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A Hatton-Brown Publication Co-Publisher David H. Ramsey Co-Publisher David (DK) Knight Chief Operating Officer Dianne C. Sullivan PUBLISHING OFFICE Street Address: 225 Hanrick Street Montgomery, AL 36104-3317 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2268 Montgomery, AL 36102-2268 Telephone (334) 834-1170 Fax 334-834-4525

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Vol. 66, No. 4: Issue 669

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OurCover Steep slope logging operations are becoming more mechanized thanks to winch-assist systems that provide traction stability to handle steeper terrain more safely, putting more “butts in cabs” instead of boots on the ground. New steep slope harvesting systems may also help alleviate a labor crunch for cable loggers, while also boosting productivity and efficiency. Begin reading on PAGE 10. (Krume Logging photo)

OurFeatures

MIDWEST USA, EASTERN CANADA John Simmons (905) 666-0258 • Fax: (905) 666-0778 E-mail: jsimmons@idirect.com WESTERN USA, WESTERN CANADA Tim Shaddick (604) 910-1826 • Fax: (604) 264-1367 E-mail: tootall1@shaw.ca

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Kevin Cook (604) 619-1777 E-mail: lordkevincook@gmail.com INTERNATIONAL Murray Brett +34 96 640 4165 • + 34 96 640 4048 E-mail: murray.brett@abasol.net

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Steep Slope Technology

S. Dakota’s Daniels Forestry

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Fall Show Time

Logging Costs vs. Rates

Suppliers Stepping Up

Young Logger Building Business

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Bridget DeVane 334-699-7837 bdevane7@hotmail.com Timber Harvesting & Wood Fiber Operations (ISSN 21542333) is published 6 times annually (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December issues are combined) by HattonBrown Publishers, Inc., 225 Hanrick St., Montgomery, AL 36104. Subscriptions are free to U.S. logging, pulpwood and chipping contractors and their supervisors; managers and supervisors of corporate-owned harvesting operations; wood suppliers; timber buyers; businesses involved in land grooming and/or land clearing, wood refuse grinding and right-of-way maintenance; wood procurement and land management officials; industrial forestry purchasing agents; wholesale and retail forest equipment representatives and forest/logging association personnel. All non-qualified U.S. subscriptions are $50 annually; $60 in Canada; $95 (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.timberharvesting.com and click on the subscribe button to subscribe/renew via the web. All advertisements for Timber Harvesting magazine are accepted and published

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MyTake DAN SHELL dan@hattonbrown.com, 334-834-1170

Winch-Assist Systems Here To Stay But Many Issues Remain In Play Safety is the primary driver of the increased implementation of winchassist logging systems, and the main reason the technology will be part of the steep slope landscape going forward.

Jobs like manual falling and choker setting in steep conditions are two big reasons logging is one of the most dangerous professions in the U.S., and doing more cutting from the safety of a cab and choker setting in cleaner conditions are a definite step in the right direction.

Indeed, manual cutters are likely to see the biggest impact initially, but the spread of winch-assist steep slope systems has the potential to truly alter the nature of traditional cable logging in the Pacific Northwest.

I’ve had cable loggers tell me time and again the biggest obstacle to expanding is putting together a new yarding crew. Meanwhile, blending winch-assist systems into the yarding process has potential to alleviate the labor crunch through grapple yarding or tethered skidding, for example, processes that are made more efficient and productive working with timber that’s been pre-bunched and rowed by a tethered felling machine.

Reports and research show each tethered felling system can take the place of five to six timber fallers, and yarding bunched piles increases production by 15%-20%.

Some of the production numbers can be eye-popping, with one supplier reporting on a demo where a tethered six-wheel grapple skidder was bringing almost half a truckload of stems to the landing per turn—every 10 minutes or so—and totally burying a processor and loader in logs.

Future Concerns?

Additional efficiencies are sure to come as more loggers work with these systems and develop new innovations and procedures. Yet it’s important to 4

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remember that these systems are relatively new to North America and to most loggers, manufacturers and state officials as well, and all involved are going through a learning curve. Here are just a few new considerations: While cable loggers in the region

One of the more ominous comments I heard while talking to some of the safety officials who’ve been observing and monitoring winch-assist systems is that “the environmental side of regulation hasn’t been vocal yet” and it’s unknown if there are any issues that will crop up on that front.

Related to that are soil conditions and compaction. Research has shown that soil conditions are a better indicator of winch-assist system performance than severity of slope: good soil conditions make steeper slopes easier to work than more level slopes with poor soil conditions. Deep duff and excessively rocky conditions also impair performance.

A major study at Oregon State University is looking at all aspects of steep slope logging, and soil compaction is one area that’s getting a close-up. While officials say early soil impact results are generally positive, researchers are also looking for ways to identify when and where soil conditions are not conducive for optimal winchassist system performance.

Safety, Safety, Safety

are experienced with yarder skylines and guylines and related rigging and handling, winch-assist is a completely different application. For starters, the cable itself operates in tougher conditions, close to the ground and coming in frequent contact with dirt, limbs and debris. This means constant monitoring of cable integrity and reinspecting connections with every move. Planning and layout while working in tandem with manual cutting crews is also a new consideration.

Smart loggers do these kinds of things every day, and suppliers have stepped up to the plate with improved carrier features, winch controls, and safety features, but it’s still all new for the most part, and everyone’s still learning what works best for them.

There’s a fine line between encouraging innovation on the one hand, but placing so many conditions on new systems that their development is stifled on the other. “We prefer guidance, not legal documents,” says Bruce Skurdahl, partner in Summit Attachments & Machinery and a member of the Oregon safety committee monitoring winch-assist implementation in the state.

“If you’re too restrictive people won’t adopt it, but all we’re looking for is a clear path to follow—no one wants an accident,” he says.

Indeed, results from widespread use in New Zealand and early returns in North America show the systems are truly safer for personnel working on steep slopes—and the production- and efficiency-boosting aspects are a bonus. But primarily, it’s those improved safety numbers that will make winch-assist steep slope systems more common in the future. ➤ 53

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NewsLines New Hampshire Governor Nixes Biomass Bill The biomass power industry in New Hampshire took a hit in June when Governor Christopher Sununu vetoed a Senate bill that would have required electric distribution companies to offer to purchase energy output of eligible biomass power facilities as well as facilities that produce electricity using municipal solid waste as a primary energy source.

The bill had stated: “The continued operation of the state’s six independent biomass-fired electric generating plants and the state’s single renewable waste-to-energy generating plant are at-risk due to (natural gas) energy pricing volatility. These plants are important to the state’s economy and jobs, and, in particular, the six biomass-fired generators are vital to the state’s sawmill and other forest products industries and employment in those industries…and are also important to state policies because they provide generating fuel diversity and environmental benefits, which protect the health and safety of the state’s citizens and the physical environment of the state.”

Governor Sununu claimed that the bill creates “another immense subsidy” for the six biomass plants, and it would cost state ratepayers $25 million a year over the next three years.

“Senate Bill 365 doesn’t even guarantee solvency of these facilities,” Sununu wrote. “We need to be taking steps to lower electric rates, not passing legislation that would cause massive increases.”

Since the veto, regional chip suppliers to those plants have expressed concern about the health and future of their operations, and at least two of the biomass power plants reportedly quit taking chips and were running only on stockpiles as they considered whether to shut down.

The bill acknowledged that customers would see modest increases to their monthly power bills.

Bandit Owners Selling Company To Employees Bandit Industries owners Mike Morey Sr., Dianne Morey and Jerry Morey announced they are selling 100% of the company to their employ6

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ees in an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). Under the ESOP, Bandit will retain its current leadership and key management personnel will remain in place.

The announcement comes after two previous attempts to sell Bandit Industries—once to another manufacturer and once to a private investment firm.

“We realized neither was a good fit for Bandit, so we made the decision to sell to our trusted employees,” says Dianne Morey.

“It will be fun to watch our crew take it to the next level,” adds Mike Morey, who developed the very first Bandit chipper in 1983 and founded Bandit Industries.

Bandit is growing rapidly with 20% growth per year with two plant expansions under way and several new products being introduced later this year.

Bandit also recently entered into an agreement with ARJES GmbH, a leading slow speed shredder manufacturer from Germany. Bandit will sell and distribute the ARJES products in the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Indonesia and other parts of the world. The product line will shred almost anything, including cement with rerod, asphalt, steel belted tires and complete cars and trucks.

Bandit will celebrate its 35th anniversary this September with a dealer meeting and a field day open to the public. All of the Bandit products will be shown, including the new products that are about to be released and the ARJES line of shredders. “ Our employees are experienced, smart and loyal to us,” comments Jerry Morey. “That is why we are so confident that an employee owned company is the right fit for Bandit. All our employees will have a stake in the company.”

Idaho Officials Seek Timber Transfer Plan Idaho state officials are pursuing a timber transfer plan to protect fish and wildlife habitat while also boosting state timber revenues by using the proceeds of state land sales elsewhere in Idaho to purchase additional timberlands. Western Pacific Timber is looking sell a 38,000 acre holding in the upper Lochsa River basin, and state officials are hoping to head off the

possibility that the company might subdivide the property into multiple smaller pieces which would impact recreational access, timber production and key native American and historic sites associated with the Lewis & Clark expedition. Instead, state officials are seeking a plan that transfers the 38,000 acres briefly to the Forest Service, and the FS in turn will transfer selected tracts to the state of Idaho.

The value of the lands Idaho receives would equal the value of the lands the FS receives from Western Pacific Timber, which would receive funds deposited by Idaho into an escrow account The transaction is subject to a federal Final Environmental Impact Statement that includes a public review period. The lands acquired

by Idaho would be managed for sustainable timber harvest, and revenue from timber sales financially supports Idaho’s public schools. Economic activity on the lands supports jobs in the local communities, and the lands would remain open for recreation.

According to Idaho Dept. of Lands Acting Director and State Forester David Groeschl, “We have a unique opportunity right now to reinvest a large amount of endowment land sale proceeds back into Idaho lands to produce ongoing revenue for public schools and other beneficiaries for generations to come.”

Chunk Of East Texas Timberland Is Sold A joint venture of timberland and institutional investors is acquiring 1.1 million acres of east Texas timberlands for $1.39 billion.

CatchMark Timber Trust, Inc., BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group, Highland Capital Management, Medley Management Inc., and a major Canadian institutional investor that’s not identified are purchasing the property as sold by Campbell Global on behalf of institutional owners of the property.

CatchMark Timber Trust, Inc., a publicly-traded REIT headquartered in Atlanta and which invested $227.5 million in this acquisition, reports it will more than triple the number of acres under its control and management to 1.6 million.

According to CatchMark Timber, the acquired timberland has an attractive site index and features a rapidly

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NewsLines accelerating inventory profile, projected to grow from a current 2.8 million tons of annual harvest volume to more than 5 million tons by 2028.

CatchMark Timber states the joint venture will assume existing long-term sawtimber and pulpwood supply agreements with Georgia-Pacific and International Paper, which run through 2029 and 2027, respectively; International Paper has an option to extend its agreement until 2032.

The acquisition is one of the largest U.S. timberland transactions since the 2007 sale of 1.55 million acres, which included the acreage in this new acquisition, by Temple-Inland to the ownership now selling it.

Softwood Lumbermen Continue Investing The optimism of U.S. softwood lumbermen knows no bounds. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any higher, it has, as 89% of those taking part in Timber Processing’s annual Sawmill Operations and Capital Expenditures Survey expressed strong optimism about their lumber business situation for the remainder of this year and into 2019.

Specifically, 35% forecast their situation as excellent and 54% as good.

The results don’t come as a surprise, given the increasing activity in the U.S. housing market, but they do come with a caveat: too much production.

An open-ended question of the mostly multiple-choice survey asked softwood lumbermen what they are most concerned about with regard to their lumber markets? Many wrote in “over-production.” One lumberman, who is with a company that operates multiple sawmills, wrote: “The ability of the industry to do what it does best: Out-produce the market.”

A half dozen new southern yellow pine sawmills and locations have been announced in recent months, with more expected.

Six percent of the mills have committed to more than $20 million of new capital investment in machinery and systems since the beginning of 2017. Another 6% have committed to $15-20 million. Five percent are spending $8-15 million and 8% are spending $5-8 million. Twenty-seven percent have committed to $1-5 million. Overall, 52% of the mills have 8

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put at least $1 million into their machinery capital investment plans since the beginning of 2017.

New Texas OSB Mill Is Open For Business The first oriented strandboard plant to be built in the U.S. since 2007 has started up in Corrigan, Tex. Corrigan OSB, L.L.C, a subsidiary of RoyOMartin, celebrated on May 30 with a grand-opening ceremony.

RoyOMartin selected the Corrigan site in February 2015. Construction began in July 2015. The first press load came through on April 24, 2018.

Terry Secrest, RoyOMartin vice president of OSB and corporate safety director, noted the company spent more than $280 million on the plant, which will produce more than 800MMSF annually, and procure more than 1.2 million tons of pulpwood annually or 42,000 truckloads.

