The Logger's VOICE - Winter 2018

Member Showcase:

Senator Inn, Augusta

Jeff’s Catering, Brewer

From the President

By Scott Madden

Well, are you ready for winter? As I write this it’s snowing and no matter how hard we try we are not ready. As I was driving to a meeting during the first storm of the year I would say no one else was ready either. I felt like I had moved to another country, we had a couple of inches of wet, slippery snow on the ground and there were vehicles off the road everywhere. It seemed like on one stretch there was one every mile, and the way the others were driving they would soon be off the road too if they didn’t slow down.

Anyway, this is what we all have to look forward to. As PLC Members, by now we all realize that the auto portion of our PLC Safety Group Dividend Program struggles to keep losses low. We ask our drivers to deal with this every day, and in the winter, it’s harder than ever.

All of us are under more pressure to move product longer distances than ever before. In this situation, sooner rather than later we have to decide what is an acceptable risk? Is it worth it to haul in winter storms? Back in the not so old days we might have even put chains on and run them all the way to the mill. Not so much anymore. Some of these hauls today are 100 miles. Usually, our drivers can handle the winter conditions, it’s all the other drivers on the road who are the danger because they don’t understand our trucks can’t stop on a dime. And our drivers generally go to work so early the roads may not even be plowed.

With all that being said, can we really afford to stay home every time we see a snowflake? We wouldn’t get anything done. And so PLC Members must decide, what is an acceptable risk this winter?

We face many risks and judgments like this in our business, and we are fortunate that we now have some help in this area. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome our newest PLC staff member, Miranda Gowell, who has been hired as our new PLC Safety Coordinator. The PLC has worked hard to improve safety and loss control efforts, and Miranda is a very important addition to our organization. She is already on the job and many of you have already met her. As we start into 2018, you will see a lot more of her and with her help let’s make 2018 the best year for safety our organization has ever had.

Stay safe on the roads and in the woods this winter, and remember that risk is part of our business, but it’s up to us to decide what is acceptable risk.

Log on,

Scott.

Scandinavian Forestry Equipment of Manchester, PA joined the PLC as a new Preferred Supporting Member in November 2017. The company is the United States distributor of Eco Log forestry equipment. For more information contact Greg Porter at (360) 9495441 or email greg.porter@scandforestry.com.

Clark Insurance of Portland, ME joined the PLC as a new Preferred Supporting Member in December, 2017. Clark Insurance, founded in 1931, is a 100% employee-owned company and has been rated one of the top 5% of agencies in the nation according to the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers Association of America. The company has 110 employees and offices in Portland, Saco, Windham, Gorham, ME;

Manchester, NH; and Lowell, MA. For more information contact James Brissenden at (207) 523-2213 or email jbrissenden@clarkinsurance.com.

Northwoods Management of Bangor, ME joined the PLC as a new Supporting Member in October, 2017. Northwoods Management has many years of experience in land management. In addition to the company's core management staff, Northwoods Management works with contractors specializing in surveying and timber harvesting. The company manages any size wood lot. For more information contact Buddy Smith at (207) 356-9888 or email bsmith@northwoodsmgmt.com.

2018 Meeting Schedule

Professional Logging Contractors of Maine and Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands Executive Board and Full Board

February 15, 2018: Executive Board, HO Bouchard/Comstock, Hampden

March 15, 2018: Legislative Breakfast, Full Board, Senator Inn,Augusta

May 4, 2018:Annual Meeting, Jeff’s Catering, Brewer

June 21, 2018: Executive Board, PLC Office,Augusta

August 16, 2018: Executive Board, HO Bouchard/Comstock, Hampden

September 13, 2018: Full Board,Augusta, TBD

November 8, 2018: Executive Board, PLC Office,Augusta

December 13, 2018: Full Board, Bangor TBD

By Dana Doran

As we say goodbye to 2017 and welcome another fresh start, I’m cautiously optimistic about the next few months. I would like to say that I’m optimistic about the future, but in this business, you can’t look farther ahead than two or three months. With that perspective in mind, the end of 2017 has brought some stability to your businesses and the early onset of winter certainly helps things too.

As this magazine goes to press and is delivered to your offices, the Maine Legislature is returning to Augusta for another session of………...amazing prizes and rate increases. I know, too good to be true, right?

Our friends in the Legislature begin their work in the 2nd Regular Session (128th) on January 3, 2018 and with it another bite at the apple for issues related to our industry. The PLC has been working diligently over the past four months with members of each party and from each body to prepare for another session of work that will attempt to help and not harm our industry.

So what lies ahead in the next several months and where do we need to focus our efforts to ensure success?

I can assure you that the PLC will look to lead the charge again on several issues and we cannot move forward without the support of all of you. Be on the lookout for our legislative impact emails beginning in January and be ready to help any way you

can when the time is right or when you can make time for it. I know that the members of the Legislature enjoy hearing directly from you and the more that we can speak with one voice, the better our chances are to ensure the successes we are looking for.

There are several bills that were carried over from 2017 and several new ones that were approved as emergency legislation in the past few months that will see the light of day in the coming weeks and months which we are following closely. All told, there will be over 400 bills that will be taken up during the short session, which is scheduled to conclude by mid-April. I would be surprised if it goes much longer than that since the budget was finalized last summer and there are several members of the legislature who are running for Governor or for federal offices who need to return to active campaigning in preparation for the June primaries. There will be plenty of motivation to finish up quickly and start raising money in a very short period of time.

From my perspective, the 2018 session, similar to the 2016 session, will be focused on our efforts to diversify and expand the Maine wood energy economy. There are a few other issues that have carried over (unemployment insurance and transportation), but the bulk of our work will be dedicated to wood energy.

So why is wood energy so important to contractors? Because it is the one area of the marketplace that we can have the greatest

From

The Legislature is coming, the Legislature is coming

influence upon in a very short period of time. Wood energy can impact every member in the PLC in every corner of Maine for a very long time.

In 2017, Senator Tom Saviello introduced LD 131, An Act to Protect the Biomass Industry. Senator Saviello’s legislation was the culmination of the Commission to Study the Economic, Environmental and Energy Benefits of the Maine Biomass Industry’s final report, that was finalized in December 2016. The Legislature carried over this bill, along with LD 897, An Act to Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue to Encourage Efficient Biomass Thermal and Power Projects in Maine, sponsored by Senator David Woodsome, to allow more time to debate the merits of these bills.

