The Logger's VOICE - Fall 2016

PLC

AUGUSTA – The Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of Maine responded to the toughest six months most in the logging industry could recall with a hard-fought campaign this spring to secure legislative victories for biomass industry support, an off-road fuel tax exemption, and a comprehensive study of the potential for biomass in the state.

Those victories did not come easily.

“Many of our members put in a great deal of time and effort to secure these wins for our industry at a time when it was critical to do so,” PLC Executive Director Dana Doran said. “Members testified before the Legislature, they made phone calls, they sent emails and letters, they spoke to reporters – in short, they made a difference and while challenges remain we are in a much better position to face them had none of that happened.”

The PLC applauds the Maine Legislature and Maine Governor Paul LePage for pulling together after a great deal of debate to pass bills that will aid the state’s logging industry by providing short term contract opportunities to producers of biomass electricity, exempting commercial loggers and farmers from paying sales tax on fuel, and doing the first in-depth study on the potential for biomass in Maine.

The biomass bill, LD 1676, “An Act To Establish a Process for Procurement of Biomass Resources”, was passed by both the Maine Senate and House with strong

bipartisan support April 15 following debate in each chamber.

The sales tax exemption bill, LD 1481, An Act To Protect Maine’s Natural Resources Jobs by Exempting from Sales Tax Petroleum Products Used in Commercial Farming, Fishing and Forestry, also drew strong bipartisan support. It was included in an omnibus spending bill, LD 1606, which passed in the Legislature early on April 16. The tax exemption will go into effect permanently on January 1, 2017. Both bills were signed into law by Governor LePage on April 16. “In a legislative session where disagreement drew most of the headlines, Maine’s lawmakers and the Governor pulled together in support of Maine’s loggers and the entire forest products value chain,” Doran said. “Logging is a legacy industry and is the root of Maine’s forest products industry and we applaud our elected officials for coming together at a critical time to support it. Both bills provide relief to an industry that is struggling due to factors beyond its control.”

Opening stages: PLC Board Member Duane Jordan speaks in favor of a fuel sales tax exemption for loggers before the Legislature’s Taxation Committee in January. Such participation in the legislative process was key to PLC success this session.

State of Our Union

Scott Madden, President

Executive Board

Scott Madden President

Jim Nichols

1st Vice President

Tony Madden

2nd Vice President

Chuck Ames Secretary

Andy Irish Treasurer

Brian Souers

Past President

Board of Directors

Greg Adams

Kurt Babineau

Donald Cole

William Cole

Tom Cushman

Brent Day

Wes Dube

Steve Hanington

Duane Jordan

Robert Linkletter

Andrew Madden

Ron Ridley

Wayne Tripp

Gary Voisine

Dana Doran

Executive Director

As we start

LAST ONE 637 WORDS.

In closing, we have some bad times coming but I believe standing strong together through the PLC will get us through. We will still be logging, but it just may look different tomorrow than it did today. Log on!

Scott

Speaking With One Voice

Dana Doran, Executive Director

As LAST ONE 765 WORDS.

large part because of Maine’s professional loggers. Stay safe out there,

Dana

PLC MEMBER SHOWCASE:

MADDEN SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY INC: No two jobs are the same

MILFORD - Derek Madden started his business, Madden Sustainable Forestry, Inc. in 2010, but he was a logger long before that.

Derek grew up in a logging family – the Madden name is well known in the forest products industry in Maine and the Maddens are arguably the largest extended logging family in the state – and he began working in the woods as soon as he was able to.

“I got started in the logging business back when I was little kid working some with my dad Tony Madden and a lot with my grandfather Fernald Madden,” Derek recalls. “I would run skidder, loader, whatever they needed throughout school.”

In 2001 Derek went to work for his father full-time running a 1996 Timbco 815 forwarder, and he did that for a few years until his father bought a new Timberjack forwarder 1410 and a lightly used 1996 Timbco 425 with an Ultimate 5300 processing head.

“He then gave me the choice to either run the new machine or run both 96 Timbcos and work by myself on the Bureau of Public Lands. I decided to run both machines and that is what I did until 2010 when I decided to go on my own,” Derek

said.

Six years later Madden Sustainable Forestry has eight employees, not counting Derek and his wife, Nicole. The company provides both cut-to-length and tree-length logging services, mat hauling for transmission projects, grinding for fields and nature trails, and “pretty

much anything else a landowner requests we will try to make it happen,” Derek said.

One of the big strengths of Madden Sustainable Forestry is the quality and flexibility of the employees. All operators are trained to operate every piece of equipment the company has. This keeps everyone working and operating efficiently even when conditions for some parts of a harvest job are poor.

His wife, Nicole, is critical to the business and the heart of the office, caring for their two young children during the day and then working nights keeping the company operating smoothly, Derek said.

“We are a lean company with very little overhead with the exception of equipment,” Derek said. “We have excellent employees and great equipment. One thing that my company has that many people don't is a great logging family in the background that all work together and help each other out when they need a hand. In total there are eight separate Madden family logging operations.”

The company owns and operates a number of Madden

Continued on Page 5

Derek Madden walking a job site in Orland.

Jud Trott, operator for Madden Sustainable Forestry, on the job in John Deere 753J feller buncher.

Madden Continued from Page 4 machines, but, “my favorite piece of equipment is still the 96 Timbco 815,” Derek said. “A very well rounded machine for doing all types of work. The original machine from when I started in the woods and she is still like new.”