Roy O. Martin III, CEO and President of Alexandria, La.-based RoyOMartin, referred to the special day as a 14-year journey, recalling an initial visit to the Corrigan area. He said it appealed to him from the outset, including the work ethic, values and family atmosphere of the community.

“I told them I would come back,” he said. “I did come back.”

Vicksburg FP Purchases Anderson-Tully Mill Vicksburg Forest Products, LLC, headquartered in Jackson, Miss., plans to repurpose the hardwood lumber manufacturing operation in Vicksburg, Miss. formerly owned by Anderson-Tully. Vicksburg Forest Products purchased the sawmill on May 15 and has begun a significant investment project at the site.

Once modifications and upgrades are complete, the mill will be capable of producing up to 100MMBF of southern yellow pine annually on a one-shift basis. The mill will also be capable of complementing pine production with hardwood production as market conditions dictate.

Manager Billy Van Devender says the company is proud to be investing in Vicksburg, with such a talented workforce and strong sense of community.

“We look forward to having a long and prosperous future in the Vicks-

burg community and the Warren County area,” says Van Devender, whose family also owns Southeastern Timber Products, which operates a SYP mill in Ackerman, Miss.

Angelina Forest Products Plans Sawmill In Lufkin Officials with a new sawmill planned near Lufkin, Tex. say the facility should start up by the second quarter of 2019. The new Angelina Forest Products mill is moving into the former General Electric Buck Creek electric pump assembly plant south of town as the site of the $100 million sawmill project.

According to Angelina Forest Products Executive Vice President Stephen Raley, the mill will produce 220+ MMBF annually as a full line southern pine random length mill, with plans to expand quickly if needed.

Raley was formerly with Temple-Inland and Georgia Pacific, and several other key Angelina Forest Products executives are former Temple-Inland personnel as well.

“It’s the right time for the lumber industry and it’s the right time for Angelina County. The demand for lumber continues to improve while housing demand and remodeling markets are on the rise and the new plant site provides ample space for future growth,” Raley says.

Conifex Purchases Florida, Arkansas Sawmills Vancouver, BC-based Conifex Timber Inc., a publicly trade Canadian company which operates two sawmills and a biomass power plant in British Columbia, and which has started up a southern yellow pine sawmill in El Dorado, Ark., reached an agreement with affiliates of Blue Wolf Capital Partners and the minority shareholders of Caddo River Forest Products to purchase Suwannee Lumber Holding Company, LLC, Suwannee Timber Management, LLC and Caddo River Forest Products, LLC (collectively, the BW Group). The transaction is approximately U.S.$200 million in cash and stock and additional stock purchase options.

Both the Suwannee and Caddo River mills have had significant modernization projects completed in recent years.

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Winch-Assist Systems: Safer On Steeper Ground Landowners, loggers, suppliers seek safer operations on steep slopes.

S

DANShell

teep slope logging technology continues to advance as more loggers are putting winch-assist and tethered logging systems in the woods, primarily for felling but also increasingly for skidding and yarding as well.

The top region for winch-assisted logging systems is where steep slopes and cable logging converge in western Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, where an estimated 80+ two-machine tethering systems are currently in operation, and the number will likely surpass 100 by the end of the year. There’s some interest in the Intermountain region, and even a system in the works for rugged West Virginia, but the Pacific Northwest is where the winch-assist action is for the time being.

For years loggers and contract fall-

ing companies in the region had moved toward more mechanized felling in general, leaving the toughest and steepest ground for hand-fallers.

Now, winch-assist systems can extend mechanization to even steeper ground while adding more productivity, efficiency and most of all safety.

And while initial applications have focused on felling, integrating winch-assist systems into other cable logging applications has plenty of potential to improve safety and efficiency throughout a logging operation: Prebunched stems are much easier for choker setters to work with. Meanwhile, a yarding grapple virtually eliminates choker setters and workers on the ground outside of the landing area, as does a tethered skidding system.

One misconception many have about winch-assist systems is that the working machine is “dangling” on a slope, held in place only by a cable attached to a base machine or other anchor above. Instead, winch-assist systems simply provide traction assistance that increases a machine’s ability to handle steeper slopes without reaching its traction limit.

A 2015 report by European researchers Rien Visser and Karl Stampfer noted others’ research on steep slope technology that surmised wheeled machines with chains or bands might have an upper limit of 45%, integral track machines up to 60%, and that tethered machines should be able to operate up to a range of 75% to 85% slope.

Directional felling and pre-bunching logs—more safely—is key to realizing winch-assist efficiencies.

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As more landowners ask for these types of logging systems to more safely and efficiently access steep slope timber, issues include how regulatory authorities are approaching the new systems, the impact on traditional logging contractors and manual fallers, and the way suppliers are stepping up with new technology to help loggers implement winch-assist operations.

Regulatory Approach

information to OR-OSHA. The committee, which includes a solid representation of loggers, equipment vendors and forestry officials along with safety professionals, has approved 18 tethered logging systems for use in the state.

One member is Jeff Wimer, senior instructor in Oregon State University’s College of Forestry and manager of the student logging program. He’s also chairman of the Western Region Council on Forest Engineering and vice president of the Oregon Logging Conference and Pacific Logging Congress, which will highlight steep slope logging systems this September at its live demo near Corvallis, Ore. Wimer comes from a logging family and has plenty of woods experience himself. He believes winch-assist technology “is the best thing I’ve seen for worker safety in years” by getting fallers off the ground and also for choker setters, who have safer working conditions in downed timber that’s pre-bunched and not jackstrawed.

He notes one issue that’s come up and the committee is looking at (as well as others in the region) is what’s known as “sidewashing.” That’s when a tethering cable bends around a tree

As the technology expands through implementation and refinement, logging and forestry authorities in the two Pacific Northwest states and BC are approaching it in similar and different ways. Washington and BC have released best management practices (BMP) and are pursuing follow-up initiatives, while Oregon has a more formal waiver process through its state safety agency. ● British Columbia is in its fourth year of a Steep Slope Initiative with the goals of improving safety, loggers’ margins and better access to timber, says Jim Hunt, fiber supply science leader at FPInnovations (FPI) in Vancouver, BC. He adds that while BC’s provincial safety agency WorkSafeBC, doesn’t have any specific winch-assist regulations, there are already multiple regLandowners are beginning to require tethered systems on more jobs, especially for felling. ulations related to steep slope operations on the books.

Meanwhile, FPI has released steep slope winch-assist BMP document and a guide on wire rope handling and inspection.

“We’re encouraging operators and stakeholders to contact us with input for updating the BMPs, and we’re doing research on cable tension, wire rope integrity, traction and other issues to improve the safety of steep slope operations,” Hunt says, adding that there are plenty of information gaps that need to be filled. ● In Oregon, the state OROSHA safety committee has a process in place where employers who plan to use tethered logging systems must apply for and be granted a research variance prior to using a harvesting-falling machine above its slope limit with a tethered logging system. The variance also has requirements to submit certain operational

as a machine moves along a hillside.

This can be incidental or a planned operation as part of following a ridgeline or slope change.

“You can do it, but you have to understand how it changes the forces on the cable,” he says.

Wimer is also involved with a major research effort at OSU under a National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health grant that’s looking at all aspects of steep slope logging personnel safety. The multi-year project, with report due in August 2019, is looking at everything from ground-soil impacts to ergonomic issues with operators working long hours on 80% slopes.

Early reports show that just more than 10,000 hours of tethered logging system operation have been documented through Oregon’s waiver reporting requirements—equivalent to more than 35 man-years of hand-falling. And that’s with no major injuries or catastrophic failures. ● In Washington this past March, the Dept. of Labor & Industries’ Safety and Health Assessment and Research for Prevention (SHARP) Program released “Best Management and Operating Practices for Steep Slope Machine Logging,” a 41-page Techni-

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Major manufacturers are all making design changes to accommodate steep slope operations.

cal Report by safety specialist Travis Naillon, who’s also worked as a logger and safety consultant, and researcher Christina Rappin.

The report contains steep slope logging BMPs developed from extensive interviews with owners, operators, system integrators and manufacturers, and from extensive site visits touring steep slope logging operations.

It’s actually great reading considering it’s a technical report from a state agency. The reports covers steep slope research and historical developments, impacts and more and is chock full of safety recommendations, planning, safety checklists and other resources that any logger either operating or considering getting a winch-assisted logging system would find helpful and interesting.

Naillon says the plan is to meet with industry officials, equipment suppliers and major timberland owners quarterly, update the BMPs annually until the technology levels off then possibly consider rule-making in the future.

His personal opinion is that “tethered logging is a safer way to fall trees on steep slopes, and if the felled timber is laid correctly it can greatly increase production on cable logging side.”

Rewarding Investment The key to winch-assist technology going forward is that “timber companies need to reward the guys who are investing in their future,” says Bruce 12

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Skurdahl, partner in market leader Summit Attachments & Machinery, which has sold more than three dozen tethered logging systems.

“More work, more certainty and hopefully better pay,” Shurdahl says, adding there are a lot of contractors out there “on the fence” currently about whether to invest in a system or not.

“The only reason a logger is going to do it is because he believes he’ll make more money,” Skurdahl says.

“At the very least they need more work and consistency so they’re better able to plan. Smart loggers do that all the time.”

Back in June, Skurdahl and partner Eric Krume, who also operates Krume Logging, held a large-scale demo for more than 20 foresters and harvest managers for major landowners. The demo featured 18 pieces of equipment doing tethered felling, skidding, grapple logging and more.

“Not one guy was on the ground,” Skurdahl said, adding the demo sought to showcase the positive impact of winch-assist technology in all phases of falling, yarding, skidding and even processing.

“The increased mechanization means less risk with fewer boots on the ground, and puts more butts in cabs which means more productivity and safety—the OSHA people love it, land managers love it, and it makes you a preferred vendor,” Skurdahl says.

Indeed, while there haven’t been any blanket mandates or requirements, sev-

eral landowners are putting jobs out for bid that require tethered systems.

“Major landowners are already pushing the systems, and certain landowners are only allowing contractors with (tethered) systems to bid on certain jobs,” Naillon says, adding that one worry he has is contractors feeling like they may be pushed into using technology they may not be comfortable with or truly capable of depending on their employees and their experience levels and training.

Wimer reports that in New Zealand, one large landowner has set a goal of mechanically harvesting 85% of its ground by 2022. There are claims the landowner will “work with” contractors to see more systems added, but few details are forthcoming.

For safety reasons alone, “I would hope one of the big companies here would do the same thing,” Wimer says.

Impacts, Issues The biggest on-the-ground impact of tethered logging systems will be on timber fallers, who will see manual work reduced considerably as the technology becomes more established.

Naillon also authored a 2017 report after interviewing five Washington falling contractors to assess how they’ll adapt to more tethered falling—and estimates ranged from a 60%-90% reduction in manual timber cutting.

This also means that what manual falling work remains will be on even

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Loggers across the country who tackle steep ground could find a tethered skidder system more safe and productive.

worse ground and likely more remote and in inaccessible areas than before.

Naillon says a consensus among contract fallers is that manual cutters should work a tract first before a mechanical system leaves ruts and possible hazards such as hung-up limbs and broken limbs and tops in the residual stand.

He’s also worried that loggers and falling contractors may prematurely shrink the labor pool of manual cutters before tethered systems are fully refined and environmental impacts have been fully evaluated and mitigated.

“This decrease in the volume of work (will mean) both short-term unemployment for many fallers and an erosion of experience over time,” Naillon says. He also adds that loggers who are investing in tethered systems in many cases have struggled to find manual cutters and rigging crew personnel while hiring equipment operators is easier. Meanwhile, machine operators earn more and work more year-round, making it a more sought-after position.

Tethered and winch-assist systems are also helping timberland owners and logging contractors adapt to a labor crunch. “In Oregon, 50% of our logging company owners are over age 55,” Wimer says, adding that the next 10-15 14

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years will see plenty of retirements.

“These kinds of systems are one way to make the remaining loggers more productive and safe,” he says, noting that such steep slope technology is changing the nature of traditional cable logging: allowing contractors to adapt to fewer employees while increasing production—and doing it all more safely.

Suppliers Step Up One New Zealand-based winch-assist tethered logging system supplier going the traditional dealership rep and distribution model is DC-Falcon Forestry Equipment, carried by Modern Machinery. The Falcon system is a single-winch design, developed in collaboration with New Zealand loggers with simplicity and flexibility in mind including a quick-hitch option for loggers who want to also use the base machine as a shovel or loader. The Modern Machinery-Falcon arrangement was announced at the Oregon Logging Conference in February Currently, Modern’s winch-assist effort is based at the Rochester, Wash. branch, with designated “Falcon specialist” Russ Smith selling and demo-

ing systems and also working with Modern personnel to move the product into additional branches. Smith, caught on the phone just as he was heading out of cell service for a few days during a new system startup-training session, says he’s seeing plenty of interest and has been asked to do multiple demos. The company should have up to a half-dozen systems in the field by this fall, he says.