As you may recall, in 2016, the Legislature provided a bridge in the name of biomass stabilization, which was a two-year window to keep biomass electric markets running. This was an insurance policy to ensure markets continued to operate during a time of market contraction. However, at the same time that it was provided, the Legislature also asked that we come forth at the end of the two-year window with a plan for long-term security which would diversify the marketplace so efforts such as the one in 2016 would not have to be repeated. We made a commitment to do so and our work in 2017 has been focused on that very thing. By late January 2018, we should be in position to move it forward.

This past summer, following the end of the first legislative session, a wood energy committee was established with representation from logging, trucking, landowners, sawmills, pulp and paper and pellets to study and truth test a wood energy road map for the future. PLC members Bob

Linkletter (Linkletter and Sons Logging), Brian Souers (Treeline, Inc.) and Jason Brochu (Pleasant River Lumber/Chaffee Transport) are participating on this committee with me with the sole intent of proving why wood energy market diversification is so important to our future. Building upon the Commission to Study the Economic, Environmental and Energy Benefits of the Maine Biomass Industry’s final report, that was finalized in December 2016, the Wood Energy Committee took that report and the subsequent legislation (LD 131) that was put forth by Senator Tom Saviello in 2017, and has been exploring a wide range of opportunities and strategies. It is the intent of the committee to finalize its recommendations to the Legislature by late January and have it truth tested beyond a reasonable doubt.

In November, the Committee hired Innovative Natural Solutions, a consulting firm in Portland to analyze its recommendations with the intent of producing a report that we can share with the Legislature in early 2018. In a nutshell, the committee is hopeful that this study will provide evidence that will support/restore markets for low-value underutilized wood and biomass, sustaining current stand-alone wood energy electric facilities while also utilizing state-of-the-art CHP (Combined Heat and Power) wood energy plants, microgrids, and modern thermal systems to diversify the use of low value wood and provide energy security for Maine. It will provide the long term roadmap the Legislature asked for and that we all know loggers and truckers need for long term market stability.

Here is a summary of the study:

1. A. Assess the recent and current

Legislature Continued Page 13

LILY BAY TOWNSHIP – It was quiet and cold on a late November morning in the woods northeast of Moosehead Lake, and T.W. Clark Pulp and Logging had already been harvesting wood for hours, rolling on frozen ground in mostly level terrain. No snow yet, not much ice, and the equipment running well under partly sunny skies.

Not all days are like that, but when it’s good, logging is very good, owner T.W. Clark will tell you.

“Me and the other guys, we love working in the woods, you’re out there by yourself, it’s just you and the trees and its good work,” Clark said. “I’ve done every kind of work just about and its one of the best kinds of work I think from a contractor’s standpoint.”

Logging is in the Clark family’s blood, and while the list of challenges for logging contractors in Maine today is a long one, T.W. Clark Pulp and Logging has been around for a long time, and plans to be around for a long time to come.

Clark’s parents, Tom and Laurie, moved from Connecticut to Maine in the 1970s, farming first in

Skowhegan and later in Corinna. Like many farmers they also cut wood, starting out with horses but expanding over time, buying a cable skidder and gradually adding more skidders, equipment, and finally pulp trucks. Eventually, they bought the property in East Newport where T.W. Clark Pulp and Logging is still based today.

Clark grew up in the business and by the time he was out of high school the company was heavily into construction and excavation, logging, operating a garage, and other work as needed. By 2005 the company was moving away from hand crews in the woods and getting into mechanized logging with cut-to-length equipment, and within a couple of years had gone completely mechanized.

In 2013 Clark and his wife, Andrea, bought the logging side of the business from his parents, while continuing to lease space in the garage. At the end of 2017, they completed the purchase of the remainder of the company.

These days the company continues to handle a wide variety of work in addition to logging. It has trucking

Prentice harvester at work in Sandwich Twp., winter of 2016-17.

Laurie and Tom Clark, at the Farmington Fair in 1981.

T.W. Clark Pulp & Logging

and low-bedding capability, construction and excavation are important parts of the business, and the garage handles everything from heavy trucks to passenger vehicles and includes a fabrication and welding shop. They do “anything and everything,” and that range of operations has made the company stronger and better able to weather the ups and downs of the markets.

“You definitely need to diversify in today’s economy,” Andrea said.

As part of that adaptability, the company has recently shifted its logging focus further from home, traveling longer distances to find jobs and open quotas that better suit its needs. The Lily Bay Township harvest is on Weyerhauser land located two hours from the East Newport garage, and while the longer distances are tougher on the crew and logistically, you have to go where the work and the volume is, Clark said.

T.W. Clark continues to specialize in cut-to-length logging, with a 2510 Prentice harvester teamed up with a 2548 Prentice forwarder. Previously, the company also had a tree length crew and experimented last winter with the combination of running a feller buncher ahead of the processor to boost production, but found the two Prentice machines operating together to be more cost-effective, and the tree length equipment has since been sold.

Clark said of all the machines his diversified company owns, the cut-to-length equipment is his favoritewhen it’s running well - but it is also high maintenance. Logging equipment is also expensive and getting more so, and rising operational costs are as much of a challenge for his business as they are for any logging business.

The company has good employees, but finding solid, dependable workers has been a challenge. Logging and the travel associated with it can be tough, and it is also difficult for a small company to match some of the wages available in other heavy equipment industries. Truck drivers are particularly hard to find.

T.W. Clark has high standards, and the company is fully credentialed professionally, including being Master Logger certified.

Clark said the company joined the Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of Maine when his father was running it, and the organization has since provided many benefits to the business, including being the voice for Maine logging contractors in Augusta and Washington D.C.; fighting and winning tax exemptions for logging parts, equipment and off-road fuel; and providing safety dividends through the PLC Safety Group Dividend Program.

Andrea said their two sons, eight and ten, often enjoy visiting logging jobs with their father, and while it is too early to say for sure, the company could someday become third generation.

“Our youngest already says, ‘I’m going to work in the woods with daddy, that’s what I’m going to do when I

November 2017, Lily Bay Twp.

Top photo: View from inside Prentice forwarder. Bottom photo: T.W. Clark and processor.

T.W. Clark Continued Page

T.W. Clark Continued from Page 11

grow up,’” Andrea said.

With the recent purchase of the remainder of the

handle a variety of jobs but small enough to be manageable, and remain true to its roots, Clark said.

“This has always been a family business and we plan to keep it that way,” Clark said.

