The Logger's VOICE - Spring 2021

A Quarterly Publication of the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine

From the President

By Tony Madden

Hello everyone,

I hope you and your families are healthy and were able to avoid the Covid-19 virus this winter. The coronavirus has been so unpredictable. I know a 93-year-old in a nursing home that contracted the virus and had no symptoms, while a healthy 56-year-old friend of mine almost lost his life in the hospital from the virus. At times like these, I really appreciate being a Maine logger, I don’t have to ride a bus or subway to work sharing oxygen with people I don’t know. I am not in an office cubicle surrounded by fellow workers and I am able to conduct Zoom meetings from the seat of my pickup truck with an iPad on the dash. I share my space with the trees, the snow, the cold, the mud, and the blackflies. Ya gotta love it!

We managed to get through another unusual Maine winter. In Downeast Maine, we could not start our winter jobs until January because of above average temperatures. The remainder of the winter was great, no extreme cold temps which can raise havoc with the logging equipment, not too much snow, and not an early warm up in March. We always struggle with posted roads, but this year was easier than most because of the cold nights. Spring is here, the days are getting longer and warmer. Let’s hope with the vaccines and warmer weather, the number of COVID-19 cases will continue to decline and life will return to something that resembles normal.

The pandemic has continued to affect our regularly scheduled PLC events this spring and we were unable to hold our March legislative breakfast in Augusta, but are continuing to monitor any proposed legislation that will affect our industry. Meanwhile we have come up with plans to hold other events virtually or postpone them until later in the year. The biggest of these events, our Annual Meeting, will be postponed until October 29 so mark your calendars now.

Hopefully by now everyone has had a chance to sign up for the online Spring Safety Training. It’s unfortunate that we had to go virtual this year, but Donald Burr, Jessica Clark and our PLC Safety Committee have done a great job putting together the program and it will combine recorded presentations by our instructors with live question and answer sessions. More information on the trainings is on pages 24-25.

Our next full PLC board meeting will be held May 14 at a location soon to be announced. I encourage all of you to attend as there are many important issues to discuss.

The details of the federal Covid-19 Logger Relief package are still being worked out. Congress has provided $200 million in relief for U.S. loggers and haulers affected by the coronavirus and the PLC is working with Maine’s Congressional delegation and the Biden administration to ensure this aid goes where it is supposed to and is accessible to Maine contractors.

Pulpwood and biomass markets are still very weak. We need market expansion especially since the loss of the Pixelle Jay mill. The log markets continue to be stable, although many homeowners have postponed new construction because of the high cost of building materials.

Enjoy your spring break and let’s hope for a better summer!

Good Luck and Be Safe!

Thanks, Tony

Welcome New Members

Warren Logging, LLC of Smithfield, ME joined the PLC as a new Contractor Member in February 2021. The company has a professional staff of two. For more information contact John or Jason at (207) 649-2568 or email jjwarrenlogging@gmail.com.

Ken Hebert & Son Inc. of Frenchville, ME joined the PLC as a new Forest Contractor Member in February of 2021. The company has a professional staff of two. For more information contact Ken at (207) 543-7367 or email herbert2000@ravemail.com.

R Ouellette & Son Logging Inc. of Wallagrass, ME joined the PLC as a new Affiliated Contractor Member in February of 2021. The company has a professional staff of one. For more information contact Ryan Ouellette at (207) 316-2916 or email ryan_ouellette@hotmail.com.

Haverlock Estey & Curran, CPA LLC of Hampden, ME joined the PLC as a new Supporting Member in January of 2021. Established in 1964, the company has been operating a successful public accounting practice for over 50 years. The firm's diverse clients range from the Aroostook County area into Greenville, Downeast to Machias and south to the Lewiston area. Clients range from construction contractors and farmers to physicians and attorneys. The firm also services non-profit organizations as well as Quasi-Municipal Organizations. For more information contact Vicki Vincent at (207) 659-8684, email vvincent@heccpa.com or visit https:// www.heccpa.com/

Maine Pellet Fuels Association joined the PLC in Jan. 2021 as a new Nonprofit Member. The Association is committed to a future of energy independence by helping the citizens of Maine and New England convert to economical, renewable, environmentally safe, and locally produced wood pellet fuel. The Association was founded in June 2008 as a non-profit corporation in Maine to promote the public benefit from utilizing pellets for heat and energy production, and to support pellet manufacturers and pellet industry suppliers in meeting common challenges. For more information contact Bill Bell at 207) 752-1392, email billbellmail@gwi.net, or go to mepfa.org

Maine Timber Research and Environmental Education Foundation (Maine TREE) of Augusta, ME joined the PLC as a new nonprofit Supporting Member in February of 2021. Maine TREE is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization based in Augusta, Maine. Its mission is to educate and advocate for the sustainable use of the forest and the ecological, economic, and social health of Maine’s forest community. It realizes its mission through research and education programs for schools, government, media, and the general public. Its partnerships with forest community members support programs for forest owners, woods workers, and recreational users. For more information visit mainetree.org or contact Jonathan LaBonte at (207) 621-9872 or jonathan@mainetree.org

the Executive Director

Spring Forward or Back?

