they will have to make some changes, seek alternative markets or spend

Baker uses four used Prentice loaders.

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more of the year working further from home. “We hauled 90% of our wood to that mill (in Malvern),” he points out.

Along with PotlatchDeltic, Baker trucks haul to several mills: Hixson Lumber Co. in Magnolia, Southern Chips, Inc. in Perry, Green Bay Packaging in Morrilton, West Fraser in Leola, Highland Pellets and Evergreen Packaging in Pine Bluff, Anthony Timberlands at Malvern, Wilson Brothers Lumber in Rison, and Sorrell’s Sawmill in Sparkman.

Challenging Times “We are not against growing, but it is hard to plan on the future when everything is as bad as what it is now,” Cody says. “Interest rates are double what they were a year ago.

Equipment costs more but still wears out just as fast. My trucks are old; a 2007 is an old truck now. But we keep them dependable and legal. I couldn’t imagine having to try to make new truck payments on top of it

Trash To Fuel

Billy Rickels

When SLT visited in March, Billy Rickels, an old friend to Kevin Baker, was hauling a load in a red Mack, but this is not a regular gig for him. “I’m only here helping drive a truck for a few days while they are short on drivers,” Rickels says. In his day job, Rickels is a consultant with Marc David Green Solutions, Inc., an energy consultant company on the front lines of emerging processes to recycle waste into energy. MDGS has one plant operating in Kentucky now and is developing a similar project near Lake Village, Ark. “Our facility takes 500 tons of trash a day in a rotary kiln,” Rickels explains. “At low heat organics break down into a gas; we use it to fire a boiler to create steam, and through turbine generator to produce electricity, which we sell to public or private utilities. After organics break down the glass and ceramics are added back into asphalts and concretes, while ferrous and non-ferrous metals come out, too, and we recycle metal down to as small as a staple.” Visit www.mdgsus.com to learn more.

all. I don’t see how others do it.”

His dad agrees. “You’re better off to buy an old truck, spend $2030,000 to rebuild it and roll it out,” he advises.

Still, Cody acknowledges, that’s part of the trouble in keeping drivers.

“One of the biggest problems we face is not having new trucks. We have a real good woods crew but we constantly lose drivers. They will swap to drive a newer truck even for less pay.

But I can’t justify the expense of a brand new truck and put it in the conditions we work in.”

No surprise, the biggest expense in the last year has been diesel, Kevin says. The weekly fuel bill is around double what it was a year ago, and as he notes, they weren’t making a huge profit back then, so how can they absorb that cost increase?

And it’s not just diesel prices, Cody stresses: inflation has all operating expenses up 25% or more across the board, and parts availability remains limited. “I had an older machine that was parked for three months waiting on replacement parts,” he says. “It’s a good time to have used equipment for spares. We had to part out one truck this summer just to keep the other trucks going.”

At this point, the focus is less on thriving and more on just surviving till the situation improves. “We are buying time now, hoping we can last till it gets better,” Cody says. “I think things will get better but I think we’re two years out. We will lose some money here and there just to keep busy, because we have an exceptional woods crew and I would hate to lose them.” He figures he’ll need those men when the economy turns around.

Manpower Cody and his wife Keri now have three kids, the youngest born just a month ago. Bryce is five, Cooper three, and Huxley is the newborn.

Keri works at home caring for the kids and runs parts to the woods or the shop just about daily.

Cody’s brother Brett works on the crew, manning one of the loaders.

C.J. Sherman runs the other loader.

He’s barely 20, but Kevin describes him as a “very talented young man” who came to work here right out of high school. He also runs the chipper when they work at the mill. C.J.’s dad Chris Sherman is the shop mechanic, working with Greg Smith. Another young employee is skidder driver in training R.J. Schwarz.

On the opposite end of the age spectrum is the other skidder man, Darrell Rice, who is 82 years old.

“He works every day,” Cody says.

“He was in a wreck with me last year and he almost beat me back to work after. We help him get in the skidders in the morning and back out in the evening, and we don’t make him do

The 82-year-old Rice mans the bogie daily.

Baker brothers Cooper and Bryce with brand new addition Huxley

any greasing, but he is here every day working all day.” Rice grew up in the woods, manning a crosscut with his own dad when he was eight years old. He officially went to work for a logging job in 1963, 60 years ago this year. “We were using 440 Deere cable rigs then,” Rice recalls. “That was the boss; if you had one of them you were in business.” Rice has been with the Baker team for six years, but Kevin and Cody have known him all their lives.

Cutter man is Keith Draper, another long-term vet who’s been on this crew about five years. “It takes a pretty good cutter man to keep up with two skidders and two loaders,” Cody reflects.

The only company-employed truck driver currently is Patrick Thompson. Heath Ashmore is a contract hauler working for Baker fulltime. Other contract drivers haul when available. Kevin drives a truck a lot, and Cody will too sometimes.

Another important team member is the crew dog, Loader. He came from a long line of cow dogs, but he’s never been around cattle, having spent his life in the woods instead.

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Loader is very comfortable chasing drags behind the skidder and isn’t scared of the feller-buncher. Whatever Cody runs, Loader sticks close; he’ll even hop on the hood of a pickup for a ride through the woods.

“It is a hard life,” Kevin admits.

“We leave home at 4 a.m. and get back home between 9 and 10 at night.” The elder Baker got married and had kids young, he’s never worked for anyone else and he says he’s had an exceptionally good life.

The work is hard, but he counts it a blessing and a privilege. “Look at this view!” he advises of the high elevation job the Baker crew was working in early March. “Not many people get to enjoy this view from their work all day every day. Loggers don’t have to be pried to get out of bed and don’t hate going to work.” In fact, he notes, loggers often can’t wait to get back to it.

