Louisiana Logger - January 2017

Master Logger classes revamped VOLUME 22 • NO. 1 • JANUARY 2017 LeMoyen mill acquired by Texas company..............Page 7 Loggers could have reduced fire danger in TN......Page 16

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PULLING AN INDUSTRY FORWARD “I really enjoy working with Louisiana Cat because they go over and beyond to help us.”

- Bob Richards, Richards Logging Georgetown, La with Robert J. Richards (right)

Easy service and maintenance are important with any machine. But it’s even more important when downtime can lead to a bottleneck on the whole job site.

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Richards Logging works hard year round to get the job done. Louisiana Cat understands that. We have supported loggers like Bob & Robert Richards for three generations.

“The sales and support team at Louisiana Cat always step up to help. I can call on the weekend or evening to ask a question and they answer with a solution right away, that means a lot.” Nicely said Bob, that’s the Louisiana Cat difference.

Visit our website to learn more about our forestry products and services or call our toll free number to experience the Louisiana Cat difference.

866-843-7440

www.LouisianaCat.com © 2016 Caterpillar All rights reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Yellow,” the “Power Edge” trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.

Continued vigilance for the New Year Welcome 2017 and a Happy New Year to our friends in the logging industry.

I’m a hopeful person and try to look for the best. With the new year, however, comes some of the same issues loggers still face, namely the likely tax increases through fee hikes from the state.

Last year was a difficult year with tragedies of flooding, quotas and increased costs from insurance and sales taxes.

The state ended last fiscal year $313 million short, even after tax increases. So they’re looking for money.

One area that is being considered for raising revenue is through increased fees for permits through the state Department of Transportation and Development. Another is a possible fuel tax.

The increases being talked about now could increase operations by up to $100,000 a year, according to the estimate of one fellow logger.

That goes to show that LLC past president Jack McFarland’s call for vigilance by loggers needs to be continued in the new year as the Legislature goes into session (the regular session starts in April and ends in June).

No one knows how much taxes and fees will go up, but you can bet state of-

ficials will come a lookin’.

Local officials, too, might take another look at forcing loggers to pay for bonds for parish roads. There was a big effort to bring Bonner officials from several parishes together on this issue. Master Loggers shared what news they heard and at least one logger, who’s a public official, turned out at a closed-door meeting to support our industry. There isn’t anything brewing as of yet, but we should be aware that the issue could come up again.

Knowledge is power, so share what news you learn about our industry so we can help each other. If ever there comes a need for action, we should be ready.

In 2016, a few of us decided to get more involved with the West Louisiana Forestry Festival, held each October in Leesville. We got a loaded log truck set up during the festival and for a dollar, anyone could take a guess what the weight was.

Despite all the seasoned folks who’ve

Louisiana Logger

Published quarterly by the Louisiana Logging Council P.O. Box 5067 Alexandria, LA 71307 • (318) 443-2558

President Angie Bonner Evans (337) 286-9837 bonnerlogging@yahoo.com

Gracee Malone-Texada Staff Assistant (318) 443-2558 gmalone@laforestry.com

Chapter Chairs Chapter 1 - Heath Patterson Chapter 7 - Clifton Malmay Farmerville • (318) 245-0002 Zwolle • (318) 471-7705 heapatterson@gmail.com monicamalmay@yahoo.com Kendall Puckett Dubach • (318) 245-6874 racing18kk@gmail.com Chapter 2 - John Keith and Skeet Hodgkins Haughton • (318) 949-3672 For information skeet@suddenlinkmail.com about articles or Chapter 3 - Joshua McAllister advertising, please Winnfield • (318) 729-1727 call Jeff Zeringue at jnmcallister@aol.com (318) 443-2558.

Chapter 4 - Casey Durand Pollock • (318) 542-2826 For information on tonyareobeau@gmail.com classes or training Chapter 5 - Angie Bonner records, consult the Evans • (337) 286-9837 website: bonnerlogging@yahoo.com www.laforestry.com Chapter 6 - Malcolm Sibley or call Gracee Walker • (225) 686-7955 Malone-Texada at kstimber@aol.com (318) 443-2558.

No one knows how much taxes and fees will go up, but you can bet state officials will come a lookin’. been in the woods a long time, 16-yearold Tyler Martin was the winner, and he was only 10 pounds off from the actual weight!

The good thing about this event was $878 that was raised for the Children’s Miracle Network. We also gave out several coloring books that people loved getting for their kids.

It was good exposure for the logging industry. Being able to talk to people about what loggers do made it a nice effort.

Are there other festivals we could show off what Master Loggers do and educate folks? Maybe a bigger effort by more loggers could bring the message of the good things we do to spread the word.

(Angie Bonner is president of the Louisiana Logging Council and co-owner of Bonner Logging Inc.)

Advanced BMP classes coming The Louisiana Logging Council and the Louisiana Forestry Association SFI program will produce updated materials for Louisiana BMPs in 2017 that will be mandatory for Master Loggers in 2018.

The forest community is working on the update because assessors of BMP compliance expressed a need for new and improved training.

In order for Master Loggers to receive their Master Logger cards for 2019, they will have to take the new Louisiana BMP classes in lieu of the six hours of continuing education that is required each year.

Once the class curriculum and materials are completed, several sessions will be scheduled throughout Louisiana to give all Master Loggers the opportunity to attend.

Prices and fees have not yet been set.

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Will Hebert of OSHA teaches a class in safety for the Master Logger’s Core Classes. The classes have been reduced from four to two days.

Master Logger Core classes streamlined For more than 20 years, Louisiana loggers have taken the Master Logger classes offered through the Louisiana Forestry Association and the Louisiana Logging Council. In 2016, a revised format was streamlined and modernized for the seminars.

“A major change The four days of classes were revamped and outdated material we saw was was discarded. The latest information was added while still re- needed because we ducing the days needed from four were requiring to two. contractors to C.A. “Buck” Vandersteen, executive director of the Louisiana spend four days Forestry Association and the Louisiana Logging Council, said the away from their training classes have served the jobs. That was forestry community well.

“All the assessments and water an economic testing for BMPs have shown that hardship.” the classes have been very effective in protecting water quality,” he said. “The question we asked is: Has our training kept up to date with current technology?”

Robbie Hutchins, Central Louisiana area forester for the

LSU AgCenter, helps facilitate the Master Logger core classes as required by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).