By Dana Doran

Spring has sprung here in central Maine and it sounds like it is that way all across the state. While mud season is the end of winter, it is also a time for rest which seems to mean more in 2021 than previous years.

Folks are tired out there and I hear it in every one of our member’s voices when they have called in the past few weeks. The last year has been one of the most challenging in the history of Maine logging and I don’t think it’s done yet. It is definitely time to take a break from the woods, the trials and tribulations with markets, the long hours and from the Coronavirus.

As I write this newsletter, I just received some very positive news. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has officially included timber harvesters and haulers in its next round of funding for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). More news

will be released soon as to how contractors can apply for relief, but this is progress related to what we have been working on for almost a year now.

As I’ve stated on numerous occasions, loggers are farmers too and anything that farmers have access to for aid should also be available for loggers.

A special thanks goes to the entire Maine Congressional Delegation, especially Senator Collins and Congressman Golden, for their continued leadership on the creation of this relief package and its implementation at USDA as this would not have happened without their leadership. Stay tuned as further details are released on the application process and eligibility, but it’s nice to know that recognition is here, and it is moving along.

Speaking of this federal aid, it certainly does bring up an interesting subject and one that I have been thinking

From

about for quite some time – price suppression.

The day after then President Trump signed the Coronavirus Assistance legislation in late 2020, which included $200 million in relief for timber harvesters and haulers, I received a call from a mill wood buyer looking for information on when it would be available and how much would trickle into Maine. This call didn’t come from a supporting member of the PLC and I could tell that this person was looking more for information than to just pass along a simple congratulations. It was quite clear that they were probing for information on how much contractors might receive which in the end could save them money. I was infuriated by the call and every time a similar call comes into the office, the only people who are going to get an update are our members. This money is for no one else but contractors and others do not need this information

unless they have plans to use it against the contractors and for their own gain.

As one of our Board members likes to say frequently when it comes to any legitimate advantage or savings that is given to contractors, “where the Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away. Regardless of what the government might give you in tax relief, dealers might give you for rebates, or if fuel prices might drop, the people we work for will always find a way to take it from you. The only way that you stay profitable in this business is to be efficient and don’t tell anyone what you may be doing to save money.”

I was not in this position when the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) was promoted by USDA a little more than a decade ago, but I have heard the horror stories. In fact, anytime that BCAP comes up as a positive

Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IF&W) Lands Management biologist Eric Hoar has worked with a lot of logging contractors in his 25 years in the woods, and over time he has seen the professionalism in the industry continue to rise.

“The level of service that loggers provide these days is steadily improving,” Eric said. “They’re very concerned about the quality of the work that they do and keenly aware that their name is on every piece of equipment that they own.”

In recent years, Eric has also noted a rise in the number of Maine contractors certified as Master Loggers by the Northeast Master Logger Certification program. The Master Logger companies IF&W has worked with on timber harvests have done good work, and this has led the department to consider certification a plus when a company is seeking jobs on its lands.

IF&W owns about 108,000 acres of land spread across Maine. When you subtract wetlands about half of those are accessible upland acres where the department manages terrestrial habitat for wildlife, and that management often includes timber harvesting.

Not every harvesting job the department puts out to bid going forward will give extra points for Master

Logger certification, but many will. As a public agency, Inland Fisheries and Wildlife still has a responsibility to provide the entire contracting community an opportunity to bid, so a variety of criteria will appear in different bid packages, Eric said.

“I think I’ll include it in a lot of jobs, but I won’t say I’ll include it in every job,” Eric said. “Good loggers don’t have to look for work, work finds them because they have a good reputation, and that’s definitely something that I think the Master Logger program brings to the business.”

Maine has a higher percentage of Master Loggers than any other state, and the majority are also members of the Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of Maine. Two of these companies - William A. Day Jr. & Sons, Inc. in Porter and Grady Forest Products in Whitefield - worked on IF&W timber harvests this winter. Both companies have worked on public lands before, and agreed the work comes with unique challenges.

Grady Forest Products is a three-man crew made up of Steve Grady and his sons, Jamison and Jordan. The trio spent much of the winter working a 600-acre harvest at the Gene Letourneau (Frye Mountain) Wildlife Management Area, a 5241-acre piece of land located in the towns of Montville, Knox and part of Morrill in Waldo County.

Grady Forest Products at work on a harvest at the Frye Mountain Wildlife Management Area in Knox in March.

Opportunity for Master Logger companies

By early March, with warming temperatures expected the following week, they were winding the operation - a job contracted through the Sappi Maine Forestry Programdown for the winter.

“It’s a big project,” Steve said as Jordan rumbled in and out of the woods in his grapple skidder keeping Jamison in the crane and slasher supplied with wood. Steve’s truck idled nearby, and within the hour he would head out with a load of wood for the Sappi Somerset mill in Skowhegan. “We’re not done here by any means, we’ve probably got another winter, but given the ground conditions we’re going to call it a season.”

The Frye Mountain harvest is a large one by IF&W standards, but like all harvests for the department it is focused first and foremost on enhancing wildlife habitat, and that mostly means little things about it are different for the loggers who handle the jobs.