They’re not workaholics, they’re just proof of the old axiom: if you love what you do you’ll never work a day in your life. “People do this because they love it,” Kevin believes. “It’s got to be in your heart and soul or SLT you won’t make it.”

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Rise And Fall ■ Judge Harley Langdale, Sr. was at the forefront of the turpentine movement.

By DK Knight

by 1909 the turpentine Gulfport, Miss. to produce, industry was blamed among other items, a product for the loss of an estiknown as ‘wood’ turpentine.

Second Of Three Parts mated 37 billion BF of Hercules Powder Co. major breakthrough in the timber, more than 10 acquired Yaryan’s company in naval stores sector occurred billion BF in Georgia 1920 and quickly became the around 1902 when University alone. However, as world’s largest producer of of Georgia chemist Charles Herty demand for southern naval stores, according to the designed and patented the cup-andpine lumber increased, U.S. Forest Service. But gum gutter gum collection system, a big sawmills gradually turpentine purists contended improvement over the traditional began accepting logs that wood turpentine was an box (cavity) method. Herty’s invenfrom trees that had inferior product. This could tion was less intrusive and thus been boxed or cupped, have been correct early on but helped prolong tree life while makeven though the catby the 1930s wood turpentine ing gum collection easier, faster, face section was usuplants had generally improved cleaner and less wasteful. Initially ally cut off and left both the quality and quantity made of clay and later metal, the behind because of of their products. cup was suspended from a nail driv- rock-hard gum crystalOther manufacturers chalen into the tree. Gum oozed into one lization and the suslenged Hercules over time. or more metal gutters tacked to the pected presence of By 1953, there were some 15 tree at an angle, then into the cup. embedded metal. wood naval stores facilities in Box-related tree mortality ran Historical docuGeorgia, Florida, Mississippi high and could be direct or indirect. ments reveal that and Louisiana. In 1951 alone, Trees became less vigorous and Georgia became the an estimated 2.5 million tons more susceptible to insect attack. naval stores producof stumps were processed at Writer Robert Outland noted that tion leader by 1890, a these plants. one forest owner lost 750,000 trees position it held until Amazingly, stump extracin a beetle outbreak in 1848! Anoth- being overtaken by tion continues to this day, er owner reported losing 130,000 Florida in 1905. Georalbeit on a small scale, in the same year. Also, storms and hur- gia reclaimed the title Florida, Alabama and Missisricanes felled boxed trees more in 1923 and was never sippi. Destination for these readily than unboxed ones. challenged again, stumps is the plant Yaryan Charles Herty’s cup-and-gutter system was a big improvement in Fire outbreaks were common and leading turpentine pro- gum harvesting. built at Brunswick in 1911 often destructive. Even though lonponents and some and today is operated by tracts and installed relatively high gleaf and slash pines are very tolerstate legislators from the state’s Pinova, Inc. All other stump conant of surface fire, boxes were natu- southern sector to propose nicknam- production sawmills, opting to cut suming plants were shut by 2009. trees for more lucrative lumber ral flash points and were difficult to ing Georgia the Turpentine State. rather than delay tree harvesting to put out. Major damage or early Sticky Period extract less valuable naval stores. In death were often the result. Further, Stump Treasure The early 1930s found gum naval so doing, these aggressive logging under pressure to meet quota, boxers Meanwhile, lumber manufacturers stores operators under tremendous operations left behind millions of at times overdid it, cutting deeper and land speculators had begun com- acres of cutover land and millions of pressure. There was the millstone of and wider than recommended. peting with turpentiners for trees. the Great Depression, and the threat resin-saturated stumps.

Southern pine lumber, particularly of wood turpentine/rosin manufacSeeing potential for this abundant Big Losses from longleaf and slash, had been turing, which was much less labor resource, innovator Homer Yaryan Such destruction continued even accepted domestically and internaintensive yet much more productive developed steam distillation technolafter the cup-and-gutter system was tionally and demand was growing. ogy for processing stumps and erect- than gum operations. At the same introduced. According to Outland, Increasingly, investors bought huge time, the federal government had ed plants in Brunswick, Ga. and amassed a huge naval stores surplus, which was helping hold prices down.

As a result, some gum turpentine operators had gone out of business, and many others were teetering.

Enter Harley Langdale, Sr., better known as Judge Langdale, leader of the Langdale family of Valdosta, Ga. Robert Outland in his book crowned the Langdale family “the world’s largest gum naval stores producer,” reporting that in the 1930s, alone or with partners, Langdale operations stretched from Georgia to North Carolina, involved almost 3 milConversion of stumps into ‘wood turpentine’ helped accelerate the demise of gum harvesting from live trees.

A

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Barrels of rosin await shipment from port of Savannah, Ga.

lion acres, 315 crops, and 25 camps and stills. Judge Langdale headed the business, which his father, John Wesley Langdale, founded in the late 1800s.

The judge and other gum naval stores participants realized that unity could potentially galvanize gum turpentine producers into an effective force that could stabilize the industry and market. Other attempts at uniting producers had failed, but Langdale and some 900 fellow members of the gum community created the American Turpentine Farmers Assn.

(ATFA) in 1936. As a cooperative, it advocated education, advertising, research, insurance, legislation and marketing. Ultimately, it strived to demonstrate that turpentining was an

agricultural process, not industrial.

Langdale and other ATFA figures successfully lobbied the federal government to increase funding for research that led to increased productivity and profitability, and to help operators secure loans from the newly formed Commodity Credit Corp. in exchange for lowering gum production. They were also able to get exemptions regarding Social Security withholding and minimum wage pay.