“A major change we saw was needed because we were requiring contractors to spend four days away from their jobs,” Hutchins said. “That was an economic hardship especially for those who only had one crew.”

The new version, approved by the SFI implementation committee, is now two days. It debuted in September 2016 and was met with approval.

“I’m glad we have changed the classes to two days and redid all the educational materials,” said Gracee Texada, LLC logger training facilitator. “It helps the logging contractor not to miss more days of work and it reduces our expenses on lunches and renting hotel space.”

By the numbers for 2017 Master Loggers ..............................765 Foresters ..........................................388 Total completing Master Logger Class & CE classes ....................1,153 New Master Loggers for ’17 ........76 New foresters ...................................16 4

Louisiana Logger

Loggers and foresters participating in the new two-day Master Logger Core Classes in September perform field exercises in Kisatchie National Forest near Ball. The field exercise on erosion control was being taught by the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

“(The two-day program is) a positive because you’re introducing more people to those programs that we think are important for all of those guys to know.”

Jack McFarland, owner of McFarland Timber in Winnfield and past president of the Louisiana Logging Council, agreed that the reduction is beneficial.

“Right now, my goal is to have at least a couple of guys on each crew to be Master Loggers,” McFarland said. “You’re going to reach a larger audience now (with two-day program).”

One contractor who repeated the class after attending in the early 1990s was complimentary to the new program.

“He said he could tell that a lot of work went into revising it,” Hutchins said.

The classes are jam-packed but still cover safety, Best Management Practices, water quality, wildlife, aesthetics, endangered species and many more topics.

The Advanced Business Management class is still being offered but only as a continuing education option. Logging contractors like the business management class but others who attend because they are crew foremen are not as interested in this phase of the operation.

The revisions also had to include changes to the national standards of the SFI program. Companies certified under SFI are judged on how they meet the criteria in the standards that are periodically

Robbie Hutchins, right, Central Louisiana area forester for the LSU AgCenter and an instructor for the Master Logger Core Classes, leads field exercises in the first streamlined, two-day program in September.

revised. New material was required including information on invasive species, forests of exceptional conservation value and other topics.

Some states have outsourced the training programs for their foresters and loggers. They may contract with universities or hire independent staff directly through the SFI committees.

Having everything in-house under the LFA and LLC has been beneficial.

“Not only can you emphasize material that is more important to our state, but you can fine-tune the presentation as you need,” Hutchins said. “This flexibility is something that you don’t have if you outsource it.”

David Cupp, past president of the LFA and president of Walsh Timber, said the benefits go beyond the material.

“Relationships with the instructors and people involved are built,” Cupp said. “It’s a lot easier to walk in and people know you. It’s makes people more comfortable to ask questions.”

McFarland said he was happy with the changes made.

“That’s (the two-day program) a positive because you’re introducing more people to those programs that we think are important for all of those guys to know,” McFarland said. “Now, I could A Louisiana state trooper leads a class on proper safety potentially have all of my emto reduce fines during a Master Logger Core Class. ployees have firsthand knowl-

edge about the SFI programs we want to institute.”

Having the ground work done on the two-day program was important in anticipation of the new Advanced BMP Class that is being developed this year. The expectation is the new Advanced BMP class will be the mandatory continuing ed class offered in 2018 for loggers to receive their 2019 Master Logger cards.

Vandersteen said the BMP surveys completed by the Office of Forestry show that the weak spots in the inspections are streamside crossings and restoration of those areas after logging. Training in those areas has been added to the core classes and will be part of an Advanced BMP class offered next year as a mandatory class.

“We’ve got the brightest of the bright working on this,” McFarland said. “They have a genuine interest in seeing our industry meet certain goals. They have the best interest of everyone in our industry.”

There were 765 Master Loggers who received cards in December for completing the needed classes. Another 388 foresters also received cards signifying their completion for a total of 1,153 people actively involved in the SFI classes. The LFA website is also updated to show those participants who are current in the classes.

The number of loggers who went through the Master Logger core classes for the first time in 2016 were 60.

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Continued from Page 5 The first classes offered through the LFA, even before the Logging Council was formed, were safety classes aimed at reducing the number of fatalities in the business. At that time, logging was listed as the most dangerous profession in the United States. Safety was incorporated into the SFI program in 1996 and later a partnership with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was added in order to track how injuries and fatalities were happening and prevent them.

There were eight fatalities from January 1999 to May 2000, but in 2001 there was only one fatality. Mechanization made the operations safer as well as the emphasis on safety programs.

Evidence of continued success could be seen in the reduced number of fatalities in recent years.

According to OSHA records online, from 2008 to 2016, there were only four fatalities in Louisiana related to logging accidents.

Did you get your Master Logger Card?

Master Logger Cards were mailed in December. If you did not receive your card and you completed your CE requirements, call (318) 443-2558.

Alexandria and Baton Rouge

Alexandria • 318- 448-6211 Baton Rouge • 225-923-3450

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Louisiana Logger

Teen’s Guess Was Best

The Logging & Forestry Community of Southwest Louisiana put on a display at the West Louisiana Forestry Festival in October in Leesville where for a dollar a guess, anyone could try to pinpoint the weight of a loaded log truck. Almost 900 guesses were made, including from seasoned woodsmen, but it was a teenager who nailed it. Tyler Martin, 16, of Hornbeck was the winner of the Guess the Weight contest with his hunch at 87,330 pounds. The actual weight of the truck pictured with Tyler above, was 87,320 pounds, a mere 10 pounds off. Angie Bonner, co-owner of Frank Bonner Logging and president of the Louisiana Logging Council, led the display and contest as a way to show some of the good loggers do and raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network.

Time to challenge EPA decision passed The deadline has passed for challenges over the EPA determination that additional regulations were unneeded for storm water discharges from forest roads in the Clean Water Act without a lawsuit being filed in federal court.

In June, the Environmental Protection Agency decided enough regulation exists through Best Management Practices in forest certification programs.

Dave Tenny, president and CEO of the National Alliance of Forest Owners, said his organization is pleased with EPA’s determination and the lack of legal challenge.

“BMPs are a proven tool for protecting water quality,” Tenny said in an email.

“We credit this outcome to the forest owners and state forestry professionals who have worked together for many years to protect water quality through good stewardship.”

