The Logger's VOICE - Fall 2021

From the President

By Tony Madden

Hello everyone,

Again, I hope you and your families are healthy. I had thought that Covid-19 would be a nontopic by now, but I was wrong. Many people who had dodged the virus for over a year now have got caught by the Delta variant. It's had an adverse effect on Maine companies with the loss of young healthy workers as they recover. Not a pleasant experience!

It was a summer of highs and lows. The saw log market was strong and the pulpwood market was weak - in some cases nonexistent - especially softwood pulp. The pulp markets are still trying to recover from the loss of the Pixelle digester to an explosion last year. I think it will take years for the supply and demand of low grade wood to balance.

The federal COVID-19 unemployment benefits expired in September, which should help the service industry find workers, but I'm not sure that's going to put more workers into the seats of log trucks and logging equipment. Most talented truck drivers and equipment operators were not willing to stay home and collect unemployment benefits if work was available. There was a labor shortage for all industries before COVID-19, especially skilled labor. Passing more government infrastructure spending bills will make the labor shortage worse, especially for the loggers and truckers. We need to convince people that logging is a very rewarding profession. In my career, I have pumped gas, worked at a Firestone Tire store, driven truck, and worked construction, which was fine in the summer, but cold as heck in the winter. By far, logging has been the most rewarding job. It just took me a while to get there.

We’ve had another successful year for the Mechanized Logging Operations Program. Many thanks to Coordinator Donald Burr, the excellent team of instructors, and the program’s supporters and sponsors. Congratulations to the 2021 class of MLOP students. We welcome you all to the team of logging professionals. The training you have received from this program has given you many options. Most equipment operators never have a chance to operate and train on state of the art equipment like you have. The future is yours, now you choose the road forward.

2021 has also been another successful fundraising year for the PLC's Log A Load for Maine Kids Golf Tournaments. Those southern loggers really stepped up this year and raised more money than last year at the Southern Maine tournament, a record $41,696. The long-standing Northern Maine golf tournament in Lincoln also raised a record amount - $67,351. It amazes me every year how generous loggers, PLC members, supporting members, partners, and friends are in supporting the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals in Maine.

We are now looking ahead to the PLC Annual Membership Meeting and Log A Load Auction on Oct. 29 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. I hope to see you all there as we celebrate a belated 25th anniversary of the PLC.

Have a great fall. Thanks, Tony

Welcome New Members

Hancock Lumber, headquartered in Casco, ME, joined the PLC as a new Enhanced Supporting Member in July 2021. Established in 1848, Hancock Lumber Company is a 6th generation, family-owned business operating a land company, a sawmill division, a network of retail lumberyards across Maine & New Hampshire, home design showrooms, and a truss manufacturing facility. For more information visit www.hancocklumber.com or call or email Aaron Schulte at (207) – 837-6452 or aschulte@hancocklumber.com

Louisiana Pacific, of Houlton, ME joined the PLC as a new Supporting Member in September of 2021. LP is a leading manufacturer and marketer of building and lumber products, and revolutionized the industry by inventing alternatives to plywood and solid wood building products. For more information visit www.lpcorp.com. or contact Patrick Ward at (207) 694-8797 or patrick.ward@lpcorp.com.

Verizon Connect, headquartered in Atlanta, GA, joined the PLC as a new Supporting Member in July 2021. Verizon Connect is guiding a connected world on the go by

automating, improving and revolutionizing the way people, vehicles and things move through the world. With more than 3,000 dedicated employees in 15 countries, the company delivers leading mobile technology platforms and solutions. For more information call or email Harrison Slaughter at (980) 219-1704 or harrison.slaughter@verizonconnect.com or visit www.verizonconnect.com

Maine Better TransportationAssociation, in Augusta, ME joined the PLC as a new Nonprofit Supporting Member in July 2021. The Maine Better Transportation Association has been advocating for investment in a safe, efficient transportation network since its founding in 1939 as the Maine Good Roads Association. Over the years, the association has broadened its mission to advocate for Maine’s multimodal system, and officially changed the name to Maine Better Transportation Association in 1983 to reflect its concern for a robust network of roads, bridges, airports, ports, rail, transit and bicycle and pedestrian facilities. For more information call or email Maria Fuentes at 622-0526 or maria@mbtaonline.org or visit mbtaonline.org.

the Executive Director

LogForFree.Com

By Dana Doran

Earlier this summer, one of our members sent me the article reprinted on the next page from the May/June 2007 edition of TimberWest Magazine. He wanted me to read it and let him know if anything has really changed in the logging business in the last 15 years or is everything in this article still true. I constantly hear from many out there that they are working for rates that are the same or less in many cases

than they were 15 years ago with the same treatment and top down price taker conditions. Clearly, what’s old is new again.

I was so floored by the fact that this article was nearly 15 years old, but is just as factual today as the day that it was written, that I had to see if I could have permission from the author to reprint it because more than just me and one of our members needed to see this.

From

After a few weeks of reaching out to old employers, we found Ms. Rene’ Cuchens (formerly Rene’ van der Merwe) and her exact words were, “It is so amazing that you brought this up now - I just had the exact same conversation with a customer. It’s particularly scarring that whilst lumber prices have skyrocketed - nobody, from the owner of the trees to the loggers etc. have received ANY increase. And I have heard this from the USA to Sweden.” A strong and impassioned response from someone who wrote this not just for attention, but to make a point. That point was just as true then as it is today. But before I delve deeply into how powerful Ms. Cuchens’ article was then and now, I want to discuss the reaction I received from my last article, “Anti-Trust, Contractor or Employee”, not only because of the strong heartfelt reaction I received from our membership, but also because of the attempted wrist slap I have endured for touching a chord. I fully expected to hear some disagreement or finger pointing, but what I’ve experienced is emblematic of exactly what is wrong with the top-down control model that exists within the supply chain that Ms. Cuchens describes as having an, “inexplicable lack of integrity and reason.”

From our members, I received, “Just read your loggers voice article. Thanks again for everything you do for us loggers.” From another, I heard, “Great job on the article. This is something that needed to be said for years. Now we need to educate all contractors in Maine that what they’re being asked to do is not legal.” One the one hand, this told me that people really do read the articles, but on the other, it sounded as if folks were relieved that what they had thought for years, but were afraid to say, was really true. Now they could say it with accuracy.

From others, the reaction was predictable, but telling, all at the same time. I received a phone call

from Gordie Muow at the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). Mr. Muow is the SFI Standard Implementation Committee (SIC) Coordinator nationally and works closely with each state’s SIC committee.

Mr. Muow wanted to inform me that my article, “misstated some important facts,” and needed to be corrected. He claimed that SFI’s standard is voluntary and that nothing is mandatory, including logger training. When I pressed him on this statement by stating that indeed, SFI is voluntary for certificate holders, but not for those who sell wood to certificate holders, the conversation became a bit terse.

I explained that for contractors in states like Maine where the SFI standard has been adopted by all of the wood consuming mills for a specific commodity, the choice to sell wood without “trained loggers” is not voluntary and was mandatory as a condition of work or wood sales. Clearly perturbed (my words not his), Mr. Muow told me I was, “just frustrated and angry” and that I was again, misstating the facts. I told him that I stood by my article and the argument it was making.

Mr. Muow then went on to state that the attorney’s from SFI had assured him that there were no anti-competitive issues with the standard, that loggers were involved in its development, and he would send me confirmation of this in writing. Our conversation was in late July and I’m still waiting to read that material.

I have also noticed in the past sixty days activity to suppress the voice of loggers and a lack of respect for the place that loggers fit within various initiatives that state government is working on here in Maine. What was a respected position for the PLC on various initiatives having to do with state policy has become strained in the last two months. My

presumption is that is has something to do with the waves that have been made with the article.

Suggestions from loggers that have been discussed and championed for the last two years on a consistent basis in policy circles are suddenly being browbeat with force at the last minute. Loggers are also being kept out of committees to discuss policy which impacts how they operate in certain communities in the state and more of those “qualified logger” trainings are being created without any logger input, but the expectation that it will suddenly improve performance on the ground. It’s amazing to me how concerted the effort is to ensure that loggers just don’t get any advantage or recognition for the work they do or the chance to offer the perspective that they can provide because of fear of the loss of control. However, I’ll leave that for a future article which deserves more attention than a few paragraphs this month.

Coming back to Ms. Cuchens’ story from 2007, I just can’t get over how strikingly ironic and truthful this article is regarding the plight of loggers in Maine at the present time, especially considering what has happened over the last 16 months.

Since mud season ended in late May and June, there have been many of our members who have shrunk in size, cutting crews, parking equipment or selling it all to make a point that they just can’t keep doing this without recognition that even though prices are lower for wood, their costs have not shrunk and only increased. This has been fueled by a lack of

markets for some commodities and ultra-low pricing because of a lack of competition.

Despite these low prices, there is still a select group whose members still believe that there is just another contractor out there waiting to take the job. They also still believe that cutting quota or cutting prices for harvesting and hauling is the only way that they can make money in the long run and loggers are not only expendable, but replaceable. Be damned with the plight of loggers and the fact that fuel prices have increased 50% in the last 10 months, that labor costs are bankrupting many and parts have gone up by 3050% in the same timeframe. What they see but refuse to acknowledge is that it is not the fault of contractors that markets for some commodities have dissipated. But, evidently they believe it is still loggers’ fault that profit margins for many aren’t as high so they will just be used in the end to meet someone else’s bottom line.