One important marketing achievement of the group was making turpentine available in small containers for household use. By 1959, 80% of gum turpentine was sold in bottles and cans, up from only 5% in the late 1930s. In the 1940s, ATFA produced a film about turpentine production and purchased promotional ads on national radio networks.

Along the way, it created a Miss Spirits of Turpentine beauty contest, one of Judge Langdale’s pet projects.

By 1955, ATFA membership had reached 4,000.

Extraordinaire Ever the spirited turpentine evangelist, Langdale handed off management of the Langdale family business in 1937 to tirelessly promote the work of the association

and to become even more of a turpentine cheerleader by extolling the medicinal virtues of the product. He seemed to believe that turpentine could cure everything from coughs and colds to sore holes.

John Lancaster, who captured the Langdale family history in a 2002 book titled Judge Harley and His Boys, included this snippet: In an interview with an editor of a national magazine in 1955, he (Langdale) contended that workers at stills rarely caught colds and seemed highly resistant to tuberculosis, perhaps from breathing distillation vapors. He observed that workers also appeared to recover quickly from knife cuts and gunshot wounds.

Since before the time of Christ, Judge reminded his listener, the medicinal qualities of turpentine had been known. “The ancient Greeks,” he declared tongue-incheek, “recognized the healthful properties of pine tree gum. The peasant wine of Greece, called retsina, was made with a rosin base, and I have heard it said that when an old Greek died after drinking retsina all his life, it was necessary to take his stomach out and beat it to death with a stick. Rosin is an excellent preservative.”

While the ATFA and all its lobby-

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Judge Harley Langdale, Sr., was a leading turpentine producer and champion and led in founding ATFA.

His company marketed LANCO branded turpentine.

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ing significantly helped gum turpentine producers, it was actually World War II’s attendant demand that rescued gum operators from oversupply and poor prices.

Decline In the 1950s, gum turpentine production began a steady decline.

Competition intensified from wood and sulfate turpentine, a paper mill byproduct, as well as new petroleum-based products.

Laborers became harder to entice

and retain, and wages increased, as did production costs. All this led to the weakening and ultimate demise of gum turpentine harvesting and distillation.

Judge Langdale stepped down as ATFA president in 1965 and some 10 years later The Langdale Co. closed its last gum still, an updated facility that used steam. ATFA quietly faded away in the mid 1990s.

Langdale would be pleased to know that at least one small town in Georgia, Portal, in Bulloch County, located some 50 miles west of

Savannah, still commemorates the glory days of turpentine with an annual October festival. The town’s scant population swells considerably as visitors check out a small turpentine museum and still, which dates back to the 1930s and is reactivated for the occasion.

Interestingly, the nearby Bulloch County

Georgia town still commemorates turpentine’s glory days with an annual festival.

community of Adabelle happens to be where several families of Lumbee Indians put down roots on the ‘Turpentine Trail’ migration route.

Experienced turpentiners in their heartland of Robeson County, NC, they relocated to Adabelle in the late 1800s, establishing their own community and a school, church and cemetery. The Lumbees did not follow the trail any farther, however. Some returned to North Carolina around 1920 while others stayed in Bulloch County and turned to farming.

Langdale would also be happy to know that a small volume of turpentine is still produced in the South.

Diamond G Forest Products, located just outside Patterson in Pierce County, Ga., taps thousands of slash pines each year and operates an oldfashioned still. Founded about 10 years ago and farming its own trees, Diamond G initially sold most of its gum to Pinova at nearby Brunswick. Company principal Chip Griner, Jr. reports it now leases some trees and that sales (mostly on-line) for turpentine, soaps, salves, and rosin have increased so much in recent years that it now has no gum left to send to Pinova.

It’s fitting that Griner and his partners continue the turpentine tradition. His great-grandfather, O.W. Raulerson, borrowed money to enter the business in 1924 and stayed at it for 30 years.

Little remains of what once was common in the turpentine belt. A few stills are intact, at least partially, and mostly for display. Remnants of small camp houses, with their rotting wood siding and loose, rusting tin roofs, can be spotted in a few rural settings. And, if you do some research, you’ll learn about the odd landowner who lovingly holds on to some catface-scarred longleaf pines that have somehow SLT survived.

(The final part of this series will be carried in May SLT and will focus on labor. Note: Some information and illustrations in this article appeared in Naval Stores—A History of an Early Industry Created from the South’s Forests, James P. Barnett, U.S. Forest Service, June 2019.)

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More Logos In The Rear View

®

HUDSON

ATLANTA AUGUSTA COLUMBUS GAINESVILLE MACON ROME

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FROM THE BACKWOODS PEW

Food Piles I was doing a routine check on a stand of timber that bordered a notorious beaver stream one day. Beavers had dammed the stream. I found a fresh food pile next to the lodge.

Food piles are what beavers create when they are getting ready for the winter. It wasn’t that the beavers were active that caused me to frown, but

rather that winter was approaching.

When winter approaches, even in the South, along with it comes ice.

The beaver sets about building a food pile next to his lodge just in case the ice gets thick, and just in case it lasts a while. You see, a food pile is a collection of sticks and small trees that a beaver will cut off and float to his lodge. Once there he makes a floating pile or mat. These sticks will be accessible from under

the water, under the ice, allowing the beaver to have a meal when the pond or swamp is frozen over, and he cannot find a hole to climb out of. Since he keeps all of his lodge entrances under water, a frozen pond means he is trapped at home or at least under the water surrounding his home, thus the food pile.