After the June ruling, Sustainable For-

“BMPs are a proven tool for protecting water quality.” estry Initiative President and CEO Kathy Abusow said SFI’s leadership in protecting and enhancing water quality through its standard requirements and training of forest products professionals was something the EPA recognized, evidenced by the federal agency’s ruling.

EPA’s decision also allows for a strong defense, should the issue arise again.

“We are also pleased that EPA’s decision, coupled with our success in the 2014 Farm Bill, provide a strong legal foundation for BMPs that our opponents have chosen not to challenge in court,” Tenny said. “We thank forest owners and professionals in Louisiana and throughout the country for making these victories possible.”

LeMoyen mill acquired by Texas company

By Jeff Zeringue A good supply of hardwood and the close proximity of an affiliated company made the acquisition of the lumber mill in LeMoyen a good deal for a Texas-based company.

“The great character of the people is a bonus,” Roby Latimer, vice president of Adobe Machinery Group said in an email.

LeMoyen Mill & Timber was created by its parent company, San Antonio-based Adobe Machinery Group LLC, to acquire the more than 190-acre site in northern St. Landry Parish along U.S. Highway 71 from Bayou State Lumber Co. LLC, according to a press release from Louisiana Economic Development.

The facility that stopped taking wood for several months this year consists of 431,000 square feet of buildings, including three sawmills, and 200,000 square feet of covered storage. It also has access to the Union Pacific Railroad line. Bayou State Lumber purchased it from Louisiana Hardwood Products in 2013, which purchased it from RoyOMartin in 2008.

“St. Landry Parish, with its abundance of hardwood resources and its proximity to our branch locations, our customers and rail and major waterways, is the perfect spot for us,” Robert Latimer, CEO of Adobe Machinery Group, said in the LED statement.

The former Bayou State Lumber Mill in LeMoyen is being acquired

by Adobe Machinery Group LLC and will operate as the LeMoyen Mill & Timber. (Aerial view from Google images)

Adobe Machinery Group has “owned and operated major heavy equipment deal- “The timber industry erships, material handling has played dealerships, heavy- and mea vital role in the dium-duty truck dealerships, heavy equipment service Louisiana economy companies and financing and leasing companies,” accordfor generations ...” ing to the statement. It will “invest an additional $2 million to develop a wood products manufacturing facility.”

“The mill, with its production capacity and immense hardwood lumber storage, brings tremendous integration opportunities to our mat-distribution company, American Mat & Timber,” Robert Latimer said in the LED press release.

The mats will be sold or rented primarily for the oil and gas industry, including refineries, petrochemical plants and other construction. Houston-based American Mat & Timber has a facility in Port Allen.

“Mats and timber are a necessity for construction and maintenance of any large asset located in a wet environment (along the Gulf Coast),” Roby Latimer said in the email.

He said in his November email that the mill is again taking in wood and is fully operational.

Robert Latimer also said in the LED statement that Adobe Machinery is excited to re-establish the mill as a vital facility to the region, complimenting its “core team of dedicated and talented personnel.”

Twenty employees with the Bayou State Lumber mill, which produced general purpose lumber, will be retained, according to LED. Also, LED anticipates an additional 35 indirect jobs to be created as a result of the mill’s operations.

Continued on Page 10 First Quarter 2017

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What’s ahead in the coming New Year?

By C.A. “Buck” Vandersteen The Louisiana Logging Council Board recently met and welcomed Angie Bonner as the first women president of the Council. Angie is from the DeRidder area and she and her husband, Frank, run Bonner Logging. Malcolm Sibley of K&S Timber in Livingston was elected vice-president. Congratulations to both of these leaders who will be addressing the critical issues facing loggers in 2017.

Special thanks also to Jack McFarland who led the Council in 2016 while serving as state representative from the Winnfield area and keeping up with his logging business. The dedication by all these individuals is most commendable.

The 2017 legislative session will see efforts to raise gasoline and diesel taxes to pay for roads and bridges. Everything from a nickel to 20 cents has been discussed. In addition, the state Department of Transportation and Development has been discussing increases in truck permit fees for oversize and overweight trucks.

The DOTD raises more than $25 million from permit fees yearly and it takes $5 million to run the permit section. The other $20 million could have gone for roads but was siphoned off for other department needs. Why raise more money if money taken in now is not going to the roads and bridges the trucks are using?

What will the additional fees and taxes cost your business? One logger estimated the additional cost could be in excess of $60,000 per year. How will that cost be recovered? Higher logging rates from the mills? The logger absorbs it? Lower stumpage values to the landowner?

Not a good position for anyone in the forestry business.

Many loggers were rightfully concerned over the overtime rules proposed by the U.S. Department of Labor that were to go into effect Dec. 1, 2016.

The good news is a federal judge in Texas stopped the rules nationwide on the grounds that the Department of Labor does not have the authorization to set wage rates without congressional approval. The ruling could be appealed but being so close to the inauguration and a new administration, that is unlikely.

As we looked more deeply into the proposed new rule, it appeared that log8

Louisiana Logger

The 2017 legislative session will see efforts to raise gasoline and diesel taxes to pay for roads and bridges. Everything from a nickel to 20 cents has been discussed. In addition, the state Department of Transportation and Development has been discussing increases in truck permit fees for oversize and overweight trucks. ging jobs would classify as an agricultural exemption and be exempt from the rule.

However, the logger would still have to show that the pay for woods work met the hourly minimum wage of $7.25.

The Wood Supply Research Institute is an industry- and logger-funded organization doing research on issues critical to logging and the supply of wood to mills.

Louisiana contributes to this organization.

In a recent publication, the WSRI investigated the competitiveness of logging equipment operators and truck drivers to equipment operators and drivers in the

constr uction industry. The findings have bearing in Louisiana where we are constantly competing against operators in the construction field and the oil and gas industry.

Vandersteen Log truck driver rates and benefits compared equally with other fields; the pay and benefits for equipment operators fell short. This can have an effect on retaining good equipment operators on the logging site when other industries come looking.

Many loggers have spoken up on the mercurial increase in log truck general liability costs. We have seen the cost of insurance double on businesses with no accidents and fewer insurance companies are willing to write policies on log trucks.

As we pursue remedies to this problem, we are preparing training on log truck safety and safety in the woods. This training should be available in early 2017.