Jason Vaughn, branch manager for Modern Machinery’s Eugene, Ore. store, says he’s excited about the product and looking forward to working with contractors who want to implement the technology. “It’s being driven by the large landowners because of safety and liability,” Vaughn says, adding that such steep slope systems are part of a move to integrate new technology and additional safety features while also enhancing productivity.

Tigercat factory rep Kushiah McCullough says that while safety may have been the initial reason for winch-assist system development, “since its implementation, the winch assist system has proven to not only be safer, but also more productive than anyone could have predicted. Workers will always be safer in a cab than on the ground.”

The company has highlighted several contractors using winch-assist technology along with Tigercat machines in its newsletter, including jobs in New Zealand and Krume’s company, which operates a Tigercat LS855 f-b and other Tigercat machines. According to McCullough, the LS855E is a popular machine for winch-assist tethering systems thanks to its closed loop swing for power and durability. Tigercat’s new 10 roller levelling undercarriage provides a longer, wider stance, and is available with winch-assist bracket designed specifically for that frame.

McCullough adds that there’s a lot of interest in the 635G skidder as a less expensive and simpler alternative than steep slope logging with yarders or shovels. The only 6-wheel skidder on the market, the 635G can be fitted with a steep slope option that allows it

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Winch-assist machines are making it easier for cable loggers to adapt to a labor crunch.

to be tethered through the dozer blade to the front chassis.

While winch-assist systems help mitigate certain safety concerns with hand-felling while increasing productivity and boosting overall efficiency, such systems do not eliminate all risks, says Jared Dunn, product application specialist for Caterpillar Forest Products. “Loggers must be provided appropriate training, follow available best practices, exercise caution and scrutinize procedures to ensure work is performed with a close eye on safe practices,” he adds.

Dunn notes that Caterpillar is constantly making design and component improvements to meet customer application demands and to ensure these updates meet durability and reliability expectations, “and steep slope logging is no exception,” he says.

An example is a recent package of enhancements to the Cat 552 Series 2 Track Feller Buncher and Track Harvester. An update to increase the length of the undercarriage, “lowers the machine’s center of gravity, increases stability and lift capacity, and reduces ground pressure—all critical to success in steep slope logging applications,” says Dunn.

Enhancements include an optional dual-anchor point, cable-assist mount allowing the machine to be connected via cables to a winch-assist machine at the top of the harvest area, enhancing the 552’s traction and stability.

Two other optional engine and hydraulics updates enable the 552 Series 2 to operate continuously at 100% slope or 45°. They include an updated oil pan design and a secondary breather for the engine and a modified suction tube and updated breather design for the hydraulics.

John Deere Director of Forestry Engineering Richard Lawler says one thing exciting about winch-assist technology is that “It was developed by (our) customers. These customers had significant expertise in the use of conventional cable yarding technology and could envision the use of cable winches with conventional felling ma-

Steep slope technology is changing the nature of traditional cable logging: allowing contractors to adapt to fewer employees while increasing production—and doing it all more safely. chines to solve a long-standing problem in the forestry industry.”

Lawler adds that one of the biggest challenges with the implementation of winch-assist technology was gaining support from other key stakeholders within the industry, including regional safety regulators, forest owners and forestry research organizations. “In this area, John Deere has played a significant role in the development of international standards that will help this technology to be implemented in a safe and repeatable way,” he says.

To allow customers to implement winch-assist technology, John Deere has made numerous changes to its machines for such conditions, Lawler explains, noting that “The most significant was to make sure that the engine and hydraulic system could function at the increased working angle. Additionally, we had to make some changes to the operator station, including factory-installed four-

point harnesses for the operator and increased visibility to the tracks with the inclusion of a floor window.”

At Summit Attachments & Machinery, Skurdahl says he and Krume are constantly upgrading systems as new features become available. Most recent upgrades to Summit’s single-winch tethering system include more operator friendly software, plus the addition of a military-grade radio communications system that has more power and capacity to handle radio controls and digital signals for Summit’s two video screen that show the winch in action.

Skurdahl adds that Summit is also offering an upgraded hydraulics winch package for loggers who want to use a winch-assist system in a skidder application that requires higher winch speeds.

While steep slope winch-assist technology expands in the Pacific Northwest, Skurdahl believes loggers in other regions can find ways to cost-effectively blend the technology into their jobs. Krume has done a demo back East. Meanwhile, representatives from a landowner in West Virginia have toured Western tethering operations and are working to put a system together with a local contractor.

“I believe there are lots of opportunities in other parts of the country, not only for cutting, but just moving wood to the landing more effectively,” Skurdahl says. “Lots of loggers have grapple skidders and self-leveling feller-bunchers and older excavators.”

For loggers looking to extend mechanized operations to steeper ground more safely and efficiently, winch-assist and steep slope technology is defiTH nitely worth a look.

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Steep Slope Systems, Machines, Technology Suppliers offer safer, more productive technology to go steeper.

Caterpillar 552 Series 2

improved seat cushion while a static version is available as an option. The four-point seat belt will keep the operator secure and comfortable while working in challenging terrain.

Contact your nearest Cat dealer, visit cat.com/forestry.

Deere 859M Tracked F-B

Caterpillar offers steep slope harvesting enhancements for the Cat 552 Series 2 Track Feller Buncher and Track Harvester. They enable more efficient, productive, and reliable machine performance on steep terrain and also enhance operator safety and comfort.

The Cat 552 Series 2 is a full tail swing machine designed for high-production clear-cutting or final felling in rough terrain. It is equipped with the Cat C9 ACERT 226 kW (303 hp) engine, which has a proven track record of reliability and durability.

This machine also features the only two-way simultaneous leveling system in the industry. The three-cylinder system design significantly reduces stress loads into the leveler structure, lower frame and track frames.

Caterpillar steep slope harvesting enhancements include extended track roller frames that lower the machine’s center of gravity, increasing overall stability and significantly increasing lift capacity over the back of the machine. The extension also reduces ground pressure in steep slope operations. An optional dual-anchor point, cable-assist mount may be connected via cables to a winch-assist machine at the top of the harvest area to enhance traction and stability.

Optional engine and hydraulic updates maximize durability and reliability and enable operation on a continuous grade of 100% or 45°. The optional engine steep slope kit contains an improved oil pan design for steep conditions and a secondary breather system. Similarly, an optional hydraulic steep slope kit includes a modified suction tube and updated breather design. A dynamic four-point seat belt, standard from the factory, is another enhancement along with an 18

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The John Deere 859M Tracked Feller Buncher is designed to provide the balance, reach and traction needed to work on steep slopes. The 859M features a best-in-class leveling system and offers a low-tail swing option. A patented leveling control system on the 859M machine uses sensor technology, maximizing the forward tilt angle (26° forward), while electronically preventing any possible mechanical interference when tilting to the side. The leveling envelope boundaries are set automatically and the patented system provides a smooth transition when approaching the leveling limits. This system eliminates any sudden stops, enhancing the stability of the machine when used on slopes, ultimately improving operator comfort and productivity, even in the most challenging terrain. The M-Series machines feature a powerful 9.0 L engine and robust undercarriage, providing the stability and tractive effort needed for steep terrain. Additionally, a variety of boom sets featuring thick plates and large pins and bushings offer a sturdy solution with the reach and durability required for steep slope logging. The 859M Tracked Feller Buncher can be used with third-party winch-controlled traction-assist systems.

These systems allow tracked machines to be tethered together using a winch or cable system, helping with traction while also increasing machine stability. Visit deere.com.

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E.M.S. Tractionline

guarding for protection and easy access points for maintenance. The Falcon system has minimal impact on the original specifications and performance of the base excavator.

An optional quick hitch allows it to operate as a loader, shoveling machine or conventional digger. New Zealand-based Falcon Forestry Equipment is represented in the U.S. by Modern Machinery, which has its main winch-assist operation currently based at the Rochester, Wash. branch.

Visit dcforestryequipment.com or modernmachinery. com; call 360-273-4284.

HSM Force Synchro Drive The E.M.S. Tractionline is a twin line traction winch assist system designed and manufactured to meet the stringent AS1418-1 safety standard which demands a safety factor of 5:1 on all components. The system runs constant tension with large back up and emergency brakes all controlled via wireless communication between the two machines. Technical Forest Solutions LLC (TFS) is the exclusive dealer in western U.S. and western Canada for New Zealand-based EMS, which manufactures the Tractionline system and other equipment. Established in 2015, TFS carries the Tractionline and also the EMS Harvestline interlocked yarder with the Hawkeye motorized grapple carriage. On the Tractionline, features include multiple safety redundancies and real time operator data interface, plus innovations like a bespoke sheave system with spherical bearing to equalize cable forces transmitted to the anchoring bucket. Call 360-636-0300, visit technicalforestsolutions.com or emsnewzealand.co.nz

Falcon Forestry Equipment

The Falcon Winch Assist is the only hydraulic winch machine on the market that provides safety, simplicity, productivity and real versatility. The Falcon Winch Assist system can to be fitted to any excavator over 29.7 U.S. tons.

The single drum 1 in. wire rope provides continuous traction support for felling and shovelling machines on slopes up to 50°/110%. Multiple safety features and operating alarms give the operator the safety and security to concentrate on the task at hand. Designed to be a multi-purpose machine, the Falcon Winch Assist can be used effectively for digging, loading and shovelling. Developed with collaboration from logging crews every step of the way, the single rope Falcon Winch Assist is engineered to be uncomplicated, simple to operate and easy to maintain. A feller-buncher operator only has to manage one rope when operating down-slope, reducing complexity and potential for snags. Winch system design provides less mechanical and electrical complexity and less opportunity for breakdowns, and the winch unit has

Until recently, fully mechanized short timber technology was not available for steep slopes. As a result, there is now a strong demand for suitable, high performance machinery that operates with as little ground damage as possible on sharp gradients at risk of erosion. In recent years, HSM has spurred on steep slope technology for wheel machines with several innovative solutions to satisfy the growing demands of its customers and contribute to their success. The “Force Synchro Drive” from HSM has helped HSM to make enormous strides forward since it was introduced in 2010 with the HSW-15 auxiliary traction winches. Increased cable capacity, higher pulling forces and more powerful drive system with optimized efficiency facilitate safe and quick maneuvering on steep gradients. The Force Synchro Drive concept has advantages over conventional drive systems that work either speed synchronously or specify a constant cable force. Once the user has preselected force distribution and maximum cable force, the system regulates these forces automatically so as to avoid cable overload and above all ground damage. HSM uses the latest CAD development tools and its many years of cable winch expertise raise the performance of its auxiliary traction winches to new heights.

Visit hsm-forest.net.

Pierce Steep Slope F-B Booms Pierce’s family of steep slope feller buncher booms are clearing the way on the extreme slopes of West Coast forests. Pierce boom configurations operate in conjunction with a tethering system that allows loggers to virtually eliminate dangerous and costly hand-falling. “This steep slope technology represents a major advance in worker safety on the job site,” says Pierce’s Greg Hildebrandt. “Whereas traditional logging equipment reaches only a portion of the job

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Southstar Processor, Harvesters.

site, steep slope equipment can reach a significantly greater segment, representing a substantial increase in safety and productivity.” The Pierce family of steep slope feller buncher booms is currently available in live heel for steep slope directional felling, live heel for leveling shovel logging, and a two-piece configuration, also for directional felling. All three can shovel/hoe chuck logs directly to the landing, where the Pierce GP (Grapple Processor) processes and loads, completing the job with one efficient landing machine. Call 800-760-3270; visit piercepacific.com.

Remote-Operated Bulldozer

The Remote-Operated Bulldozer (ROB) system is a winch-assisted, dynamic rope system based around a bulldozer used as an anchor for a tethered machine below. The bulldozer base has a low center of gravity—and the blade makes an ideal anchor. Bulldozers also offer a wider scope than an excavator, as the fairleads go up to 45° either side of the bulldozer. This means that more efficient felling patterns can be implemented, resulting in productivity gains. The twin-winch system is safer than one: Each rope has a 26 US ton safe working load, and there is a spring-loaded fail-safe brake on each winch drum. Hydrostatic drive allows greater operator control, measuring how much rope goes out and how slow or fast it unravels while continuous tension monitors show that the winches are functioning correctly. Based in New Zealand under Rosewarne & May Ltd., the ROB system is represented in North America by Island Pacific Logging in British Columbia. Visit remotebulldozer.com; e-mail: kaelyn@islandpacificlogging.com.