Photos, Lily Bay Twp., clockwise from left: Prentice 2548 forwarder; night operations; Prentice 2510 harvester.

Legislature Continued from Page 9

economic state and outlook of Maine’s wood energy industry, with a focus on energy related uses for biomass. This analysis shall include the entire supply chain – landowners, loggers, transporters, electric generators and other end users (such as paper mills), and include prices and consumed volume in period trends from 2010 through 2015, and 2015 to 2017.

B. Quantify the importance of biomass energy for sawmill residuals, specifically the quantity of residuals and the cost/benefit of losing markets that use it for energy production as well as the opportunity that exists for using more of it.

2. Identify current best practices around the utilization of wood for energy and byproducts that could be created, including but not limited to thermal, biogas recovery, activated carbon and biofuel applications from states such as California, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Vermont, and other countries that have made a commitment to the use of wood for thermal energy, such as Sweden and Denmark. What lessons and possible applications are there for Maine?

3. Conduct a cost benefit analysis/model, including the economic impacts on the forest products industry and the impacts on energy prices and on residential and industrial rate payers, of the following strategies to increase wood energy use in Maine:

A. Examine the opportunity to amend Maine’s Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) from the current 10% to 15% by 2021. With the expanded RPS, model these proposed scenarios:

i. Examine the opportunity to create a thermal REC (carved-out of the base REC Program).

ii. Examine the opportunity of creating an economic benefit REC as a subset of the renewable portfolio standards. This REC would only be applicable to biomass energy facilities. An eligible generator would need to be a Class I eligible generator that demonstrates that it creates direct economic benefits to the state per megawatt hour that is in excess of the determined alternative compliance payment.

B. Examine the opportunity of co-location and other projects utilizing behind-the-meter arrangements for new projects and new electrical load. Develop a scenario for colocation next to an existing biomass electric facility with the potential for thermal utilization. What are the benefits and costs to the host facility, to the new facility investors, to the forest products industry, to large energy users, and to ratepayers?

C. Examine the opportunity to renew and expand the Community-Based Renewable Energy Pilot Program as a solution to regional sawmill residual and in-woods biomass output. Develop a scenario with a series of wood energy facilities strategically located to service regional energy and forest products needs. What are the benefits and costs to the forest products industry, large energy users, and to ratepayers?

D. Examine the opportunity to incentivize schools, other public institutions, and small and medium sized businesses to convert to wood based thermal and/or CHP systems, including pellet, chip, and biomass systems.

4. Based on an advantageous combination of the strategies above and geographical considerations, what could be a hypothetical configuration of facility types that would match regional wood manufacturing residual outlets and outlets for in–woods biomass? What is the total number of low -value underutilized wood and biomass (in woods biomass, saw mill residues, and clean wood chips) that a program to increase the use of wood energy in Maine could achieve?

As I stated previously, there are other issues on the horizon for the PLC in the next session of the Legislature. We will be involved with new recommendations to simplify and stabilize the unemployment compensation system for loggers and truckers during mud season. We will be at the forefront of the debate regarding an emergency bill that would take away Stored Solar’s biomass subsidy if they cannot pay suppliers what they owe them for material received and utilized. And we will be in the transportation committee as they debate and discuss new solutions for repairing our crumbling transportation system.

On March 15th, we will host the Legislature for our annual breakfast meeting at the Senator Inn, Augusta, where we fill them in on the state of our industry and ask for their support. In the end, the PLC will be involved in issues that are important to our members to ensure that new policies only help and do not hurt any of you for doing the job you love. With that said, to do it effectively, we need all of you involved to ensure that the Legislature knows how important our work is to continuing your way of life.

As always, please stay in touch and be on the ready to get involved. If there are any issues that need to be brought to the attention of the Legislature or to the Governor’s office, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time.

Have a great winter and stay safe out there.

PLC Forest Contractor Member: Rob Elliott Trucking and Excavating

STRONG - Rob Elliott’s father drove trucks and so did his grandfather, so it was no surprise when he hit the road himself 22 years ago in a Freightliner running pine logs for H.C. Haynes between New Hampshire and Canada.

Many years and miles later, it’s sometimes hard for him to believe he’s since built a business with a dozen employees, a store and a garage, half a dozen trucks as well as other pieces of equipment, and where something he always tried to avoid - sitting behind a desk - can be more important than sitting behind the wheel of a rig.

“I spent a lot of summers riding with my grandfather across the country, and I knew I didn’t want to sit behind here,” Rob said on a recent morning when he’d taken a few minutes to be at his desk after working outside for hours. “For so many years I was of the mindset that this wasn’t work, if I wasn’t out there doing something, some physical labor...but a lot of days this is by far the most important part.”

There was no desk when Rob started driving at 22 in 1995, and for many years that did not change. He was not home much in those days and logged a lot of hours on

the road, making a living, and getting ideas and experience. That lasted for about ten years. Then he began to expand, first with a second pulp truck and driver, then a dump truck and excavator on the side.

Rob Elliott Trucking and Excavating added a third wheeler around 2007, and started low-bedding. By 2011, the company was ready to expand again, and Rob bought the building where it is now based on North Main Street in Strong from Complete Hydraulics, Inc., which had formerly operated a branch there. With the space provided by the new facility, Rob was able to establish RLH Enterprises, a garage and store operating alongside his trucking and excavating business and offering heavy truck and auto repair services as well as tires, parts, hoses, and inspections.

The growth that followed that move brought his businesses to where they are today, and made them an important piece of the local economy. It also put Rob behind a desk more than he might like, but with a dozen employees and multiple operations running at any one time he accepts that.

While the business has diversified a lot since he

Rob Elliott in the RLH Enterprise store in Strong.

started out, trucking wood is still a big piece of it. There are a few large logging contractors in the Strong area and many smaller operators, and his trucks generally haul for 12-15 crews in the summer and as many as 25 in the winter, mainly in Franklin County and mostly within 20 miles of his shop. It is a tight-knit community and industry, Rob said.

“We do travel outside some but we’re pretty busy right here most of the time, the low bedding we go all over Maine and New Hampshire.” Rob said. “We’ve been very fortunate, we haven’t had any trouble moving our wood, the softwoods been tight but everyone’s been willing to work together so we’ve made it work for them as well as us....it just seems to work out.”

Rob Elliott trucks are a common sight on the roads in this corner of Maine, running wood to mills and log yards throughout the region. Having his own garage and mechanics makes maintenance on the rigs easier and keeps them looking and running great. His favorite truck? The white Western Star #2, a 2001 that has been with him since the days when he was a one-man operator.