We also are asking the Louisiana Legislature to hold a hearing on the crisis in log truck insurance and see what can be done in conjunction with the Insurance Commissioner’s Office and the Legislature. We hope to have this completed very soon.

Log safely and know that we have your interests at heart. Thanks for your support.

Buck Vandersteen is the executive director of the Louisiana Forestry Association and the Louisiana Logging Council.

Louisiana Logging Council board members for 2017

Angie Bonner (president) Frank Bonner Logging Malcolm Sibley (vice president) KS Timber Heath Patterson North La Equipment Kendall Puckett Kenneth Puckett Logging John Keith/Skeet Hodgkins Allstate Land & Timber Joshua McAllister Casey Durand Central Timber Services Clifton Malmay Weyerhaeuser

Chair, Chapter 5 Chair, Chapter 6 Co-Chair, Chapter 1 Co-Chair, Chapter 1 Chair, Chapter 2 Chair, Chapter 3 Chair, Chapter 4 Chair, Chapter 7

Soft-mast food plots are good for deer

By Don Reed Fall is the time of year when many hunters begin the practice of planting annual food plots for attracting whitetailed deer.

Although a great variety of seed and mixes are available to choose from, many hunters fail to take advantage of some long-term options to improve their hunting area.

In opting for setting aside certain Reed areas for these long-term food plots, hunters need to think more like a forester than a farmer.

A great option that provides both nutrition and palatability is the soft mast producing mayhaw.

Mayhaws (Crataegus opaca) also are known as riverflat hawthorns and are native to the Southeastern United States.

They grow to be a small tree 20 to 30 feet in height with thorny branches and beautiful pinkish flowers that cover the canopy in February and March.

Its fruit turns a bright red to reddish yellow color upon ripening in mid-April through early May. The fruits are a depressed, apple-like pome about 1/2 to 2/3 inch in diameter.

Mayhaw fruits fall into a category of wildlife foods known as soft mast, unlike the more familiar hard mast acorns produced by our native oaks.

Unlike conventional annual food plots composed of seeds like cool-season wheat and oats or warm season cowpeas and soybeans, mayhaws are planted for the long term. Trees will begin to bear some fruit in as little as five years following transplanting into the field and continue for many years down the road.

Some may ask, “Why plant something as a food plot item that attracts deer by dropping fruit in April and early May when I hunt them in November and December?�

The answer is simple. Deer need a good nutritional year-round diet and mayhaws provide an important spring diet component.

I realized the importance of mayhaw

Mayhaw is a great soft-mast food that deer love to eat. Planting these could keep does and their future offspring nearby. (Photo by the Louisiana Mayhaw Association)

Mayhaw offers good soft-mast food nutrition for deer in the spring.

fruit to white-tailed deer by studying the stomach contents of numerous deer collected at the Jones-Idlewild Research Station near Clinton. During the many annual field days that were held at that location each spring, there was not a single instance where a necropsied deer of any age or sex was not found to be eating

mayhaw fruit during the time that they were ripe and on the ground.

This is with the realization that only two small mayhaw orchards of about a total size of one acre exists on the entire 1,800-acre Jones-Idlewild Station.

When considering that the home range of a white-tailed deer is closely tied to the area where it is born, many pregnant does spend their time in the vicinity of mayhaw orchards prior to fawning. A fawn born in the vicinity of a mayhaw orchard centrally located on a large tract of land will have a greater probability of making that area part of its home range.

The attractiveness of mayhaws goes beyond that of a wildlife planting, with their fruits relished by man and beast alike.

Historically, mayhaws were harvested by outdoor enthusiasts throughout the backwoods sloughs, swamps and river bottoms of Louisiana. Although usually found in low, wet, slightly acid areas, mayhaws produce their best growth on good upland soils in full sun.

My first experience with gathering wild mayhaws came from boat trips down the Pearl River near the small town of Angie in the early 1980s.

A rise in the river each spring would Continued on Page 10 First Quarter 2017

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LeMoyen Mill

Mayhaw

Continued from Page 7

Continued from Page 9

The job creation will allow LeMoyen Mill & Timber to use the state’s Quality Jobs program, which provides qualifying employers a cash rebate of up to 6 percent on 80 percent of gross payroll for 10 years, according to the LED website.

The program also provides a 4 percent rebate on sales and use taxes “on capital expenditures or a 1.5 percent refundable investment tax credit on the total capital investment, excluding exempted items.”

The news is good for loggers as LeMoyen Mill & Timber will acquire standing timber, cut logs, as well as saw boards and timbers to be used to make the timber and laminated mats. However, Roby Latimer said Adobe Machinery Group also would consider the possibility of expanding the company’s product offerings.

“We are looking into all possible markets that would make economic sense for us,” Roby Latimer said. “The mill has many capabilities which we intend to take full advantage of.”

deposit backwater in mudflats that were thick with mayhaw trees. A dip net and bucket were the only things needed to scoop as many pounds of fruit from the water as desired.

Problems with accessing these type areas, along with the clearing of woodlands, has led to a big increase in commercial and home orchards producing fruit from grafted mayhaw trees.

Commercially grafted trees, while producing a larger fruit, seem to have more disease problems than native stock, which produce a smaller but more dependable crop of fruit each year.

While not fit for human consumption as a raw fruit, processed mayhaws are utilized in some of the South’s finest jelly, pie, coffee cake and ice cream recipes.

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Louisiana Logger

Adobe Machinery Group LLC will consider the possibility of making other products at its new mill in St. Landry Parish, in addition to the cross laminated mats.

Gov. John Bel Edwards praised the acquisition as a good deal assisted by LED and positive development for the state.

“We welcome LeMoyen Mill & Timber to St. Landry Parish, and we appreciate the company’s interest in a manufacturing operation that will create 32 new direct jobs while retaining additional jobs,” Edwards said in a prepared statement distributed by LED. “The timber industry has played a vital role in the Louisiana economy for generations — built on a renewable resource that extends through every region of our state.”

(Dr. Don Reed is a retired forestry and wildlife specialist with the LSU AgCenter.

You can email him at dreed@agcenter.lsu. edu.)

Hood Container expansion in two phases Hood Container of Louisiana will make a two-phased investment in its St. Francisville paper mill, according to Louisiana Economic Development.

The project will add 10 new jobs at the plant where there are already 237 jobs and another 30 new indirect jobs, according to an LED press release.