That said, there are a few out there who are trying to do the right thing and I do want to recognize them without naming names. They know who they are and so do our members. They know how hard it is for contractors right now and they are doing all they can to pass along various increases because until markets change, it’s more important to keep contractors in business than cut them to the bone until they’re gone forever. For that, I know that I can say with great honesty that our members are thankful for their relationship and this type of empathy in very

Doran Continued on Page 126

“Contractors are price takers and not price setters and as a result, their destiny and determination has literally been stolen from them.”

Doran Continued from Page 11 16 challenging times.

Despite the lack of markets out there today, the biggest issue that I hear about, no matter where I might be, is the labor shortage. The fact that labor costs are going through the roof, the fact that not only are there not enough people to fill the seats, but few to none are responding to help wanted ads and even bonuses aren’t working. The worker shortage is real, but is it a shortage of able-bodied people or is it simply a shortage of money?

As Ms. Cuchens said in her article, “At the end of the day, logging is one of the top 10 most dangerous occupations in America, and loggers need to be paid competitively for the risk and the investments they make. If a plumber with a tool belt charges $75 an hour and is paid on the spot after completing his job, being paid less than $25 an hour for performing the mindful work of a harvester operator seems eerily out of whack.”

Regardless of where contractors operate, there is a shortage of people who want to work in the industry right now and it’s getting worse by the day. For those who are working in the industry, they have contractors between a rock and hard place for the wages that they are demanding because there simply aren’t people around the corner who want to work 5060 hours a week for wages that they don’t feel are competitive. Most who have skills that can be applied to another work environment can make more money, work less hours, and have a balance in their lives that they want in the long run. As PLC President Tony Madden stated in his article at the beginning of this quarter’s magazine, it is hard to fathom what is going to happen if a federal infrastructure bill passes and puts even more pressure on logging contractors to not only attract new talent, but retain the folks that they currently have.

In 2019, the PLC published a study that

estimated the number of people that were needed in this industry in the next 10 years, but also compared similar skill occupations to logging operators and truck drivers in terms of pay and benefits. The study found that not only do we need to replace 2,000 people who are retiring over that timeframe, but operators and truck drivers are paid the lowest wages of all. This isn’t something that the logging community is embellishing to make a point, it is the reality of the world that we live in and the pandemic has driven home this point even more. The additional $300 unemployment benefits dried up more than a month ago and we are not seeing people flock to this industry in droves. If there are people that want to work, they want fewer hours for more money and as it currently stands, a new entrant into this industry is not going to get what they are looking for at the current time.

On October 5th, I had the opportunity with some of our Board members to sit down with US Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and Congressman Golden to talk about the workforce issues that plague our industry both now and in the future. We discussed training, legislation that would change the legal age for family members of contractors to work in the woods, unemployment insurance and a few other timely subjects. However, what everyone kept coming back to was the fact that our number one issue today is the ability to recruit new talent because contractors can’t compete with other industries as a result of the inability to pay competitive wages. Contractors are price takers and not price setters and as a result, their destiny and determination has literally been stolen from them.

After the event, I received one of the greatest pieces of feedback from a PLC member that I have every received in this job, which was not only timely, but spot on, especially as it relates to this article and

the situation that everyone is facing.

One of our members emailed me and said, “It is fantastic that loggers got some facetime in person (with the Secretary of Labor and Congressman Golden). And albeit, labor is a really, really huge issue, there is a much larger elephant in the room money. It is that simple. money. Or rather, the gaping lack of. Please explain how loggers can afford to pay reasonable, modern wages to potential employees if we are competing with every other industry out there for the same people. Period.” I couldn’t say it any better myself and I really appreciated his candor, concern and honesty with this issue. Clearly, this is what all of you are facing and clearly it is also what you are thinking.

No one will disagree that expanded markets for wood commodities will help. Competition in a free market is what our nation is founded upon. However, this is not 2016 after the last of six pulp mills closed when contractors were in such a state of shock that they didn’t know what else they could do besides harvest and truck wood. Contractors have lived through this twice, if not three times in the last decade and most are not willing to live through it

again.

A famous proverb states, “fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.” Contractors have been fooled multiple times and they are not gun shy any longer. They have left the industry, they have diversified to protect themselves, and they are not telling their children to work in this industry and learn the old-fashioned way like they did. Times are changing quickly and new markets are not going to solve this issue once again.

As Ms. Cuchens stated in her article, “When the price of a product is fixed above market value, there is a surplus of that item as the Arabs discovered with oil. When the price of a product is fixed below market value, it typically disappears as the Russians discovered with everything. We have here a basic law of economics. If loggers continue to work below their cost or with miserable margins at best, another segment of independent small business America will cease to exist.”

“

A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue, but moderation in principle is always a vice,” Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man, 1792.

Doran Continued on Page 1416

Doran Continued from Page 13

Thank you Ms. Cuchens for writing this article in 2007 and thank you PLC member for bringing it to my attention once again. What’s old is new again and those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it. Logforfree.com cannot continue to happen if we are going to have a successful forest economy in this state both now and in the future.

Stay safe, be well and I look forward to seeing all of you at the PLC’s 25th Annual Meeting later this month.

When Eric Hanington announced plans in 2017 to leave his job managing a paper machine at International Paper’s Eastover mill in South Carolina and return to Maine to join his father in the family logging business, Hai, the mill’s manager, asked to see him.

“He said, ‘Eric, what’s your Dad paying you? I’ll double it!’,” Eric recalls. “I said, ‘Hai, you’re already doubling it and then some. It’s not about the money!’”

For Eric, who came home in 2017 to Hanington Brothers Inc. in Macwahoc after several years working in southern states including Alabama and South Carolina, it still isn’t.

“It wasn’t necessarily a business decision,” Eric said. “This is a company that had been around so long in our family, and the thought of having it just dissolve and no longer exist? I wanted to see the family business continue.”

Wherever the desire to continue a family logging business into another generation comes from these days, it’s generally not the money. If it were, multigenerational logging companies would be few and far between in Maine, because in most cases it would be easier and more

cost effective for both the older and younger generation to liquidate the business and walk away when that older generation reaches retirement age.

Yet Maine’s logging industry is anchored by family logging businesses. Obstacles to starting a logging business from scratch are significant, and so the best chance to maintain a strong logging industry is to ensure existing family businesses can continue.

The average age of both owners and workers in Maine’s logging industry is rising each year. Already, businesses are struggling to replace older workers lost to retirement or health issues. As more and more owners of logging firms approach the point where they too will want to stop working or be forced to, the issue of what happens to their businesses afterward is on many owners’ minds. What they decide to do, and whether succession is even possible due to the financial and regulatory obstacles, will affect Maine’s entire forest economy.

The younger generation

For a logging business succession plan to be

Eric Hanington, right, and Steve Hanington, middle, with feller buncher operator Mark Crone, who works for their subcontractor Pat Cowger, at a Hanington Bros. job in August.

Passing a logging business on

possible, you first need an owner willing to pass the business on, and one or more younger family members willing to take it on.

Many current owners of logging businesses are willing and even eager to see their businesses continue with the next generation, but often the younger generation is not interested. Part of this is due to culture.

“Growing up, almost every adult I met, whether it was my teachers, guys I worked with during the summer for my father, etc. would tell me, ‘Eric you’re too smart, go to college. Do something better with your life than becoming a logger,’” Eric said. “A mentality was created within me from outside influencers that I was too talented to spend my skills working in the logging industry. This is a lie that needs to go away!”

Eric believes what he experienced growing up is no different from what many other kids faced, and that we are seeing the result of that cultural mistake today.

“You can’t have a society placing no value on trades jobs and then 15-20 years later ask, why can’t I find a plumber, electrician, carpenter, trucker, mechanic, or a logger?” Eric said.

Once he overcame the mental obstacle, the next deterrent to returning to Maine to work in the family business was fears over job security due to recent developments in the state’s forest products industry, Eric said.

Eric and Steve began to talk about the idea of business succession when Eric and his family came to Maine for a visit in 2015. Both clearly recall a conversation about the future of remaining paper mills in the area after mills in Bucksport and East Millinocket had closed the previous year.

“I remember telling Dad, I know what mills are remaining in Maine. I know their financial positions, what they make and where they fall on the cost curve compared to other mills, and my experience in the paper industry tells me several of them will no longer be around operating,” Eric said. “It wasn’t two months later after going back down south that Maine mills closing were all over the news, one after the other, so I put the brakes on,” Eric said. Despite the warning signs, his desire to return would not go away. Born and raised in rural Maine, he

Succession Continued Page 18

Irish Family Logging operation underway in Sumner in September.

Succession Continued from Page 176 increasingly missed that lifestyle. Then in February of 2017, his mother underwent major heart surgery, and this put some things into perspective for him about how short and fragile our lives are, Eric said.

Eric and his young family returned to Maine that summer. He began working with his father at Hanington Bros. in August, the third generation to do so. He has been there ever since.

“I’m a Mainer, I was born in the woods, raised in the woods, worked in the woods and played in the woods. The woods is what I love and it’s where I belong,” Eric said. “Society may look down on me and think for some reason they are better than me because I’m from the woods and work in the woods. In my opinion they should be envious of me because I love what I do, and I can make a living doing it.”

A lot to consider

going.”

Steve and Eric Hanington agreed the financial hurdles of succession planning are huge, including taxes on transfer of property that often make it all but impossible. They overcame those hurdles and their own transition was completed in December 2020, but it was not easy.