Madden Sustainable Forestry generally operates within an hour and a half of its shop in Milford, covering a large portion of the state. No two jobs are ever the same.

On a mid-May morning Derek toured a recently completed logging site in Castine with visitors to look at harvest management techniques used on the property, which abuts Penobscot Bay near the outlet of the Penobscot River. With seabirds flying overhead and the

landowners these days.

Dealing with many types of landowners with varying expectations requires a high degree of professionalism from loggers today, and Madden Sustainable Forestry is a highly professional operation. The company is Northeast Master Logger certified as well as being a member of the Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of Maine.

Derek became involved with PLC through his family and then as a business owner himself, and said the free spring training offered by PLC is a great benefit of membership and the organization’s hard work on behalf of Maine loggers in the state capital is also very important.

tour running at one point along a large sweep of sand beach, he noted how logging can take you places you’d never expect.

The Castine site included rolling terrain overlooking the bay and woods surrounding a large open tract of lawns where a summer home watched the ocean and tennis courts were hidden nearby in the trees. The site was a great example of a property being managed more for aesthetics and forest health than profitpriorities shared by many small private

Forming a relationship with other PLC members has been a great experience, and recent efforts to promote the Master Logger program – the PLC and the program are distinct but share a board of directors – is also helping his company, Derek said.

Though the weather and markets are constant challenges, the future of Madden Sustainable Forestry looks good, and logging is still a very rewarding profession, Derek said. “

In the logging business you get to be outside and see some amazing and beautiful places and work with some very unique and hardworking people,” Derek said.

Madden Sustainable Forestry forwarder at work in Castine.

No telling where logging may take you: This site in Castine overlooks Penobscot Bay.

Welcome New Members

PLC Members

AS & CB Gould & Sons - AS & CB Gould & Sons of Cornville, ME joined the PLC as a new Member in June of 2016. The company is mechanized and has a staff of 22 certified logging professionals. The company does whole tree and cut-to-length harvesting.

Big Timber, LLC - Big Timber, LLC of Wallagrass, ME joined the PLC as a new Member in June of 2016. Big Timber is mechanized and has a staff of one certified logging professional. The company does cut-to-length harvesting.

Buckco, Inc. - Buckco, Inc. of Milton Township, ME joined the PLC as a new Member in June of 2016. Buckco Inc. is mechanized and has a staff of two certified logging professionals. The company is Master Logger certified. The company does whole tree harvesting and biomass chipping.

Eastman C-T-L Logging, Inc. - Eastman C-T-L Logging, Inc. of Exeter, ME joined the PLC as a new Member in June of 2016. Eastman C-T-L Logging is mechanized and has a staff of two certified logging professionals. The company does cut-to-length harvesting.

G.R. Logging LLC - G.R. Logging LLC of Van Buren, ME joined the PLC as a new Member in June of 2016. G.R. Logging is mechanized and has a staff of eight certified logging professionals. The company is Master Logger certified. The company does whole tree harvesting.

Qualey Logging - Qualey Logging of Benedicta, ME joined the PLC as a new Member in June of 2016. Qualey Logging is mechanized and has a staff of five certified logging professionals. The company does whole tree harvesting.

Milo Chip, LLC - Milo Chip, LLC of Skowhegan, ME has joined the PLC as a new Affiliated Contractor in June of 2016. Milo Chip has a professional staff of five.

Richard Carrier Trucking Inc. - Richard Carrier Trucking Inc. of Skowhegan, ME has joined the PLC as a new Affiliated Contractor in June of 2016. The trucking company got its start 40 years ago by Richard Alain Carrier, who began his career in the Northern Maine Woods, cutting timber while working with his father and brother. Richard Carrier Trucking’s fleet is currently comprised of 72 Western Star Tractors in the Skowhegan Office and 75 in Canada. The company has a professional staff of 88.

Chaffee Transport - Chaffee Transport of Clinton, ME joined the PLC as a new Forest Contractor in June of 2016. Chaffee Transport is a new trucking company formed from the assets and land of A.W. Chaffee and has a professional staff of 15.

MG Transport – MG Transport of Cornville, ME joined the PLC as a new Forest Contractor in June of 2016. MG Transport is a freight shipping and trucking company with a professional staff of 10.

M.L. Pelletier Trucking Inc. - M.L. Pelletier Trucking Inc. of St, John Plantation, ME joined the PLC as a new Forest Contractor in June of 2016. M.L. Pelletier Trucking has a professional staff of 5.

Supporting Members

Carl's Auto Parts Inc. - Carl's Auto Parts Inc. of Lincoln, ME joined the PLC as a new Supporting Member in March of 2016. Carl's is an independentlyowned and operated CARQUEST Auto Parts store, one of many nationwide. Carl's Auto Parts specializesin automotive and heavy duty parts and supplies.

Heavy Machines Inc. - Heavy Machines Inc. of Skowhegan, ME joined the PLC as a new Supporting Member in June of 2016. The company is a heavy equipment dealer based in Memphis, TN with branches in four states. The Skowhegan branch has a history of physical and product expansion to meet the demands of forest products, scrap handling, general construction, industrial and logging customers.