The two phases include installing a modern press section on the H1 paper machine and a recycling plant to reuse old corrugated containers, the LED statement said. It did not say how much the projects would cost.

“The new press section will allow the St. Francisville mill to increase containerboard production while the installation of the recycling plant will support the increased production,” according to the statement.

In addition to the 10 new direct jobs that have an average salary of $51,450, LED said the project will add 80 temporary construction jobs to the area.

As an incentive for the project, the state is giving the company a Moderniza-

Hood Container of Louisiana acquired its West Feliciana-based plant in St. Francisville October 2015. (The Advocate photo by Howard Arceneaux)

tion Tax Credit of $640,000.

“Hood Container’s planned investment is a perfect example of how Louisiana’s economic strengths are ensuring

continued success for our businesses,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said in the LED press release. “Not only will Hood Container’s new investment ensure increased efficiency, but it will also retain and create new jobs.”

The tax credit will be in addition to the company using the Quality Jobs program, which provides qualifying employers a cash rebate of up to 6 percent on 80 percent of gross payroll for 10 years, according to the LED website. The program also provides a 4 percent rebate on sales and use taxes on capital spending or a 1.5 percent refundable tax credit on the total capital investment the company makes, but excluding any items exempted.

The Hood Container Corp. was established in 2012 with the purchase of a corrugated-medium mill in New Johnsville, Tennessee, from International Paper. The acquisition of the St. Francisville mill in October 2015 complemented the company’s Tennessee facility, according to the LED statement.

Help us find Louisiana’s Outstanding Logger for 2017 Know a Louisiana Logger who does great work and takes pride in what he does? Nominate him to be this year’s Louisiana Outstanding Logger! Nominees will be considered by a three-member panel of judges, including the 2016 Louisiana Outstanding Logger. Nominations must be received by May 1, 2017. Each will be reviewed and visited by the judges and the winner will be announced at the 2017 Louisiana Forestry Association convention at the Hilton Riverside in New Orleans!

Deadline: Mail to:

Fax to: Email:

May 1, 2017.

Louisiana Logging Council P.O. Box 5067 Alexandria, LA 71307 (318) 443-1713 gmalone@laforestry.com

2017 Louisiana Outstanding Logger Nominee: Name:__________________________________________ Mailing Address: __________________________________ City, State, Zip:___________________________________ Phone:__________________________________________ Mobile Phone:____________________________________ Nominated by:____________________________________ Mailing Address:__________________________________ City, State, Zip:___________________________________ Phone: __________________________________________ Mobile Phone:____________________________________

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Stop by and see us today!

12

Moore’s Retread & Tire 409 Keyser Ave. Natchitoches, LA 71457 (318) 352-8354

Moore’s Retread & Tire 2600 N Medford Dr. Lufkin, Tx 75901 (936) 632-6706

Moore’s Retread & Tire 8901 Linwood Ave. Shreveport, LA 71106 (318) 687-7951

Moore’s Retread & Tire 15275 FM 968 West Longview, TX 75602 (903) 236-8883

Louisiana Logger

Moore-Grant Goodyear 629 N 3rd St Alexandria, LA 71301

New Master Loggers The following people completed the Master Logger Core Class sessions in Pineville in September Loggers Andrew Dean.................................... Many Antoney Denton............................... Jonesboro Bradley McDowell............................ Jena Brock Ayers....................................... Sarepta Chase Johnson.................................. DeRidder Damon Smith................................... Clarks Daniel Davis..................................... Jonesboro David Caldwell................................. Winnfield Derrick Rivers................................... Zwolle Drew Vittetoe................................... Leesville Dusty Poole....................................... Trout Gary Dula......................................... Houston Hayden Carter.................................. Franklinton Heath Patterson................................ Farmerville Hunter Knight.................................. Angie James Donald Morrison Jr................. Olla Jay Clark........................................... DeRidder Jeffery Remedies................................ Zwolle Jeffrey Besha...................................... Sarepta Jeffrey Smith..................................... Clarks Jeremy Maxwell................................. Jonesboro Joel Ball............................................. Marion John Avis........................................... Hodge Joseph Sepulvado.............................. Zwolle Joshua Bennett.................................. Florien Joshua Roll........................................ Shreveport Juan Rodriguez.................................. Joaquin, Texas Kaleb Herrington.............................. Florien Keith Knight..................................... Angie Kenneth Anding Jr............................ Olla Kristen Denton................................. Jonesboro Linda Vaccaro................................... Simmesport Lonnie Beckman............................... Franklinton Mark Files......................................... Winnfield Matt Baker........................................ Benton Matthew Maddox............................. DeRidder Michael Derek Buckanan.................. Olla

Next Core Class Schedule

The Louisiana Logging Council has set up two, 2-day sessions for Master Logger Core Class for 2017: Feb. 1-2, 2017 Aug. 9-10, 2017 Each 2-day session costs $160 if you are not a member of the Logging Council. LLC members will pay $60 if paid by the deadline for each class.

Deadline to register for Feb. 1-2 session is Jan. 25.

Deadline to register for Aug. 9-10 session is Aug. 4.

For more formation, contact Gracee Malone-Texada at gmalone@laforestry.com

Michael Derek Fredieu...................... Otis Ray Higginbotham........................... DeRidder Robert James Bennett Jr.................... Florien Ronald Green.................................... Keithville Scott Rhodes..................................... DeRidder Sean Demoss..................................... Plain Dealing Tanner Robinson.............................. DeRidder Thomas Wisby III............................. DeRidder Thomas Jordan Jr.............................. Leesville Walter Vaccaro Jr............................... Simmesport Walter Vaccaro Sr.............................. Simmesport Wesley Charles.................................. Stonewall Will Atwell........................................ Georgetown Winston Bolinger.............................. Shreveport Foresters Christopher W. Williams.................. Natchitoches Dewey Amyx..................................... Pollock Hunter Hutchinson.......................... PineGrove Jeff Albritton..................................... DeRidder Lemuel “Drew” Rappa...................... Lake Charles Mark Allen Cooper........................... Leesville Murissha Rudison............................. Livingston Ray Daughty..................................... Hodge Thomas Gingles III........................... Hodge

Join the Louisiana Logging Council today!

The Louisiana Logging Council works for you — lobbying our Legislature and working with regulatory agencies. Do you have time to make your voice count? All you have to do is join the council today. Membership in the LLC also automatically makes you a member of the Louisiana Forestry Association.