“It was a struggle for us to figure out how we could do it affordably, to try to get him in ownership and make the transition,” Steve said. “For a willing buyer and seller, it’s still pretty difficult in a family business to transition. That’s why the statistics on second and third generation business failures are what they are, and from an affordability standpoint, whether you’re logging or have some other kind of business, I don’t think government allows it to be an easy transition.”

Challenges family businesses face:

 30% of family businesses survive the transition from first to second generation ownership.

A willingness on the part of both generations to continue a family logging business is just the beginning of the process of actually doing it. The toughest part of any succession plan is making sure the transition can be accomplished in a way that makes financial sense for everyone. In most cases the current owner needs money from the business for retirement, while the future owner or owners cannot afford to buy the business outright and must therefore work toward ownership while earning a living at the same time. Often, the plan must also consider heirs who do not want to be involved in the business, and how to fairly structure estate planning to accommodate that.

 12% survive the transition from second to third generation.

 Only 13 percent of family businesses remain in the family over 60 years.

 47% of family business owners expecting to retire in five years DO NOT have a successor.

“The first thing you’ve got to do is get all the families together and figure out that they’re all right doing it,” Andy Irish, owner of Irish Family Logging in Rumford, said. “There is a lot for everyone to consider.”

Andy and his uncle started Irish Family Logging four decades ago and his son, Jason, and son-in-law, Dean Knolles, have worked with him in the business for many years. All had the desire to continue the company, but getting from there to where they are today - with the transition from first to second generation well underwaytook a lot of discussion and planning.

“For one thing, as the owner you’ve got to not plan on the money from it, it’s not a liquidation, it’s not like you’re turning in your 401k and getting the money from it, so that makes it pretty tough if that’s the only thing you’ve got for retirement,” Andy said. “And while the transition is going on you’ve got to keep the company capitalized, you’ve got to keep buying equipment and you’ve got to keep the checkbook with money in it so everyone can keep

Start early and seek help

Both Irish Family Logging and Hanington Bros. had help with the succession process from outside accounting firms skilled at creating succession plans. Both were told the process is a long one, and agreed outside help and getting started early are important in coming up with a plan that can work.

In most succession plans, working out the financial details of the plan requires a significant amount of time, and then implementing the plan can take years longer if the transition is phased in as many are to allow both generations to continue earning a living as ownership shifts over time.

“It was not an easy challenge to figure out for Dad and I, to make sure that both of our goals were met in the transition and both of us were compensated fairly,” Eric said. “It took us roughly three years to figure out how we could do it and afford it. If I have any advice for people looking to transition family business’s it is - the sooner you can start the process the better.”

Andy, Jason, and Dean were told to expect the process to take at least five years. Andy is now 65, but began considering a succession plan in his late 50s. That plan is underway now, but it did take years.

“It’s started moving, the paperwork’s been done,” Dean said. “It’s a slow transition, but the process has started and we’ve got everything arranged so that basically if anything happens to one of the three party’s things can continue.”

Build a plan that work for you

Every family logging business is unique, and -

while there are common strategies - so is every succession plan.

In the case of the Haningtons, the business really consists of two entities, the logging side and the timberlands. The combination of annual revenue from stumpage sales on the timberlands and the gifting exemption in the tax code turned out to be critical to a succession plan whereby Eric takes ownership of the company from his parents, Steve and Teresa, over a period of years.

Steve, who is 60, can now continue to work in the company while shifting responsibility over time to Eric. Each are involved in daily operations, and manage different parts of the business. They communicate every day, and it works well.

There is more to their plan, but the timberland portion was what allowed Steve to still move toward eventual retirement while allowing Eric, who could not afford to simply buy the company, to move toward full ownership.

“We can use the timberland stumpage for him to purchase it and I can use the revenue to buy more, which we both still own stock in,” Steve said. “Honestly without the timberlands I don’t think this would have been possible.”

Irish Family Logging has also adopted a plan that

transitions ownership over time. Their accountant and a lawyer essentially drafted a buyer and seller’s agreement tied to shares in the company.

“Basically, both families including Jason and Dean and their wives get some shares every year, and that starts the process. So those shares are worth x amount of dollars up to the first five years, then they go up a little bit over time, and they aren’t full value until 10 years go by, unless the company is sold,” Andy said.

Like Steve at Hanington Bros., the transition allows Andy to keep working in the business over the next few years, which he likes, until retirement while transferring responsibility to the younger generation over time.

“The toughest thing about making the change it to get the people used to calling the kids instead of you, so now everybody calls Jason and Dean,” Andy said. “It’s a big change and it takes a few years, but now they feel confident doing that.”

“

The other thing that does is let the workforce know the company has a future,” Dean added. “I think conveying the message that that’s what the plan is, you know he’s not one day going to hang everything up and we’re all going home, but the plan is me and Jason are going to keep this going, is important.”

Marc Greaney of Western Maine Timberlands Inc. at a yard on Hurricane Mountain in New Hampshire in September where his company is completing a harvest.

Succession Continued from Page 19

The best of both worlds

A succession plan is no guarantee that a logging business will be able to continue, but having one in place and a transition underway is certainly something all members of a family vested in the process can feel good about.

For the older generation, it is a good feeling to have plans in place for the future and to see a business they have poured a lot of time, money, and effort into continue, while hopefully continuing to provide benefits to their children. For the younger generation vested in the business, having a path forward and more certainty about what will happen when they become the full owners of it allows them to better plan their own lives and careers while taking pride that they are building on the family’s legacy.

Talk of retirement may be common among logging business owners in their 60s, but logging is in their blood and for many the idea of shifting some parts of the job to the younger generation while continuing to be involved and have more time for the parts of the job they enjoy is something a succession plan can provide.

“I’ll honestly say I like it now, not having to do all the decision making,” Steve said. “I tell people I’ve got the best of both worlds right now.”

It’s time

Not all logging business owners approaching retirement age have a desire to see their business pass to another generation, but it is a safe bet to assume many are at the point of considering the idea and realizing they will need to make some decisions soon.

“That’s exactly where we are at,” Marc Greaney, who together with his wife, Jennifer, owns and operates Western Maine Timberlands Inc. in Fryeburg, said.

Marc is a first-generation logger and is 52. His son, Reese is 22, and works full-time in the business. Reese can already run multiple pieces of equipment and has his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), as well as a degree in Forestry from the University of New Hampshire.

Marc does not intend to still be logging when he is 65, and though Reese is still young, Marc believes he is equipped to continue the company someday if that is something he wants to do. His younger son, Brayden, may one day have an interest as well.

“We really haven’t had that conversation with Reese because he’s not there yet and neither are we, but I think this spring we’ll sit down and start talking about it, and maybe I’ll have a five or six-year plan,” Marc said.

While the idea of seeing the business continue is appealing, Marc can certainly understand why many in the younger generation may be hesitant to commit to a logging industry that has been through a series of very difficult years recently, while seeing friends entering other careers that offer better pay, more security, and an easier lifestyle.

For a young person looking at someday taking over a logging business, concerns over finding enough markets and workers is only part of the problem, Marc said.

“The cost of operation is really just hard to get over, it just keeps going up,” Marc said. “I can see where this younger generation is like, wait a minute, what am I doing now, and why?”

Risk vs Reward

For those in the younger generation who decide they do want to take on the challenge, a family logging business succession plan will only work if they truly want it to work and value some things more than money.

“For the younger generation, you can’t make them choose this, these decisions have got to be their own,” Steve said. “The risk versus reward is what you look at, and place values on certain things like independence.”

“I have that here and that’s what I enjoy,” Eric said. “I love the independence and I love that I’m in control of my own destiny. I work just as many hours here as I did in the mill, I’m making less money here than I did there, but I still prefer it.”

“Although I do love being a logger, I do have a great concern for our industry's success and long term viability in terms of the affordability of transitioning businesses, being able to offer appropriate compensation to attract the right kind of labor and keeping up with the rising cost of everything,” Eric added. “I'm concerned a lot of loggers won't transition because they can't find enough monetary reward to balance out all the risks associated with our industry."

Hanington Bros. is celebrating its 63rd year this year. Steve has run the company for three decades, and while things have been tough in logging in recent years, he believes better days are coming as Maine’s forests continue to grow and the demand for the versatility and renewability that wood and wood fiber offers continues to increase.

“I think there’s tremendous opportunities for that next generation,” Steve said. “Yes, there’s challenges right now but I ran this company for 30 years almost, and I believe Eric can be successful for another 30 years.”

Eric agreed.

“

I know personally I’m in this thing for the long haul,” Eric said. “If there are trees in Maine to cut and a place to market them, then I want Hanington Bros Inc. to be one of the businesses doing it. I’m confident enough to know that I can do anything else for a career, but I choose to be a logger.”

Irish Family Logging delimber in action in Sumner.

U.S. Secretary of Labor, Marty Walsh Visits PLC

The PLC was proud to host two active harvest site visits and an in-the-woods roundtable discussion on the needs of the logging industry Oct. 5 with U.S. Secretary of Labor, Marty Walsh organized by Congressman Jared Golden. Thank you to Sec. Walsh for taking time out of his busy schedule to talk directly with loggers and see the industry up close - including operating a grapple skidder and spending time in a processor.

Thank you also to Congressman Golden for making the visit happen and to PLC Member companies Maine Custom Woodlands and Trees Ltd. for hosting the site visits in Augusta and Fayette, Thanks also to PLC Members who joined the roundtable discussion. This was great exposure for Maine's logging industry!