Now consider for a moment a delinquent beaver. He knows winter is coming, and there is a need to

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gather supplies. Failure to prepare could cause the death of himself or his family. He decides to get busy with the food pile.

At first all goes well. He has found several juicy cottonwood saplings, and some willow was growing just upstream. But then he saw something else. It was magnificent and awesome. He had to have it on his food pile. He began to gnaw and chew. It was tough all right, but what a beauty. Finally, he had it on his pile. Yes, it was tall and slender, and had a single bright, green “leaf” on the top, with the word “Johnson Road” on it.

It did look good on his food pile.

Yes, he soon had a mighty fine food pile, only there wasn’t much food on it. He did have several street signs, TV antenna, a mailbox and post, and two orange traffic cones.

The beaver had become distracted.

He had spent his time pursuing items that would not help him when the cold days of winter came.

What a silly beaver, we would say. He knew winter was coming.

Why didn’t he prepare?

Winter comes to us all. Life begins to slow down, and takes on a bit of a chill. The joints don’t move like they used to. The hair, if it stays, changes to a gray color. Yes, winter is always at the end of autumn, after the summer days are just a memory.

Winter reminds us that we are mortal. Life as we know it is just the beginning of an eternal journey, and the “death of winter” is the stepping from this life on earth to life in eternity. Life doesn’t end; it just changes requirements.

Food piles are where we lay up supplies for the coming winter. Jesus said it like this in Matthew 6:19-21: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Are we building our “food piles,” the supplies to see us through the upcoming winter, with items of junk? Perhaps we are collecting things that may look pretty, that may take great time and energy to acquire? But at the end, when that icy hand of death takes hold of us, what will we have? Just as a solid food pile will allow a beaver to survive the winter, laying up treasure in heaven will allow us to live in heaven.

Looking for something good to place on the pile? Try Colossians 3:12-17: Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender

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mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. It starts with being made new in Christ (verse 10). It adds to that living a life of holiness, humbleness, meekness, patience, forgiveness and love. Don’t face the upcoming winter without being prepared, wasting precious time adding items to the food pile that will never see you through the winter.

Excerpted from Bibles, Beavers, and Big Timber, Bradley Antill author, see this and more at www.onatreeforestry.com

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INDUSTRY NEWS ROUNDUP Spectrum Moves Ahead At Adel Spectrum Energy Georgia LLC plans to begin construction this summer of an industrial wood pellet facility in Adel, Ga. and expects to commission the plant 12 months later, or summer of 2024. The plant will operate at the site of an idled

particleboard facility.

“One of the principle reasons we chose Adel was for the considerable infrastructure that was on site,” comments President Michael Ainsworth, referring to the truck dumps, Clarke’s buildings for green and dry material storage and handling. Many of the conveyors in the wood room will be put back into service. They will also use the existing energy system, dry-

ers, and wet electrostatic precipitators (WESPs).

For Phase One only of the project, they will treat all dryer, hammermill, pellet mill, and pellet cooler emissions through an existing biofilter. In Phase Two, they will treat the dryer emissions through a WESP/RTO combination and all other emissions will be handled by the biofilter.

The plant will have the ability to

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receive and process all forms of biomass, including sawmill residues (chips, sawdust and shavings), pulpwood, top wood, and in-woods chips.

Weyerhaeuser built the particleboard mill in 1968 and operated it until Weyerhaeuser sold it to SierraPine in 1999, before the plant shut down in 2014 upon SierraPine’s sale to Flakeboard.

Phase I of the project will build a 600,000 tons annual production capacity plant that will be increased during a Phase 2 construction to 1.32 million tons annually, which would make the site perhaps the largest pellet production facility in the world.

Much of the Spectrum leadership team is no stranger to the wood industry, including members of the Ainsworth family and former Georgia and Florida logger and timberman Scot Corbett.

British Columbia-based Ainsworth Lumber became a major producer of oriented strandboard.

Ainsworth serves as CEO and President of Spectrum and Douglas Ainsworth is VP Operations, while Corbett is VP Fiber Procurement The Spectrum web site states: “The Ainsworths built a reputation on the quality of their products.

Quality, waste reduction and cost control were central in all aspects of manufacturing, but innovation was always a cornerstone of the business. This led the company’s improvement of plant processes and the development of specialty forestry products. Within two decades, the enterprise had grown into the world’s third largest producer of OSB. The production of wood pellets is a logical extension of this philosophy and continues our quest to leave behind no waste.”

Recently, Spectrum Energy Georgia and Concerned Citizens of Cook County (4C) signed a settlement and cooperation agreement, following 4C’s concerns about the air permit issued last July by Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Div. to Spectrum for the two-phase construction of the wood pellet facility in Adel.

Southern Environmental Law Center represented 4C in the matter.

The agreement basically allows Spectrum to increase transparency to the community in a number of ways, including regular reporting of construction activity, air emission and dust control enhancements and reporting thereof, noise abatement and public listening sessions.

“We listened to 4C’s concerns and we realized that addressing those concerns is fully consistent with our desire to construct and operate a facility that will be the

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gold standard in the pellet industry,” Ainsworth says.

Homan Industries Names Reaves CEO Homan Industries, which operates a SYP sawmill, dry kilns, planer, pressure treating facility, reman operations and a logistics company in Fulton, Miss., named Bud Reaves as CEO, succeeding Larry Homan, who after 56 years in this position assumes the role of the Chairman of the Board.