The LLC is an affiliate of the American Loggers’ Council, the national voice for logging.

Annual membership q Logging Contractors--------------------- $250 q Wood Dealers----------------------------- $250 q Trucking Contractors--------------------- $250 Associate Membership q Equipment Dealers----------------------- $300 q Insurance & Banks----------------------- $300 q Service and Supplies--------------------- $150

Name________________________________________ Address______________________________________ City_______________________________ State_____ Zip_______________ Phone_____________________ Email________________________________________ Make checks payable to the Louisiana Logging Council.

Mail to LLC, P.O. Box 5067, Alexandria, LA 71307 First Quarter 2017

13

Nominate an Outstanding Tree Farmer for 2017 Know a Tree Farmer you’d like to nominate as Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year?

You can fill out the following, use another sheet of paper in needed: • In your own words, tell why you think this is an Outstanding Tree Farmer (how he or she is different from the average Tree Farmer). _________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ • What has this Tree Farmer done to promote Tree Farming? (Examples: used Tree Farm as a demonstration area, participated as a member in state forestry association, promoted Tree Farming to youth groups, influenced other landowners to plant or manage their forest). _________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ • Does the Tree Farmer belong to any forestry organization, i.e., Forest Farmer, state forestry association or has he or she received any special awards for forestry efforts (other than Tree Farm awards)?______________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ The winner will be announced at the 2017 Louisiana Forestry Association convention at the Hilton Riverside in New Orleans!

2017 Outstanding Tree Farmer Nominee: Name and affiliation of cooperating forester:_______________________________________________________ Address and phone number: ___________________________________________________________________ Nominating forester’s signature_____________________________________________________ Nominating Forester (print name):__________________________________________________ Address:_______________________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip:_________________________________________________________________ Phone: _____________________________ Mobile phone:______________________________ Mail form (and additional documents, if any) to:

Gracee Malone-Texada

P.O. Box 5067

Alexandria, LA 71307-5067 The deadline is May 1, 2017, to be received at the office of the Louisiana Forestry Association

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Louisiana Logger

CONTINUING EDUCATION

MASTER LOGGER CLASSES

Master Loggers are required to take six hours continuing education each year to keep their Master Logger certification.

Classes will be held at the Country Inn & Suites, 2727 Monroe Hwy., Pineville, LA 71360. For overnight guests, you can call (318) 641-8332, ask for Sarah Atwood and tell them you are with the LFA group.

Preregistration and payment required!

Preregister by Jan. 25, 2017 or pay double at the door!

Continuing Education (CE) classes have not yet been scheduled for 2017.

Master Loggers can earn CE credit in other ways, like attending police jury meetings, forestry forums, pipeline meetings or their quarterly Louisiana Logger Chapter meeting.

Other Opportunities: Jan. 13: Forestry Forum with Ag Expo, from 8 a.m. until noon at the West Monroe Convention Center, 901 Ridge Ave., West Monroe. Loggers can earn four hours of CE. Registration will be from 8 to 8:30 a.m. Jan. 13. Program begins at 8:30 a.m. Talks include Timber Marketing Issues for Small Forest Landowners, Managing Forest for Wildlife/Federal Cost-Share Programs for Forests, Tax Update, Pine Forest Pest Signs and Solutions, Herbicide Options, Hog Control and Forestry Outlook for 2017. Call the Catahoula Parish Extension Office, 318-744-5442 or Luke Stamper at 318-805-8819 or by email at lstamper@agcenter.lsu.edu for more information.

$160 for both days if paid by deadline. ($60 for Louisiana Logging Council members if pre-registered by deadline.)

Cost to register for classes on Jan. 26 or later will be $320 per person. q Yes, I want to register for the 2-day ML Core Class

Feb. 1, 2017 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Feb. 2, 2017 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

NOTE: BUSINESS MANAGEMENT IS NO LONGER REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE CORE CLASSES. It will be offered as a Continuing Education class during the year.

Core classes CANNOT be taken as CE.

Name: ______________________________________ Company: ___________________________________ Address: _____________________________________ Other Forestry Forums are still being set up around the state. City, State Zip: _______________________________ The date of the event and contact information are: Phone: ______________________________________ Feb. 24: Southwest Forestry Forum. Contract Keith HawCell phone: __________________________________

kins, (337) 463-7006 or email at KHawkins@agcenter.lsu.edu.

March 2, ArkLaTex Forestry Forum. Will be held Ramada Shreveport Airport hotel. Registration is $20. Contact Ricky Kilpatrick, (318) 965-2326 or email at rkilpatrick@agcenter. lsu.edu.

March 15, CenLa Forestry Forum. Will be held at the LSU AgCenter Evac Center south of Alexandria. Contact Robbie Hutchins, (318) 767-3968 or by email at rhutchins@agcenter. lsu.edu.

March 17, Florida Parishes Forestry Forum. Will be held at Southeastern Louisiana University. Contact Brian Chandler, (225) 683-3101 or by email at bchandler@agcenter.lsu.edu.

Aug. 29-31: Louisiana Forestry Association Annual Convention, Riverside Hilton, New Orleans, 6 hours CE. Registration will begin in June.

q Check here if Louisiana Logging Council member company Make check payable to LA Forestry Association and mail to: LA Forestry Association

P.O. Box 5067

Alexandria, LA 71307 Or charge to credit card: AmEx q MasterCard q Visa q Discover q Card Number ___________________________________ Expiration ______________________; CSV# __________ Name on Card __________________________________ Signature _______________________________________ If paying by credit card, fax registration to (318) 443-1713 or scan and email completed form to gmalone@laforestry.com.

Make a copy of this schedule for your records!

You can email this form to gmalone@laforestry.com or fax to (318) 443-1713 if paying by credit card.

First Quarter 2017

15

As We See It: Fight for healthy forests a challenge

By Nick Smith Against all odds, Donald Trump was elected as our new president. Republicans also kept control of both houses of Congress.

Since Nov. 8, many stories have been written about rural America’s influence on the election. But what does it all really mean for the American Loggers Council, its members and professional timber harvesting?

Smith There’s no doubt the new year will bring opportunities to reform federal forest management, restore the health of our federally-owned forests and create more family-wage jobs where they’re desperately needed.