“They leave a few trees that you normally wouldn’t think to leave,” Jamison said, explaining the foresters and biologists for IF&W like to ensure there is diversity in the habitat, as well as leaving enough trees like beech and oak to provide nuts and acorns for wildlife.

Maintaining a healthy understory in the forest is also a goal, Jordan said.

“That’s why they’re doing a lot of patch cuts, to get some new young growth established for the grouse, and even the deer to give them some browse,” Jordan said.

While Master Loggers routinely factor wildlife considerations into any harvest, the IF&W’s priorities can mean the finished job looks a bit different from a standard logging job, for example leaving an abundance of standing deadwood and other good habitat for wildlife.

Another challenge on any job involving public lands is the presence of the public; many of these lands including IF&W Wildlife Management Areas are popular destinations for recreational pursuits such as hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, hiking, and biking. While jobs are well marked, this can pose hazards. It can also lead to public criticism of jobs, particularly when they are not completed yet and final closeout work done to minimize visual impacts.

“Even if you’re the best of the best you’re still going to have slash on the ground and it’s still not going to be pretty, per se, it might look great to a logger or someone who knows what they’re looking at but for the tourist walking around getting limbs caught in their snowshoes it a different story,” Steve said.

None of those issues emerged on the Frye Mountain job, Steve added. While the crew saw some snowmobilers and hikers over the winter, there were no problems.

IF&W Continued Page 12

Jordan Grady operating a Tigercat 610E Grapple.

IF&W Continued from Page 11 16

Like many Master Logger companies, the Gradys said their certification is not necessarily something you can point to as the one thing that gets them jobs, but they feel it is certainly something that helps, as it did with the Frye Mountain job.

“They wanted someone in here that had good credentials because there’s a lot of sensitive areas in here,” Jordan said. “There’s a lot of water coming off the top of that hill and we had to put in a lot of bridges and there’s a lot of drainage streamswe had a lot to deal with.”

William A. Day Jr. & Sons, Inc. handled multiple jobs for IF&W in the winter 2020-2021. The company, which has done contract work for the Department before, cut about 100 acres at the Mt. Agamenticus Wildlife Management Area in York, about 13 acres at the Brownfield Bog Wildlife Management Area, and was completing a clearing job for a public shooting range in Fryeburg as the winter wound down.

Brent Day, president and co-owner of the company, said there is a lot of oversight by IF&W anytime a harvest is underway, and agreed with the Grady’s that logging on Department lands is different in small ways because of the wildlife considerations driving the harvest plan.

“It’s more plot cuts, and smaller plots, like when you go further north when they do a patch cut it’s a 50-

acre cut, well they did more of the 5-6-acre patch cuts,” Brent said. “They’ll do a light thinning to try to get some of the overstory off it just to try to get some regen coming for cover, or you’re not promoting the oak or the pine you’re promoting the scrub bush and the oak and the beech for the food source, so things are just a little different that’s all.”

Southern Maine had a very mild winter, and that was a challenge on the jobs because it is hard to keep a harvest looking good under those conditions while it is still underway, Brent said.

“

In those cases, it’s going to look like a mess,” Brent said, adding it just takes time and patience but with an experienced logging crew the end result is still one a landowner will be happy with. “But when we left it looked like a million bucks.”

The good example set by Master Logger companies working on IF&W lands, often in high visibility areas utilized heavily by the public, is beneficial to the whole logging industry, Ted Wright, Executive Director of the Northeast Master Logger Certification Program, said.

“It is great to see Maine’s Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Department acknowledging and valuing the good work that Master Loggers do here in Maine,” Ted Wright.

“William A. Day Jr. and Sons and Grady Forest Products are top-notch logging contractors that uphold the high

Family business: From left to right, Steve Grady and sons Jordan and Jamison of Grady Forest Products at Frye Mountain Wildlife Management Area in Knox in March.

standards of the Master Logger program on every job, and their work and the work of other Master Loggers is raising the bar for the entire industry.”

The amount of acreage harvested each year on

and ages. Healthy, productive, wildlife-friendly forests are the result, Eric said.

The revenue generated by timber sales supports the Department’ work and reduces the need for taxpayer dollars.

“It is dedicated to other habitat management projects within the state, it doesn’t stay within a specific wildlife management area, that’s a question that often come up,” Eric said.

“We try not to draw from state funding any more than we have to.”

Master Loggers are well equipped to responsibly manage woodlands for both timber production and wildlife, making them ideally suited for jobs on IF&W and other public lands, but a good logger will be managing a job with those things in mind no matter where the harvest is, Steve said.

“It’s all hand in hand, if you’re doing good timber management you’re doing good wildlife management as well,” Steve said.

IF&W land varies, but the Department is always conducting harvests and planning for future ones.

Habitat is managed for deer, ruffed grouse, woodcock, endangered New England cottontail, and many other species. Invasive species are discouraged and native vegetation encouraged, along with diversity in tree species

To learn more about the Northeast Master Logger Certification Program call Ted Wright at 207-688-8195, email him at executivedirector@tcnef.org, or visit masterloggercertification.com.