Reaves becomes responsible for the four business operations of Homan Industries: Homan Forest Products, Tri-State Lumber, Homan Logistics, and Homan Wood Products. Reaves has more than 20 years of wood products experience and has been with Homan Industries for 16 years, holding leadership positions as COO and plant controller.

A native of Mississippi, Reaves holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Accounting from Delta State University. He currently sits on the Executive Committee of the Mississippi Lumber Manufacturers Assn.

Hunt FP Supports Forest Products Center Hunt Forest Products LLC has pledged $500,000 to support the new Forest Products Innovation Center on Louisiana Tech University’s South Campus at Ruston. The Forest Products Innovation Center is slated to become a hub for discovering new methods to capture, produce and utilize the state’s renewable and sustainable forests for generations to come.

It was developed in response to the

University’s Tech 2030 strategic initiative to create programs and research that bolster collaboration and partnerships within academic areas.

“As co-owner and chairman of the Board of Directors for Hunt Forest Products, we value our current partnership with Louisiana Tech University,” Trott Hunt comments. “We know the collaboration between industry and academia is key to catalyzing innovation, research and growth. Realizing the knowledgebased opportunities the Center will provide for the forestry industry, as well as the important role it will play within the state and local economies, we are happy to expand this relationship by investing in the new state of the art center.”

The facility will bring together faculty and students from diverse areas like forestry, chemical and industrial engineering, sustainable supply chain management, as well as other disciplines, to collaborate on the challenges that will face the state of Louisiana in the future.

“We anticipate research in new uses of our vast forests to create greater economic opportunities for our state by focusing on more effective and efficient processing of forest products while also contributing to sustainability and a low carbon future,” says Dr. Les Guice, Louisiana Tech President. “This new building will also provide space for research collaborations with the industry and other partners, and each of these initiatives will help our students be better prepared for careers in the forestproducts and other industries.”

“We believe this Center will have a tremendous impact on the forestry industry by connecting people, ideas, research and resources,” adds Jimmy Hunt, co-owner and vice-chairman of

the Board of Directors of Hunt Forest Products. “Louisiana Tech has a discovery-driven culture, and we are thrilled to be a collaborating advisor in the development of the Forest Products Innovation Center.”

Hunt Forest Products (HFP) was founded in 1978 as a full-service wood products company. HFP manufactures plywood, lumber and other specialty wood products. Mike Walpole of Ruston has been chosen as the designer for this phase of the building construction.

Campbell Global Adds SE Timberland Timber investment manager, Campbell Global, has acquired more than 250,000 acres of high-quality, commercial timberland across three properties in the Southeastern U.S. valued at more than a half billion dollars. Campbell Global, which was acquired by J.P. Morgan Asset Management in August 2021, has managed more than 5 million acres worldwide for pension funds, foundations and other institutional investors.

The recently acquired properties will be continuously managed for carbon capture and timber produc-

tion to meet growing demand for sustainable building products and other uses. The properties encompass: approximately 120 million standing trees; more than 700 miles of streams protected by 30,000 acres of riparian forests; more than 250,000 acres of diverse wildlife habitat for recreational pursuits.

GP Contributes To CLT Project Georgia-Pacific is partnering with Jamestown, SmartLam North America and the Georgia Forestry Foundation to support construction of the first Georgia-grown mass timber project, 619 Ponce. Delivery of the first beams arrived at Ponce City Market in Atlanta where vertical construction began on the four-story mass timber loft office building.

The building’s columns, beams, and floor slabs are made of local southern yellow pine sawtimber harvested from Georgia forests owned

by Jamestown. GP reports this marks the first time southern yellow pine, a species plentiful across the Southern U.S., has been used in a mass timber project.

Georgia-Pacific worked with

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Jamestown and SmartLam to engineer the use of this species instead of species from the Pacific Northwest or Europe. In fact, Georgia-Pacific was also the first company to begin using southern yellow pine to make plywood panels beginning in the 1960s.

“Since starting as a small lumber manufacturer in 1927, Georgia-Pacific has a rich history of innovation in the building products industry,” says Fritz Mason, President of GeorgiaPacific Lumber. “As pioneers in the use of southern yellow pine, we’re proud to support Jamestown and SmartLam as they work to usher in the evolution of southern yellow pine in mass timber construction.”

The southern yellow pine sawtimber for 619 Ponce was transported to Georgia-Pacific’s sawmill in Albany, Ga., where it was converted into lumber. The lumber was later transported to SmartLam’s mass timber plant in Dothan, Ala., where it was manufactured into cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels. The CLT panels are being erected onsite at Ponce City Market by StructureCraft and J.E. Dunn, with building completion expected in 2024.

“Mass timber is a sustainable building material with a low carbon footprint, relative to traditional materials like concrete and steel,” says Catherine Pfeiffenberger, Managing

Canfor DeRidder Has Log Cranes In Place

The building will include 85,000 sq. ft. of office space and 25,000 sq. ft. of retail space for up to 100 businesses employing more than 5,750 people when the project is complete and fully activated.

Purdue Grant Focuses On Forest Development

New sawmill comes into focus at DeRidder.

Fulghum Industries, Inc. reports the commission of two recently installed 170 ft. 45-ton log cranes for Canfor. The cranes will be feeding the new $160 million, 250MMBF sawmill at DeRidder, La. The log cranes were commissioned and certified for operation on January 31.

Director and Head of Development & Construction at Jamestown.

“Mass timber is also cleaner to construct, which aids in reducing carbon emissions during construction. Of equal importance, mass timber provides a warm, healthy, and welcoming work environment for the people who will occupy the space.”