New England Kenworth - New England Kenworth joined the PLC as a new Supporting Member in Aprilof 2016. New England Kenworth is based in Concord, NH and operates six medium and heavy duty truck dealership operations in New England and Upstate New York, including locations in Bangor and Portland, Maine. The company has a professional staff of more than 200.

Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers - Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers of Hooksett, NH joined the PLC as a new Supporting Member in June of 2016. Ritchie Bros. is the world’s largest auctioneer of heavy equipment and trucks and has been helping people around the world buy and sell with confidence since 1958. The company offers a wide range of used and unused equipment and trucks.

Stairs Welding RL Inc. - Stairs Welding RL Inc. of Hodgdon, ME joined the PLC as a new Supporting Member in June of 2016. Stairs Welding serves the woods industry with all types of logging trailers, log bodies,

New members

Continued on Page 17

OLD TOWN – Katahdin Fire Co. Inc. has ONE PAGE WAS ABOUT 670 WORDS.

Team Katahdin: Chad Morin, at left; Scott Dionne, center; and Randy Keenan, right. Photo by Sarah Morin.

KATAHDIN REGION – A story that began more than 20 years ago with a wealthy entrepreneur’s push to create a national park in the midst of this region’s working forest is likely to end later this year with the designation –or not

of a national monument by the President of the United States.

Roxanne Quimby’s vision for the land east of Baxter State Park has remained largely unchanged since the days when RESTORE the North Woods envisioned a 3.2 million acre national park in the region, and although the 87,500 acres she wants to donate to the federal government through her nonprofit Elliotsville Planation Inc. (EPI) may be a fraction of the size of the original proposal, the goal is still a national park and the monument merely the most convenient step toward making it a reality because only one individual needs to approve it – President Barack Obama.

The PLC opposes the national monument based on multiple concerns including issues of land access for loggers, opposition to the park in communities neighboring the park zone, a chilling effect on forest products industry investment the establishment a monument would have, and safety worries surrounding the sharing of logging roads with tourists.

2016 has emerged as the year when the park/ monument issue is likely to finally be decided: A steady ramp-up in promotion of the monument in the latter half of 2015 provoked opposition from Maine’s congressional delegation and organizations and communities with interests in the region. Supporters fought back, and the first half of this year has seen editorial boards of major

Maine newspapers pile on with their support, a visit from the director of the National Park Service to hear the debate, and a congressional field hearing on the matter. It now seems likely a decision will be made as early as August – the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service – or in the final days before President Obama’s term ends in January 2017.

The PLC began actively opposing the monument last year and has worked aggressively to protect the interests of loggers in the region. Those efforts have included a strong push to educate the media and lawmakers about the problems a national monument would create for the working forests and forest products industry of the region.

The PLC joined a delegation led by Maine Second District Congressman Bruce Poliquin at the White House in March to argue against the prospect of the national monument. PLC was represented at the park hearing held in mid-May in Orono as part of National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis’ visit, and again at the June 1 congressional field hearing organized by Rep Poliquin in East Millinocket, where PLC led a tour of the affected area and testified about the issues a national monument or park would create for Maine loggers.

Many who attended the hearing with Jarvis left with the impression that the decision to create a monument in the region may already have been made. Whether that is true remains to be seen, but the PLC will continue to work to oppose the monument and to preserve the working forests, logging infrastructure, and opportunities of the region.

Trucks from Hanington Timberlands (pictured here) and WT. Gardner & Sons were billboards for PLC in East Millinocket during a congressional field hearing June 1 on a proposed national monument.

SAFETY FIRST

Ted Clark, CLCS, Loss Control Representative, Acadia Insurance

Spring is finally starting to wind down and hopefully, by the time you read this article, you have been back to work and are enjoying the benefits of a productive, dry summer. Spring never fails to be our busiest time of year with inspections, meetings and more training sessions than I can count.

Hopefully you found the spring training sessions to be beneficial for you and your employees and everyone was able to take away a few bits of information that will help improve your overall risk management and ultimately, your profitability. I have always found myself amazed by the amount of information I learn from you and your employees each year. This information serves a variety of purposes from modifying the message I deliver to recognizing the need for a new training topic.

This year, while delving deep into fire suppression, the need for more consistent reminders to employees on how to act in the event of a machine fire came up nearly every session that I taught. Armed with that information I decided it would be beneficial to write an article that you can cut out of your newsletter, to take out to read, word for word, to your employees to remind them of what they should do if their machine catches fire. So here we go:

A fire on a forestry machine can halt production, create a significant hazard to life safety and ultimately cripple a business. Taking a few steps to prevent a fire and knowing how to act, as an operator, when a fire occurs can make an enormous difference in the outcome.

As an operator, you are the key to preventing fires on machines. Remember that fire requires heat, fuel and oxygen to burn. Therefore, if you want to prevent a fire from occurring, you need to eliminate at least one of these from your machine.

As discussed during our spring training, there is no way to prevent the heat generated on your machine and there is no way to eliminate the oxygen, those are factors that we have to live with as they are a result of the machine operating. Accepting that we can’t eliminate the heat and the oxygen, you have to understand that the only way to prevent a fire from occurring on your machine is to minimize the fuel build up.