Frye Mountain WMA harvest underway in Knox.

Jamison Grady operating a Tigercat slasher and crane.

Doran Continued from Page 916

example of government intervention, I quickly remind whoever is making the statement that BCAP didn’t do anything to help the logger. It only helped mills, wood brokers and landowners make more in the end by lowering the price of the service or commodity they were purchasing. The contractor was gouged and other than saying, “thanks, glad to see the market is still there,” the program did not meet its intent.

Fast forward to today, we might be seeing BCAP already at a much larger scale over the past year.

As everyone knows, across the country, demand for building products is through the roof as folks are not traveling and putting money into other places such as home renovation. Prices for those materials, one being wood, as a result of exponential demand, have shot up. Certainly, supply and demand and basic economic elasticity can explain quite a bit of the price increase, but it seems to me there is something else at play.

It’s not just retail prices that are at an all-time high. Wholesale prices for materials are also at an all-time high. What’s not at an all-time high? Prices paid to loggers and truckers for the harvesting and delivery of the fiber that goes into these products.

Usually, this is explainable. Lumber markets ebb and flow. For the manufacturer, they have hills, and they have valleys. On the hills, they make money that can help when they hit the valleys. This is business for anyone and is certainly understandable. However, something is different right now as this price change and lack of pass through the chain is not applicable to every wood

commodity.

In a recent Wall St. Journal article, the author did a deep dive on the trend, focusing on the primary building construction commodity – studwood. The author found that retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers are being paid a premium for their products, but none of that price difference is being passed along the supply chain. I found this to be quite interesting as it focused specifically on landowners in the southeastern United States, but I can also confirm that it is the same situation with contractors based upon what I’m hearing from our members.

So, the question remains, why is nothing being passed down to contractors? Is it simply supply and demand, is it simply about the hills and valleys, or is there something more pronounced at play here?

In Maine, we’ve seen many variables create havoc in markets and pricing – the explosion at Pixelle and the drop in softwood pulp utilization, the closure of the Sappi Westbrook biomass facility, and an oversupply of softwood chips from sawmills as a result of increased production. It can often be stated that softwood pulp and biomass have as much to do with studwood markets and pricing as anything else. As a result of decreased demand from biomass and softwood pulp here in Maine, there has been a prolonged period of time where pricing for sawlogs has been lower than normal because there is no other major source of competition for the resource. In normal market demand situations, especially when pulpwood and biomass markets have been depleted, I would say that the lowerthan-normal pricing is perfectly explainable, but I really

think that this time is different.

It seems to me that there is a recognition that general assistance from the government in the form of paycheck protection program loans, SBA Economic Injury Disaster grants, and state economic disaster grants have helped contractors ward off deep economic losses since March 2020. If you purchase wood for a living, it’s not hard to find out who in the contractor ranks received public assistance.

The question is, has this information been used against contractors in some way? Has the preponderance of government money been used to keep prices for the commodity or the service artificially low because those who buy wood or manage contractors know that what they pay for their commodity or service is important, but not quite as important as it usually is? If this has happened, then shame on those folks who are trying to gouge contractors and perhaps this issue might require further inquiry beyond me.

Remember what I said before about no good deed goes unpunished?

On the horizon is the opportunity for contractors to seek additional help from USDA in the form of Logger Relief. Using the theory that I mentioned before, will it actually be relief, or will we see it taken away as fast as it arrives?

As we enter mud season, the issue of contractor sustainability has become even more top of mind. In the last two weeks, I’ve heard one of our members has decided to retire and another, who is only in his 30’s, put all of his equipment up for sale. In both cases, the contractors have decided that it’s not worth all of the effort to be a non-profit business and they simply want out.

I don’t think these are the only two examples of contractors who are rethinking their future and the next six months are going to be very telling as relief dries up and debt continues to build if markets and pricing don’t move in a different trajectory. You can only cut so much fat from the bone and if my theory is true that pricing is being kept artificially low on some commodities or services, then there is a much bigger issue that needs to be solved.

In my seven years in this position, I can probably count on two hands the number of new contractors that have joined this organization who are in their late twenties and early thirties. Most are

Doran Continued Page 16

Doran Continued from Page 15

first generation as longtime family logging businesses are not telling their children to head down this path. Therefore, there is not just another contractor on the horizon who wants to take the work and there is not just another young person who wants to get into the game.

At some point, the games have to stop, and the reality needs to be that there is room for everyone to make a living in the forest economy and being a logger or trucker should be just as valuable and just as profitable as any other leg of the stool. Gouging the contractor and using what they have done to help their business against them in some way is not going to help anyone in the long run. Partnership and ethics are worth something and if you can’t

do it in Maine, I guess you can’t do it anywhere.

I look forward to continuing the work that we do every day here at the PLC to fight for every contractor out there who is not getting a fair shake. If you feel that there is nefarious activity at play, please let me know. There truly is strength in numbers and if there was ever a time to stand shoulder to shoulder to defend against what might be happening out there, it is now.