“It’s the first brand new truck I ever bought, the first brand new vehicle I ever had in my life,” Rob said. “When we brought it home my wife rode home with me in it and she was carrying my daughter. It has over 40,000 hours on it now and it doesn’t quit.”

Customer satisfaction is very important in the businesses - Rob says the customers keep the business going so the business needs to keep them going - and the garage and store stay busy keeping rigs on the road and supplied with parts. This makes the quality of his employees critical, and Rob said he has been very fortunate to find good workers with a lot of experience. Three of those workers are over the age of 70 and the knowledge and energy they bring to the business is vital. His employees are also versatile.

“Pretty much everybody that works for me can run every piece of equipment that we have,” Rob said. “If there is anyplace we lack its young people. Our combined age of 12 employees and myself is 55...the youngest is 28.”

Quality work is as important for RLH Enterprises and Rob Elliott Trucking and Excavating as it is for any business, but Rob likes to think he and his workers go the extra mile for customers, finding affordable ways to do a good job, whether it’s fixing a truck or installing a septic system on the excavation side.

“I’m fussy, I don’t like to do things twice - I want to do it once and I want to do it right,” Rob said. “The saying I was always told growing up was, if you don’t have time enough to do it right the first time, how do you have time to go back and do it again?”

The crew is a tight knit group and Rob tries to make sure they get an occasional Friday to sit down and have a pizza together at work, and to get enough time off to take care of their families at home. Family is hugely important to him and he gives a lot of the credit for the success of the business to his wife for all her hard work over the years when he was gone on the road or off dealing with business issues.

Challenges for his businesses include steadily rising operational costs on everything from parts to insurance to health care. The markets have also been a challenge but one the area and his companies are so far able to meet. Then there is the always important issue of safety, and he puts a lot of emphasis on that, Rob said.

Safety was one of the issues that first drew Rob’s attention to the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine (PLC), and the organization’s annual Safety Trainings are a great benefit of membership, he said.

Rob has great respect for PLC Member Contractor GCA Logging of Strong, and owners Greg and Andrea Adams, and he learned about the PLC from discussions with them and with his Acadia Insurance agent. He joined a couple of years ago and has been very impressed by the PLC’s professionalism and hard work on behalf of the industry.

“It amazes me how hard they work for us. I don’t think I’ve ever attended anything of the PLC’s where I didn’t learn and take something away from it,” Rob said.

Elliott Continued Page 16

Rob Elliott with his favorite truck, a 2001 Western Star.

Elliott Continued from Page 15

“

In our business and our economy, you have to have someone that’s on top of it for you and they really seem to be on top of everything.”

Rob still fills in for drivers as needed, and he still avoids the desk when he can - on this particular morning he

What Do I Need to Know?

The ELD Rule applies to most motor carriers and drivers who are currently required to maintain records of duty status (RODS). The rule applies to commercial buses as well as trucks. Canada and Mexico-domiciled drivers are included, unless they qualify for one of the exceptions to the ELD rule.

ELD Rule Exceptions

The following are not required to use ELDs (but carriers may choose to use ELDs even if they are not required):

▪ Drivers who use paper logs no more than 8 days during any 30-day period.

▪ Driveaway-towaway drivers (where the vehicle

had spent hours working in the cold on a power line in the yard - but desk or not, he still enjoys the business.

“I do, every day, I thrive on it. Some say I’m foolish but you have to if it’s going to work,” Rob said.

driven is the commodity) or the vehicle being transported is a motor home or a recreation vehicle trailer (at least one set of wheels of the vehicle being transported must be on the surface while being transported)

▪ Drivers of vehicles manufactured before model year 2000.

What Do I Need to Do?

Carriers must evaluate and select ELDs, and ensure

they are installed and drivers and administrative staff are trained to use them by the deadline that applies (December 16, 2019 for carriers using AOBRDs or December 18, 2017) for those using paper logs or logging software.

Maine BMV announces “MoveME” system transition...

Starting by the end of December 2017, the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Overlimit Permit Section, will be transitioning to an automated routing and permitting system called “MoveMe” (Move Oversized Vehicles Efficiently Maine). As a result of this transition, some of the business processes you are accustomed to will change.

Drivers must understand and be able to use ELDs by the required deadline, including how to annotate and edit RODS, certify RODS, and collect required supporting documents. You will also need to know how to display and transfer data to safety officials when requested.

For more information please visit: www.fmcsa.dot.gov/ELD

Successful ELD implementation takes time and planning

Give yourself the time it takes to:

▪ Research and select an ELD from the ELD list.

▪ Use the ELD checklist to assist with finding a compliant device.

▪ Adjust your policies and procedures to reflect ELD use.

▪ Install and test ELDs.

▪ Train drivers and support personnel in using ELDs.

With the launch of the new system, you will have 24hour/7 day access to your account along with the ability to order permits at any time. The new system will automatically route (routine) moves after giving a starting and ending point along with vehicle dimensions, etc. The system will additionally let you know of any restrictions or issues along that route and make suggestions for alternate routes, if need be. You will have the ability to route, pay and print your permit at any time. You will have ability to receive immediate notification of highway changes such as new restrictions.

As a result of this ability to order permits at any time online, there will no longer be a need for carriers to obtain and use Instant Permits books. Drivers will order permits and print them off at their convenience.

DOT amends drug testing regulation…

The Department of Transportation is amending its drug testing program regulation to add hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxymorphone, and oxycodone to its drugtesting panel; add methylenedioxyamphetamine as an initial test analyte; and remove methylenedioxyethylamphetamine as a confirmatory test analyte. The revision of the drug-testing panel harmonizes DOT regulations with the revised HHS Mandatory Guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Federal drug-testing programs for urine testing. This final rule clarifies certain existing drugtesting program provisions and definitions, makes technical amendments, and removes the requirement for employers and Consortium/Third Party Administrators to submit blind specimens.

PORTLAND, ME - United Insurance has its roots in Maine, where it began in 1976 with the merger of two independently owned insurance agencies in Portland and Fort Fairfield in what was considered a bold business move at the time.

Today United Insurance has 14 locations throughout Maine and New Hampshire and employs over 140 professionals, of which 125 are licensed agents. The organization handles the risk management and insurance needs for over 6,000 Commercial Lines clients and placed over $95,000,000 in insurance premiums last year. For United, Maine loggers are an important client group.