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Southstar heavy duty FD750 directional felling heads are designed for falling stems with an optimum operating size of 5-55 in. diameter. Dual Harvester tilt cylinders with complete harvest down activation enable optimum control and increased safety when falling. A ¾" Southstar saw unit with advanced chain auto tension system allows no-tool chain change. Also incorporates a clever spin back feature permitting the chain to continue spinning when the saw bar is returning—allowing the saw bar to cut through any undergrowth that would otherwise cause the bar to jam. The Southstar Grapple Processors QS series are designed and built for production processing and log handling. They include a powerful tilt with locking system with float for heeling logs and handling. Powerful dual rotate motors with special Southstar-designed spool allow the head to follow log when processing. Southstar Grapple Processors also have a larger rotate bearing; high capacity delimb arms for log handling; short hanging bracket with high tilt angle; lifting hooks on delimb arm tips for safe lifting of trailer straps, and are designed to work with or without heel. A powerful 4x4 drive system provides amplified torque in large wood when processing while increasing productivity with the ability to multi-stem small wood. Visit southstarequipment. com; call 250-828-7820.

Summit Attachments & Machinery Summit is the leader in hydraulic winch systems f or the log g ing industry, including steep slope winch- assist ystems, tong throwers, shovel yarders are yoaders, and now all hydraulic yarders. In addition, Summit b uilds 3 siz es of hydraulic g rapple carriag e. Led b y industry veterans E ric Krume, who has operated a log g ing company 23 years, and B ruce Skurdahl, who has 35+ years in the winch and attachment b usiness, Summit b uilds the only N orth A merican sourced steep slope winch- assist system. Summit Steep Slope W inch A ssist systems incorporate an ex cavator mounted ex treme duty hydraulic winch and automatic and manual proportional remote controls, long rang e military g rade radios, live video, and electronic load cell w/ data recorder, coupled to a leveling cutting machine eq uipped with TIMBER HARVESTING & WOOD FIBER OPERATIONS

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H D hitch and ex tended g rouser b ars, and electronic controls to interf ace with the winch system. Down- the- hill machine operator has complete control of all winch f unctions, with video display showing a live G PS harvest map that switches to view of winch operation whenever the machine is moving .

System display incorporates daily saf ety checklist, line pull and line out counter, various alarms, and complete operators manual. In addition to enhanced saf ety and productivity while cutting , W inch A ssist can b e easily coupled to g round skidding machines to more efficiently skid logs up or downhill on slopes too steep f or conventional operation.

W inch- assist is ideal to increase productivity and saf ety f or cab le log g ing operations. W hen yarding b unched wood piled under the skyline, saf ety and productivity is dramatically increased. This has led to Summit developing our rang e of hydraulic g rapple carriag es and hydraulic yarding systems to reduce b oots on the g round while increasing productivity.

Summit views Steep Slope W inch A ssist as a complete harvest system, increasing saf ety and productivity f or b oth cutting and skidding . V isit summitattach ments. com.

Tigercat LS855E Shovel Logger

The LS855E shovel logger is an important evolution of the well-proven 855 series track carrier platform, making it a powerful solution for steep slope logging. It is a versatile leveling carrier suited to felling, pre-bunching and shovel logging in challenging terrain. Equipped with the Tigercat 5195 directional felling head, the machine is well suited to steep slope felling, bunching and shoveling. The combination is an asset in large timber, avoiding the additional time, travel and repositioning required to double cut oversize trees with a fixed wrist felling head. The feller director configuration allows the machine to fell and extract independently or fell and bunch for a skidder or yarder. The introduction of the new switchable, 3-way ER boom control allows the operator to choose between ER, semi-ER and conventional. The new

semi ER function allows the operator to extend the boom on a horizontal plane using a single joystick, but retracts the boom with the increased power of both cylinders, doubling the pull force. Tigercat’s leveling track machines are used in a wide range of applications for steep slopes such as shovel logging, felling and harvesting and use innovative technologies optimized for steep slope work. The new improved patented super-duty, leveling undercarriage is longer, wider and provides exceptional stability on steep slopes. It uses two massive hydraulic cylinders and heavy steel sections for a solution that is simple, robust and reliable. Unlike competing systems, the Tigercat leveling system leans into the hill when leveling to the side which further improves machine stability and operator comfort. Visit tigercat.com

Ponsse Synchrowinch

The Ponsse traction assistance winch helps achieve high productivity in steep ground operations. It allows operating the same machine in flat and steep work sites with no need for additional machinery or methods. Ponsse’s Synchrowinch preserves soil from rutting and erosion, saves fuel and reduces stress in drive transmission components.

The Ponsse Synchrowinch allows effective logging in areas where previously only expensive and slow special logging methods have been used. The winch speed is automatically synchronized to the machine driving speed so the operator does not need to operate or adjust it during normal work. Cable tension can be set and the winch can be operated from a remote control unit, making it easy to hook the cable to e.g. a tree or a stump uphill. Optional tiltable loader makes loader working efficient and easy.

Ponsse’s Synchrowinch is available for Ponsse Ergo and Bear harvesters and Buffalo, Elephant and ElephantKing forwarders.

The traction assistance winch helps widen the area of operation, so there’s no need to employ additional machinery or other harvesting methods (like cable skidders, manual felling) in the same logging site. With traction assistance, winch energy efficiency is approximately 80% because of direct transmission of traction force to movement and no slip. No slipping means mitigated impact to soil and lower erosion risk by reducing track formation. Lower fuel consumption and decreased transmission wear are pros of traction assistance compared to operating without winch in slopes. Investment cost compared to fully mechanized cable yarding systems is remarkably lower. Traction assistance logging has lower transporting costs (two machines vs. four machines) and system involves only two operators at the same time. Visit ponsse.com.

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Success Starts With Attitude South Dakota-based logger has quickly learned what it takes.

A

positive attitude can go a long way in the logging industry. As all logging company owners know, there are going to be good times and bad times, but it’s how you respond during the bad times that can define your business. One unhappy crew member can make or break how a company’s day goes so it’s important for owners to set a good example for their employees. Kevin Daniels, 39, strives to make sure he keeps an upbeat attitude that spreads to his employees, which is an important reason why in

just three years he has turned Daniels Forestry into one of the most respected logging operations in the vicinity of the Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota and northeast Wyoming.

When Daniels was young his father, Dave, worked for stroke-boom delimber manufacturer Timberline Equipment for 19 years as a service manager, and Daniels got to see the mechanical side of logging which helped him learn the ins and outs of equipment. Dave now runs his own logging company so the two men are able to share ideas

JAYDonnell

whenever they get together.

Twelve years ago Daniels bought a John Deere 648 skidder and started contract skidding for a crew run by Ryan Crago. It was strictly skidding for Daniels until 2015 when Crago was looking to move into cut-to-length logging and needed to sell his conventional machines.

Daniels had never really envisioned himself running a logging crew, but when the opportunity presented itself he jumped at it. It was quite the commitment for Daniels, but

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he knew he had a good foundation in place with his knowledge of the industry as well as a solid partner in Neiman Enterprises.

Mill Relations Based in Belle Fourche, SD, Daniels Forestry is one of the largest producers for Neiman Enterprises, which owns four sawmills including two in South Dakota, one in Wyoming and another in Colorado. Daniels sends most of his logs to Neiman’s Hulett, Wyo. sawmill known as Devils Tower Forest Products, which produces 60 million board feet annually and focuses on high-quality shop grade lumber. The rest of the logs go to Neiman’s largest mill, Spearfish Forest Products, in Spearfish, SD. Neiman Enterprises’ primary focus is on pine boards for high end remodeling.

Mark Stiller, resource forester for Devils Tower Forest Products and purchaser rep on Forest Service contracts, oversees six logging companies that contract with Neiman including DanYoung logger fills big role in current and future regional logging capacity.

iels Forestry (as many as 30 logging jobs are bringing logs to the Hulett mill). Stiller has worked with Neiman for more than 10 years and spends the majority of his days making sure the logging crews are doing what they need to be doing under their contracts and that they have everything they need. “If there’s anything they need like a blade or if they want another road put in I make sure they get it,” Stiller says.

Stiller enjoys Daniels’ great attitude and knows it’s important for Neiman Enterprises to keep a good working relationship. “Kevin’s quality of work is outstanding and he’s friendly,” Stiller says. “Last year during the height of the fire season he was following his feller-buncher around with a spray tank in case they started a fire. He just followed it around. When someone like Kevin comes along we make sure to take care of him because our company needs people like Kevin. There are only a few younger loggers like Kevin in the area.”

Daniels responds, “I’ve enjoyed working for them because they seem to keep you busy. We had a good year and we’ve been busy.”

Day-To-Day Daniels Forestry mainly works on federal land in the Black Hills National Forest, where timber management has been at a crossroads following a 20-year pine beetle epidemic that ran its course last spring. The infestation affected 450,000 acres, which is nearly one-third of the total area of the Black Hills. Logging continued as forest managers looked to get rid of dead trees and thin dense tree stands where

pine beetles were most prevalent.

As a result of the pine beetle infestation, a new project known as Black Hills Resilient Landscapes aims to make the forest more resilient to pine beetles and wildfires through prescribed burnings, enhancement of of hardwoods and grasslands, logging and noncommercial thinnings.

Daniels Forestry works on federal land about 85% of the time. When Timber Harvesting visited they were cutting ponderosa pine on a 600-acre sale in the Black Hills. They had been on the tract for a little over a week.

The sale had good grade and good diameter pine; at least half of the logs were going to Hulett and the remainder to Spearfish. Daniels and his crew of three produce about 50 loads per week, though production in the summer can slow due to quotas. The busy season for Daniels Forestry is generally from September to March when the job can average 60 loads a week.

In 2017 they cut 9.5 million feet, and they cut 8.5 to 16.5 ft. lengths as Neiman doesn’t take treelength logs.

Daniels prefers to work during the winter months because everything moves easier with the frozen ground and they don’t fight the heat on the machines. The winters can get pretty brutal in South Dakota. “If it’s 10 below zero we won’t run,” Daniels says, adding, “When the ground is frozen the machines move around a lot easier and the trees will pull a lot easier because they’ll skate across the top. Sometimes it will restrict you if you’re on steeper ground, but I prefer winter over summer as far as logging goes.”

Daniels’ equipment includes a 2009 John Deere 2454D swing machine with

Daniels began his woods career contract skidding, but expanded three years ago.

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a 623C Waratah processing head, 2010 John Deere 848H skidder and a 2004 Timbco 445 feller-buncher. He prefers Firestone tires over other brands he’s tried because they seem to be more durable (fewer flats). His equipment dealers are RDO Equipment of Rapid City, SD and Black Hills Timber Equipment of Whitewood, SD. All of the trucking is done by owner operators, and Daniels has four go-to truckers that do the major-

ity of his hauling.

Daniels estimates that he has more than $500,000 invested in his business. His wife, Sara, along with the company iCFO, based in Sundance, Wyo., helps with his bookkeeping.

Super Crew The crew runs from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on most days and they generally don’t work on Saturdays. Parker

From left, Parker Shoun, Brent Wilen, Bruce Kuenzel and Kevin Daniels

Almost all logs produced are either 8.5 or 16.5 ft. thanks to mill log specs.

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Shoun runs the processor, Brent Wilen drives the skidder and Bruce Kuenzel operates the feller-buncher.

Daniels does most of the equipment maintenance himself unless it’s something that requires the help of the equipment dealer. Machines are greased every day at lunch and oil is changed every 250 hours.

Equipment maintenance is key considering the age of the machines. Daniels believes keeping a steady eye on equipment can save time and money.

He estimates the business spent nearly $80,000 on the 2004 Timbco last year, which is a lot more than he was hoping to spend. Daniels is already in the process of doing some research for a new feller-buncher, but he’s not sure when that will happen considering the hefty costs of equipment. He hopes to buy a new one soon.

“It would be nice to update equipment but the costs are so high, but then again running used stuff the parts are so expensive,” he says. “Our biggest thing is to try and keep everything functioning and when you do break down you have to hope you can get the parts here without having to sit for four days.”

One of the unique things about Daniels Forestry is that the crew members can all run more than one machine. “I like for our guys to be able to rotate between machines so pretty much all of them can run their own machine plus one of the others,” he says. “If someone is off then we can shift someone over and they like the variety where it’s not quite the same thing every day.”

Daniels makes sure that his employees are taken care of. The business takes all the major holidays off and employees are granted time off for personal matters whenever it’s necessary. Safety is a major key for Daniels and his crew as they discuss safety issues regularly and talk about how they can work as safely as possible while still keeping their production levels high.

“I’ve been really fortunate to have the guys that I do and they all get along really well,” he says. “If you get one guy in the middle who doesn’t really care for the other guy behind him that can cause a lot of conflict. I give the credit to these guys because they work super together and that’s huge.”

While Daniels and his crew seem to have a great operation going he’s still relatively new to running his own log-

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Daniels: Attitude for success

Production can range up to 60 loads a week in good conditions.

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ging business and he knows there will be many challenges ahead of him, but there’s no doubt that when those challenges come he’ll meet them head on with a positive attitude.

“God makes all things possible so my priorities are faith, family and work,” he says. “I want my crew to enjoy coming to work and be able to make a decent living.”

That’s satisfaction enough for Kevin Daniels.