Photos above, from left to right: Tom (at left) and Beth (second from right) Cushman with Sec. Walsh in Augusta; Sec. Walsh speaks to the press in Fayette, Sec. Walsh operates a Maine Custom Woodlands grapple skidder in Augusta.

Above, from left to right, PLC Board Member Duane Jordan, PLC Board Member Don Cole, Congressman Jared Golden, U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, and PLC Executive Director Dana Doran.

Record Funds Raised at PLC LogALoad for Maine Kids Golf Tournaments!

The Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of Maine raised a record $109,047 at its two Log A Load For Maine Kids Golf Tournaments this fall, putting 2021 fundraising for Log A Load on track for a great year with the Annual Log A Load Auction still to come Oct. 29.

The tournaments, held Aug. 27 at Kezar Lake Country Club in Lovell and Sept. 17 at JATO Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln, raised $41,696 and $67,351 respectively for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in Maine.

The PLC partners with the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital (BBCH) and Northern Light Health Foundation to hold the golf tournaments. BBCH in Portland and Northern Light’s Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor are Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

“It is truly inspiring to see how the support and

generosity of our PLC Members, Supporting Members, partners and friends have grown these events into a major fund raiser for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in Maine in such a short period of time,” PLC Executive Director Dana Doran said.

“These are difficult times in the logging industry, yet this group always comes through and continues to devote an incredible amount of time, effort, and resources to the Log A Load cause.”

This year, the PLC dedicated the southern tournament to the memory of Randy Keenan of PLC Supporting Member Katahdin Fire Company, and the northern tournament to the memory of of Sharon Hanington and her mother, Irma Hanington, both of Lincoln. The Hanington family were founders of the PLC’s Log A Load efforts and remain strong supporters of those efforts today.

The PLC’s Log A Load efforts have raised more

Northern Tournament above and below. Southern Tournament, opposite page.

than $1.5 million since 1995.

Two years ago, the PLC expanded its fund-raising efforts to hold two Log A Load golf tournaments each year, adding a new southern tournament thanks to the partnership with Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital.

The golf tournaments and the PLC’s annual Log A Load Auction – this year set for Oct. 29 at the PLC’s Annual Meeting in Bangor –raise the majority of the funds for the effort each year.

The PLC and the Northern Light Health Foundation (formerly Eastern Maine Health Systems Foundation) have partnered in the Log A Load fundraising effort since 1996. 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 in Maine as possible. Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor is a

Children’s Miracle Network Hospital and includes a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that has received support for years from the PLC’s Log A Load efforts.

The South Carolina Forestry Association started the Log A Load for Kids program in 1988. Originally, the concept was for loggers, wood-supplying businesses, and other industry supporters in various states including Maine to donate the value of a load of logs to their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Nationally, Log A Load for Kids is a leader in CMN Hospitals’ fundraising, raising more than $2 million annually through golf tournaments, fishing events, dinners, truckloads of log donations and other events.

For more information, please visit www.logaload.org.

Trucking Industry News...

Maine Bureau of Highway Safety Fall Reminder

…

As we enter into the fall we enter into the increase of morning and afternoon traffic with schools starting up. Please take time to plan your routes and to be aware of not only the increase in vehicle traffic, but expect an increase in pedestrian traffic and bicycle traffic! EYES UP… JUST DRIVE and BE AWARE.

Reminder: Onboard documentation and supporting documents…

Motor carriers and drivers have specific requirements under the ELD regulations. Some of the most commonly cited violations pertain to the documents and materials drivers are required to have with them in the commercial motor vehicle (CMV), or that motor carriers must retain in their files, and provide to enforcement personnel upon request. Below are a few reminders to help motor carriers and drivers adhere to these requirements.

Hours Of Service Changes Clarified – Change

Does Not Impact Maine 100 Air Mile Exemption

…

The recent hours of service changes that were effective September 29, 2020 have caused a few questions including about the difference between the Maine 100 air mile rule and the new Federal 150 air mile rule. The recent changes do not in any way change Maine’s 100 air mile rule that has long been afforded to drivers and motor carriers who operate in Maine and within 100 air miles of their normal work reporting location.

In short, the Maine 100 air mile rule exempts motor carriers and drivers that operate within 100 air miles of their normal work reporting location (and do not further interstate commerce) from hours of service and from the medical card requirements found in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. These drivers may not drive when sick or fatigued, but are not required to keep a log book or ELD and do not

require a medical card. This is due to the fact that Maine adopts the federal regulations with some state amendments, most notably in the area of hours of service and medical card requirements.

To summarize, the recent changes to the hours of service regulations do not impact the Maine 100 air mile rule. A CDL driver that exceeds the 100-air mile radius in Intrastate commerce must either rely on the federal 150 air mile rule (“short haul” exemption) or must keep a log book or ELD. Additionally, drivers who exceed the 100 air miles in Intrastate commerce must have a valid medical card.

FARMINGTON -

owner of

a division of Jackman Equipment, likes to say that even though he never cut wood for a living, his whole working life has been built around the woods business.

In the four decades since he began hauling logs in the Maine woods in 1971 as a teenager, that experience has served him well as he - like others in his family - has built successful businesses in the forest products industry in Maine and Canada.

The Carrier family of course needs no introduction in the Northeast. Its members left Canada to pursue opportunities in logging, trucking, and other industries in the U.S. decades ago, building well known and successful companies from Connecticut to Maine through a combination of hard work, good business sense, and

perseverance.

Mario grew up on the family farm with his siblings in Saint Honore’ Quebec, and recalls his father farming in the warmer months and traveling into Maine in the winters to work in the woods like many others in the region.

“Growing up, we were staying home to take care of the farm until we were old enough to go to work,” Mario said. “My father had been working in the woods since 1955 to support the family because the farming was not enough.”

As a boy, Mario remembers always being interested in equipment and fixing things. He was mechanically inclined and this would eventually lead him into the businesses he has built over the years, but before that, in the fall of 1971, he got his visa and joined his

Mario Carrier,

Davco,

Mario Carrier with Hood loader at Davco in Farmington in September..

father and older brothers for the first time at a job in Maine, in West Middlesex Canal Grant Township, northwest of Moosehead Lake.

“We had a camp trailer and that crew was not very big and we would stay in the camp trailer and draw water from the river next to us, for me it was like being paid to go camping,” he laughed.

Members of the Carrier family will tell you learning on the job through experience was the family way. Though Mario had never driven one before, he was put to work hauling wood with a Chevrolet C60 single axle with pony wheel truck. For his first run he followed his father with half a load of 4’ pulp logs, hauling from West Middlesex to dump the load into the Kennebec River. After that first run, he was on his own. He didn’t feel confident driving at first, but after the first mud season, he was. He learned quickly in his early days on the job. Once, he showed up for a load of wood and there was no one to load him. He didn’t want to tell his brothers he hadn’t even tried to load the truck so he got in the seat and loaded himself, did it badly, and had to redo it to balance the load, but he soon got better.

Mario’s reputation mechanically went up with the family after a loader quit on him and the foreman on the job site quickly figured out the problem and helped him to pull the transmission, which he then took back to Jackman.

“So when I got back to the apartment we were at I had the transmission with me and I gave that to my brother who was in charge and God he thought I was a good mechanic, I did not say a word, I never told him,” Mario laughed.

The West Middlesex job was on Scott Paper land. The crew moved that same winter to another Scott Paper job in Tomhegan. In 1972, they began hauling lumber from the Golden Road to Beaudrey Lumber, a major employer in the Jackman area at the time.

“I was proud to drive a truck, I was always the youngest one of the crew until my younger brother showed up,” Mario said. “We went from job to job to job, and we were always renting either an apartment or installing a camp wherever the job was located.”

In 1973 Mario moved up to driving a tractor trailer and his very first job was hauling wood from Dole Pond via Canada and then back into the U.S. It was a challenging run because the border area includes the highest points of land in that region and the uphill and downhill portions were very difficult, particularly in bad weather. That year he also began making runs to paper mills to the south in Madison and Winslow.

The woods business is volatile, and in 1974 the Carriers went from having plenty of work to a short period of none, but after that other contracts showed up and they kept going. In 1975, they got a sizable contract to haul 6,000 cords of 4-foot wood to the International Paper mill at Three Rivers, Canada.

The mid-70s were a time of change in the logging industry, as the era of logs being moved by water on Moosehead Lake and down the Kennebec River came to an end. Mario was there for those changes, and was interviewed in 1975 for a major news broadcast showing the last 4’ logs being pushed into Moosehead Lake.

“Every job we moved and every job we adjusted. All this time I was working for my father and older brother E.J.,” Mario said.

In late 1977, at the age of 22, and while on Christmas vacation, his time working in the woods came to an end.

“They asked me if I wanted to take care of the gas station in Jackman my older brother E.J. had purchased, and my response was, if you think I could I’m ok with that, but I don’t speak English,” Mario said. “I started working there January 3rd, 1978 at six in the morning, and when I got out of there at night after being on the concrete all day standing up I did not know if I should go home or go to the hospital I was so exhausted.”

He went back to work the next day, and that gas station and garage, which he would eventually buy, was the start of Jackman Equipment, the parent company to Davco, Canadian Chains, and Pro-Pac. Today Mario speaks English fluently, but back in 1978 he knew very little and immediately this posed a challenge as customers brought in equipment for repairs and he had to order parts over the phone. His sister spoke better English than he did and helped, but the first time he tried to order a part himself, a hydraulic pump, the person on the other end of the call couldn’t understand him and hung up.

“Then something came from heaven, we had a worker start working for us, his name is Mike Begin, and he was bilingual and that helped me more than anything, and he’s still with me after 43 years, thank you, God,” Mario said.