“The benefit of working with loggers is that they are great people and make good partners,” said Travis Duval, Partner and Account Executive. “It is a down to

earth relationship that has great value to the agent and

logger.”

United Insurance covers the entire state of Maine and is licensed throughout the New England states. Its heaviest business is concentrated in Western and Northern Maine.

United has the ability to cover all lines associated with logging including Inland Marine/Business Auto/ General Liability/Workers Compensation/Umbrella and other associated coverages. United’s partners include a wide variety of carriers from which the company can secure the needed coverage and - where necessary - adapt it to meet individual specific exposures.

There are a few challenges working with loggers but nothing that can’t be overcome with dedication to customer service. The remote locations loggers work in

and the long hours they keep can make communication difficult, so to accommodate the industry United agents adjust their office hours to include early and late hours as well as weekends.

Strengths the company brings to logging clients include offering a wide variety of carriers that specialize in the industry’s particular risk categories, a dedicated team of agents who are focused on logging and have a deep understanding of the industry, and great geographic coverage of Maine with offices and agents located in close proximity to loggers in every part of the state.

The culture at United Insurance is a simple one: United wants its employees to provide sound risk management and insurance counsel to clients and to give back to the communities they both live and work in. Agents are committed to continuing education and professional development. Employees donate their time to over 100 charities, non-profits, and civic organizations. United Insurance annually donates $100,000 to local nonprofits.

United Insurance is a member of the Maine Independent Insurance Agents Association, Professional Insurance Agents Association and a Trusted Choice Advisor. The company’s management team has been

invited to serve on the Agent’s Advisory Council for all its carriers both locally and nationally. Currently, the team is serving on the Agent’s Advisory Council for Acadia Insurance, Hanover Insurance, Maine Employers’ Mutual, Liberty Mutual, Patriot Insurance, and Great West Casualty Company.

United Insurance proudly differentiates itself with a strong perpetuation plan. Currently all 12 owners are actively involved on a daily basis providing risk management and insurance advice to clients throughout the organization. In addition, United offers a client portal where clients can retrieve important policy information and make change requests.

United Insurance has been a member of the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine (PLC) since the inception of the organization.

“United saw the value this organization would bring to the industry and communities,” said Scott Kent, COO. “United encourages all of its logging clients to join PLC not only for the programs it offers but also because of their legislative and lobbying voice.”

“Logging is vital to Maine,” he added. “PLC and United share a commitment to the logging industry, the businesses, and the people in the communities in which we all live and work. It is just the right thing to do.”

Opposite: Travis Duval, Partner and Account Executive, meets with logger and PLC Member Cody Daigle of Big Timber LLC.

Below: United Insurance agency locations.

By Miranda Gowell PLC Safety Coordinator

Hi everyone, my name is Miranda Gowell and I recently joined the PLC as the new Safety Coordinator. I am very excited to be part of the PLC Safety Community and to learn more about the logging industry in Maine. As you all are busy getting ready for the season change, I am getting acclimated to my new role and looking forward to meeting all the PLC Members. I can’t wait to start working with all of you and to have the opportunity to learn more about your companies.

I come to the PLC with 13 years of experience as a safety and health professional. I am a Certified Safety and Health Specialist in Construction and three classes away from being a Certified Safety and Health Official in Construction. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Project Management and I have completed Masters Level course work in Education and Leadership, as well as having earned over 48 certificates in occupational safety and health areas. My previous roles have been as a Safety Director for three private companies in Maine: Northern Pride Communications, Tilson Technology Management and Favreau Electric. My educational background and professional experience will assist members with safety process management and increasing productivity through improving safety, decreasing equipment losses and improving insurance ratings.

At the PLC, I will be writing and submitting safety related information for the PLC weekly newsletter and quarterly magazine, assisting with the Spring PLC Safety and Fleet training, developing an entry level training program for loggers, developing safety resources to make available to members, conducting safety audits, safety meetings, safety inspections, accident/incident and near miss investigations, developing a PLC Safety Program, and

adding a PLC Safety Community Group on Facebook. The goal of this position is to bring members together to help each other in terms of safety and productivity. Working together we can prevent losses and injuries, share knowledge and experiences, and aid one another quickly.

This position will also provide us all with a way to communicate the good, bad, and the ugly when it comes to working safely. We will celebrate the steps we are taking to prevent accidents, injuries, losses and near misses, and the employees who go above and beyond when it comes to safety, preventing losses and being high producers. We need to share effective safety solutions we are developing and using with fellow members.

Through this process, it is imperative to

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PLC Safety Coordinator Miranda Gowell on a site visit with PLC Board Member Chuck Ames of SDR Logging.

Ted Clark, CLCS, Loss Control Consultant, Acadia Insurance AutoAccidents

While constantly focusing on safety in the workplace, it is easy to forget that the leading cause of death in forestry doesn’t occur at the worksite. Statistically, the leading cause of death in the workplace is auto accidents. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) the Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting industry suffered a total of 570 fatalities in 2015, 286 of which were attributed to auto accidents, nearly twice the second highest hazard, caught by/struck by.

It seems every year a serious auto accident strikes close to home and reminds us of the significant hazards that we face just getting to and from work. With winter upon us and a substantial uptick in traffic that you will all face due to recreational traffic on the roads, it is critical for you to remind your crews and drivers of these hazards. This article is not likely to introduce any new ideas but instead, stands to reinforce the importance of taking several simple steps to increase your safety when traveling on woods roads and to reduce your company’s exposure to risk.

Navigating Through Increased Traffic on Woods Roads

Remind your drivers that they should always drive as if they could meet someone that either doesn’t have a radio or has a radio that is not working or turned down. The fact is, radios are a nice convenience but, with no way to enforce their use, they cannot be used to replace defensive driving. Woods roads will see a significant increase in traffic during snowmobile and ice fishing season and the large majority of the traffic will not have a radio. When your driver notices a vehicle without a radio, communicate this with the other drivers in the area so they are watching for them.

Jobsite Traffic

Due to the location of your laydown yards, you will often have people that need to pass through your work area in order to get to their destination. This creates a hazard to your employees as well as to the people that are in the passing vehicle. Long hours doing repetitive work like delimbing can significantly increase the chance of operators becoming complacent. Because of this, it’s hard to rely on operators to constantly be diligent about watching for traffic passing through their work zone. A much more effective control that I see many companies employ is to place signage warning oncoming traffic. Some companies also lay a log across the road to prevent traffic from passing while they are in the road. This method, while effective, can create some new hazards if not employed correctly so it will be important to evaluate the location, speed of traffic, and visibility conditions before doing this.