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Team Safe Trucking Releasing 30 New Driver Training Modules The online training curriculum now available from Team Safe Trucking includes 30 class offerings across three training tracks, says Jeremiah O’Donovan, Team Safe Trucking Executive Director.

The classes range in length from 15-30 minutes, and each training track represents approximately six to seven and half hours of forestry transportation industry training. Training tracks offered are for: Forestry Transportation Owners (FTO), Forestry Transportation Drivers (FTD) and Forestry Transportation Safety Professionals (FTSP).

Classes cover the following topics and more: Introduction to Team Safe Trucking, Driver Qualifications, Driver Selection, Driver Training, Driver Condition, Maintenance Program/Vehicle Condition, Alcohol, Fatigue, Medical Clearance, Fleet Safety Programs, Accountability, Speeding, Distracted Driving, Right of Way, Turns & Curves, Following Distance, Rollovers, Clearance, Backing, Passing, Stopping and Parking, Coupling and Uncoupling, Railroads, DOT Inspections, Accidents, Breakdowns, Accident Investigations, Mill General Safety, Loading and Unloading, Entering and Exiting the Woods.

After completing each class, a certificate will be issued to the student for that topic. There will be quizzes following each training class that can be

downloaded and saved to document the student’s completion of the training session. When Owners, Drivers and Safety Professionals complete their training tracks, they will receive a picture ID card certifying the individual as either an FTO, FTD or FTSP.

Team Safe Trucking has announced their goal to reach 5% of the forestry transportation drivers—approximately 4,500 drivers— by year’s end.

Team Safe Trucking’s online training platform stores and can print each student’s training records at any time after completion of a class. This is a valuable resource for Forestry Transportation Owners, Drivers and Safety Professionals. Prospective employers may request permission to request training records from Team Safe Trucking. Upon permission being granted, Team Safe Trucking can release training records to the member/ prospective employer and offer access to a driver’s training records.

According to Team Safe Trucking Safety Director Miranda Gowell, it has been estimated that there are 88,000 forestry transportation drivers Trucking safety begins well before a rig hits the road, and training is a big part of running safe.

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in the U.S. Team Safe Trucking has announced their goal to reach 5% of the forestry transportation drivers— approximately 4,500 drivers—by year’s end. “The challenge is more than you may think,” Gowell says.

“Many drivers do not have smart phones where they could complete the training online. The word needs to get out to forestry transportation professionals. Owners, drivers and safety professionals in the industry need to make the commitment to complete the trainings.”

When Team Safe Trucking meets this goal, the organization will need to cover costs associated with users utilizing the online training platform, Gowell says. The non-profit is charged based on users using the training platform.

Since the beginning, Team Safe Trucking board members have had the goal to provide this training at no-cost to Forestry Transportation Owners, Drivers and Safety Professionals. To try to keep that goal, Team Safe Trucking is looking to apply for two grants to support this endeavor (OSHA’s Susan Howard Grant and The Washington SHIP Grant each are approximately $150,000). Team Safe Trucking board members are looking at other ways, mainly equipment suppliers and manufacturers, to support this Team Safe Trucking Forestry Transportation Training effort.

Team Safe Trucking has been working on developing a Forestry Transportation Training Program for Forestry Transportation professionals since 2015. Gowell has been working on the development of the curriculum along with O’Donovan and the Team Safe Trucking Executive Committee: Mike Macedo, Danny Dructor, Joanne Reese, Keith Biggs, Jimmie Locklear, John Lemire, Scott Barrett, Richard Meyer and Richard Schwab.

In 2017, Team Safe Trucking released an online training Module One Forestry Transportation Owners and Drivers. This module is available now to mills, logging associations, universities, technical schools and others interested in holding classroom trainings, conduct online trainings and just to review. Those interested in holding a classroom training with Forestry Transportation Owners and or Drivers, or to talk about sponsorships or memberships please email: Miranda.gowell @teamsafetrucking.com; visit team safetrucking.com; call 207-841-0250 TH or 207-841-0250.

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AMERICAN LOGGERS COUNCIL 24th Annual Meeting • October 11-13, 2018 Shilo Inn Suites & Hotel and Seaside Convention Center • Seaside, Oregon

“West Coast Wonders”

O

n behalf of the American Loggers Council and the Associated Oregon Loggers, Inc., I invite you to attend our 24th Annual Meeting in scenic Seaside, Oregon.

Getting to Seaside is not near as difficult as it was during the Lewis and Clark expedition. You can fly into Portland International Airport, rent a car and enjoy the 1.5 hour scenic drive across the mountain pass along Oregon highway 26.

Registration, the Thursday welcome reception, Friday breakfast, and both the logging and ALC ladies’ tours will be based out of the Shilo Inn Suites Hotel. All other meetings and events will be held at the Seaside Convention Center, a short walk or quick drive from the hotel.

Claire and I are excited that you are visiting our part of the country, and we, as well as the AOL, will do all that we can to make this a trip that you will enjoy. Come relax in the surroundings, enjoy the scenery along the Pacific coast, and find out why we are proud to call Oregon our home.

Mark Turner President

24th Annual Meeting Agenda Thursday, October 11

7 am–5 pm: Registration at hotel (exhibits open) 6 pm–8 pm: Cocktail Welcome Reception at hotel (light hors’d oeuvres). Explore Seaside for dinner 8 pm–9 pm: Executive Committee meeting, hotel

Friday, October 12 6 am–12 pm: Registration at hotel 6:15 am–7:45 am: Breakfast buffet, hotel 8 am–3 pm: Oregon Logging Tour, lunch at Camp 18 8:30 am–4 pm: Ladies Tour of Tillamook Forest Center, lunch at Pirate’s Cove, Giribaldi, OR 6 pm-7 pm: President’s Reception, Convention Center 7 pm–10 pm: President’s Dinner & ALC Auction, Convention Center

Saturday, October 13 7 am-8 am: Registration at hotel 7 am–8 am: Breakfast buffet, Convention Center 8 am–9 am: Board of Directors meeting, Convention Center 9:15 am–11:30 am: Full membership meeting 12 pm–1:30 pm: Full membership Awards Luncheon, sponsor recognition, President’s Award. Logging Activist of the Year Award. Luncheon Speaker: Vicki Christiansen, Chief of the U.S. Forest Service 8 am–3:30 pm: Ladies—on your own in Seaside 6 pm–7 pm: President’s Farewell Reception, Convention Center 7 pm–10 pm: President’s Farewell Banquet, Convention Center, roll call of the states, Timber Harvesting’s Logging Business of the Year Award, passing of the gavel presentation

Booking Your Hotel ALC’s Live Auction – Friday, October 12 Item Name: ________________________________________________________________ Description of Item:__________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Estimated Value:____________________________________________________________ Donor:____________________________________________________________________ Contact person: ____________________________________________________________ The American Loggers Council is a nonprofit 501(c)(6)organization. Donations given to the ALC for auction items may not be written off as a charitable contribution. Please have all donated auction items turned in at the registration desk by noon Friday, October 12 to facilitate setting up the event in the Convention Center. Thank you!

If you need to ship your auction item to the meeting, please send to: Seaside Convention Center, c/o Nate Burke, Event Coordinator, 415 First Avenue, Seaside, Oregon 97138, Attn: American Loggers Council – Danny Dructor All auction items being shipped need to arrive at the Seaside Convention Center by no later than Thursday, October 10 and not before October 5.

We have made contracts with the Shilo Inn Suites Hotel in Seaside. Reservations can be made by calling the hotel: 1-503-738-9571.

Room Rates Single/Double 1 King bed Oceanfront (floors 3-5) $149 weekday / $179 weekend 2 Queen beds Oceanfront (floors 3-5) $139 weekday / $169 weekend 2 Queen beds Oceanfront (2nd floor) $129 weekday / $159 weekend 1 Queen bed standard city view $79 weekday / $89 weekend 1 Queen loft partial view or King junior suite with city view $99 weekday / $109 weekend When reserving your room, please identify yourself with the American Loggers Council in order to receive the group rate.

The cut-off date is September 10, 2018, and it will be here before you know it!

Getting There The closest major airport is Portland International (PDX) in Portland, 91 miles away.

Association Supporters

The American Loggers Council would like to thank these businesses for their year-round support and sponsorship of our organization: Bandit, Barko Hydraulics, Bitco Insurance Companies, Caterpillar Forest Products, Forest Insurance Center Agency, Inc., Forestry Mutual Insurance, Hatton-Brown Publishers, Hawkins & Rawlinson, John Deere, Komatsu America Corp., Loggers World Magazine, Longleaf/Specialty Market Managers, The Lyme Timber Company, Morbark, Peterbilt, Peterson-Pacific, Ponsse, Rotochopper, Southern Loggers Cooperative, Stihl, Tigercat, Western Star, and Vermeer.

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AMERICAN LOGGERS COUNCIL 24TH ANNUAL MEETING OCTOBER 11-13 • REGISTRATION FORM Please submit one form for each attendee. Make copies if needed.

(CIRCLE ONE)

Mr. Ms. Mrs.

Name:________________________________________________ Nickname for badge: ________________________________ Company: _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Logging Association: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________________________________________________ City:_______________________________________ State:________________ ZIP: __________________________________ Phone:_____________________ Fax:_____________________ E-mail: ____________________________________________

FULL MEETING REGISTRATION INCLUDES: Thursday Welcome Reception ● Friday Logging Tour ● Friday ALC Ladies Tour ● Friday President’s Reception & Dinner & Auction ● Saturday Awards Luncheon ● President’s Farewell Reception & Banquet ● Friday and Saturday Breakfasts ●

REGISTRATION FEES PLEASE CHECK ONLY THE EVENTS YOU PLAN TO ATTEND. WE NEED AN ACCURATE COUNT.

ALC Member Registration Fee: √ ■ Early Bird Registration (postmarked by 8/31/2018) ■ On-Site Registration (after 8/31/2018)

Included Events √

$325.00 $375.00

■ Thursday’s Welcome Reception

■ Early Bird Registration (postmarked by 8/31/2018)

$300.00

■ On-Site Registration (after 8/31/2018)

$350.00

■ ■ ■ ■

ALC Member Spouse Registration Fee: √

Non-Member Registration Fee: √

■ Early Bird Registration (postmarked by 8/31/2018) ■ On-Site Registration (after 8/31/2018)

■ ■ $400.00 ■ ■ ■ $375.00

Friday—Logger Breakfast Friday—ALC Ladies Tour includes lunch Friday—Logging Tour and Lunch Friday—President’s Reception, Banquet & Auction

Saturday—Logger Breakfast Saturday—Full Membership Meeting Saturday—“On Your Own” in Seaside Saturday—Full Membership Awards Luncheon Saturday—Farewell Reception/Banquet

I have enclosed full payment for the events indicated for the total amount of $ _____________ Please make check payable to: American Loggers Council For best rates, please complete and mail or fax by August 31 to: American Loggers Council • c/o Doris Dructor PO Box 966, Hemphill, TX 75948 • Fax: (409) 625-0207 Questions? Email americanlogger@aol.com; phone 409-625-0206 CANCELLATION POLICY: Registration cancellation by August 10=full refund; cancellation by August 31=50% refund; cancellation after August 31=no refund. NO SHOW POLICY: Early bird registered attendees that do not cancel by August 31 will be billed.

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Show Time!

PLC, Mid-South Offer Logging Demo Events PLC features winch-assist demo area this year.

The PLC includes multiple educational sessions for loggers and the public.

F

or those TH readers out there who have a good pair of traveling shoes, there’s nothing like this coming September, when loggers can take in not one but two logging equipment demo events on consecutive weekends.

Even cooler is the opportunity to see how logging equipment and timber harvesting operations are different in the West and South: The Pacific Logging Congress kicks off September 13 near Corvallis, Ore., while the the Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show in Starkville, Miss. starts its engines September 21.

tions. There are also static displays and booths featuring state-of-the-art technology throughout the industry.

Loggers have the opportunity to earn professional logging credits at hands-on courses put on by exhibitors and from local OSU professors during the show.

Also, in conjunction with the PLC’s

new Adopt a High School program, hundreds of high school students will attend, learning about the industry and future career opportunities.

The PLC is also a fund-raiser for the organization’s scholarship and industry support programs. Visitors can support PLC at a dinner/auction Friday eve-

PLC: Education, Tech This year marks the 8th Pacific Logging Congress Live In-Woods Show, to be held on a 66-acre tract at the Oregon State University (OSU) Research Forest near Corvallis, Ore., September 13-15.

Held every four years, the live demo is open to the public, and shuttles run continuously from the free parking area to the demo area.

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Mid-South show includes loader, skidder contests, children’s activities and two $1,000 giveaways.

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Lake States: 73rd Show

Excitement is building for the 73rd Great Lakes Logging & Heavy Equipment Expo scheduled for September 6-8 at the Sunnyview Expo Center in Oshkosh, Wis. Show officials are expecting up to 200 indoor and outdoor exhibitors to showcase log splitters, portable sawmills, logging equipment, forestry implements, chainsaw carving, wood/pellet stoves and more.