619 Ponce is part of Ponce City

Market’s next phase, which also includes a flexible-stay hospitality living building featuring 405 furnished units with short-term and long-term stay options, and Signal House, a multi-family rental building designed for active adults and the 55 and over community. The building will include more than 800 residences.

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U.S. Dept. of Agriculture has awarded a $10 million grant to Purdue University to help landowners and stakeholders better adapt their forests to increasingly complicated economic and climate conditions in the Eastern U.S. About five million small, private landowners control just over half the acreage of forests in the Eastern U.S. This contrasts with Western U.S. forests, which are mostly publicly owned. Purdue and its project partners—the University of Georgia, the University of Maine and the U.S. Forest Service—aim to improve the management of 15 million acres of those forests, an area nearly as large as the state of West Virginia.

The project encompasses the northern hardwood forest in the Northeast, the central hardwood region, and the southern pine and mixed hardwood.

“We will provide the digital tools

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that allow rapid response and precision management to improve forest health,” says Songlin Fei, a professor of forestry and natural resources and the Dean’s Chair of Remote Sensing at Purdue.

Called PERSEUS (Promoting Economic Resilience and Sustainability of the Eastern U.S. Forests), the project invokes the hero of Greek mythology who slew the fearsomely snake-haired Gorgon Medusa. In its modern incarnation, PERSEUS will work to protect forestry’s many benefits, which include timber and fiber production along with climate mitigation.

Their long-term sustainability, however, faces threats from climate change, evolving markets and land-use changes.

“The high interest in carbon has renewed interest in forests, while complicating their overall management,” says Aaron Weiskittel, the Irving Chair of Forest Ecosystem Management at the University of Maine. “PERSEUS will work to provide a more holistic approach to forest management, while giving landowners new tools to guide decision-making.”

Partner institutions will add to the depth of the research, applying digital tools and artificial intelligence to a variety of areas and forest types. Working together, the team will explore ways to merge data collected from drones, satellites and other sources in an AI environment to automate forest inventories. They will also help build systems to analyze ecosystem services provided by forests, as well as the environmental footprint of the forestry supply chain.

“We need to provide research, extension and outreach products to

benefit private forest landowners of the Eastern United States,” says Pete Bettinger, the project lead at the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. “And we need to design systems that improve the efficiency of data development and the accessibility of information related to alternative management options.”

PERSEUS is part of Purdue’s cross-disciplinary Center for Digital Forestry, which includes faculty

members from the colleges of Agriculture, Engineering, Science and Liberal Arts; Purdue Libraries; and the Purdue Polytechnic Institute. As one of the five strategic investments in Purdue’s Next Moves, the center leverages digital technology and multidisciplinary expertise to measure, monitor and manage urban and rural forests to maximize social, economic and ecological benefits.

PERSEUS will guide landowner decision-making via a digital frame-

work for visually representing current and future forest trends so that landowners will have data upon which to base their decisions.

The project also will enhance the Center for Digital Forestry’s ongoing efforts to produce a digitally competent next-generation workforce.

“This is the future,” Fei says. “If the U.S. agricultural sector wants to stay competitive, we will need to put a lot of energy into this area.”

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As We See It: The Roaring Twenties - 1923 vs. 2023 The American Loggers Council, because of who we are (you) and what we represent, is widely recognized and respected. That is why the American Loggers Council was invited to attend the Coolidge Foundation centennial celebration of the Presi- Dane dency of Calvin Coolidge.

Coincidentally, when Calvin Coolidge was Vice President he lived at the Willard Hotel, the same place that the American Loggers Council will be hosting the 2023 DC Fly-In and where the Council office is.

The conference, hosted at the Library of Congress, explored the political philosophy of economic prosperity (roaring 20s) through less government and lower tax rates.

These policies were proven successful in lowering unemployment, reversing severe inflation, reducing the national debt, increasing tax revenue, and generating the last government budget surplus.

“The collection of any taxes which are not absolutely required, which do not beyond reasonable doubt contribute to the public wel-

fare, is only a species of legalized larceny.”

–President Coolidge The parallels between America 100 years ago and today are remarkable: the end of a pandemic; high inflation; deficit spending; war (WWI) debt; political division; and civil strife. But unlike 100 years ago, America today does not have political leadership that looks at history, learns from it, uses what proved successful, and put the greater good first.

It was said by Winston Churchill that those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. History may be a source of learning that can allow those that “learn from history” to benefit from the successes demonstrated by prior events and responses.

Oh, for our elected officials’ days of principled public service leadership. We like to imagine that over the past 100 years, we’ve evolved into a greater republic led by more enlightened leaders. But the statesmen of yesteryear are mere historical figures, scarce in today’s halls of Congress or residence of the White House. The greatness of

America was built by those before us. It is our responsibility to preserve it, not dismantle it.

The very essence of President Coolidge’s common man values is reflective of the values shared by the men and women of the American logging and timber occupation.

The philosophy of hard work and self-reliance, which they epitomize, was reflected in President Coolidge’s quote, “Self-Governance means Self-Support.” This concept is absent in today’s teachings, which question and cast doubt on the hard work and self-determination character of the men and women who work in the woods.

President Coolidge’s reduction in governmental regulation, which today has heaped such a burden upon the logger that they struggle to shoulder it and still provide for their family and business, would be welcome 100 years later.

President Coolidge served the U.S. and the American people selflessly, and when he came to the point that he felt he had done all he could for his country and countrymen as an instrument of Divine Providence “of which I am but one” he stepped aside. He knew to

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whom he was entrusted with honor and responsibility: “no pledge except to serve them.”

“It is a great advantage to a President, and a major source of safety to the country, for him to know that he is not a great man,” President Coolidge said upon his announcement that he would not be seeking another term.