Not long after that the garage became a dealer for the Tree Farmer skidder line, and began selling and servicing them. In 1983, they added the Husky Brute hydraulic log loader line. They were busy, never had to look for work, work always found them, Mario said.

The Carrier family by now had begun branching off into new business ventures, and the members together

Davco Continued Page 30

and on their own would eventually found many. Mario and two of his older brothers established Pro Pac in Quebec in 1985 and the equipment brand would become a mainstay of the region’s logging industry. In 1989 Jackman Equipment, which Mario now owned and managed, purchased Davco in Farmington, building it into a successful annex for Jackman Equipment.

1985 was also the year Mario became a U.S. citizen.

“My father was proud to be working in the U.S., as a farmer coming down from Canada to be able to make a

living in the U.S. he was very proud of that,” Mario said. “And I’m proud to be American and proud to be Canadian.”

Mario eventually stopped dealing and servicing Husky Brute loaders and began dealing strictly with Hood loaders. The Tree Farmer skidder factory closed in the 1990s and from that point on Davco focused on Hood and Pro Pac equipment. Another great thing that happened in the early 1990’s was John Fontaine coming on board at Davco. He also is bilingual and is still with Davco today.

Mario Carrier with long-time employee

Mike Begin at the Logger’s Expo in 1999.

Hood loader donated by Davco for use by the MLOP program for 2021.

In 2000, Jackman Equipment purchased the traction tire chains manufacturer Canadian Chains in Skowhegan.

Today Davco carries a wide range of parts and products including loaders, attachments, and implements; with the trusted brands Hood, Timberjack, Tree Farmer, Pro Pac, and Rotobec. Its service department is always busy with maintenance and repair work. Mario feels that the work effort is no different than any other logging field.

Mario still has his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and he never misses a chance to jump in a truck and use it, but today he is found most often at the Davco shop, fielding questions on parts and equipment on the phone and in person, keeping the busy operation rolling. Jackman Equipment remains his original business and today is located in a larger building across the street from the original gas station and garage, and along with Davco; Pro Pac, managed by his son Dave; and Canadian Chains, managed by his son Jason, continues to be an important piece of the region’s forest products industry.

Like most business owners today, Mario faces challenges finding enough workers, but he is satisfied with how his businesses are doing and always working to improve them. Good service combined with a willingness to take on any challenging job has built and maintained their reputation.

Mario gives much for the credit for the success of those businesses over the years to the workers he has been fortunate enough to have.

“This is something that helped the journey, all the good people who work for us,” Mario said.

Mario also gives credit to his sons Jason and Dave and his daughter Audrey.

Davco has been a major supporter of the Mechanized Logging Operations Program (MLOP) - which was started by the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine (PLC) - since 2019, this year donating use of a Hood crane, Pro Pac slasher, and equipment training. Davco has also provided great service for the program, according to Donald Burr, coordinator of MLOP.

Davco is an Enhanced Supporting Member of the PLC, as are Jackman Equipment, Pro Pac, and Canadian Chains. Mario has been and remains very supportive of loggers and the work of the PLC.

“I feel the organization is doing a very good job,” Mario said. “I have difficulty finding any complaints about PLC.”

Safety

Acadia Insurance to Distribute Premium Dividends to Eligible PLC Safety Group Members

WESTBROOK, Maine (9, 2021) Acadia Insurance, a W. R. Berkley Company®, recently announced that it will pay $1,145,042 in premium dividends to eligible policyholder members of the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine (PLC) Safety Group. Since 1999, Acadia has distributed over $12 million in premium dividends to eligible participants of this safety group.

Founded by Acadia Insurance, the PLC Safety Group dividend program rewards logging companies and sole proprietors for having a safe workplace by refunding a portion of their insurance premium if certain measures are met by the entire safety group. In addition, Acadia Insurance, in coordination with the PLC, provides risk management and mitigation expertise to members to help ensure the long-term sustainability of the logging industry in Maine.

“I am thrilled that Acadia’s partnership with the PLC is again resulting in premium dividends being paid to the hard-working members,” said Douglas Freeman, Regional Vice President of Acadia Insurance’s Maine office. “The continued focus on safety by the loggers, the team at the PLC, and the Acadia logging team continues to impact the results of the group, and I am pleased that all three eligible years have resulted in returned premium in 2021.”

The PLC of Maine has been serving loggers since 1995 and aims to give independent logging contractors a voice in the ever-changing logging industry. The PLC focuses on advocacy, safety, quality operations and business innovation for loggers. The PLC is a logging organization run by loggers that understands the importance of the logging industry and its impact on the Maine economy.

For more information about the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine Safety Group, please contact Kim Farquhar, Marketing Director, Acadia Insurance, at kimberly.farquhar@acadia-ins.com.

About Acadia Insurance

Acadia Insurance is a regional underwriter offering commercial and specialty property casualty insurance coverages through independent insurance agents with local offices in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. Rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best, Acadia Insurance Company is a member company of W. R. Berkley Corporation, one of the nation’s premier commercial lines property casualty insurance providers. Please visit www.acadiainsurance.com

WinterDriving

ByDonaldBurr PLCSafety&TrainingCoordinator safety@maineloggers.com

As we enter into the fall driving and then into the winter season, it is time for all the winter driving tips. It is never the wrong time to remind us of the basics of driving on winter roads. Statistically speaking this time is the most dangerous time to be driving. More driving in the dark, changing road conditions, and complacency settle in from good summer driving.

I am tempted to make a list of the usual safe driving ideas. Drive slower, watch out for ice, steer into a slide, make sure your tires are good, clean your windshield every day. These are age-old and good ideas, but I would like to give you another angle to these thoughts. Put any of the winter driving tips into a bucket, and you get “pay attention, plan ahead and communicate.”

Check the weather. If it is going to be a lousy commute, leave earlier than usual, so you don’t have to push to get to work on time. Next, pay attention to common bad road areas. You know the lousy corner or the bridge on the bottom of the hill on a turn. Plan how you will drive through this area, or maybe, if possible, take an alternate route. The next thought is to encourage everyone to communicate when and where they are traveling on the roads, public or company roads. This helps to keep the roads safe and helps move pickups in and the wood out. Look at your trucking and operator schedule

and see if you can make changes, maybe as little as 10 minutes, to keep two-way traffic to a minimum. Encourage your employees to communicate exactly where they are on the woods road even when it shows that they are late or had done something not so clever. Years ago, I came across three pickups off the road on a known to be dangerous corner, and it all started when the first truck was going too fast and went into the ditch and did not say anything about the corner being extra slippery. So, when the next pickup came across this, not only did they need to miss the pickup in the ditch, but they too were driving too fast for the corner and into the ditch they went. Same story for the third pickup. Three mistakes, not one word on the CB about the issue. Yes, it is embarrassing when you end up in the ditch but haven’t we have all been there one time or another? We needed to bring a grapple skidder out and rough up the road and pull the three pickups back into the road.

issues even when it doesn attention, planning & communicating will go a long way to getting us all what we really want, back home at night with our feet up in front of the TV with a warm plate of food on our lap.

We

Support Maine Loggers

Back Health for Loggers

By Brie Weisman, Occupational Therapist with Maine LogAbility

Low back pain is one of the leading causes of disability, occuring in similar proportions in all cultures, interfering with the quality of life, and the ability to earn a living.

Logging is a physically demanding, dangerous job that is repetitive, mechanically jarring, and takes place on terrain that is often uneven, steep, and slippery. These conditions cause loggers to be at an increased risk for lower back pain or back injury due to overuse, sudden wrenching, or impact injuries from falls and accidents. Even those loggers remaining “safely” seated within vehicles for the workday are not immune from a lower back injury. Staying seated for prolonged periods in a vehicle or machine is a common cause of lower back pain - ask any trucker.

Although it is easy enough to see how work accidents cause back injuries, the cumulative nature of a long career in the industry is more often the source of back injuries in logging. There are simple, effective techniques to address back pain that take very little time or money.

Limit bending, twisting, and lifting. Elevate work space, when feasible, to reduce bending and keep the back as straight as possible. Instead of twisting to do a task, face the item with feet pointed in the direction of the task. Install swivel seats in equipment; select a seat that can easily be locked in place.

Avoid lifting heavy items, when possible, by sliding or dragging them along or using a wheelbarrow, cart, or mechanical advantage. When lifting use proper posture and technique. Protect your back muscles by squatting with a straight posture and lifting with your legs, holding items close to your chest. Instead of carrying heavy gear by hand for long distances use a

backpack. There are external frames designed to carry hard-cased toolboxes, or the backpack frames can be modified to carry bulky items.

Vibration issues. Working machinery often increases the risk of vibration injuries that can lead to numbness in limbs as well as back complaints. Use antivibration gloves, cushioned seat, mats to reduce strain. Stretch and rest breaks: Implement a short, daily stretching or core strengthening program. Take stretch breaks throughout the day, especially when sore or stiff. A rest break from repetitive activities or maintaining the same position, such as sitting in a cab, is also helpful in itself.

Keep fit: Obesity increases the risk of back pain. Extra weight increases the strain of the musculoskeletal system, making overweight workers markedly more susceptible to injury. Increase core exercises to strengthen the abdomen and reduce strain on back muscles in maintaining posture and carry loads. Talk to your Primary Care Provider about a routine that is right for you.