I hope all of you can enjoy some rest and relaxation during the mud season of 2021, as you deserve it more than anyone else in the industry.

Stay safe, be well and I look forward to seeing all of you in person, very soon.

Trucking Industry News...

International Roadcheck Set for May 4-6 with Emphasis on Lighting and Hours of Service…

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has set May 4-6 as the dates for this year’s International Roadcheck. Over that 72-hour period, commercial motor vehicle inspectors in jurisdictions throughout Canada, Mexico and the U.S. will conduct inspections on commercial motor vehicles and drivers.

“CVSA shares the dates of International

Inspectors will ensure the vehicle’s brake systems, cargo securement, coupling devices, driveline/driveshaft components, driver’s seat, exhaust systems, frames, fuel systems, lighting devices, steering mechanisms, suspensions, tires, van and open-top trailer bodies, wheels, rims, hubs and windshield wipers are compliant with regulations. Inspections of motorcoaches, passenger vans and other passenger-carrying vehicles also include emergency exits, electrical cables and systems in the engine and battery compartments, and seating.

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.

Roadcheck in advance to remind motor carriers and drivers of the importance of proactive vehicle maintenance and driver readiness,” said CVSA President Sgt. John Samis with the Delaware State Police. “International Roadcheck also aims to raise awareness of the North American Standard Inspection Program and the essential highway safety rules and regulations in place to keep our roadways safe.”

The recent federal 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.

KNOXVILLE, IOWA - When Weiler Inc. announced plans to purchase Caterpillar Inc.’s purposebuilt forestry business back in 2018 it was big news in the logging industry in Maine, where Cat forestry equipment is a common sight in the woods.

Understandably, loggers who had invested and trusted in that equipment were worried a company that built its reputation designing and manufacturing quality paving equipment might not be up to the job of doing the same for logging equipment.

A year and a half after the sale officially took place in Sept. 2019, Weiler’s intense focus on listening to and meeting customer needs, its retention of skilled Caterpillar Forest Products employees, and the continued involvement of a trusted network of Cat dealers are laying those worries to rest.

These days Weiler Forestry, the new branch of Weiler focused on logging equipment, is rapidly building a solid reputation for itself in the Maine woods, one customer at a time. That approach comes from the top,

where company founder, President and CEO Pat Weiler, a veteran design engineer, is heavily involved in product development and in talking to loggers on the ground about what they need from their machines.

Pat’s most recent trip to Maine occurred in late March, when he visited a logging job in Lexington where Dean Pepper of D.R. Pepper Wood Harvesting was testing a new Weiler H157 tracked harvester - a model designed with input from dozens of logging contractors to replace Cat’s 501 harvester. The test went well, and afterward Pat and representatives of Milton Cat and Weiler circled the machine with Dean talking over features and ideas for improvements, and listening to his comments and suggestions.

This process is critical to Weiler’s ability to deliver machines that not only meet general industry needs, but the specific needs of individual customers.

“We really try to build what the customer wants, and if you make it too much more complicated than that, it’s just too complicated,” Pat said. “Loggers are great to

Weiler B458 tracked feller buncher in action.

Weiler knuckleboom loader.

work with and they’re open to telling us what they want, and as long as they do that we’ll try to get it built for them, it’s pretty simple.”

Weiler’s relationship with Caterpillar goes back nearly two decades, and Weiler’s growth since Pat founded it in 2000 has included a steady expansion of product lines.

The company began its relationship with Caterpillar and its dealer network in 2005 when it purchased the BG730 road widener and BG650 windrow elevator from Cat. By 2011 the companies had signed a worldwide marketing agreement, allowing Cat dealers first right of refusal to be a Weiler dealer.

All North American Cat dealers today are Weiler dealers. Over the years, Weiler’s product line grew to include pavers, compactors, force feed loaders, soil stabilizers, and rock drills, and the company carved out a solid reputation for itself in the paving market.

Making the jump into sophisticated mechanized logging equipment may have seemed like a big step to

many outsiders since Pat and his company had no direct history or connection to the logging industry, but from the perspective of an engineer, the challenge and the desire to tackle it make perfect sense.

“At the end of the day it’s all steel and iron and that’s what I like working with,” Pat said. “To me it’s all cutting and welding, and hydraulics and motors and you just apply them in different ways.”

Weiler’s 2019 acquisition included CAT’s manufacturing plant and warehouse in LaGrange, Georgia, the demonstration and training center in Auburn, Alabama, and the legacy Prentice parts distribution center in Smithfield, North Carolina. Nearly 300 former Caterpillar Forest Products employees were added to Weiler’s payrolls by the purchase.

“We’ve got the lineage of experienced Cat forestry employees to draw from, so now it’s just a matter of converting things from the way Cat did it to the way we do things,” Pat said. “We’re more set up for niche products while most forestry stuff is more purpose-built, so whereas

Weiler Continued Page 22

Pat Weiler, 3rd from left, on a visit to a. D.R. Pepper Wood Harvesting job in Lexington, ME in March.

Weiler H457 tracked harvester.

Weiler Continued from Page 21 16

Cat’s really, really good, we may be a little more nimble and can react a little quicker.”