This year’s Great Lakes Logging & Heavy Equipment Expo features the Great Lakes Forwarder Operator Challenge sponsored by Komatsu America Corp., Forest Machine Business Div., Roland Machinery Co. and the Great Lakes Timber Producers Assn. The FOC tests operator skills in normal daily tasks such as loading, unloading, and pulling logs from between trees and working in tight spaces.

This year’s show includes a September 6 kickoff event at the Best Western Premiere Waterfront Hotel & Convention Center from 6-9 p.m. Tickets for the kickoff are $20. Admission for the trade show is $10. For more information, visit gltpa.org; email jenniebaker@gltpa.org.

from timber cutting-skidding-loading-chipping to tire and insurance options and welding services, among many others.

As well, continuing education classes for loggers and foresters will be included in the price of show admission ($25 at the gate). Caterpillar will stage its Loader Championship, a skidder contest will be offered, and two $1,000 cash door prizes will be given away early Saturday afternoon.

A Mid-South is also a fundraiser. A

representative from Artistry in Wood will create chain saw carvings for purchase, and at least two major exhibitors will cook on site late Saturday morning and donate the collected funds to Log-A-Load for Kids.

The event is again being hosted by Mississippi State University’s College of Forest Resources. Potential exhibitors can find related information at crf.msstate.edu/msfes; a listing of all exhibitors to date can be found at TH midsouthforestry.org.

ning, September 14, at the OSU Alumni building. Tickets are $60. For more information and to register, visit pacificloggingcongress.com.

Mid-South Crowd Building Exhibitors continue to trickle in for the Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show (MSFES), which gets under way Friday, September 21 for two days along state highway 25 a few miles south of Starkville, Miss.

MSFES, founded in the early ’80s and held every other year, will again offer a mix of live equipment demonstrations and static displays ranging Foremost Authority For Professional Loggers

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Ikola: Loggers, Mills Need To Find Common Ground Sharing opportunity would be a win-win for overall industry, he says.

Asked to do more and more while logging rates remain stagnant, loggers may not be able to fully support mill opportunities in markets, says Gerry Ikola, left, talking with son Gabe in 2017.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Earlier this year logger Gerry Ikola of McCall, Id., owner of Timber Harvesting 2017 Logging Business of the Year Ikola Logging and President of the Idaho Associated Logging Contractors, gave a presentation during the Idaho Forest Group’s annual contractor meeting.

The event hosted 500, including hundreds of Idaho loggers, the governor and lieutenant governor and the acting chief of the U.S. Forest Service.

Here’s a slightly abridged version of Ikola’s remarks:

M

y presentation today will be to share my observations on the state of logging in Idaho. These are my views and don’t necessarily represent the views of other loggers. However through my interaction with a number of loggers in the ALC, I feel we have many common views on the state of the industry.

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One of the most positive aspects of our industry is that we provide the raw materials for one of our most basic needs: housing and building construction. The demand for home construction will continue to expand, and loggers are indispensible in meeting it.

We have met this demand in the past; but can we in the future? We have always maintained that as long as there is available timber we can deliver. But with an opportunity to substantially increase production, could you honestly do it?

The Payette National Forest has indicated an increase in timber sale output and I’ve heard that other forests are as well. Can existing logging capacity meet the demand for more logs that will most surely come if the timber is available?

The escalating cost of equipment and service has not slowed at all. New equipment is more technically advanced and does a great job, but still

needs service and has occasional breakdowns. But it’s also more difficult to diagnose problems and make repairs. That usually means a visit by an equipment dealer field service tech—which is expensive but you need to do it to get going again.

Better equipment has enabled us to increase production and do a better and more environmentally acceptable job.

The work environment is also safer for loggers, mechanized where possible with fewer people on the ground. Most are inside protective cabs that are safe and comfortable. We still have timber fallers and hookers whose jobs haven’t changed much but there aren’t as many exposed to that riskier environment as there used to be. We have also tried to reduce the risk with better communication in the form of radios.

New technology is great, but it comes with a cost: An example is tethered logging to increase production and reduce risk exposure with fewer

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State of Logging in Idaho: Gerry Ikola, Spring, 2018 Employee Wages Past 10 Years Sawyer: 56% Increase Mechanic: 43% Increase Truck Driver: 21% Increase Crew Supervisor: 18% Increase Loader Operator: 19% Increase Choker Setter: 19% Increase Equipment Prices Jammer, 2006 to 2018: 28% Increase Loader, 1994 to 2018: 23% Increase Processor, 2004 to 2013: 60% Increase

Costs for labor, equipment, fuel, overall business operations and compliance continue to rise. . .

Logging Truck Prices Kenworth Truck (new trailer), 1996 to 2018: 75% Increase Logging Prices 1994 to 2018: 6% Increase . . .while logging rates remain stagnant even with record lumber prices.

timber fallers working on steep ground. These new systems come with new challenges and costs, but I admire loggers who assume considerable financial risk in order to find better ways to do things.

As much as we invest in advanced equipment, it still doesn’t remove the many variables we have to deal with.

That includes and is not limited to weather conditions, steep and rocky terrain and length of skid. You can own the best skidding and processing equipment, but if the road is so narrow you can hardly turn a skidder around and you’re skidding a half mile with no place to pile the brush, it’s going to affect production. We don’t work in a warehouse; conditions vary a lot, and we just have to deal with them.

In order for loggers to be successful we absolutely need to be able to operate our businesses as many days as possible during the logging season. We accept that we can’t work year-round with spring breakup, and we are bound to lose time when rain or snow storms are bad. What really hurts is when we lose time due to unwarranted agency shut downs or log inventory issues.

Working a long season enables contractors to meet their fixed operating costs while retaining employees.

The relationship with the US Forest

Service has also changed somewhat.

For those of us who harvest extensively on federal land, especially doing stewardship contracting, we’ve noticed that change.

We don’t only occasionally interact with the timber sale administrators but also with a number of specialists repre-

senting wildlife, fisheries, soils, hydrology and archeology concerns, and also the TMAs and contracting officers. Frequently, the purchaser’s representatives are absent so it falls on loggers to interact with these individuals, and they have us under the microscope.

Road conditions, skid trail location,

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landing location, road obliteration, skid trail obliteration, thinning, elk calving, goshawk nesting, northern Idaho ground squirrel habitat and the list goes on. You have to be able to defend and justify your plans and logging practices. You need to be a negotiator in order to meet your objectives while trying to understand their objectives and find workable solutions.

To get the job done in an acceptable manner, the challenge is to get indi-

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vidual crew members to understand the contract requirements. You need to provide them with all the information that you can, through frequent communication, so they can make good decisions and perform their duties effectively.

I also want to discuss work force development. My observations are from a logging contractor’s perspective: an employer trying to retain employees as well as attract and hire new ones.

We are all aware that the logging work force is aging. We have not been very successful hiring new employees let alone younger ones. The average age of our crew is 50 years. We have one truck driver under 60.

A lot of us struggle to offer a good wage and benefit package to our employees, plus logging is hard work.

With the long hours, adverse conditions and working in remote locations, it takes someone who wants to log pretty bad to do it. We are competing for employees with a booming building construction industry. It’s difficult when they can offer higher wages, shorter work hours and job sites closer to home.

The extremely competitive bidding process for work has kept logging prices suppressed for quite some time. Meanwhile, costs for equipment, insurance, parts and maintenance, general operating expenses and employee wages and benefits continue to rise. This forces contractors to direct funds to absolutely necessary operating expenses while sacrificing wages, benefits and equipment replacement and upgrades.

Our employee wages have increased about 29% in the last 10 years. I reviewed the prices of new equipment we purchased in 1994 and 2006 and compared them to what we are facing today. The average increase is 42%.

During that same time frame, from 1994 to 2018 our logging prices have increased about 6%—and even with these modest increases we have struggled to get jobs.

Even so, I would say to you there is still reason to be optimistic about our future. I believe the demand for logging is increasing with the current emphasis on forest health. The limiting factor for increased lumber production is not going to be the mills—I believe it’s going to be logging capacity.

The sawmills need to remember we’re all in this together. For them to be successful we need to be successful.

We have to work together to understand each other’s needs and objectives.

In order to be in position to take advantage of opportunities in the future, we need to be successful today. We know there are significant challenges before us but I’ve never seen anyone more determined and resilient than the loggers here in Idaho Thanks for allowing me to share some of my observations with you— TH and good logging!

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PeoplePower!

WENDY FARRAND wendyfarrand@gmail.com, 207-838-4435

Even A Logging Wizard Needs To ‘Pull Back the Curtain’ At Times Remember the first time you saw we could not bring ourselves to label a the “Wizard of Oz” as a child, and that true “leader.” Remember, research feeling you got when the dog Toto shows that good employees don’t leave pulls the curtain back revealing the a “company,” instead they leave their operator controlling the movements direct supervisor. and actions of the great and powerful On the job one day, an operator Oz? I remember it as a feeling of discame up to me to share a very distressappointment and relief at the same ing piece of information. Upon my retime. Disappointturn to the shop, ment that the great I immediately and powerful Oz sat down and Gaining information to really wasn’t so shared it with run a strong company great and powerful, the boss. The can be a challenge. but just a mere very first thing Sometimes the only way mortal, then relief he said was, “I because, lets face was on the job to find out what the real it, if he was really earlier, why issues are is to conduct that huge and didn’t he share it an employee survey. scary, I may have with me then?” I never gone to bed knew the anthat night! swer. He was no I have witnessed longer just one that very same scene unfold with busiof the guys, but the boss of the boss. ness owners whom I have conducted You may still feel like one of the guys, employee surveys for: first there’s disbut your employees may not have the belief—and then relief. Disbelief courage to share certain information when they are shocked by some of the with you because now you are the employees’ feedback, and then relief boss of the boss. when we develop the best solutions to Gaining information to run a strong improve the negative situation. This is company can be a challenge. Someexactly what the man at the levers betimes the only way to find out what the hind the curtain actually did for each real issues are is to conduct an emof the characters seeking help from the ployee survey. This takes courage, and powerful wizard. the greatest of leaders do have the courNothing is ever what it seems to be, age to find out where the shortcomings and as an owner or crew supervisor in the business they are running may you cannot read minds or see and hear be, and work to improve them. everything. More times than not, imWhen conducting an employee surportant information is kept from you. vey, the most important thing protect Conducting an employee survey can the identity of who says what. People have the same impact as Toto drawing filling out the survey need to know back the curtain, shock and disbelief. their specific information will not be But knowing the truth can identify discovered in any way by management. areas for improvement.

The way that I deal with this is to give For the sake of the greater good, you the employees a stamped envelope with may have to humble yourself to hear my office address on the front that they the real issues that need to be tackled. drop into the mailbox themselves. I exTrust me, when I worked as a corporate plain that the information will be training consultant, more than once we shared in such a way as to protect indileft a business knowing the number one vidual identities. For example, personal problem was the leader. It would be as stories that point out company shortplain as the noses on our faces that comings would not be shared, but the these people were working for a backweakness would be shared only for the ward thinking, old fashioned boss who goal of improvement.

One survey I conducted showed an obvious need for stricter accounting of supplies on the job. Employees were very aware of the amount of waste and imbalance created. Individual examples all pointed out that distribution of needed items such as grease guns, fluids etc., wasn’t on an as-needed basis, but hoarded.

Another survey showed a blatant lack of planning. Employees expressed that reacting to problems at the last minute was wasting time and money. They wanted to see more preventive systems in place to eliminate that. No one knows the job more than crew members who are boots on the ground every day. They will hold the solutions that can strengthen employee engagement, safety and production on the job. They know, more than anyone what will work and won’t work. They are your most valuable resource when it comes to opportunities for improvement.

Surveys must be compiled in a totally anonymous way. Whether working with a consultant, or conducting it in-house, you need someone who employees trust to collect and compile the information. Employees need to feel free to express their honest opinions and concerns.

Results are shared with leadership first, then with the entire crew or crews to create engagement around the solutions. Employee involvement in solutions is key: People are more likely to support a work environment when they help create it. The more people who are involved in designing a given solution means there will be more people making sure an initiative is upheld, and continues to work.

So don’t be afraid to pull back the curtain to find what you need to do to strengthen your business. Working in one of the most dangerous professions on the planet you cannot afford waning engagement, it can lead to dangerous situations and possibly even death.

To your employees, you may seem like the great and powerful Oz, but you and you alone can work to find areas within your company for improvement and then together, as a team, create an action plan to tackle those areas in order to strengthen TH safety and production!

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EquipmentWorld Logset Hybrid Harvester Tours Finland, Germany Logset has been touring its Logset 12H GTE hybrid harvester. The tour started in Kouvola, Finland in May with a demo of three Logset forest machines. The tour moved to Germany and France in June 2018, including exhibitions at Euroforest in June and Interforst in July.