From diesel fuel to hydraulic fluid, logging machines have an enormous amount of fuels to contend with. The fuel that causes the biggest concern for fires is the buildup of wood debris. Wood debris will ignite at a very low temperature and can cause a fire to rapidly spread through a machine. As the operator, it is your responsibility to try and minimize the debris build up in the machine. Daily clean outs and occasional pressure washing will go a long way toward preventing debris build up. Also basic maintenance such as repairing leaks and inspecting electrical lines for chafe can go a long way towards preventing a fire.

In the event your machine catches fire, several quick steps can make the difference between saving the machine and a total fire loss that leaves you without a machine for a significant period of time. The steps are as follows:

▪Try to remain calm and call for help. Typically, when a machine catches fire you will have a few seconds to catch your breath and make sure you are thinking straight. A mobile machine like a skidder allows you access to extinguishers quickly and this may make the difference between saving the machine or not.

▪Ground the machine’s hydraulics out.

▪Turn off the machine. This is the most critical step. If the machine is left on, you will continue to feed the fire with the engine fan and fluids pumping, often rendering the fire suppression system ineffective.

▪Set the fire suppression system off manually. In order for the fire suppression system to go off automatically there has to be enough heat generated inside the machine to melt through wiring or pressure tubing, the fire can spread rapidly before you generate enough heat to set the system off which makes it less effective. If you set the system off manually, you get the suppression onto the fire while it is much smaller, increasing the chance of fully extinguishing the fire.

▪Exit the machine and stand by with your handheld extinguishers. Depending on where the fire occurred and amount of debris, you will likely need to re-extinguish the fire using your handheld extinguisher. Your loaded stream (water can), will likely be the most effective means of extinguishing a rekindle because of its cooling effect and pinpoint accuracy.

▪Use available portable extinguishers on the machine once the fire is out. A fire that starts deep in debris may take a while to re-kindle, tricking you in to believing the fire was completely extinguished. Discharging your extinguishers into the area where the fire started will add an additional layer of protection to assure the fire does not rekindle once you have left the machine.

2016 PLC Safety Training

Presented by Changing Your Culture - The Business of Safety

60 member companies participate in PLC Safety Training

A record 60 member companies took advantage of the PLC’s 2016 Safety Series, held at eight locations around the state in April and May. This free training is a benefit of membership and provides practical, hands on instruction to improve individual and company safety.

A total of 561 loggers participated in the training this year, on topics including fire prevention, suppression, and reporting; driver safety; logger rescue; welding/cutting safety; tire changing safety; blind spots; and safety discussions for management.

Responses to the training and the instructors who provided it were overwhelmingly positive, with 99 percent of participants rating the sessions good to excellent. The training rated “most useful” was Logger Rescue, a very hands-on session with training tailored to the unique challenges of logging rescues. Thanks to all who donated their facilities for this year’s training series: William A. Day Jr. & Sons Logging; Nichols Brothers Logging; Elliot Jordan & Son; Madden Timberlands; Linkletter & Sons; Gerald Pelletier, Inc.; Treeline, Inc.; and Voisine Brothers Inc.

Special thanks to MEMIC and GH Berlin Windward for providing three prizes at each location for top safety ideas, and to Cross Insurance for providing an authentic football signed by New England Patriot Julian Edelman for the drawing for “Best Safety Idea” presented at the 2016 trainings. Congratulations to the winner of the Edelman football, Cody Daigle of Big Timber LLC! *See more on safety ideas p. 12.

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Your 2016 Safety Ideas

First Place Ideas - Winners of N.H Bragg gift certificate supplied by GH Berlin and MEMIC:

-When working near powerline with live boom always have 2-way communication with a spotter equipped with a high burst air horn. Ben F. – Andrews Timber.

-Use grip tape on the load bar handle so hands don’t slip off bar when tightening the load. Arthur L. – Treeline Inc.

-Ensure loader and truck seats are firmly attached to vehicle by adding it to the daily checklist. Diane D. – William A. Day Jr & Sons.

-Use your tailgate as a stretcher to get someone out of the woods if they are injured. Cody D. – Big Timber LLC.

-Flashlight on the collar of your shirt for working in the dark getting on and off equipment and out of the woods. Jerry F. – Elliott Jordan & Son.

-Install chain covers on log trucks over the tire chain racks to prevent falling on chain hooks. Chad D.

– Nichols Brothers.

-Put pictures of family in your cab to constantly be reminded of what you have to go home to. Joey L. – Madden Sustainable Forestry.

-Coil up straps and then use both hands to throw over a load. This prevents strain on shoulders. Joe P.

Hanington Brothers Inc.

Second Place Ideas - Winners of N.H Bragg gift certificate supplied by GH Berlin and MEMIC:

-Install a metal cover over tire chains on the log trailers to prevent drivers from falling on the chain hooks. Andrew J.

– Treeline Inc.

-During the winter turn off the heat to freeze the windshield so the snow won’t stick and you won’t need wipers. Lester D. – Gerald Pelletier Inc.

-Wear a safety harness when cleaning a delimber. Chad W.

– Gerald Pelletier Inc.

-Chip truck drivers should get out of the truck till box is half loaded from metal coming out of the chipper chute. Corey E. – Eastman C-L-T Logging.

We asked for your safety ideas during our 2016 PLC Safety Training Series, with prizes awarded for the best ones at each training site. Here are the top safety picks of 2016

-Write the GPS coordinates & directions on the notification sign on the landing for a centralized place for emergency information. Mallory B. – Maine Custom Woodlands.