Drive for the Road and the Conditions

Every year we hear about tragic accidents occurring on the woods roads that could have been avoided by slowing down and driving appropriately for the road conditions. Many of the woods roads will allow for high speed travel in a straight line but the concern should be the ability to navigate turns, dodge animals and stop when needed. You always need to be ready to stop or take evasive action. Because road conditions are constantly changing, drivers should always be evaluating and altering the way they drive so they can stop when needed, navigate the turn, or dodge that animal that runs out in front of them.

Auto

Accidents

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Every time I say this to a group, there is always someone who raises their hand and says that they know of an accident where the person was saved because they weren’t wearing their seatbelt. My response to this is simple, “if you were going to buy a lottery ticket and they offered you the chance to increase your winning odds by 60% for free, would you take it? Of course you would!” The fact is, seatbelts are the single most effective way to prevent serious injury or death in an auto accident and while they are not 100% effective, AAA estimates a 45% to 60% effectiveness rate. That is impressive. The purpose of seatbelts is simple: to keep you in the vehicle where you are much better protected from the impact. According to the CDC, more than half of the 22,441 fatalities resulting from auto accidents in 2015 involved a person that was unrestrained at the time of the accident. AAA did a study that showed proper seatbelt use in light trucks will reduce the fatal injuries by 60% and moderate-critical injuries by 65%!

Safety Coordinator Continued from Page 20

communicate openly about safety challenges. As a community, we can work as a think tank to brainstorm, address and solve safety challenges. We can overcome community safety challenges with productive and costeffective solutions by sharing our successes and our challenges. As a community, we cannot afford not to discuss accidents, incidents and near misses with each other.

The PLC Safety Community is a judgement free process and zone. Each member is on a journey and each member may be at a different place on this journey. My role is to aid all of you, to work with you on ways to share, collaborate, and communicate through the PLC to make the logging community as productive and safe as possible, no matter where you are in that journey.

Do you need assistance when it comes to safety? Would you like to schedule a meeting with me in person? Do you want to email/call me and ask a safety or loss

Conclusion

Like any of the other articles I have written for this publication, this is only as effective as you make it. I encourage you to take the information shared and review it with your employees. Remember that it’s your name on the side of the trucks, so you are ultimately responsible for how they are operated and the safety of the people in or around the vehicles.

Acadia is pleased to share this material for the benefit of its customers. Please note, however, that nothing herein should be construed as either legal advice or the provision of professional consulting services. This material is for informational purposes only, and while reasonable care has been utilized in compiling this information, no warranty or representation is made as to accuracy or completeness. Recipients of this material must utilize their own individual professional judgment in implementing sound risk management practices and procedures.

question? Do you need specific safety materials? Would you like a safety audit conducted? Do you need assistance with an accident investigation? Are you looking for specific safety training? Do you just want to say hi? Please feel free to reach out to me via email, text or phone.

When I am not working for you, I like to take to the outdoors. You can find me rollerblading on local bike paths, attending to my home landscaping and gardening, or attending swimming lessons for my youngest son, hockey games for my middle son, or cheering my oldest son on during indoor track. My husband and I enjoy motorcycle rides, four-wheeling, snowmobiling, camping, kayaking, boating, movies and eating at Aki in Brunswick. Thank you again for inviting me to join your community!

Contact me at safety@maineloggers.com or 207-841-0250 (mobile).

LoggerLeadershipTraining2017

The logging industry in Maine is comprised of many loggers who have become managers because of mechanization and new managers that grew up in the business and are now assuming management roles. From member feedback, it is clear there is a need for management and leadership training that is customized to the logging industry in Maine. To date, a specialized leadership development program tailored to Maine’s loggers has never been developed or offered. That all changed in 2017, as the PLC developed a series of logger leadership classes that are bringing new professional development opportunities to our Members.

In December, PLC completed the second round of these classes, on the topics of Employment Law, ELD Updates and Using Feedback Effectively.

We had great turnout at the two sites, in Lincoln and Auburn, where the December classes were held: Eighteen companies sent 35 employees for management and leadership training customized for the logging industry in Maine.

Stay tuned for future training and professional development opportunities from the PLC, and many thanks to those who attended and those who supported the training.

Training was brought to you in part by: Cross Insurance, Acadia Insurance, Bangor Tire Company, Pleasant River Lumber, F.A. Peabody Insurance, GH Berlin Windward, Farm Credit East, and Timber Resource Group.

Training underway in Lincoln.

Legislative Breakfast March 15 2018 Award Nominations

The PLC will be holding its 2018 Legislative Breakfast beginning at 7:30 a.m. March 15 at the Senator Inn in Augusta, and all Members are strongly encouraged to attend. A full board meeting will follow the breakfast. This is a chance for legislators to join logging contractors from around Maine to hear firsthand about the challenges and opportunities facing the state’s logging industry. You will not find a better event to speak to multiple legislators about your needs as a constituent and a business owner in Maine.

Attendance at this event in 2017 was strong and many of our PLC board members spoke on important issues legislators can help Maine loggers with including regulations, taxes, biomass markets, workforce development, education, and transportation. Multigenerational family logging businesses were featured, reminding legislators of the importance of planning for a Maine future that includes the logging industry.

Watch your weekly PLC updates for more information on this event and how you can help make it a success. We will be asking for your help in personally inviting legislators as the date gets closer. Let’s make this event the most successful yet!

Due April 1

Do you know a person or business involved in the logging industry who ought to be recognized for outstanding professionalism, service to the community, commitment to safety, and service to the industry? If you do, please nominate them for one of the PLC’s 2018 annual awards!

▪ Acadia Insurance Safety Award

▪ PLC Impact Award

▪ PLC Community Service Award

▪ PLC Logging Contractor of the Year Award

Watch your weekly PLC updates for information on how to submit nominations or email executivedirector@maineloggers.com for more information.

A description of each award and last year’s winners is available online at maineloggers.com/8809-2/

Nominations should be received by April 1st, 2018.

As We See It November 2017

“Making a Difference in the Lives of Loggers”

By Mark Turner

I was born the son of a logger.

When my Dad started logging, back in the fifties, things were a lot different then they are now. Logging was an easy business to get into and there was a lot of money to be made. As my Dad used to say, “all you needed was an old wore out cat and a chainsaw and you were a logger”. Back then, loggers were also some of the best paid and most respected workers around.