Logset launched the hybrid harvester in 2016. During the tour it has been equipped with a Logset TH85 harvester head. At the event in Finland, the visitors also observed a Logset 8H GTE harvester with a Logset TH65 harvester head, and a Logset 5F GT forwarder.

Kouvola attracted a lot of visitors including forest machine operators and cousins Joni Harmoinen and Mikko Harmoinen from Ristiina. “The hybrid and 8H GTE were what drew me here.

I’m interested in hybrid technology, even though the harvester is huge,” says Joni Harmoinen.

Both demo day harvesters have the

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which gives about 180 kW extra power and a great amount of torque to the Logset 12H GTE Hybrid. Thanks to the hybrid package, the revs of the engine can be kept at a constant level, even though the power needed by the harvester can vary significantly during work cycles when the harvester is cutting and delimbing trees.

The Logset 5F GT forwarder on site is the most popular Logset forwarder model in Finland due to the lightness and loading capacity of the machine.

New Zealand Operator Takes On Big Timber Logset hybrid harvester has taken to the road.

same diesel engine. The machines also have a two-circuit hydraulic system which makes them easy to operate.

The operator can move the crane, the harvester head and the base machine simultaneously.

The main difference between the harvesters is the hybrid package,

Deep in the Kaingaroa Forest in the North Island of New Zealand, on a patch of logging land so challenging that previous harvesting crews left it behind, an EC380DL crawler excavator from Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) is clearing up remnants of old Douglas fir and navigating the tough terrain like a champ.

“The southern end of the forest all

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EquipmentWorld used to be Douglas and they were huge,” says Mike Harris, owner of Mike Harris Logging Ltd. “The stuff we’re cutting, some of it’s really nice, but a lot is very ugly, and we’ve got to hurry with it because Douglas dries out quickly.”

On landscape that’s criss-crossed with deep gullies and hard to access or negotiate, Harris is using the first EC380DL in New Zealand to fall, trim and process 7-ton plus trees into logs.

The company produces around 3,000 tons of logs daily.

Harris previously used a second-hand Volvo EC460CL excavator to harvest the large timber. When Harris was looking for a replacement machine, he selected the EC380DL because he had such a good experience with the EC460 CL. Just a couple of months after purchasing the first EC380DL in New Zealand, Harris added a second EC380DL to his fleet in April.

“I had a good run so decided to stick with Volvo,” Harris says. “The EC380DL is also very economical— using only 27.9 liters of fuel per hour

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the dealership. After seeing where Harris would use the machine, Shaterley explained why the slightly smaller EC380DL would work well.

“Ewen was right—the EC380DL is a good falling machine, it’s got plenty of weight, handles the bigger trees here, and is nice and fast,” Harris says.

“It’s also very stable with that longreach counterweight on the back.”

Mike Harris Logging relies on a Volvo EC380DL.

whereas the old one was running at about 33 per hour. Other machines around this size can be doing anything up to 40 liters, so this compares really well.”

The EC380DL offers 500 mm ground clearance, higher and wider than the EC460CL, and is based on the undercarriage of a 50-ton Volvo excavator.

Another reason Harris purchased the EC380DL from long-time Volvo CE dealer Transdiesel was because of the technical knowledge of Ewen Satherley, Timber & Material Handling National Product Manager at

Maine Operator Wins Loader Championship A Maine logger won the Loader Championship sponsored by Caterpillar Forest Products at the Northeastern Forest Products Equipment Expo in Essex Junction, Vermont, May 11-12.

The contest raised $2,009 for Log A Load For Kids.

Shaun McLucas of Rangeley, Maine won first place with a time of 2 minutes and 36 seconds. (He also won first place at the Northeastern Expo when it was held in Bangor, Maine last year.)

Marc Riendeau of Danville, Vermont took second place with a time of 2

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EquipmentWorld minutes and 49 seconds, and Kyle Kelley of Hillsborough, NH came in third at 2 minutes and 50 seconds.

Kelley donated his $100 cash price to Log A Load for Kids.

More than 100 participated.

Trelleborg Wheel Names Sales Manager In U.S. Brad Jones has joined Trelleborg Wheel Systems as Sales Development Manager for agricultural and forestry tires in the U.S. Based in north central Iowa, Jones has an extensive background in commercial agricultural tire sales and his experience and understanding of the North American retail tire business will help to further develop the Trelleborg dealer network.

Jones can be contacted via e-mail: brad.jones@trelleborg.com.

Midwest Equipment Acquires Nighthawk Midwest Equipment (MWE), a manufacturer and supplier of tires, tracks and undercarriage components for compact equipment, has acquired Nighthawk Machinery. Nighthawk has earned the reputation for producing quality, long lasting solid tires for skid steer loaders and telehandlers, as well as tracks for compact utility loaders.

With the purchase of Nighthawk, MWE now has four large warehouse distribution centers located throughout North America.

MWE’s product portfolio includes an assortment of MWE, Nighthawk, TNT, Camso, Bridgestone, Titan and Goodyear tires and tracks, undercarriage components and accessories.

Deere Expands Used Equipment Warranty John Deere announced new equipment and warranty additions to its forestry certified used program. The program, which ensures the value and reliability of used forestry equipment, will now include L-Series skidders and wheeled feller-bunchers. Additionally, the warranty choices for all certified used skidders and wheeled feller-bunchers include an option to extend up to 12 months, in addition to the existing six-month offering.

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EquipmentWorld of our equipment and provide our customers with the support they need to keep machines up and running.”

The new 12-month warranty option guarantees that customers are covered if any issues do occur with used skidders or wheeled feller-bunchers. Forwarders, wheeled harvesters, and tracked feller-bunchers and harvesters are still eligible for a six-month warranty.

Each used machine must pass a strict 100-plus point inspection in order to be certified.

Doesn’t Get Tighter Than This A North Carolina logger won the Loader Championship sponsored by Caterpillar Forest Products at the East Coast Logging and Equipment Exposition in Richmond, Va., May 18-19. Less than one second separated the top three winners. The contest raised $2,056 for Log A Load For Kids through voluntary contestant donations, Caterpillar’s matching contributions, and merchandise sales. Roy Reinford, Limestone Creek Forestry, Pink Hill, NC, won first place with a time of 2 minutes and 26.44 seconds. Michael Gibson, Mike Gibson and Son Logging, King and Queen, Va., took second with a time of 2 minutes and 27.22 seconds, and Paul Weaver, Weaver Logging, Amelia, Va., came in third at 2 minutes and 27.28 seconds. Rounding out the top five were Ray Nelson, Nelson Logging, Oxford, NC, and Corey Elder, DET, Inc., Cullen, Va. The top five winners received Loader Championship jackets monogrammed with their names. In addition to the jackets, first, second and third place winners received cash prizes and trophies. Everyone who competed in the contest—87 participated—received a cap with the contest logo. In photo, left to right: Reinford, Gibson, Weaver, Nelson, Elder.

43 “Our certified used program is designed to give customers a sense of security when purchasing used equipment,” says Kent Stickler, manager,

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Doggett Purchases Truck Centers Of Arkansas

Product Training and Information.

“Through this program, whether a machine has 5,000 hours or 8,000 hours, we are able to stand behind the quality

Houston-based Leslie Doggett Industries through its Doggett Truck Group has acquired privately held Truck Centers of Arkansas, giving Doggett distribution rights for Freightliner and Western Star trucks and parts for most counties in Arkansas with full service sales and leasing dealerships in Little Rock, Fayetteville and Van Buren.

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InnovationWay Rottne Upgrades Thinning Forwarder

Rottne’s upgraded F10D was designed from the outset as a small and versatile forwarder ideal for working in dense thinning stands. Now there’s a new version available, which is only 2400 mm wide and has a 45° steering angle.

The new narrower Rottne F10D is delivered with a wheel size 500/60x22.5 instead of 600/50x22.5 or 710/40x22.5. It also has narrower bunks.

In addition, Rottne has upgraded its F20D forwarder with a tractive force of 27 tonnes. It’s perfect for transporting over long forwarding distances. Visit rottne.com.

Titan/Goodyear Logger Lug III

CBI Horizontal Grinder 6800CT

Guests at the 2018 Northeastern Forest Products Equipment Expo had the first-ever look at CBI’s newest horizontal grinder: the Magnum Force 6800CT. CBI premiered the 6800CT with the TSC 80T tracked conveyor, paired with Terex Ecotec’s TWH 226 material handler, showing the value of both Terex brands in a single operation.

Improving on the 6800BT’s design, the 6800CT’s 190° screening area lets production rates surge beyond 200 tons an hour. The efficient design of CBI’s offset helix rotor minimizes kinetic energy loss from each strike, requiring less power to rotate while evenly distributing wear. This machine processes land clearing debris, pallets, clean industrial waste, stumps, logs, and whole trees as fast as it can be loaded, giving owners command over intense production deadlines. Visit cbi-inc.com.

Michelin Tire For Extreme Conditions

Titan International (Titan) offers 30-ply and 32-ply tires in the Goodyear Logger Lug line. The new higher-ply tires were developed to help address the higher torque and load capacity requirements on today’s heavier machines.

“Forestry equipment is 25 to 30 percent larger than a decade ago, and attachments are getting bigger, too,” says Johni Francis, global OTR product manager for Titan.

“The problem is that the tires are expected to carry the weight of the bigger machine but end up enduring greater punishment.”

Titan partnered with Alexandria, La., tire dealer Despino Tire and their forestry customers to test the higher-ply tires on forestry equipment. The new 30-ply and 32-ply Goodyear Logger Lugs quickly proved themselves in the field and made a huge difference for the loggers.

“Prior to making the switch, many of my customers were running 26-ply tires and having problems with sidewall separation and cracking. They were getting about 500 hours out of them and replacing the tires about every 10 weeks,” says Randy Despino, owner, Despino Tire. “We started out testing the new higher-ply Logger Lugs with six customers, and all six have been running them for nearly a year and well over 2,400 hours without a single problem. These tires are truly the best option on the market and are saving my customers money and reducing their downtime.” Visit titan-intl.com/forestry.

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The Michelin X Works Grip D tire is designed for onand off-road use for fleets and owner-operators who are focused on traction to maximize safety, uptime and efficiency.

This tire evolves from a client-centric co-creation process with drivers who travel the world’s most demanding roads.

Fleets and dealers in the Grande Prairie, Alberta area were at the heart of the development process.

The Michelin X Works Grip D tire offers three key benefits: exceptional traction, casing durability and maximum uptime.

Traction is created by staggered shoulder blocks that provide lateral grip to handle slippery conditions and sawtooth lugs with more than 800 serrated edges that maximize grip on ice and snow-packed surfaces. Through the combination of an extra-wide tread and an optimized rubber-to-void ratio, traction is maximized without sacrificing mileage.

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InnovationWay To maximize uptime, Michelin optimized the housing design of the tread and the positioning of the shoulder blocks, allowing for a quick and efficient installation and removal of snow chains. Visit michelintruck.com.

Morbark’s New Grinder, Drum Chipper

Morbark, LLC showed two new machines at this year’s Expo Richmond: the 6400XT wood hog horizontal grinder and the 50/48X whole tree drum chipper.

The 6400XT includes many feature improvements present in the smaller 3400XT. The infeed bed is 24" (60.96 cm) longer than previous Morbark grinders in the 1,000-plus HP range and has sloped sides. This configuration improves operator sight lines for more efficient loading of material.

Standard on the 6400XT is a removable infeed chain return

floor, which allows excess material to fall away to minimize the wear on the floor, bed chain and inserts, particularly useful in land-clearing or other applications with dirty material.

Also similar to the 3400XT is the focus on transportability. The 6400XT weighs in at less than 96,500 lb/ (43,772 kg) and measures 11' 5½" (3.49 m) wide with the standard Caterpillar 325L undercarriage with 600 mm double grousers, allowing the unit to be transported to nearly all domestic and international markets.

Another key improvement is the 42" x 61" (107 cm x 155 cm) solid-plate rotor with 3" (7.6 cm) retaining rods and a 42" (106.7 cm) tip swing. The standard hammer pattern is 18 hammers with 18 rakers, but like all Morbark rotors, it can be configured to multiple patterns.

The 50/48X was updated to a similar design layout as Morbark’s other industrial drum chippers with a sloped infeed, reverse-pivot top feed wheel, bottom feedwheel, externally adjustable anvil and Advantage 3 drum assembly that can come as 10 knives for fuel chip or 20 knives for microchip applications.

The powerful top feedwheel was enlarged more than 15% to 40" (101.6 cm), and the enhanced hydraulic system now includes a direct drive Poclain motor for the top and bottom feedwheel that eliminates previous chain and sprocket drives and provides more torque. The 50/48X can be equipped with a Caterpillar C27, 1,050 HP (783 kW) engine or Caterpillar C32, 1200 HP (895 kW) engine, both Tier 4 Final. Visit morbark.com.