-Go over fire suppression systems with employees so they know how they work and are able to diagnose issues. Jeff L. – Dean Young Forestry.

-Carry a “Spot” – personal GPS. Call in at least once a day. Marco G.

-Install quick latches on all access panels to promote ease of access for cleaning and to put out a fire if one occurs. Matthew L. – Maine Woods Pellet Co.

Third Place Ideas - Winners of N.H Bragg gift certificate supplied by GH Berlin and MEMIC:

-Wear safety glasses while fueling high flow diesel pumps with wide fill holes - fuel can splash into face. Shane K. –Treeline Inc.

-Slash towards pile or put wood on the exhaust side of slasher to de-energize flying debris from saw blade. Bob B. –Treeline Inc.

-Use ice grippers for good footing to prevent slips, trips and falls. Chris S.

-Equipment should come with a first aid kit or have an area designed to store it in. Taneli K. –Buckco Inc.

-Slip guard on blades, step ladder to hook on chains, add hand grabs on equipment and trucks. Jonathan H. –Madden Timberlands.

-Use hands free phone while driving and put phone in glove box. Forest B.

Sappi.

-A device that operators wear that will activate a strobe light on the machine if he falls off the machine or is “down”. Scott D. – Katahdin Fire.

-Park your pick-up headed out of the woods in the case of an emergency. Matt M. – McGary Logging.

-Mandatory CB or cell phone check-ins at predetermined intervals for crews in the field. Andrew L. – Linkletter & Sons.

TEAM Safe Trucking: Elevate the standard

Written By: DK Knight

Enthusiasm is building for the ambitious plan of TEAM Safe Trucking (TST), a broad-based non-profit group seeking to elevate the standard and performance of the American forest industry’s deeply troubled transportation sector, which organizers contend is the most serious problem confronting the wood fiber supply chain.

TEAM Safe Trucking is developing a module program that will embrace awareness/education and intensely focus on driver training. It can be tweaked for use in different regions and sub-regions and will be available to those who have log/chip transportation operations or are exposed to such operations. Drawing on a $5,000 commitment from Forest/Loggers/Mauck Insurance Agencies, along with other resources, the group expects to have the program in gear by August.

Now regional in scope, TST expects to expand its program nationwide as it secures additional funding through donations from stakeholders and from grants. Virginia Tech University has committed funds and a graduate student to conduct log/chip truck accident research, beginning later this year. The two-year study will help guide the project’s work going forward.

Consisting of logging companies, paper/wood products manufacturers, truck and trailer manufacturers, insurance companies and logging and forestry association representatives, the organization aims to emulate the success of TEAM Fire, another cooperative effort created 20 years ago that eventually drove down logging equipment fire incidents and claims, lowered insurance premiums and

Trade AdjustmentAssistance

for your laid-off workers

Logging contractors forced to permanently lay off employees due to loss of business with any one of 14 companies with facilities in Maine that have been certified for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) through the U.S. Department of Labor are advised those employees may now qualify for unemployment and retraining dollars through those certifications.

This is a way for you to help workers that have or will be permanently laid off due to market conditions out of your control. The program offers assistance and guidance for workers who have suffered a layoff and it can also soften the financial blow to your employees as a result of a layoff.

TAA provides a path for employment growth and opportunity to trade-affected workers with opportunities to obtain the skills, resources, and support they need to become reemployed.

In the case of Maine loggers who are permanently laid off, if the case can be made that the losses were due to foreign trade at one of the 14 companies, individual

helped make automatic fire suppression systems more affordable.

TST is guided by Rick Quagliaroli, owner of Swamp Fox Agency, Inc., an established South Carolina-based business that interfaces with forest industry interests in three states. According to him, many loggers and log truckers now do a commendable job but the industry’s trucking segment overall is performing poorly, resulting in increasing mishaps and multiple forms of costly, disruptive, traumatic fallout. This is forcing some truckers to the side of the road and causing some insurance providers to abandon the market.

“TEAM Safe Trucking’s goal is to set a high standard for driver training and continuing education, and we’ll focus the training program specifically on hauling logs and chips. The program will be designed to help make the industry’s log and chip trucking segment safer and more efficient, and every party that has an interest in trucking will need to ‘buy in’ for it to be truly successful. It will take some time. For the good of the industry as a whole, we’re asking for support up and down the line.”

For more information, email or call Quagliaroli: rick@swampfoxagencyinc.net, 843-761-3999; or Jimmie Locklear: jlocklear@forestrymutual.com, 910-733-3300.

workers in the group may apply for TAA benefits and services.

Each laid off worker must individually apply for services and benefits through their local Maine Career Center. TAA case managers will issue a determination of individual worker eligibility for benefits. We encourage you to assist your workers in taking advantage of this opportunity if you have been forced to lay off employees permanently as a result of loss of business with one or more of the 14 companies below:

Chester Forest Products, LLC

Eastland Shoe Corporation

Expera Old Town, LLC

Gardner Chipmills Millinocket, LLC

Great Northern Paper Maine Holding, LLC

Kelly-Smith Printing & Paper

Lincoln Paper & Tissue, LLC

Madison Paper Industries

Red Shield Acquisition

S&S Transportation, Inc.

Silvex Inc.

Verso Corporation

Verso Paper Corporation

Walter Kidde Portable Equipment, Inc.