A new generation of civic leaders will determine the future of the United States. Fortunately, 100 of the best and brightest college students, Coolidge Senators, were in attendance and participated in this reflection on how a reluctant public servant, President Calvin Coolidge, embraced the challenges of his time with the conviction and wherewithal to make complex, albeit not always popular, decisions based on moral convictions, with the good of all over the good of few, as his compass. Perhaps one of these Coolidge Senators will embrace the Coolidge philosophy and lead the United States back to a period of prosperity, peace, and progress.

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

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MACHINES-SUPPLIES-TECHNOLOGY Falcon Slash Rake A new take on an old method to deal with forestry slash is set to help New Zealand logging crews more effectively manage skid sites and landings with the potential to increase productivity. The locally developed Falcon Slash Grapple Rake brings fresh thinking to slash control in a typical Kiwi approach.

The rake fits around two of the most common sizes of Ensign grapple and can reduce the laborious task by as much as one hour a day.

The idea for the new attachment was suggested by Moutere Logging M3 Crew Manager Steve Johnson, who was frustrated with existing methods of managing slash and debris on their sites.

“I was up on the skid for three hours one evening moving slash for management purposes and thought there’s got to be a better way as I continued to pick up small loads,” Johnson says.

The Falcon rake consists of a one-piece spring lock system to attach to either side of a standard Ensign grapple commonly used for loading. It

can effectively grab huge amounts of slash in one go, which can then be precisely placed in a designated area.

DC Equipment has designed two versions in conjunction with a local engineering company— one to fit the Ensign 1530 and a larger model to fit the Ensign 1730. Fitting or removing from the host grapple takes around 3 minutes. E-mail: sales@dce.co.nz.

Link-Belt 40B Forestry Series

The Link-Belt 3440B Processor, 4040B Timber Loader, and 4640B Timber Loader are now available in the U.S. and Canada. The new 40B Series of forestry equipment features design improvements to increase cooling performance, debris management, and serviceability. The new line made its debut at Triad Machinery’s booth during the 85th annual Oregon Logging Conference in February.

The 4040B TL is gaining a substantial increase in engine HP, by 21%. Coupled with increased cooling and airflow management, the 4040B TL is sure to put in the work for the long haul. With serviceability and debris management, removal of the dust screen from the ground or catwalk is quick and effortless.

An all-new 3440B PH machine dedicated to forestry timber processing features a 177 HP Isuzu tier 4 final-compliant engine. Boasting an upsized cooling package compared to the previous generation l, the 3440B PH offers superior performance and productivity compared to its predecessor model.

“LBX is excited to introduce the all-new 40B Series forestry product line,” says Adam Woods, General Manager of Innovation and Product Portfolio Strategies at LBX. “The partnership we have with our dealers has given us the opportunity to use the feedback directly from our customers as the basis of this new 40B series. From increases in productivity to the enhancements in the safety and service of the machine, we’re very excited about what this means for the future of our forestry equipment.”

40B Series machines were developed with site awareness in mind. The 270° birds-eye view with WAVES (Wide Angle Visual Enhancement System) is now standard. Couple all this with industry-leading fuel consumption and productivity, it’s a win-win. Visit lbxco.com.

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TRUCKING SAFETY

Passenger Vehicle Collides with Backing Log Truck BACKGROUND: At the end of a late fall workday in the eastern U.S., a driver was backing his tractor and empty log trailer into his driveway off a rural two-lane road. It was clear, dry, and dark outside.

PERSONAL CHRACTERISTICS: The 51-year-old owner/ operator had driven log trucks for more than 20 years. He had no known physical disabilities and had been involved in one auto accident in the past four years. His

driveway was located on a flat, straight stretch of road.

UNSAFE ACT AND CONDITIONS: The driver’s residence did not include a circular driveway or turnaround area, so the driver needed to stop in the roadway and back into his driveway. There was no street light or other illumination at the entrance to his driveway.

Although the log trailer was new, dirt and mud were covering much of the reflective tape on the log trailer.

The driver did not use a spotter or any other method to warn approaching vehicles on the roadway.

ACCIDENT: The truck driver was blocking the rural road in the dark as he backed into his driveway. A passenger vehicle approached from the opposite direction and did not notice the tractor-trailer soon enough. The passenger vehicle ran underneath the side of the log trailer.

INJURY: The log truck driver was uninjured. However, the driver of the passenger vehicle was pinned inside her vehicle and had to be extracted by firefighters. She received multiple fractures and contusions and required extensive medical treatment.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CORRECTION: l Wash the trailer regularly so that the effectiveness of the reflective tape is not compromised. l If backing is necessary, use a spotter with a flashlight or other light along the roadway to warn any potential approaching vehicles. (Do not assume that other drivers will be alert and careful.) l Magnetic, battery-operated beacon/flashing lights for the trailer or cab can be purchased for use during low-visibility situations. l The best solution is to install a circular drive or turnaround area at the driver’s residence (to eliminate backing in) or find an alternative location to park the tractor-trailer. l If backing is necessary, install a street light at the entrance to the driveway to provide better illumination of the truck when it is backing into the driveway.

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IRONWORKS TOLL FREE: 1-800-669-5613

CLASSIFIED AD RATES: Classified advertising rates are $55 per inch. Space is available by column inch only, one inch minimum.

DEADLINES: Ad reservation must be received by 10th of month prior to month of publication. Material must be received no later than 12th of month prior to month of publication.