My experience with logging started as a young boy watching my Dad operate his logging business. I remember my Brothers and I riding up to the job, during the summers and on Saturdays. As our Dad worked, we would explore the area and build forts. It was a great experience for a young boy. Unfortunately, it’s not something that many young people experience any more.

As my brothers and I grew older, we started becoming integrated into the operation. I can still remember how proud I felt when my Dad told me that I “would make someone a great worker someday.”

I remember how hard my Dad worked, to keep the business going. Spending a lot of late knights either in the office or out in the shop.

I think I would have been perfectly happy to have gone straight into logging, after high school. However, after a lot of encouragement from some teachers and my Mom, I decided to go to college.

After graduating, I started a promising career as an engineer in the aerospace industry. It was fulfilling work; however, thoughts of the woods were always on my mind.

I have heard that you can take the logger out of the woods but you can’t take the woods out of the logger. I have found this to be very true. In fact, I missed the woods. I missed working with my Dad and my Brother.

So, I came back. I worked hard and learned the business. I found that with hard work, I could make a comfortable living.

That doesn’t mean that it has always been easy. As many of you know, running a logging business can be very challenging. Even in the best of times. But, in tough times, it can be brutal. And we’ve had our fair share of tough times.

As loggers, we have always been very self-reliant. When times get tough, instead of complaining, we just work harder and find a way to make it through. In my opinion, loggers are some of the most innovative people this country has.

One of the things we have never been very good at, however, is blowing our own horns. Most of us figure that actions speak louder than words. That if we do a professional job, we will get the credit we are do. Unfortunately, in today’s world, that’s not always the case.

That’s where the American Loggers Council comes in. This coming year, I will do all I can, to ensure that the voice of the American Logger will be heard. It doesn’t matter if that logger has a multi-million-dollar company and

employs a hundred people or is just a one-man operation. We will work to ensure that loggers are better appreciated by the public at large as well as the people we work for and sell to.

We will continue to work to advance the professionalism of the American Logger. Particularly through master logger certification. We will continue to work to open more of our public lands for more active forest management. We will work to find new markets for our products. The American Loggers Council will continue to be the go to organization on national issues that affect the logging industry.

When I first got involved with The American Loggers Council, I was struck by how much I had in common with other loggers, across the country. We all go about our business in a different way. But, in the end, we are all loggers. Honesty, dedication to family and a pension for hard work, are some of the traits we have in common.

Whether we realize it or not, us loggers are the heart and soul of the timber industry. We produce the raw materials that every single person in this country uses every single day of the year. Without us, quite frankly, I don’t think the timber industry can survive.

So, as loggers, where do we go from here? We face a number of challenges and opportunities. In fact, I think our industry is at a critical juncture. Technology continues to advance at an even greater pace. How are we going to incorporate these new technologies into our businesses to make ourselves more efficient? Whether we like it or not, we are part of a global economy and that often means increased competition. At the same time, the average age of a logger keeps getting older. And, we struggle to find enough young people to work in our industry.

How we address these issues now, will have lasting effects on the future viability of our industry.

I believe that The American Loggers Council can be a guiding force. An organization by loggers, for loggers. Helping to bring loggers together from all across this great country. We can do so much more together then apart.

So, it is with great humility, that I accept the Presidency of the American Loggers Council. And I hope that you will join me, this coming year, to help make a difference in the lives of loggers.

Mark Turner is the President of the American Loggers Council. Mark and his brother Greg operate Turner Logging out of Banks, Ore. Mark is an active leader with the Associated Oregon Loggers.

The American Loggers Council is a 501 (c)(6) not for profit trade association representing professional timber harvesters and log truckers in 32 states across the United States with headquarters near Hemphill, Texas.

As We See It December 2017 “State of theAssociation Report 2017”

By Danny Dructor

The American Loggers Council has flourished under the leadership of Presidents Ken Martin and Mark Turner and the entire executive committee and Board of Directors in 2017. Our membership remains strong and many of our goals and targets have been met due to the hard work and diligence of the many volunteers who work tirelessly to not only promote the organization, but this profession that we call logging.

On the legislative front, we set a record attendance at the Spring Fly-In with 61 participants making another record 160+ visits to Capitol Hill over a two day period. We carried 4 primary issues that included the Future Logging Careers Act, The Resilient Federal Forest Act, The Right to Haul Act and the Wildfire Funding Act to members of Congress. We also discussed creating parity between woody biomass and other renewable energy sources to promote markets and create jobs for our industry, and were able to make inroads with other organizations as we moved all of these issues forward. For the first time in 20 years, we received support from the Forest Resources Association for our truck weight language and we also were asked and assisted the Biomass Power Association in seeking opportunities to promote markets for woody biomass utilization. We have seen movement in all four primary efforts, including the inclusion of the Future Logging Careers Act in the Resilient Federal Forests Act which has cleared both the Natural Resources and Agriculture committees in the House.

To be certain, the ALC has established excellent working relationships with many offices and agencies in Washington as a direct result of the commitment that many of the Officers and Directors of the ALC as well as their respective State and Regional Association Executives continue to make each and every Spring during the journey to DC.

We remain in close contact with the Federal Forest Resource Coalition as they pursue legislation to expedite and increase the pace and scale of the Federal Timber Sale program, and the ALC is an integral part of Team Safe Trucking organization promoting driver training to reduce accidents and lower CSA scores as well as the Wood Supply Research Institute seeking ways to reduce costs and increase efficiencies across the entire wood supply chain.

Our membership continues to grow with the addition of Individual Logger Memberships, our finances are strong, we have welcomed two new sponsors into the organization in 2017, and the rebate opportunities for ALC members and affiliates should help our member state and regional organizations to attract new members. Thanks go out to both Peterbilt and Western Star for making those programs available to ALC members.

In July, Board member agreed to fund a revitalization of the ALC Master Logger Certification program as proposed by the Trust to Conserve Northeast Forests and the PLC of Maine, and we are excited about the

opportunities that the program could bring in promoting the timber harvesting profession and helping to gain public understanding of the role that we, as loggers, play in sustainable timber harvesting techniques.

Our communications network continues to expand through both our web site and social media outlets, and Nick Smith has done an excellent job of keeping the monthly electronic newsletters both timely and informative on the issues that are currently impacting our industry.