PLC’s 21st Annual Meeting & Fundraiser

BREWER – The Professional Logging Contractors

(PLC) of Maine held its 21st Annual Meeting Friday, April 29 with guests including U.S. Senator Angus King, and raised approximately $36,000 for the Log A Load for Kids Foundation to benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

The event also included the presentation of awards to Maine Senate President Michael Thibodeau and Maine House Speaker Mark Eves for their work on behalf of Maine loggers.

Senator King welcomed the crowd of more than 150 Maine loggers, supporters, forest products industry business owners and representatives, lawmakers, and family members attending the evening dinner and awards ceremony that followed a day of meetings, presentations, and the auction in support of the Log A Load for Kids Foundation.

The Senator noted the difficult times Maine’s forest

products industry has experienced in recent years and said preserving Maine’s professional logging infrastructure is critical to the long-term health of a viable forest products economy in the state.

“You’re it – it all starts with getting the wood out of the forest,” King said. “This is really crucial for the future of Maine.”

The meeting is one of the PLC’s major fund-raisers for the Log A Load for Kids Foundation to benefit Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals, and this year the event set a new record for funds raised. The $35,000 raised topped the previous record of $20,000, and a final $1,000 donation after the meeting from Anderson Equipment Company brought the final total to $36,000. PLC members are well known for their generosity in supporting charitable causes benefiting children and are sponsors of the Log A Load For Kids annual campaign here in Maine, which encourages loggers and others in the forest products community to donate the value of one load of logs, or any amount, to local Children’s Miracle Network hospitals. Log A Load For Kids is a national leader in CMN fundraising.

The PLC and the Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems (EMHS) Foundation have raised more than $775,000 since 1996 for children in Maine. Donations have gone to support research and training, purchase equipment, and pay for uncompensated care, all in support of the mission to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible.

“After all that loggers have been through in the last eight months, it is truly inspiring to see this kind of generosity from PLC members,” Dana Doran, Executive Director of the PLC, said. “Loggers are some of the most generous and humble people. Our 2016 Annual Meeting shows just how unselfish this group is and how they will rally together to help those in need.

Meeting Continued on Page 19

U.S. Senator Angus King speaks during the evening dinner and awards portion of the meeting.

A capacity crowd for the evening dinner and awards ceremony.

PLC Awards 2016

PLC Impact Awards: Each year, the PLC recognizes someone from the public sector who has demonstrated a commitment to the logging industry and made a significant impact for its improvement. This year the PLC recognized two individuals for this award. The winners are:

PLC Logger of the Year Award: This award recognizes a PLC Logging Contractor for their commitment to the sustainability of the industry and logging as a profession. The winner is:

William A. Day Jr. and Sons of Porter

PLC President’s Award: This award is presented to an individual or organization within the PLC which has had a significant and positive impact on the PLC and the logging industry in Maine. The winner is:

The Hanington Family

PLC Supporting Member Award: This award is presented to a PLC Supporting Member that has demonstrated an unprecedented commitment to logging contractors in Maine. This year the winner is:

Milton CAT

Maine Senate President Michael Thibodeau & Maine Speaker of the House Mark Eves

Acadia Insurance Safety Award: This award is given to a company that continuously demonstrates safety throughout their business. The winner is:

GCA Logging Inc. of Avon

PLC Community Service Award: This award is given annually to a PLC Member, Supporting Member or affiliated organization that has demonstrated a significant commitment to giving back to their community. The winner is:

David Cole of American Forest Management

Congratulations to all 2016 Award Winners

As We See It June 2016

“DC-Follow-Up”

By Richard Schwab

When I first accepted the Presidency of the American Loggers Council on September 26, 2015, I presented a list of goals that I hoped to accomplish during my term. One of those goals was to increase our presence in Washington, DC and to encourage more loggers to participate in these high level discussions with our elected representatives.

I am pleased to report that we had 60 individuals present in Washington, DC this year during our Spring Fly-In that included loggers from both Vermont and Connecticut. Joe Phaneuf with the Northeastern Loggers Association (NELA) and Board member Rocky Bunnell did a great job in recruiting these gentlemen to not only participate in Hill visits, but to also sit at the table during our Board of Directors meeting on Saturday to learn more about the American Loggers Council and what other activities we are involved in.

In one and a half days, members of the American Loggers Council conducted 146 visits with their Congressmen and Congresswomen as well as their Senators and staff. They also attended briefings with USDA Under Secretary Robert Bonnie, Jeff Crane, President of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Bill Imbergamo, Director of the Federal Forest Resource Coalition, and both Luke Loy and Caitlin Rayman with the U.S. Department of Transportation.

We not only continued to educate those lawmakers up on the Hill on our issues, we also learned a lot from the meetings that we attended with agency personnel and committee staff. We discovered that there are some things that we can do to possibly help with CSA scores, to assist the US Forest Service in utilizing some

of the authorities that were granted to it in the 2014 Farm Bill, and that we do have a voice and a presence in issues when they impact the professional timber harvesting community.

I want to thank each and every one of those individuals who made the trip to Washington this year and the extra effort that was put forth to set up appointments and take the time to meet with a record number of offices during our brief time on the Hill. You have helped me to keep one of my promises to you, and that is to be an even more effective voice for our industry in Washington, DC.

The American Loggers Council continues to grow and gain traction in Washington, DC on many fronts, and the professionalism and engagement by all of our members is what keeps us moving forward as the only national voice exclusively representing professional timber harvesters in the United States.