While some measure of discomfort is inevitable in any strenuous work, ignoring back pain is as reckless as ignoring strange engine noises. Minor back pains, aches, and stiffness are the body’s warning gauges, and we ignore them at our own peril. Knowing how to respond to them is the key to back health.

Staff members at Maine LogAbilty help keep you working safely and and successfully. Contact us for more information: maine.agrability@maine.edu or extension.umaine.edu/ agrability.

Safety

Ted Clark, CLCS, Loss Control Consultant, Acadia Insurance Quarterly Safety Meeting: Preparing for Winter

As winter inches closer and everyone sets their sites on the most productive time of the year, it’s important to take a step back and consider the unique hazards presented by winter. Frigid temperatures, ice, short days and traffic from snowmobiles all create significant hazards that should be addressed in fall as we lead up to winter. In this safety meeting we will discuss some tips to help prepare for the challenges associated with winter.

Pack a headlamp with you – with days getting shorter, you are bound to spend more time working in the dark. A headlamp can make your job safer and more efficient and it may be a vital tool in the event of a machine breakdown that requires you to walk out of the woods in the dark.

Carry a lighter on you – Maybe it’s the outdoor guide in me but a simple lighter in the pocket is a vital tool that I never leave home without. Whether it’s a simple incident like a mechanical failure on your vehicle during the drive out or something more serious like getting lost walking a track of land, a small fire can provide warmth and comfort until help arrives. A lighter can also help out in the event your lock freezes on your machine.

Pack an extra layer or a blanket – As temperatures start to dip closer to zero, even something simple like a machine breakdown or getting your vehicle stuck can become a life-threatening emergency if you don’t have the ability to keep warm. Something as small as a space blanket thrown in your machine or your vehicle’s glovebox can help save your life if you have to spend some time in the elements.

Check your radios – A couple of years ago I met a loaded truck on a corner, surprising both of us and narrowly missing a collision. Neither of us heard each other on the radio, but we were both calling out. Come to find out the coaxial on my antenna was damaged and I wasn’t projecting my communication. In winter when the roads will be narrow and slippery, it’s a good idea to do a radio check and verify that your antennas and mics are still working properly.

Don’t rely on your radios – Radios are a nice convenience and a great way to communicate, but it’s important to remember that they are not a mandatory requirement. Because of this, there will always be the threat of meeting someone without a radio. This can include a sportsperson hauling a trailer full of snowmobiles and not familiar with the roads. Practice defensive driving, always anticipating meeting someone without a radio.

Clean out your machinery – Fall is generally the last good opportunity to pressure wash your machine without the fear of everything freezing up on it. Take the time to give each machine a thorough cleaning before winter sets in. Make sure that the area around your preheater remains completely free of debris, ensuring no buildup around the exhaust where temperatures are generally extremely hot.

Mark recreational trails Verify the location of recreational trails around your job site AND the access points to your job site and ensure they have adequate signage, giving users of the trail system plenty of notice to slow down and stop before coming onto your jobsites. The local organizations, such as the snowmobile club, are generally happy to help re-route traffic away from your job and will also communicate any trail disruption on their social media page and website. Also notify crews and drivers about the areas where recreational trails may intersect with the operations.

Winter is a major factor in Maine that requires a unique approach to stay safe and productive. Taking some time to consider and prepare for the potential exposure can go a long way to prevent incidents and injuries and it will also ensure operational efficiency is maintained.

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.

sign-in sheet on the back! Cut along dotted line to left to detach this section.

Safety

*This sign-in sheet is intended to be used with the quarterly Safety Training Topic on page 35. Refer to the cutline on page 35 when removing it from the magazine.

Mechanized Logging Operations Program Graduation!

SUMMIT TOWNSHIP – Twelve graduates of Maine’s only college training program for operators of mechanized logging equipment were recognized Thursday, Sept. 16 at a ceremony held at the site where they spent weeks harvesting timber using sophisticated state-of-the-art machines like those they will encounter in the logging industry.

Students in the 12-week Mechanized Logging Operations Program (MLOP) spent the summer and early fall at the site, gaining hands-on logging experience and benefiting from the guidance of veteran logging instructors for an educational experience that is unmatched by any other logger training program in Maine and neighboring states.

Tony Madden, President of the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine (PLC), congratulated the students on their achievement and on their career choice.

“We welcome you all to the team of logging professionals, the training you have received in this program has given you many options,” Madden said. “You should have no problem finding work my advice is to find work with a logging contractor that takes pride in their work, preferably a PLC contractor, in the long run, you won’t regret it.”

Tim Crowley, President of Northern Maine Community College (NMCC), said the program has been successful because of strong collaboration between the college, industry partners, and the PLC, and is a model for how programs will be developed in the future.

“It’s people working together, and this is the best example in the state of Maine,” Crowley said.

Graduates included: Andrew Hatchell of Readfield, Andrew McLaughlin of Bangor, Benjamin Carroll of Dixfield, Christopher Glidden of Carroll Plantation, David Lessard of Jackman, Dawson Chauette of Waterboro, Junior Tyler of Farmington, Josh Clark of Brewer, Nathan Bacon of Sidney, Nathan Hilton of Bryant Pond, Robert Stuart of Bridgton, and

Colton Carlow of Peru. All who enrolled completed the program, giving this year’s cohort a 100% completion rate.

Most students in the program are hired by contractors even before graduating and this year is no exception.

This year’s class is the fifth since the certificate program launched in 2017. The program, run out of NMCC, has been able to continue operating throughout the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to rigorous safety protocols and the outdoor nature of most of the training, which involves students operating equipment while communicating with instructors and other students via radios.

The program was jointly developed by the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine and NMCC with generous support from Milton CAT/CAT Forest Products, Nortrax Inc./John Deere, and other industry partners. Students gain broad knowledge of the most common mechanical systems found in modern timber harvesting equipment, and an understanding of the variables of timber growth, tree species, and markets. The program also includes a strong emphasis on safety.

Supported by the Maine Community College System’s Maine Quality Centers, students pay no tuition or fees and the program provides all required personal protective equipment (PPE). Maine Quality Centers develops and supports skilled indemand and high wage occupations in Maine through a variety of training opportunities.

Anyone with an interest in future enrollment in the MLOP should contact Leah Buck at Northern Maine Community College at 207-768-2768. Information may be found online at https://www.nmcc.edu/industry-customized-training/ mechanized-forest-operations/

Additional information including videos on the program may be found on the PLC website at https://maineloggers.com/ mechanized-logging-operations-program/

MLOP Students and Instructors Class of 2021

Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands awards scholarships for Mechanized Logging Operations Program

AUGUSTA, ME - The Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands (TCNEF) awarded scholarships to three Maine students enrolled this summer in the Mechanized Logging Operations Program (MLOP).

Ben Carrol of Dixfield, Colton Carlow of Peru, and David Lessard of Jackman each received $1,000 from the Northwoods Logging Association/Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands Scholarship Fund. All three are members of the fifth class of students enrolled in the hands-on, 12-week certificate program now underway in the woods north of Old Town.

Students in the program spend weeks harvesting timber using a variety of sophisticated state-of-the-art machines like those they will encounter in the logging industry. The hands-on experience and education they gain is something unavailable anywhere else in Maine and neighboring states.

While the MLOP program is being offered tuition free through a generous grant from the Maine Community College System and the Maine State Legislature, students are responsible for other expenses including transportation and housing, and TCNEF understands these costs can be barriers to success in the program.

“It is the TCNEF’s strong belief that if the organization can provide additional assistance to students with demonstrated need to ensure their success and propel them into the logging industry, this is a cause well worth supporting,” Ted Wright, Executive Director of TCNEF, said. “I’d like to congratulate these students on receiving

the scholarships, and I wish them success in the program and their careers.”

The scholarships are supported by funds provided to TCNEF by the Northwoods Logging Association (NWLA), a trust created in the 1970’s to help logging companies manage their workers’ compensation risks. NWLA was effectively dissolved in the early 1990’s, and in 2020, the remaining board members of the NWLA voted to officially dissolve the organization. To do so, they needed to liquidate their remaining assets and provided a grant to TCNEF as part of that process. The funds from that grant must be used toward logger development and education.

The scholarships are both merit and performance based, and the recipients have demonstrated that they have a sincere interest in pursuing a career in logging operations. Scholarships were provided in three installments, upon completion of milestones in the program.

MLOP was jointly developed by the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine (PLC) and Northern Maine Community College (NMCC), Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC), and Washington County Community College (WCCC) with generous support from Milton CAT/CAT Forest Products, Nortrax Inc./John Deere, and other industry partners. The program has been supported since its inception through Maine Quality Centers, an MCCS program to develop and support skilled in-demand and high wage occupations in Maine.

In April of this year, at the tail end of the legislative session, Senator Russell Black presented LD 1407 to the Legislature’s Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee. The bill, “An Act to Provide That a Forestry Operation That Conforms to Accepted Practices May Not Be Declared a Nuisance,” is also known as “The Right to Practice Forestry Act.” A quick look shows that forty-two other states have adopted Right to Practice Forestry (RPF) laws over the years. In Maine, the closest we have are protections for agriculture, or the Maine Agriculture Protection Act, which specifically includes the wording, “Agricultural Products does not include trees grown and harvested for forest products.”

In the 1970’s and 80’s, the family farm seemed threatened. This led to the enactment of farm protection laws across the country to protect farms from ordinances that restricted customary farming activities. The intent of LD 1407 is the same, but for a different kind of farming, i.e. forestry. Anyone in the forestry sector has skin in the game on this one.