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InnovationWay Prolenc 250 Series Snubber Prolenc patent pending 250 series brake link featuring Prolenc’s simple, tapered friction sleeve is designed to integrate with 5 to 8 ton class rotators offered by Finnrotor, Baltrotor and others. Externally mounted and integrated on the link, it offers easy access for periodic tension adjustments and serviceability. The link is single or double dampening and also available as individual units to adapt to the wide variety of linkages and crane tips available worldwide.

Ideal for smaller thinning harvesters as loading grapples, the 250 series allows Prolenc to offer a full complement of brake links and dampeners for all attachments up to 2000 Kgs or 4400 lbs.

The tapered design provides only 1 wear part in a self lubricating composite material or a grease lubricated, zinc based material.

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Robust holding power and far fewer moving wear parts result in very low cost per hour and less maintenance. Visit prolenc.com.

Log Max Harvesting Head

Log Max XTreme XTSeries harvesting heads are heavy duty and made for the most extreme forest operations. The 7000XT with its large, high-torque feed motors gives up to 45kN / 11,600-lb. of feed force and delimbing power. Highflow hydraulics provide increased performance in any application and the toughest conditions.

The Log Max 12000XT is the extreme duty head for big tree production, multi-stem processing of smaller softwoods or processing crooked hardwoods. Visit logmax.com.

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SelectCuts As We (ALC) See It

Loggers Working For Loggers DANNY DRUCTOR About once a year we like to remind loggers and log haulers why they should, if not already, be involved with a state and/or regional association representing loggers and log haulers. Perhaps the biggest reason can be found in the question, “If loggers are not representing the best interests of the timber harvesting profession, then who is?”

When you step back and look at some of the benefits that state and regional associations have worked on with regard to Dructor the political and working landscapes, you can’t help but wonder where our industry might be if you did not have these organizations working for you.

Let’s start with an issue that brought many of our associations together, worker’s compensation insurance. Many state associations have successfully petitioned their state insurance boards to create a tiered structure for logging insurance rates based on mechanized versus non-mechanized operations.

Let’s talk about truck weights. Many state and regional associations have experienced an increase in gross truck weights on state and county roads as a direct result of having their associations lobby their respective legislative bodies to allow tolerances above the 80,000 pound gross weight limit found on interstates. Why? Simply because raw forest products are an agricultural commodity subject to many variances in weight, both physical and weather-related.

Let’s talk about taxes. There are many states that have exempted timber harvesting equipment from ad valorem taxes and either reduced or completely eliminated the sales tax on logging equipment and parts.

These are just a few examples, and there are other ideas that have been brought to the table in state and regional logger organizations, saving millions of dollars for the logging sector through greater efficiencies and cost-cutting measures.

With all the regulations currently burdening the industry, it is good to know that you have an association working for

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you that can keep you up to date on changes that can save your business from unwanted fines and penalties for non-compliance.

If you are reading this and not supporting your local state and/or regional organization, then you need to realize the efforts of those supporters are probably one of the reasons you are still in business. While it is preferable to be an active member of an organization, your donation through membership dues will go a long way in supporting the organization supporting you and your livelihood.

The American Loggers Council is the national association of state and regional logging associations. We will continue to bring the logger’s voice to Washington, DC, but we need healthy state and regional logging associations participating with us to make that happen. Please consider supporting your state associations, for it is an investment in your future, and ours. We are “Loggers Working for Loggers.”

Dructor is the Executive Vice President for the American Loggers Council, a 501 (c)(6) not for profit trade association representing professional timber harvesters in 33 states. Visit amloggers.com or phone 409-625-0206.

ALC Annual Meeting In Seaside, Oregon Will Feature New Forest Service Chief, Logging Tour The lovely village of Seaside, Ore. is the setting for the 24th annual meeting of the American Loggers Council and it will include a luncheon speech by new Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen.

The meeting gets underway with a reception on Thursday evening, October 11, at the Shiloh Inn & Suites Hotel. ALC President Mark Turner and wife Claire, along with Associated Oregon Loggers, Inc., are hosts.

A logging tour and a visit to Camp 18 (rustic restaurant and antique logging equipment displays) and separate ladies activities take up part of the day on Friday. Meetings of the board and full membership, an awards luncheon, and president’s farewell banquet, will take place on Saturday. (See pages 30-31 for more details.)

FS Chief Christiansen will speak during the awards luncheon on Saturday. Previously she was deputy chief for state and private forestry. She joined the Forest Service in 2010. Prior to that she was Arizona State Forester and the

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SelectCuts director of the Arizona Div. of Forestry, and she also served as Washington State Forester during a 26-year career with the Washington State Dept. of Natural Resources.

A tie-in semi-annual meeting of TEAM Safe Trucking will take place at the same hotel beginning at 9 a.m. on Thursday. Hosted by Forestry Mutual Ins. Co., the meeting is open to all who are interested and includes lunch. There is no charge. Visit teamsafetrucking.com.

Pellet Mill Suppliers, Sustainable Operations Take Center Stage at Bioenergy Show Two-hundred twenty-five industry personnel, 25 speakers and 60 exhibitor companies participated in the fifth Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo held April 11-12 at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta, Ga. The event was hosted by Wood Bioenergy magazine, an affiliate of Timber Harvesting. It included speakers from major North American industrial wood pellet producers Enviva, Drax, Pinnacle Renewable Energy, Highland Pellets and Fram Renewable Fuels. All of them painted a picture moving forward of increased worldwide demand for industrial wood pellets.

Thomas Meth, co-founder and executive vice president of sales and marketing for Enviva, told of the company’s history, and how it was decided early on that they needed to control their own raw material supply. Enviva will run eight production plants once the Hamlet, NC facility comes on

line this year, pushing Enviva toward 4 million tonnes of production annually. The company has also announced intentions to develop additional plants in the Southeast.

Meth concurred that Asia, mainly Japan and South Korea, provides the most potential for near-term renewable energy growth and biomass power production. Meth noted that Enviva has opened a Japanese office, made its first shipment to Japan and Enviva has entered into a contract to supply pellets to a new power plant in Japan.

Pellet producers in the Southeast U.S., most especially Enviva, are in good position to meet growing international demand thanks to stable wood costs, the decline of pulp and paper fiber demand and high quality port infrastructure, Meth said. Citing the pellet industry’s sustainability, he also noted a 24% net volume of wood fiber growth from 20002015 in Enviva’s procurement areas.

Richard Peberdy, vice president sustainability with Drax, reviewed the evolvement of Drax Biomass, including most recently the startup of the LaSalle Bioenergy wood pellet plant in Urania, La., which gives Drax nearly 1.5 million metric tons of production capacity from its three plants in the Southeast.

Peberdy addressed in detail the four key components to an effective sustainability program. First on his list was responsible feedstock sourcing and utilization. Second was contribution to healthy and productive forest stock and demonstrating commitment through industry certifications, audit programs and landowner outreach. Third was to 54

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New Phloem Trucking App Lets Loggers Track Wait Times, Hauling Conditions The new Phloem mobile app allows loggers to track loads of timber from the woods to the mills, provide wait times at mill scale houses and allow users to report any issues encountered at mills.

Developed by Savannah, Ga.-based forester and 30-year industry veteran Dean McCraw, Phloem (pronounced flow-um) is a community-based app that allows for real-time tracking and information sharing.

“Truck drivers can use Phloem to know what’s happening at the mills in real time and they can avoid problem areas,” McCraw says. He also hopes to combat timber theft by eliminating double weighing or falsifying timber origin information. Within the app, data is attached to the origin point of timber and with only one set of data per load there’s no way to forge multiple records or data.

Phloem is designed as a community app, allowing users to share real time information on the mills they utilize. It works best when more people are part of the community, feeding the app with information about turnaround times and mill delays that is then shared with the rest of the community. (This is similar

to the Gas Buddy app that helps people find the lowest-price gas stations based on information provided by other users in the app’s community.)

A truck driver (or loader operator, foreman, company owner, etc.) selects the mills they deliver to, essentially signing up for alerts about those mills from others who deliver there as well.

You can then select which mill you’re planning to haul a load to before the truck ever leaves the woods. Even if you’re deep in the woods and your phone has no cellular service, the app stores the information until the phone connects. You can then put the smart phone away—no phone use while driving—because Phloem will track the trip to the mill and detect when the driver reaches the scales. The app then automatically starts keeping track of the turnaround time, ending once the truck returns to the scales. “At no time does the app require user input while the truck is in motion,” McCraw says.

Even if the mill is holding trucks outside the scales, the app will detect it from within a set distance and ask the driver if he (or she) is waiting. The driver indicates yes, and it starts calcu-

lating turnaround time from that point (but only if GPS tells the app that it is close to the scale house for a period of time, so no one can really lie about it).

If there’s a problem at the mill, drivers can send a notification through Phloem and it will send an alert to every Phloem user who has selected that mill, warning them instantly of the problem.

Also, no matter how many drivers send the notification, the rest of the users will only get the alert once, to keep you from being bombarded with multiple messages about the same thing.

Obviously, the usefulness of this app increases as more users sign up.

As McCraw says, “The more truckers that use Phloem, the more valuable the data will be to all loggers. It is anticipated that the loader operators may use the app to determine what products to load in order to maximize the efficiency of their trucking operations.

Avoiding mills that have unloading delays will help logging crews to increase productivity.”

Phloem officially launched on June 1. It is free to download and is available on both iPhone and Android platforms. Future versions of the app will include new features that will be payment-based, but initially McCraw wanted the app to be available at no cost. Visit www.phloem-app.com for TH more information.

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SelectCuts fully account for supply-chain 51 greenhouse gas emissions in the biomass lifecycle, including sourcing, manufacturing and transportation.

Fourth was to establish a “social license” to operate, through focus on local economic development.

Jennifer Jenkins, vice president and chief sustainability officer at Enviva, detailed a science-based sourcing framework that allows Enviva’s procurement and sustainability teams to take a given tract and make individualized decisions based on what’s best for the land. Enviva has refined this process over the last few years with input from not only the Enviva staff but also solicited academic and forest conservation experts. This leads to the final pillar of Enviva’s approach, transparency, and specifically its Track and Trace supply chain monitoring system, in which Enviva tracks every ton of primary wood back to its origin in the forest or sawmill. Included in the data on a given tract is the county, landowner type, forest

type, harvest type, age class, harvest acreage, and percentage of the total volume to Enviva’s facilities.

Jenkins said Enviva’s source of wood includes 39% from mixed pine and hardwood forests, 35% southern yellow pine forests, 5% upland hardwood forests, 2% bottomland hardwood forests and 20% sawdust/shavings/residuals from wood manufacturing.

Clay Crosby, CEO of Twin Rivers Land & Timber in Georgia, spoke about his company’s evolvement into a major producer and supplier of wood chips and biomass, both in-woods and mill residuals. In 2016 the company secured a supply agreement with the new Procter & Gamble 50 MW biomass power plant in Albany, Ga. that generates electricity for the P&G plant and for Georgia Power.

Crosby said his company carries two to three million tons of inventory ahead of current market need.

Jeremy Sapp and Jerry Sapp, principals in Sapp’s Land & Excavating, discussed their company’s diversifica-

Listings are submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.

August 23-26—Virginia Loggers Assn. annual meeting, Colonial Williamsburg Lodge, Williamsburg, Va. Call 804677-4290; visit valoggers.org.

August 24-25—Arkansas Timber Producers Assn. annual meeting, Embassy Suites, Hot Springs, Ark. Call 501-2242232; visit arkloggers.com.

August 28-30—Florida Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Omni Amelia Island, Amelia Island, Fla. Call 850-2225646; visit floridaforest.org.

August 28-30—Louisiana Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Sam's Town Hotel & Casino, Shreveport, La. Call 318-4432558; visit laforestry.com.

September 6-8—Great Lakes Logging & Heavy Equipment Expo, Sunnyview Expo Center, Oshkosh, Wis. Call 715-282-5828; visit gltpa.org.

September 9-11—Alabama Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Perdido Beach Resort, Orange Beach, Ala. Call 334265-8733; visit alaforestry.org.

September 21-22— Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show, Starkville, Miss. Call 800-669-5613; visit mid southforestry.org.

JULY/AUGUST 2018

FYI—Kevin Orfield, author of the Deere CAG article in the TH May-June issue, is a writer and owner of Orfield Communications in Milwaukee.

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tion from a traditional logging operation into a major supplier of microchips to the Enviva (formerly Green Circle) pellet facility in Cottondale, Fla. They run four chipping crews and one roundwood crew, and with 40 employees and 21 trucks deliver 250 loads weekly.

They addressed the procurement-supplier relationship and the importance of open and honest communication on matters such as planned maintenance outages at the plant and holiday schedules.

The Sapps built their headquarters and shop at the entrance to the pellet plant. “When we built outside the mill, we committed to be there for the long haul,” Jeremy said.

Easy Access to current advertisers! http://www.timberharvesting.com/advertiser-index/ This issue of Timber Harvesting is brought to you in part by the following companies, which will gladly supply additional information about their products.

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