If your State has not yet become involved with the ALC, please ask us how we can assist you to make that happen. Until next time, Log On! and Log Safe!

Richard Schwab is the Procurement Manager for M.A. Rigoni, Inc., a full service timber harvesting and forest management company located in Perry, Florida.

The American Loggers Council is a non-profit 501(c) (6) corporation representing professional timber harvesters in 30 states across the US. For more information, visit their web site at www.amloggers.com or contact their office at 409-625-0206.

INSIDE OUT COMMUNICATIONS SCHOLARSHIPS

Three $1,500 scholarships will be offered by the advertising agency, Inside Out Communications Inc., in memory of Mrs. Lena Pelletier, to Millinocket’s Stearns High School graduates who will be attending the 12-week community college Mechanized Logging Operations Training Program starting later this year.

The funds, a total of $4,500 disbursed as $1,500 a year for three consecutive years, can be applied by winning students at their own discretion towards books, materials, personal protection equipment or living expenses. Each scholarship will be distributed in three $500 installments, and in order to receive the full scholarship, the student must maintain a 2.0 GPA.

PLC applauds this support for the new training program in memory of Mrs. Pelletier.

For more information, contact Ms. Sue Buzzell, LSW, School Counselor at Stearns High School , at 723-6430 ext. 6509.

Lena Pelletier and her son, Eldon Pelletier.

As We See It July 2016

“Tell Your Story”

By Nick Smith

Timber harvesting is a proud and vital profession. Logging is a part of our nation’s history and heritage. It’s also what makes our modern civilization possible. Wood products today make up 47 percent of all raw materials used in American manufacturing. And scientists are continuing to find new and exciting applications for wood fiber. In the near future, for example, many high-rises in the world’s growing cities will be built with timber, and many airplane jets will be powered by forest waste. Timber harvesting offers many benefits that society desires. So why are loggers so misunderstood?

The answer is simple to many who’ve spent their lives working in the forest. Loggers and foresters commonly joke they chose their profession so they wouldn’t have to deal with the public. But this natural introversion comes with a cost.

As the nation becomes younger and more urbanized, the latest opinion research suggests certain groups of people are becoming alarmingly disconnected with basic forest management concepts. And in today’s 24/7 world of instant information, logging opponents are actively misinforming the public about the practices and motivations of today’s timber harvesters.

These challenges aren’t insurmountable, but timber harvesters must take an active role in promoting their profession and explaining the benefits they provide for forests and people.

People love stories, and loggers have great stories to tell. But before timber harvesters engage the public, they must understand what motivates specific groups of people. Many residents of rural, forested communities support logging because they understand it’s critical to the local economy and the health of local forests. Yet urban residents and many policy makers have entirely different concerns and motivations. The sooner we recognize and embrace these differences, the better, because these are the people who will determine the future of the industry.

If people value recreation and clean water, we

must show how timber harvesting results in healthy forests and watersheds. If people are concerned with the Earth’s climate, we must show how logging helps sequester carbon while reducing emissions. And if people desire sustainable and locally-sourced products, we must continue to promote wood as an essential and renewable resource. Most importantly, as the old saying goes “People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

Show how much you care by telling your story. Explain what motivates you to work in the woods. Attend a public meeting on a proposed state or federal forest project. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, and attend a town hall hosted by your Congressman.

Understand and utilize social media to tell your story, or find a family member or younger employee who’s capable of using these tools. Public opinion research indicates that videos are the most effective way to educate people about forest management. If you can’t bring the public to an active logging site, shoot a video of an operation and have it uploaded to the Internet.

The American Loggers Council stands ready to help tell your story. There are many other organizations that are working to promote the industry, its people and the use of wood. But the perception and future of timber harvesting depends of the ability of those who are working in the forests, every day, to explain how and why they are providing the products and benefits our society desires.

Nick Smith is Executive Director of Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities- healthyforests.org

The American Loggers Council is a non-profit 501(c) (6) corporation representing professional timber harvesters in 30 states across the US. For more information, visit their web site at www.amloggers.com or contact their office at 409-625-0206.

and heavy duty cab guards. The company also specializes in aftermarket tag and pusher axle installations, as well as custom fab work and repairs – ranging from small jobs to complete overhauls.

New members Continued from Page 6

Enhanced Supporting Members

Chalmers Insurance Group of Maine - Chalmers Insurance Group of Maine joined the PLC as a new

Enhanced Supporting Member in April of 2016. Chalmers Group has 158 years of customer service experience and is dedicated to providing quality Maine and New Hampshire insurance products at competitive rates for local businesses, individuals and families to serve a wide variety of personal and business insurance needs.

The company is a Maine-based family business now managed by the fourth generation of the Chalmers family.

Legislative Success Continued from Page 1

The biomass industry is struggling in the face of competition from cheaper natural gas and loss of renewable energy credit agreements in neighboring states: Covanta Energy has idled its two Maine biomass plants and ReEnergy Holdings has stated its four Maine plants are imperiled if conditions do not improve. REnergy recently idled its Lyonsdale, NY facility but has kept its four Maine plants running thanks to the opportunity for a short term contracting option on the horizon.