CONTACT: Call Bridget DeVane at 334-699-7837, 800-669-5613, email bdevane7@hotmail.com or visit www.southernloggintimes.com

6209

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WANT TO PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD IN IRONWORKS? CALL 334-699-7837, 1-800-669-5613 OR EMAIL: CLASS@SOUTHERNLOGGINTIMES.COM

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WANT TO PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD IN IRONWORKS? CALL 334-699-7837, 1-800-669-5613 OR EMAIL: CLASS@SOUTHERNLOGGINTIMES.COM

RECONDITIONED DELIMBINATORS!!

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WE ALSO BUY USED DELIMBINATORS

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John Deere FD-45 SAW DISK (Uses the smaller 1" shank tooth)

Straightening and balancing or other repairs on Saw Disks IS MY SPECIALTY 566

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4275 Moores Ferry Rd. • Skippers, Virginia 23879 PH./FAX (day) 1-434-634-9836 or Night/Weekends • 1-434-634-9185

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A D L I N K ●

●

●

●

●

ADVERTISER

PG. NO.

PHONE NO.

American Truck Parts

27

888.383.8884

Big John Trailers

5

800.771.4140

BITCO Insurance

14

800.475.4477

Caterpillar Dealer Promotion

15

919.550.1201

Dobbs Equipment

2

844.469.3622

Eastern Surplus

25

855.332.0500

Firestone Agricultural Tire

16

515.242.2300

FMI Trailers

22

601.508.3333

Forest Chain

25

800.288.0887

Forestry First

34

803.708.0624

Forestry Mutual Insurance

13

800.849.7788

G & W Equipment

23

800.284.9032

Hawkins & Rawlinson

32

888.822.1173

Interstate Tire Service

37

864.947.9208

Kaufman Trailers NC

21

336.790.6807

Mike Ledkins Insurance Agency

28

800.766.8349

LMI-Tennessee

17

800.467.0944

Loadrite Southern Star

27

256.270.8775

Logger Associations

30

Magnolia Trailers

31

800.738.2123

Maxi-Load Scale Systems

24

877.265.1486

Midsouth Forestry Equipment

26

870.226.0000

Moore Logging Supply

27

888.754.5613

Morbark

1,11

800.831.0042

Nordic Traction USA

23

207.487.1984

Pitts Trailers

40

800.321.8073

Ponsse North America

19

715.369.4833

Quadco Equipment

29

800.668.3340

Quality Equipment & Parts

36

386.487.3896

Southern Loggers Cooperative

23

318.445.0750

Stribling Equipment

35

855.781.9408

Tidewater Equipment

35,36

912.638.7726

Tigercat Industries

7

519.753.2000

Timberblade

39

519.532.3283

TRACT

3

478.447.2893

TraxPlus

29

601.635.5543

Tri-State Auction & Realty

18

800.334.4395

W & W Truck & Tractor

33

843.761.8220

Waters International Trucks

37

601.693.4807

Yancey Brothers

30

800.282.1562

ADLINK is a free service for advertisers and readers. The publisher assumes no liability for errors or omissions.

COMING EVENTS April 26-28—Virginia Forestry Summit, Williamsburg Lodge, Williamsburg, Va. Call 804-278-8733; visit vaforestry.org.

July 22-25—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Summer Conference, The Homestead Resort, Hot Springs, Va. Call 336-885-8315; visit appalachianhardwood.org.

28-30—Georgia Forestry Assn.

Annual Conference, Jekyll Island, Ga. Call 478-992-8110; visit gfagrow.org.

August 11-12—Southwest Forest Products Expo, Hot Springs Convention Center, Hot Springs, Ark. Call 501-2242232; visit arkloggers.com.

15-17—Virginia Forest Products Assn. Annual Conference, The Omni Homestead Resort, Homestead, Va. Call 804-737-5625; visit vfpa.net.

29-31—Florida Forestry Assn.

Annual Meeting & Trade Show, Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort, Miramar Beach, Fla. Call 850-2225646; visit flforestry.org.

29-31—Louisiana Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino Resort, Lake Charles, La. Call 318-443-2558; visit laforestry.com.

September 5-8—Tennessee Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Marriott Cool Springs, Franklin, Tenn. Call 615-883-3832; visit tnforestry.com.

7-9—Great Lakes Logging & Heavy Equipment Expo, UP State Fairground, Escanaba, Mich. Call 715-282-5828; visit gltpa.org.

10-12—Alabama Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Orange Beach, Ala. Call 334-265-8733; visit alaforestry.org.

15-16—Kentucky Wood Expo, Masterson Station Park, Lexington, Ky. Call 502-695-3979; visit kfia.org.

17-20—Virginia Loggers Assn. annual meeting, Hotel Roanoke, Roanoke, Va. Call 804-677-4290; visit valoggers.org.

22-23—Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show, Starkville, Miss. Call 800-669-5613; visit midsouth forestry.org.

23-25—Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Expo, Music City Center, Nashville, Tenn. Call 504443-4464; visit sfpaexpo.com.

26-28—Arkansas Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Oaklawn Hotel & Spa, Hot Springs, Ark. Call 501374-2441; visit arkforests.org.

27-29—North Carolina Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC. Call 800231-7723; visit ncforestry.org.

October 3-6—American Loggers Council annual meeting, Sunday River Ski Resort, Newry, Maine. Call 409625-0206; visit amloggers.com.

18-20—Texas Forestry Assn. annual meeting, The Fredonia Hotel, Nacogdoches, Tex. Call 936-6328733; visit texasforestry.org.

November 8-10—Forestry Assn. of South Carolina annual meeting, Wild Dunes, Isle of Palms, SC. Call 803-7984170; visit scforestry.org.

Listings are submitted months in advance.

Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.

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