For ALC, there will be new opportunities to advance key priorities such as ensuring uniform truck weight limits and passing Youth in Careers in Logging legislation. It also will be easier for ALC and its partners to stop anti-forestry measures before they can hurt the industry.

Make no mistake, however, getting things done in Washington won’t be easy.

Our work isn’t done. It’s only just beginning.

When it comes to federal land management, Trump now has the chance to appoint officials who can change the culture of federal agencies, emphasizing a shift back to multiple-use management of our lands and natural resources. However, the new Trump administration will be saddled with the same counterproductive and complex web of federal laws, rules and regula-

tions that have resulted in the neglect of our forests and the Relieving our loss of thousands of jobs across federal agencies the industry. It’s already clear anti-forestry groups will douof obstructive ble-down on lawsuits that bring litigation, projects to a halt and put forest in the hands of judges “analysis paralysis,” health instead of foresters.

Relieving our federal agenand chronic budget cies of obstructive litigation, shortfalls requires “analysis paralysis,” and chronic budget shortfalls requires concongressional gressional action. Given the action. enormous power and influence anti-forestry groups continue to enjoy in Washington, it’s likely any real change will require bi-partisan support in the U.S. Senate, where Republicans lost seats. Any legislative measure will likely require 60 votes in the Senate before President Trump is able to sign it into law. Many policymakers, even those in the new administration, will need to be educated on responsible logging practices and the benefits loggers provide to the American public. The new administration and Congress offer new opportunities, but many of the old challenges facing the industry will remain.

ALC members, led by Executive Vice President Danny Dructor, are working proactively with key leaders to hit the ground running. But ALC still needs your help, even with a federal government that will be friendlier to timber harvesting. Now more than ever, it’s important for all loggers to stay informed and stay engaged to make the most of the opportunities that American voters have given us.

Stay tuned for updates in future issues in our newsletter. And don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook.

Nick Smith is Communications Specialist for American Loggers Council and founder of Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities, a non-profit, non-partisan organization that advocates for active forest management on federal forest lands.

The American Loggers Council is a 501 (c)(6) not for profit trade organization representing professional timber harvesters in 32 states across the United States. If you would like to learn more about the ALC, please visit their web site at www.amloggers.com, or contact their office at 409-625-0206.

Before digging, call 811 at least two full work days in advance.

That’s all it takes to notify LA One Call members, so they can mark nearby utility lines and pipelines to prevent injury and costly accidents.

IT’S THE LAW. IT’S FREE. Call or click www.LAOneCall.com

16

Louisiana Logger

Threatened status recommended The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in September recommended threatened status for the Louisiana pine snake, but the official listing is still months away. In the coming months, the forest products industry has a chance to argue for practices already being done that benefit the snake. The pine snake is known to be in five parishes in Louisiana and five counties in Texas.

Louisiana Forestry Association Executive Director C.A. “Buck” Vandersteen said he hopes the industry can narrow down the habitat areas that will be affected by the ruling, if the threatened status is approved.

Homes, offices and barns nestled in the woods may feel cozy but are an open invitation to disaster should a forest fire occur. This open shed on an LSU Research Station near Clinton was used for education of schoolchildren. While saved from a prescribed burn that ran hot, the posts were scorched and 4 inches of pine needles burned off the roof, weakening the metal roofing. Structures should be surrounded by “defensible space.” More can be learned at www.firewise.org.

Loggers could have reduced fire danger

By Niels de Hoop The recent forest fires that burned a thousand homes and businesses in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, serves as a somber reminder that forest fires are a real threat and that they can occur in places we would never seriously expect.

The southern Appalachian region consists of mostly hardwood trees and typically endures two fire seasons per year — one in early winter, when the weather is still dry and the leaves have just fallen off the trees, and one in late winter, when the weather gets warm enough to dry the leaves on the ground but before the trees bud.

The Gatlinburg fires were the early winter type. In addition, there had been only 3 inches of rain since August. In the southern Appalachians, leaf color normally peaks sometime in October, with the leaves dropping soon thereafter.

In late November, firefighters were battling 17 forest fires in the area at the same time. Most of them were set by arsonists. In particular, there was a fire in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park in the Chimney Tops area. The area is 13 miles by road from Gatlinburg and

takes 40 minutes to drive, but it is only five to six miles away as the crow flies.

The terrain is very rough and steep.

As firefighters from Tennessee and several Western states were battling the Chimney Tops fire, the wind reversed direction and then doubled in strength unexpectedly. Some wind gusts were in excess of 87 mph!

Embers fell a mile ahead of the fire, starting multiple new fires. Electric lines toppled, and the sparks ignited even more fires. The fires raced through the tourist town of Gatlinburg (4,100 residents), killing 13 people and causing more than 14,000 people to be evacuated.

No logging has occurred in the National Park since its formation in 1934, so the forest has had plenty of time to build up fuels. In addition, insect infestations killed most of the fir trees on the highest mountain tops and the hemlocks, which are very common on lower slopes. Thus, there is much standing dead timber.

It’s a shame that park rangers don’t allow logging, not even salvage logging.

Let’s hope that people start questioning National Park Service policies.

Closer to home, many loggers have

homes, offices and garages that are nestled in forested properties. Wildfires are a threat that should be taken seriously.

In general, underbrush should be cleared away from structures, flammade Hoop ble items should be stored away from buildings, and gutters and roofs should be cleared of leaves and debris. The concept is to create a “defensible space.” Lots of ideas can be found at www.firewise.org.

Preventing equipment fires also should be a part of a company’s activity. In addition, OSHA regulations require that each machine be equipped with a fire extinguisher. OSHA regulations do not specify the size of the extinguishers, but normal recommendations are a 5-pound extinguisher on each piece of equipment and a 20-pound extinguisher on the fuel truck. Ensure that everyone on the crew is formally trained in proper fire extinContinued on Page 19 First Quarter 2017

17

Crimes & Convictions Timber theft A Merryville logger was arrested in October on charges of timber theft by fraud, according to a statement released Nov. 1

by Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain.

According to the statement, Donald Foster, 62, of Merryville, on Oct. 28 turned himself in to the Beauregard Parish Sheriff ’s Office after an arrest warrant was obtained by LDAF enforcement agents.