While the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crash that came with it have certainly impacted the U.S. logging industry over the past year, Weiler Forestry’s rollout has been going well, Pat said.

“Better than we expected, the former-Cat people have been great, Caterpillar corporate has been really supportive, the dealers have been fantastic and the customers where it all starts - the loggersthey’re really receptive to having us involved and I think they’re starting to see how responsive we are to the things they tell us,” Pat said. “Everything is new for us so we’re learning and for us, starting from scratch almost, everything’s up.”

Weiler Forestry is an Enhanced Supporting Member of the Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of Maine, joining soon after the Caterpillar forestry acquisition was completed. The PLC greatly appreciated the company’s decision to join as well as Pat taking the time to personally visit with contractor members of the PLC in 2018 at Milton Cat’s Brewer facility to discuss the upcoming acquisition.

In 2020, students in the Mechanized Logging Operations Program, a Maine community college training program created by the PLC with industry partners, first began operating Weiler a B457 feller buncher and an S250 grapple skidder.

Customer demand will drive where Weiler takes its forest products line in the future, and that means the company will be paying a lot of attention to the details that matter out in the woods, Pat said.

“Right now, we’re just busy redesigning stuff and updating stuff and trying to get it to work the way customers want it to, so that’s what we’re focused on.” Pat said. “Loggers are great to work with, and we’ll build what people want to buy, so we’ve got multiple new products in production or coming into production.”

For more information on Weiler Forestry Inc. and its product lines, visit weilerforestry.com

A Cat 501 tracked harvester and the new Weiler H157 tracked harvester (at right) designed to replace it side by side at a D.R. Pepper Wood Harvesting job site in Lexington, ME.

Weiler grapple skidder.

SafetyGlasses

ByDonaldBurr PLCSafety&TrainingCoordinator safety@maineloggers.com

Safety Glasses required beyond this point. We all have seen, read, and then disregarded this sign, and if you say you haven’t, I am guessing you are part of the 10% who lie.

When I sat down to write this article, I planned to try to convince you to wear your safety glasses and all PPE for that matter, every time, because there is a chance that it could make a difference between a close call and an injury. Seeing that there has been a campaign since the 1920s to get employees to wear them, I was not surprised when I could not come up with anything newer than the old trite sayings. Let’s get them out of the way.

1. Eye protection only works when you are wearing it.

2. Make sure that you are wearing the proper eye protection for the job you are doing.

3. Keep it clean because you need to see what you are doing to be safe.

4. Glasses can be a pain to wear. They fog up, fall off, get scratched, and can bechallenging to keep in good repair.

5. You only have two eyes. Protect them both.

6. OSHA says (you can fill in the blank).

So here’s my angle. Let’s be proactive!

1. Evaluate the job that you are doing and be honest about it. Are you grinding? Then you need safety glasses and a face shield. Are you welding? Then you need a shield with the proper tint, and if you are going to lift the helmet to hit the slag off, you require glasses too.

2. Watch where you are walking.

No, this is not a shout-out to slips, trips & falls. You may need to go into an area where there could be flying debris. You hear a grinder running, or a sandblaster or welder working, make sure you stay away without proper eye protection.

3. Make a plan to protect your safety glasses. Have cleaning supplies handy and use quality cleaner. I like Sprayway, it does a great job on my glasses and my truck, and the equipment windows.

4. Always be on the lookout to make your work area safer from spraying or flying debris that could get into your eye or your co-worker’s eye.

5. Wear only glasses that meet the ANSI Z87 standard. This standard will be noted somewhere on the glasses. Check for the measure before you wear.

6. Get glasses that fit and give you the protection you need to do the job you are doing.

7. Lastly and my favorite, “Shut up and protect your eyes.”

Wearing the proper safety glasses when you need them will give you the confidence to do the job at hand. In closing, when the job is chaos, “Keep calm & Safety glasses on”.

Safety glasses are required past this point!

Ted Clark, CLCS, Loss Control Consultant, Acadia Insurance Quarterly Safety Meeting: Step Ladders

As winter makes its exit, giving way to spring most of you will replace your time in the woods with time at the garage, performing the much-needed spring maintenance on your machinery before starting back up again in early summer. During this time in the garage many of you will be performing nonroutine tasks, requiring planning and caution to avoid injury or incident. One of the most hazardous tools that is utilized to perform these tasks is step ladders. While most of us have used ladders since an early age, it continues to be a significant source for injuries, many serious. This safety meeting will address the selection, inspection and use of most step ladders.

SELECTION

Every job starts with selecting the proper tools to complete the work. For a step ladder:

∙ Verify that the job that needs to be completed can be done so within the manufacturer limitations of the ladder you select.

∙ Most step ladders are designed as work platforms and are not designed to access another level (like a straight ladder).

∙ Consider the height of the ladder you select. Most step ladders are not designed for you to stand on the top two rungs. Working on the top two rungs significantly reduces the stability of the ladder.

∙ Verify that the weight load limits of the ladder are adequate to support the full load on the ladder. The user’s weight should include the weight of the tools and the clothing that the person is carrying on their person.