The loss of the biomass market would be a huge blow to the logging industry in Maine, which has sold woody biomass waste from logging operations to the plants for years. The idling of the two Covanta plants has already had a direct effect on a large percentage of Maine loggers who are struggling with paper mill closures in 2015 and early 2016 that have limited markets for wood fiber.

The PLC has estimated total economic losses to the state of Maine from the loss of the biomass industry could be as high as $300 million per year.

LD 1676 is designed to preserve the industry by providing stable, short -term revenue for Maine biomass plants to buy time for other steps that can lead to their long-term health, including the planned comprehensive study of biomass opportunities in Maine.

The bill directs the Maine Public Utilities Commission to secure 2-year contracts for 80 megawatts of new or existing biomass resources with the highest likelihood of providing in-state economic benefits such as permanent direct jobs, payments to municipalities, and payments to Maine loggers for fuel purchases; all criteria that favor biomass in Maine. It will be paid for by money that would otherwise have gone into the Maine Budget Stabilization Fund, more commonly referred to as the Rainy Day Fund. The cost over two years would be a maximum of $13.4 million.

The bill as amended in final negotiations includes strong accountability language for biomass

producers as well as a provision for the Maine Public Utilities Commission to deny contracts if none are deemed to be competitive, which provided reassurance to some legislators worried about risking the expenditure.

The Maine Farm Bureau joined the PLC in advocating for passage of the sales tax exemption bill. The provisions of LD 1481 later included in the omnibus spending bill will provide relief to industries including professional loggers and farmers by exempting them from sales tax on off-road diesel – used in commercial wood harvesting and farming.

Farmers and loggers predominantly use off-road diesel. In 2002, the average price of off-road diesel was 93 cents per gallon, and the state sales tax was 5 percent. By 2014, the average price was up to $3.51 per gallon and the state sales tax was 5.5 percent. This represents a 280 percent increase in cost from 2002 for both industries, whereby arguably they were paid less to produce more.

In 2011, the 125th Maine Legislature provided commercial fisherman with a sales tax exemption for offhighway fuel used on commercial fishing vessels.

Massachusetts, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Vermont and other states with major timber and agriculture industries do not tax diesel fuel used off road. In a very competitive global economy, this has put

Maine farmers and loggers at a disadvantage.

At this point Maine loggers are looking forward to the sales tax exemption and awaiting the results of the biomass legislation, as the contract process lies ahead and will influence biomass market conditions in the short term even as the planned study of biomass opportunities gets underway this fall and will influence the market in the long term.

While these were the major wins this session, the other victory for the PLC in the legislative process was higher visibility for the organization and the logging industry. Many legislators and members of the media unfamiliar with the PLC and Maine loggers learned a great deal about both, and will carry that knowledge and awareness forward as they consider future issues that may impact the industry.

PLC Executive Director Dana Doran begins testimony in support of LD 1676 at a March public hearing on the biomass bill. Many PLC Members also testified at the hearing, and at other critical events during the session.

Meeting Continued from Page 12

Thanks to all who contributed to this year’s Log A Load for Kids Campaign. PLC set a new record for funds raised for kids including our Champion Child, Henry, thanks to your generosity.

Maine loggers truly are the backbone of Maine.”

The event at Jeff’s Catering also included luncheon remarks from American Loggers Council (ALC) National President Richard Schwab on the national perspective for loggers.

“

After all that loggers have been through in the last eight months, it is truly inspiring to see this kind of generosity from PLC members,” Dana Doran, Executive Director of the PLC, said. “Loggers are some of the most generous and humble people. Our 2016 Annual Meeting shows just how unselfish this group is and how they will rally together to help those in need. Maine loggers truly are the backbone of Maine.”

Congratulations to new members of the PLC Board of Directors elected at the Annual Meeting. The board is critical to the efforts of the PLC and the organization could not be successful without the participation of members willing to donate their time and energy to serve. New board members include:

Wes Dube of Tate Brook Timber Co., Wayne Tripp of W.C. Tripp Forest Products, Gary Voisine of Voisine Brothers Inc., Andrew Madden of A.S. Madden Logging Inc., Brent Day of William A Day Jr. and Sons Inc., and Greg Adams of GCA Logging Inc.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to recognize the latest loggers to become Master Logger certified through the Northeast Master Logger Certification Program. New Master Loggers included: AD Forestry Specialist, Andy Dillon, Madison, ME; SDR Logging, Chuck Ames, Sebec, ME; Jerimoth Forestry, Robert Thurber Foster, RI; Lincoln Farm Timber Harvesting, Sam Lincoln, Randolph Center, VT; WC Tripp Forest Products, Wayne Tripp, Frankfort, ME; David Gordon Logging, David Gordon, Farmington, ME; Chaplin Logging, Caleb and Corey Chaplin, Naples, ME; GCA Logging, Greg Adams, Avon, ME; and AS Madden, Andrew Madden, Greenbush, ME.

The meeting concluded with award presentations. Thanks to all who made the day a success!

American Loggers Council President Richard Schwab discusses national logging issues.

Dinner underway.

Professional Logging Contractors of Maine

106 Sewall St.

P.O. Box 1036 Augusta, ME 04332

2016 Meeting Schedule

Professional Logging Contractors of Maine and Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands

Executive Board and Full Board

October 2016: No meeting

November 10, 2016: Executive Board, 1 p.m., PLC, Augusta

December 15, 2016: Full Board, noon, Sheraton Four Points, Bangor

January 2017: No Meeting