The summary of the original bill is: This bill enacts the Right To Practice Forestry Act. The bill provides that a local unit of government that allows a forestry operation to operate in that local unit of government may not regulate that forestry operation in a manner that limits or prohibits any generally accepted forest management practices, which the bill requires the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to establish by rule. We are in a constantly changing landscape of values and expectations, especially in the rural working landscape. This is even more evident these days with the increase in real estate transactions, potentially bringing new voices with regards to the use of forests and changes to the image and expectations for the forest; This can often translate to new ordinances that have the potential to limit options for woodland owners and the professionals they hire to work with them. This also could translate to higher costs for loggers and haulers. Examples of this include restrictive ordinances with respect to roads and noise, to name a couple.

During the work session for this bill, twenty-three interested parties testified either on the virtual platform or by written submission. Six testified in favor of the bill, including your Executive Director and others from the forestry community, including the Maine Forest Service. One person from the Maine Municipal Association testified neither for nor against. The rest testified against the bill.

The public hearing and work session for this bill are on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCsJYNRdpDJyRRmtdX8DOLdA; I encourage you to watch these.

The committee amended the bill, replacing the bill with a Resolve. The Resolve requires “The Director of the Maine Forest Service within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to convene a stakeholder group to review and assess the law and corresponding process relating to a municipal proposal to adopt or amend a timber harvesting ordinance. The amendment directs the director to report the findings and recommendations of the stakeholder group to the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and authorizes the joint standing committee to submit a bill relating to the subject matter of the report to the 130th Legislature.”

This stakeholder group has had one meeting, and by the time you read this another will have occurred. The group is diverse, including voices from the logging community such as PLC Executive Director Dana Doran and Will Cole, Co-President, Trees Ltd, who is also 2nd Vice President of the PLC, municipal representatives, representatives from the environmental community, foresters and landowners.

As with the ACF committee hearings, you can find these virtual sessions on YouTube. At all meetings there is an opportunity for public comment, so please, take the time to provide your input. All of us in the forestry sector have skin in the game on this one, and your input is crucial. It is hard to say at this point what the specific outcome will be, but I do know that it is imperative that voices from the field are part of the process. As they say, “If you are not at the table, you might be on the menu.”

AWordFrom PattyCormier

MaineForest Service Director

Wereallydowantyoutobeabletodothejobsyoudosowell

IntroducingyourDistrictForesters MeetOliverMarkewicz

harvesting, both in the planning stage and once operations are underway.

Did you know you can ask a District Forester to visit a site before, during or after logging? Understanding harvest regulations and identifying ways to apply Best Management Practices (BMPs) that protect water quality are two of the most common requests. Every situation is different so it’s often helpful to have Oliver come out to a site – ideally before work begins - to help determine if and how the rules apply, and to talk about different ways to control water and prevent soil movement using BMPs. Oliver and other District Foresters also teach classes about a range of forestry topics, from forest management to BMPS to wildlife considerations in forestry to the Tree Growth Tax Program. District Foresters are a great resource – please use them!

Oliver Markewicz is the Maine Forest Service’s southernmost District Forester. Oliver has been the District Forester for this region since 2015.

Oliver earned his degree in Forest Operation Science from the University of Maine. After graduation, Oliver worked for the USDA APHIS on the Asian Longhorned Beetle Eradication Program in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Oliver moved back to Maine in 2014 and worked as a consulting Forester before starting with the Maine Forest Service. Oliver encourages landowners, foresters, and loggers to contact him with any questions they may have. Oliver looks forward to serving the people of Maine for many more years.

Like all District Foresters, Oliver responds to requests for assistance from all audiences, including loggers. Many of the most common questions deal with timber

District Forester Oliver Markewicz,

PlanningfortheFall

ByTomGilbert WaterResourcesSpecialist MaineForestService

One of the fundamental Best Management Practices (BMPs) we like to discuss at the Maine Forest Service is pre-harvest planning. Pre-harvest planning is a good business practice as well as an important BMP, as it avoids many problems. Planning will help reduce costs, make the job more efficient, protect roads and trails, leave the job looking better, and protect water quality. Good planning may even put your mind at ease during a heavy rain late at night.

However, how do we plan for increasingly warmer, wetter seasons? Increasing temperatures and more rain or snow has become the norm across the northeast, and as a result, weather has become more and more difficult to rely on and plan for. So how must logging operations adapt to this new reality? Despite the additional challenges of a changing climate, the fundamentals of pre-harvest planning remain the same. These include:

*Identifying the locations of streams, wetlands and other sensitive areas;

*Laying out the harvest operation on the ground;

*Planning to avoid those wet areas whenever possible;

*Choosing appropriate BMPs for the entire harvest and for closeout before beginning work;

*And last but not least is anticipating site conditions.

Taking into account and anticipating more precipitation may be the most important first step in adapting harvest operations to a changing climate. This may influence the timing of when some sites are harvested or a more aggressive use of structural BMPs throughout the site to account for larger volumes of water.

There are a range of structural BMPs that may be used to minimize soil disturbance and soil movement, but one important principal to keep in mind is that BMPs should be used throughout the entire site, and function as a system which works to control water in small amounts. When they are appropriately chosen, installed correctly and maintained regularly, they may extend the harvest season, reduce equipment wear, increase skidding efficiency and protect your investment in roads and stream crossings.

During a time of increasing climate challenges, it is more important now than ever to review the fundamentals of forestry best management practices, and how they apply to the conditions of each specific site. For more information on fundamental forestry BMPs please see our field friendly BMP manual, Protecting Maine’s Water Quality, available on our website: https:// www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/policy_management/ water_resources/bmps.html

Thanks to Amanda Beal, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry; Andy Cutko, Director of the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands; Patty Cormier, Director of the Maine Forest Service; and Heather Johnson, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Economic Community Development for visiting the Mechanized Logging Operations Program on Sept. 3.

The visit provided a great opportunity to meet students in the program and see some of the active timber harvesting they were engaged in at the site.

As We See It July 2021

By Scott Dane

American Loggers Council Provides a Great Return on Investment

First and foremost, when the logging industry is successful, all other sectors of the forest products industry succeed. Without a healthy and stable logging and trucking industry the rest of the supply chain is compromised as well as public and private forest management efforts. That is why all sectors of the timber and forest products industry need to be partners with the American Loggers Council.

The American Loggers Council is primarily comprised of 30 state associations. The average annual dues from these organizations is $5,000 per year. Aside from the national representation and the “strength in numbers” an example of the return on investment can be demonstrated by the value of the ALC Truck Rebate Program. This program provides a direct monetary benefit annually of approximately $500,000 for the loggers and truckers that are members of state associations participating in the program. To learn more about the ALC Truck Rebate program visit www.americanloggers.com/ rebates. These truck rebates range from $2,000-$4000 depending on the manufacturer and model. One $4,000 truck rebate nearly pays for the average state association ALC annual dues and is typically 10 times the state association membership dues paid individually by loggers and truckers.

The American Loggers Council was instrumental in securing the $200 million Pandemic Assistance for Timber Harvesters and Haulers (PATHH). Based on simple math each timber producing state would receive approximately $5 million for loggers and truckers that qualify. This is a return on investment for the states that are members of the American Loggers Council, based on annual dues average of $5,000, of 1000%!

The American timber industry is more than just

loggers and truckers – it takes equipment manufacturers, insurance services, fuel venders, parts suppliers, tire companies, financial institutions, other associations, landowners and land managers. Working together the timber industry can be more effective and successful.

In order to broaden the partnerships and support, the American Loggers Council has developed the Associate Membership category that will allow for membership opportunities for manufacturers, timber consumers, suppliers, other organizations and landowners at various levels. To learn more, and become an Associate Member of the American Loggers Council, visit the American Loggers Council website at www.amloggers.com or by e-mail at scott.dane@amloggers.com

Additionally, the American Loggers Council has a logger / trucker individual membership option if you are not a member of a state association, or in a state that does not have a state association. These levels of membership range from $100-$400 per year. However, the American Loggers Council supports our state association members and encourages all loggers and truckers to become members of their state associations.

All business investment must be weighed against the return on that investment. The American Loggers Council has proven that the Return on Investment of membership, support and sponsorship provides a direct positive impact to loggers and truckers, and the timber industry as a whole. Join today and invest where it makes a difference.

The American Loggers Council is an 501(c)(6) not for profit trade association representing professional timber harvesters throughout the United States. For more information please contact the American Loggers Council at 409-625-0206, or americanlogger@aol.com, or visit our website at www.amloggers.com

As We See ItAugust 2021

By Scott Dane

What Makes the American Loggers Council "The National Voice for Loggers"?

In the last month the American Loggers Council, with our state association members, has represented the American Logging Industry at a White House round table meetings, participated in the Pandemic Assistance for Timber Harvesters and Haulers (PATHH) announcement Press Conference, was a witness in a Congressional Hearing, and received national media coverage of our opposition to the nomination of the Director of the Bureau of Land Management.

First, after many months of working with the USDA, USFS and FSA as they developed the Pandemic Assistance for Timber Harvesters and Haulers the program was unveiled. The American Loggers Council was the primary organization that participated and provided input to ensure the program met the objectives of target group. The American Loggers Council was trusted to respect the confidentiality of the program development and was the timber industry primary stakeholder at numerous meetings. In fact, upon the public announcement the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency (FSA) said;

The American Loggers Council was invited to be one of 20 participants at a virtual White House Summit meeting with Commerce Secretary Raimondo and other Cabinet Members and Administration Officials to discuss the Homebuilding Supply Chain. The American Loggers Council was the only participant representing the American logging industry. The American Loggers Council took advantage of the opportunity to provide comments that the logging industry end of the supply chain has not derived any benefit from the record lumber prices and explained the need to maintain the Canadian Softwood duties.