∙ Some ladders are constructed with materials that may present limitations. For instance, an aluminum ladder is not likely approved to use when working around live electrical.

LADDER INSPECTION

Once you’ve selected the proper ladder for the work to be completed, the user should thoroughly inspect the ladder to verify that it is in good working order. If any damage is noted on the ladder, it should not be used. Repairs to ladders are not generally accepted by the manufacturer so damage to the ladder typically means it will need to be destroyed and replaced. Prior to use you should inspect:

∙ Tags – While tags on the ladder rail and rungs may seem minute, they are a vital part of the ladder which must remain completely legible. If tags are missing or not legible, it may result in an OSHA violation.

∙ Rails – Looking for dings or damage that may indicate the ladder is no longer capable of withstanding the weight it is rated for. Manufacturers should be consulted for specific tolerances.

∙ Rungs – Ladder rungs are your lifeline to the ladder. Prior to use you should thoroughly inspect all the rungs. Verify that they are clean and free of oils and grease which could result in a slip or fall when using the ladder. Also verify that there are no dents or holes in the rung which could damage the ladder rail or reduce the load limit on the rung.

∙ Feet – The ladder feet are its connection to the floor. When inspecting you should verify that the slip resistant pads are in place and in good condition.

∙ Spreader assembly – Should be inspected to verify its there and has freedom of movement.

LADDER USE and SETUP

∙ Prior to setting up the ladder, inspect the ground to verify that is level and firm enough to support it while under load. A ladder that is slightly uneven at the floor level will be significantly more unstable the higher you climb.

∙ Avoid setting ladders up in front of closed doors. If you must setup in front of a closed door, lock the door or utilize something such as caution tape, to prevent someone from opening the door.

∙ Fully open the ladder so the spreader assembly is locked in the open position. Step ladders are not meant to be used while leaned up against a wall or a piece of machinery.

∙ Don’t climb the back side of a single sided step ladder. The supports are not designed to be load baring.

∙ Don’t stand on the top two rungs of the ladder. This will cause the ladder to be unstable and there is a significant risk for the ladder tipping over.

∙ Maintain three points of contact when climbing into place on the ladder. This generally means you should not carry anything in your hands while climbing the ladder.

∙ When you need to move the ladder, climb down and move it from the ground level. Moving the ladder or “walking” it while you are on the ladder will cause damage to it. You should also make sure to remove or secure tools on the ladder prior to moving it.

∙ You should position the work so you can avoid leaning from side to side or turning around on the ladder. Leaning on a step ladder will cause it to become stable and tip over.

∙ Ladders should be stored out of the direct sunlight and away from and hazardous materials or hot work that may be taking place. Direct sunlight, such as in the back of a mechanic’s truck, can cause damage to the fiberglass that reduces the ladder’s strength and can be tough to recognize.

When used properly, ladders are a vital tool that can make your work more efficient and safer. Understanding the selection, inspection and proper use of ladders will help to ensure the work is performed safely. The guidance in this safety meeting is a baseline for use of step ladders and you should refer to the OSHA standards and the manufacturer owner’s manual for more specific instructions.

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.

*Meeting 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 27. Refer to the cutline on page 27 when removing it from the magazine.

PLC applauds LPHoulton SmartSide investment announcement

HOULTON - The Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of Maine applauded an announcement Feb. 17 by LP Building Solutions, a Tennesseebased manufacturer of engineered wood building products, that it will invest approximately $150 million to convert part of its LP Houlton mill in New Limerick to manufacture SmartSide, an advanced engineered wood strand siding.

“This announcement is great news for loggers and their communities in northern Maine as they look to move forward after the toughest year they have experienced in living memory,” Dana Doran, Executive Director of the PLC,

said. “LP’s willingness to invest in the future of Maine’s forest economy and continue to provide a market for Maine wood is a hopeful sign for the logging industry. More than anything else, Maine loggers need markets, and those markets have suffered greatly in the last 12 months.”

LP buys poplar roundwood and some other hardwood for its siding, and the investment in SmartSide manufacturing capacity is expected to increase the company’s consumption of local and sustainably sourced fiber by an estimated 30 percent.

We Support Maine Loggers

Mechanized Logging Operations Program Recruiting Students for Summer 2021

OLD TOWN - Recruiting is now underway for students in the Mechanized Logging Operations Program (MLOP), which is beginning its next 12-week class June 21 in the woods northeast of Old Town.

Students enrolled in the post-secondary training program will spend weeks harvesting timber using sophisticated state-of-the-art machines like those they will encounter in the logging industry. The hands-on experience students gain operating equipment is something unavailable anywhere else in Maine and neighboring states. This summer’s class will be the fifth since the program launched in 2017. Graduation for the class will be held in September.

“There is no better, more affordable, more efficient way to gain the experience and knowledge you need to begin a successful career as an equipment operator in the logging industry,” Dana Doran, Executive Director of the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine (PLC), said.

“The Mechanized Logging Operations Program achieves results and I would encourage any individual with an interest in a good-paying, exciting career in the Maine woods to consider it.”