We have had the opportunity to visit face-to-face with many of those that we represent by attending various trade shows throughout the country, and in return have been able to expand the number of recipients to our monthly newsletter. We have developed and distributed tri-fold leaflets as well as the 2016 annual report and ALC bumper stickers with the slogan “Loggers Working for Loggers” to further increase our branding and marketing efforts.

It has been a great year for the ALC, but we will not sit back on our heels as we enter into another fiscal year. As an earlier “As We See It” editorial alluded to, it would appear that the pendulum has stopped swinging in one direction, but now it is up to us to get it swinging in our direction. We are looking forward to the opportunities and challenges that 2018 will bring us, and we sincerely appreciate all of the hard work and dedication of all of those who have helped the American Loggers Council to remain the National Voice for Professional Timber Harvesters during the 2017 period.

We wish all of you and your families a safe and happy holiday season and a prosperous 2018!

Danny Dructor is the Executive Vice President for the American Loggers Council.

By Mark Turner

I have had numerous conversations over this past year, involving the lack of young people going into the logging business. Everyone seems to have their own opinions about why the problem exists and persists.

I recently talked with a mill representative about this problem. He suggested that the solution is education. He said that “we need to reach out to, not only students, but also teachers. Since they are the ones that advise the students”. My reply was “oh, you mean like we have been doing for the last 25 years?” I went on to explain that we have been doing that with very limited success. He was convinced that “education is the answer to the problem”. And didn’t really want to hear any more about it.

It is my contention that the problem is much more complicated than that. I have a logger friend who has three sons that are involved in the business. From the outside, his company looks like the perfect example of a logging company with an effective transition plan. However, this logger confided to me that one of his sons had recently asked him if he thought there was “a future in logging”? He said that the best answer he could tell his son was “I don’t know”.

When you think about it, that’s a very damning statement. But, in a nut shell, it describes where we are at. If we can’t, as loggers ourselves, say with confidence that there is, not only a future, but a bright future, then we are in serious trouble.

I had to get a new phone a few months ago and the young guy that was helping me, started asking questions about my logging company. It was obvious that he knew a little about logging. He asked, “How much he could expect to get paid, if he decided to go logging?” I explained what the average starting wage was, for someone with no experience. He immediately responded with “double that and I’d think about it”. I must admit, I was a little shocked by that statement. However, he was just stating what was on his mind. His job at the phone store didn’t pay much less than a beginning logging job, however, it was a lot easier. I felt a little embarrassed to explain that the profit margins are so low in logging, which we can hardly afford to pay the going rate.

Then there was the young guy, with his family, that I met in a restaurant. As we were waiting to be seated, we started up a conversation. When he learned that I had a logging operation, he told me that he had logged for a while. He told me that he liked logging, but continued to explain that he could hardly pay his bills, much less get ahead. He explained that he works for a construction company now and makes the kind of money he needs. His last word to me were “logging is way too hard of work for way too little money”.

When I talked to a forestry professor, at Oregon State University, he explained to me that “beginning wages

in the logging business have traditionally been three times the minimum wage”. Unfortunately, things have gotten really out of whack over the last 25 years. Now the minimum wage is only slightly below the starting wages for loggers.

I keep hearing about how millennials think completely differently than we did when we were young and that it will take a new approach to get them interested in logging. I don’t think they are really that different at all. I think there are a lot more opportunities for them than there were for us, when we were young. But I think they really want the same basic things that we wanted. They want to feel like they are appreciated and that there is a future in what they are doing. They want to be able to make enough money to be able to buy a house and raise a family. And even be able to buy some of the finer things in life. In my opinion, until we can provide those things for young people, anything else we do to try to recruit them into our industry, will fall flat on its face.

Mark Turner is the President of the American Loggers Council. Mark and his brother Greg operates Turner Logging out of Banks, Ore. Mark is an active leader with the Associated Oregon Loggers.

As We See It January 2018

“Recruiting Loggers: Millennials Seek Financial Security”

Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands and PLC to lead national promotion efforts for Master Logger Certification program

The American Logger’s Council (ALC) has announced that the Maine-based Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands (TCNF) will lead a national effort to promote the Master Logger Certification program.

During the ALC’s Summer Board of Directors Meeting in Opelika, Alabama on July 29, members of the ALC voted to move forward with a proposal submitted by the TCNF and the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine (PLC) to revitalize and promote the program.

“Loggers have been leading the way in point of harvest certification, and we want the partners in the industry and the general public to know that Master Loggers go above and beyond and that their practices are verifiable by third -party auditing processes,” TCNF executive director Ted Wright said.

In the northeast Master Logger operates under the TCNF, a 501(c)3 organization formed by the PLC in 2003 to administer the program with the broader goal of “enhancing the health of working forest ecosystems through exceptional accountability” throughout the Northern Forest region.

The decision to have the TCNF and PLC lead the effort to revitalize and promote it is a practical one given that its roots are in Maine: In 2000, the PLC created the Northeast Master Logger Certification Program, the world’s first thirdparty independent certification program for timber harvesters using standards cross-referenced to all the world’s major green certification systems. The program was recognized and adopted by the ALC that year, and since then numerous states have approved templates for implementation of it. It has gained international attention and been adopted in other nations, and was awarded the first-in-the-world SMARTLOGGING Certificate through the Rainforest Alliance.

Long-time PLC Member and TCNF Board Member Andy Irish was one of those who helped create the program. He attended the July 29 ALC meeting, where he pointed to the benefits of a strong branding effort for Master Logger like that which established Angus beef as a premium brand, so that customers recognize Master Logger as a premium product and know what they are getting when they see that name. He also praised the strong ALC support for having the national effort be led by TCNF and PLC.

“I think now is the time and I know it’s going to work,” Irish said. “We made a world-renowned program, it’s finally started to take root, it’s come back home and now we’re going to grow the program.”

Under the proposal submitted by the TCNF and PLC, the first year of the effort to revitalize and promote Master Logger will include organizing and meeting with subcommittee members, standardizing the branding and marketing of the program, and providing technical support and outreach to states.

Insurance Update: Master Logger Recognized as Certified Logger

The Maine Workers Compensation Board and the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) have made the decision to recognize Master Logger Companies and their employees as Certified Loggers to all workers compensation carriers in Maine. This will give Maine Master Loggers flexibility and choice when choosing the appropriate safety training that meets OSHA standards and the needs of their employees.

If you are a Master Logger and have questions on this change and how it can benefit your company, please reach out to your insurance agent or give the Master Logger program a call anytime at 207-532-8721.