The American Loggers Council Government Relations Chair, Henry Shienebeck, and Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association Executive Director, was a witness in the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry Congressional Hearing on The U.S. Wood Products Industry: Facilitating the Post COVID-19 Recovery. As one

of four Congressional Hearing witnesses, Henry represented the American Loggers Council. Again, Henry touched upon the fact that the loggers and truckers have not realized any benefit from the record lumber prices. In closing he provided recommendations that would facilitate the wood products industry recovery such as the Future Careers in Logging and Safer Routes legislation that the American Loggers Council has been advocating for. He also encouraged the development of new forest products such as Cross-Laminated Timber (Mass Timber) and biomass products derived from forest based feedstocks.

The American Loggers Council Board of Directors voted at the Summer Board Meeting in Minneapolis to oppose the nomination and confirmation of Tracy StoneManning as the Director of the Bureau of Land Management due to her documented involvement in eco-terrorist tree spiking incidents. The American Loggers Council opposition and request to the Senate to vote no on her confirmation was picked up by national news services across the country.

These four examples, over the past month alone, demonstrate why the American Loggers Council is “THE NATIONAL VOICE FOR LOGGERS”.

Check out the equipment and job opportunities members have listed on the PLC website at the LOGGING ZONE!

If you have equipment for sale, are looking to buy, are looking for employees, or are looking for employment - check it out!

A big thank you to Chris Milton from Milton CAT and Pat Weiler from Weiler for hosting PLC Board Members at a dinner, at left, in Bangor Sept. 24. Both companies are Supporting Members of the PLC. It was a great evening. We appreciate your support for the Maine logging industry and the PLC.

At left, Students from Region 2 School of Applied Technology try out the logging simulator at the PLC booth at the Logging Expo in Bangor Sept. 24. Above, instructors in the Mechanized Logging Operations Programbooth meet fairgoers.

Congressional Delegation Updates

As a Senator representing the most forested state in the nation, I am committed to supporting every link in the forest products supply chain. A new law I authored to provide $200 million in COVID-19 relief is helping to keep this vital industry strong.

The Loggers Relief Act that Congressman Golden and I introduced last year made timber harvesting and hauling businesses eligible for relief payments if they have experienced at least a 10 percent loss in revenue from January 1, 2020, through December 2020, as compared to the same timeframe in 2019. These direct payments will be equal to 10 percent of their gross revenue from 2019, with the funds to be used for operating expenses, including payroll.

We successfully pushed to include our legislation in the COVID-19 relief package that was signed into law in December. After our bill became law, however, another obstacle remained: the relief

COVID Relief for the Forest Products Industry

The coronavirus pandemic and resulting economic fallout have touched every facet of America– and Maine’s forest industry is unfortunately not immune to this crisis. The financial turmoil of the last 18 months has challenged the people, businesses, and communities that rely on our state’s timber industry, threatening to fundamentally alter the landscape of this storied sector. Generations of loggers have spent their lifetimes powering our state’s economy while providing for their families through booms and busts, which is why it is so important to protect and sustain this historic industry.

Last year, I joined Senator Collins and Representatives Pingree and Golden to introduce the Loggers Relief Act, legislation that would provide aid to logging and log hauling businesses significantly harmed by the pandemic. We worked together – Democrats, Republican, and Independent alike – and kept pushing for this fundamental aid. Our efforts paid off in December 2020, when the legislation was included in the year-end COVID legislative package. After being passed and signed into law, applications for Pandemic Assistance for Timber Harvesters and Haulers (PATHH) program

funding was mired in bureaucracy, causing frustrating and unacceptable delays in delivering this critical financial assistance to the skilled professionals in the forest products industry.

We spearheaded an effort in Congress, working with our colleagues across party lines to pressure USDA to expedite the distribution of this much-needed funding. After sending multiple letters to the USDA Secretary, speaking with him directly, and raising the issue at congressional hearings, we are pleased to report that help is now on the way. USDA finally began accepting applications from loggers and log haulers on July 20.

As of mid-September, Maine harvesters and haulers had received more than $300,000, and Maine has the greatest number of applicants to the program in the country. This relief will provide crucial aid to an industry that is so vital to the people and communities in Maine and in many other states. I strongly encourage eligible Maine family logging and log hauling businesses to apply for the Pandemic Assistance to Timber Harvesters and Haulers (PATHH) program before the deadline on October 15th.

was opened in July of 2021. The fund includes $200 million to provide businesses with critical support to offset more than a year’s worth of hard losses.

(If you’re reading this before October 15th, there may still be time to apply – go to farmers.com/pathh to learn more.)

The forest products industry has supported rural Maine families and communities for hundreds of years, and it’s imperative that foresters have the resources to continue building this legacy into the future. I want you to know that I’m with you. Your work has been invaluable for generations, and I intend to provide you with the tools you need to carry this proud legacy on for many more generations to come.

I’m pleased to join my colleagues in delivering these critical funds directly to the hardworking folks that need them – and I’ll keep working in Washington to support this industry in the days ahead.

Sen. Susan Collins

Sen. Angus King

For well over a year now, the logging and timber hauling industry has been facing serious challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, disasters like the mill explosion in Jay, and a changing 21st century economy. This heritage industry has supported good-paying jobs, driven local economies, and strengthened rural communities in Maine for generations. Mainers have always worked hard to overcome adversity, but I’ve heard repeatedly that professional contractors, many of whom are family run logging and hauling businesses, needed more support to weather these difficult times and continue to provide these critical benefits to our state. While other industries received dedicated relief funds early on in the pandemic, many timber harvesters and haulers weren’t able to get the same kind of help.

Now, that help is finally here. I worked with my colleagues in the Maine delegation to make sure the pandemic relief bill that passed last December finally included $200 million in relief funds for timber harvesters and haulers through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In July, I was proud to join Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to announce that the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) is now providing this critical support through the Pandemic Assistance for

A Win for Maine Loggers and Maine Service members

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I spend a lot of time working to support shipbuilders at Bath Iron Works or Maine’s Air National Guard Wing flying therefueling missions out of Bangor, as well as using my experiences from when I served in the Marines to look for ways to better support our Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen.

But this year I was pleased to see an opportunity to do something that could be good for both our military and the forest products industry. Maine is home to a growing mass timber industry. Mass timber buildings have exceptional strength and stability, are cost-effective, and aresafe. Those characteristics make these wood products a great material for the military to build with to house service members. That’s why I recently introduced an amendment to the annual defense authorization bill that would create a pilot program at the Department of Defense to look at how these materials can be used for military housing. It’s a potential future partnership that could help expand the mass timber market in America and help to replace old and run-down housing that our service members and their families need to be upgraded.

My amendment was approved by the House Armed Services Committee as part of the National Defense

Timber Harvesters and Haulers Program (PATHH). PATHH will help eligible businesses that suffered a gross revenue loss of at 10 percent from Jan. 1 through Dec. 1, 2020, compared to the same period in 2019. Applications are being accepted through Oct. 15, 2021, so please don’t wait to see if you can receive assistance.

The FSA held a webinar on PATHH for operators in Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont in early September. The webinar, which was recorded and available to be watched at https://nrcs.box.com/s/ x74nepkpd02fuhi4yqe720spscgeqnwb, discussed PATHH eligibility requirements and how to sign up.

As we look forward to emerging from the pandemic, I’m also working hard to ensure that the forest products sector is ready to meet the challenge of climate change, be at the forefront of providing good, green jobs, and continue to thrive in our 21st century economy. As Chair of the House Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, I’ll continue to support funding at the federal level to further these goals. In August, I also introduced the Community Wood Facilities Assistance Act (H.R. 5122) to support innovative wood products, sustainable wood-based energy systems, and wood product manufacturing facilities. Despite the recent challenges, there are bright moments ahead for Maine’s forest heritage industry and I’m proud to be your advocate in Washington to help realize these opportunities in Maine.

Authorization Act and it’s on its way to the House floor. We hope to have it passed into law by the end of the year.

October 15th Deadline for COVID-19 Loggers Relief Program

The application deadline for the USDA Pandemic Assistance for Timber Harvesters and Haulers (PAATH) program is October 15th. If you’re a logger or timber hauler and your business took a hit in 2020 because of COVID-19, you may be eligible for relief. Senator Collins and I wrote and helped pass the legislation to create this program last year to help loggers make it through the pandemic economy.

We’ve set up a team in my office to help answer your questions about the PAATH program and help you with your application. You can reach them at 207-241-6767 or MELoggerSupportTeam@mail.house.gov. More information about PAATH can be found at https://www.farmers.gov/ coronavirus/pandemic-assistance/pathh.

I look forward to hearing from you, as always. Please let us know if we can help you solve problems you or your family is having with Medicare, Social Security, the VA, or other federal programs or agencies.

You can reach my staff at:

● Lewiston: (207) 241-6767

● Caribou: (207) 492-6009

● Bangor: (207) 249-7400

You can also send us an email at: golden.house.gov/ contact/email-me

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.

Rep. Chellie Pingree

Rep. Jared Golden

Congressman Jared Golden visited the Mechanized Logging Operations Program Sept. 7. Students and instructors enjoyed talking with the Congressman about the program and appreciated his interest and the time he spent at the harvest site. The Congressman also got some seat time in the delimber and grapple skidder.