LDAF enforcement agents received a complaint from a landowner in August regarding allegations of Foster’s actions. An investigation revealed that Foster provided the landowner with false scale tickets and pocketed a portion of the actual proceeds and profit from the sale of timber. The value of the timber owed to the landowner was $4,000.

Agents also said Foster allegedly misrepresented himself as a legal corporation organized under Louisiana state law. Then, agents said, he deceived the landowner into entering into a contract at a grossly undervalued price which resulted in a loss of over $17,000.

“Timber is a long-term investment. It is very important that landowners use caution and do their homework before contracting with someone to do any kind of work with their timber,” Strain said in a prepared statement. “Get references, ask friends, neighbors and call our office to be sure you are dealing with a reputable outfit.”

Strain advises anyone who suspects timber theft to contact the Office of Forestry at 225-925-4500.

Men sentenced after pleading guilty of timber theft Two men accepted deals to plead guilty to timber theft in a

Reward The Forestry Enforcement Division of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry is responsible for the protection of life and property throughout forested areas of the state.

Officers enforce forestry-related crimes including but not limited to arson, timber theft, forestry equipment theft and vandalism, as well as offenses against departmental employees and property.

Forest related crime rewards are co-sponsored by the Louisiana Forestry Association.

Call 225-925-4500 to report a suspected crime as described above.

18

Louisiana Logger

case that involved the Alexandria-based RoyOMartin company, one of which could pay more than $1 million in restitution, according to a newspaper report.

According to a report in the Town Talk, Tommy Leroy Morgan and Kevin Wayne Hill pleaded guilty to charges of theft of timber of more than $25,000 before state District Judge Mary Lauve Doggett to defrauding the company between January 2012 and February 2016.

The case was investigated by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry.

Morgan, 68, of Natchitoches, was ordered to pay restitution to RoyOMartin, which had not yet determined the final amount, according to the October report. Assistant District Attorney Brian Mosley told the newspaper that although Morgan already had paid $600,000 in restitution, the amount of the final figure could exceed $1 million.

Morgan also was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine, $495 in court costs and $5,000 to the Rapides Parish District Attorney’s Office for prosecuting the case and LDAF for its investigation.

He was given five years supervised probation.

Hill, 49, of Red River, pleaded guilty to a count of theft less than $750 and given one year unsupervised probation.

Hill was ordered to pay a $1,000, court costs and $1,000 for the prosecution and investigation.

According to the report, the state judge suspended imposition of the sentences under plea agreements with the men.

Subscribe to the Louisiana Logger Only Active Master Loggers have free subscriptions, but you can order one for your crew members for $12 per year.

(4 issues per year) Name: ____________________________________ Mailing address: ____________________________ __________________________________________ City, State, Zip: _____________________________ Phone: ____________________________________ Mobile phone: ______________________________

Make checks payable to: Louisiana Logging Council Mail to: P.O. Box 5067 Alexandria, LA 71307

Be ‘firewise’ Continued from Page 17 guisher use (and document the training).

Loggers in the intermountain West are required to have water trucks or water wagons on site. In addition, some states require that a logger stay on site for 30 minutes after shutting down the last machine, to ensure that no fire combusts after the crew leaves. This might be a prudent policy in Louisiana during times of high fire danger.

If you own pine timberland, you might want to include a regular regimen of prescribed burns to minimize the chance of a wildfire destroying valuable timber. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Office of Forestry have programs that help landowners with prescribed burns.

As a logger, it may be difficult to affect government policies on forest fires (although we should, whenever we have the chance to make ourselves heard), but we can prevent accidentally igniting wildfires, and we can make our homes and business establishments more “Firewise.”

2017 severance taxes set The timber stumpage values for 2017 have been set by the Louisiana Tax Commission and the Louisiana Forestry Commission, as provided by law. These values are for the calendar year 2017.

The values listed below were determined by the commissions following an examination of stumpage price information collected from mills, procurement centers and/or timber purchasers.

Product Stumpage Values Severance Tax

Pine sawtimber........$261.12/mbf .......$5.87/mbf

$32.64/ton ..........$0.73/ton Hdwd. sawtimber.....$341.29/mbf .......$7.68/mbf

$35.93/ton ..........$0.80/ton Chip-n-saw..............$45.20/cord ........$1.02/cord

$16.74/ton ..........$0.38/ton Pine pulpwood.........$27.55/cord ........$1.37/cord

$10.20/ton ..........$0.51/ton Hdwd. pulpwood.....$28.50/cord ........$1.42/cord $10.00/ton ..........$0.50/ton C.F. “Niels” de Hoop is an associate professor at the Louisiana

Forest Products Development Center, School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, LSU AgCenter.

You can contact him by email at cdehoop@lsu.edu or (225) 5784242.

10’ X 14’ Dimensions 3/8” carriage bolts at all intersection points Blocks handling with grapple

ELD mandate starts in ’17 Commercial truck drivers who must keep hours of service records of duty status will have a new mandate added by the end of this year.

Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) will be required as of Dec. 18, 2017, but according to the Forest Resources Association, there is confusion over which truck drivers in the forest products industry will have to comply with the mandate.

An ELD records date, time, location information, engine hours, vehicle miles and ID information.

“If the company is using another (“grandfathered”) automatic onboard Hoursof-Service (HOS) recording device prior to that date (Dec. 18, 2017), they have until Dec. 16, 2019, to comply with all ELD rules,” Rick Meyer, FRA Appalachian & Southwide Region manager, said in an email to members.

More confusion arises because of several exemptions to the ELD mandate, according

to Meyers’ email message.

• A driver that qualifies for the short hauls (100 air-mile radius) general exemption or a 150 air-mile agriculture exemption from HOS is not required to have an ELD, even across state lines.

• A driver required to use a paper log (Record of Duty Status or RODS) not more than eight days within a 30day period, is not required to have an ELD. • A driver of a vehicle that is a model year before 2000, is not required to have an ELD, but as soon as a driver switches to operating a vehicle model year 2000 or newer, that driver is required to have an ELD. • Drivers who haul equipment or vehicles to be used at a job and the wheels from that vehicle or equipment are used in its hauling while being delivered do not need an ELD. More information can be found at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website, www.fmcsa.dot.gov.

First Quarter 2017

19

You know your business. And we do, too. That’s why we build machines proven to withstand whatever the woods have in store — and then some — so you can keep working and earning, all day, every day.

We’re for Loggers

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