The latest class to complete the program graduated in Oct. 2020. The program, run out of Northern Maine Community College (NMCC), was the first post-secondary training program in Maine to hold classes in the COVID19 pandemic. This was possible 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 created thanks to a partnership between three Maine community colleges, the PLC, and industry partners including Milton CAT and Nortrax.

The program gives students a broad overview 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. It also includes a strong emphasis on safety.

Students who are accepted into the program pay no tuition, but are responsible for transportation, housing, and food costs. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is provided by the program.

While the logging industry has seen some contraction in recent years, the demand for skilled operators of the feller bunchers, harvesters, grapple skidders, forwarders, delimbers, and other mechanized logging equipment that now harvests more than 95 percent of all timber in Maine is strong. Many current operators are reaching retirement age and the steep costs of training new operators is driving up demand and wages. Mechanized logging operators are among the highest paid members of the logging workforce.

The new program is working in tandem with the state’s current vocational training system and so far has drawn many of its students from within the logging industry itself as well as from Maine’s high school vocational logging programs. For the first time, logging operators are being trained similarly to other advanced trade occupations with a high school and postsecondary approach.

Anyone with an interest in the program should contact Leah Buck at Northern Maine Community College at 207-768-2768. Information and application instructions may be found online at https://www.nmcc.edu/industrycustomized-training/mechanized-forest-operations/

s for Stream Crossings workshops planned

May 25, 27 in southern and northern Maine

The Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands is finalizing plans for two Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Stream Crossings workshops in Maine this spring. These workshops are being offered free to Master Logger and PLC companies. Lunch will be provided, All events will take place in person. Social distancing and personal protective equipment (PPE) will be required. Each workshop will include a classroom session and an interactive outdoor field session. The following workshops are planned. Further details will be announced soon.

Northern Maine Spring BMP’s For Stream Crossings Workshop

Location: Morning classroom session, Island Falls, Forest Service Quonset Hut. Field site, TBD

-Southern Aroostook/Northern Penobscot region close to I-95 Corridor

Participants: 40 max. or Covid Limit

Date: May 27 Time: 7:30 am-2 pm

Equipment: Rubber boots, flagging tape, bug spray, hi-vis vests and hard hats (required)

Southern Maine Spring BMPs for Stream Crossings Workshop

Location: Morning classroom session, Maine Forest Service Station, West Paris ME. Field Site Location: Norway, ME.

Participants: 40 max. or Covid Limit

Date: May 25 Time: 7:30 am-2 pm

Equipment: Rubber boots, flagging tape, bug spray, hi-vis vests and hard hats (required)

To learn more or register for a workshop contact Jessica at 688-8195 or email jessica@maineloggers.com.

PublicReservedLands&Maine’s LoggingCommunity,Partnersin SustainableForestManagement

ByBillPatterson DeputyDirector,MaineBureauofParksandLands

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) manages more than 630,000 acres of Public Reserved and Non-Reserved Lands owned by the state of Maine. By statute, these lands are to be managed “in a manner consistent with the principles of multiple use and shall produce a sustained yield of products and services in

more than two dozen logging contractors statewide that play a critical role in translating forest management plans into desirable harvest outcomes on the ground. The Bureau is grateful for the skill and hard work of the logging community.

The sustainable harvest of timber would not be possible without skilled loggers. Like many large landowners, the Bureau is concerned about the diminishing numbers of professional loggers in Maine. Recognizing the importance of sustaining this workforce, the legislature has authorized BPL to implement a new Logging and Forestry Education Grant Program https://www.maine.gov/dacf/ parks/grants/logging-forestry-education-grant.shtml. Grants may be up to $50,000, and eligible applicants are limited to public secondary or public postsecondary institutions or career and technical education centers related to logging or forestry. Grants may be used to develop educational materials, purchase software, handheld devices, and provide educational field training relating to understanding forestry principles, statutes, and regulations. Grants may also be used to upgrade logging equipment used by the programs for training purposes. The current grant cycle is now open through April 21, 2021.

accordance with both prudent and fair business practices and the principles of sound planning.” Additionally, Public Reserved Lands are to be managed “to demonstrate exemplary land management practices, including silvicultural, wildlife, and recreation management practices, as a demonstration of state policies governing management of forested and related types of lands.”

The Bureau’s staff of more than twenty licensed foresters takes great pride in this responsibility and has a track record spanning more than four decades managing what are now some of the state’s best-stocked timberland. Over the last decade, the Bureau has harvested an average of 124,000 cords of wood per year. Carefully integrated with many of Maine’s most scenic and cherished recreational destinations, this is not easily achieved. Among other factors, it involves a close partnership with

We are all well aware that timber markets, logging equipment, and even the very logging workforce in Maine constantly change. However, with a sustained yield of harvest from well-stocked forests, coupled with a skilled logging workforce, Public Reserved Lands will remain an integral part of Maine’s Forest products economy.

PLC Member and Master Logger CTL Land Management Services forwarder on a harvest at Dodge Point Public Land this winter. The harvest is now completed.

District Forester Randy Lagasse joined the Maine Forest Service in 2015 after working on Maine’s Public Lands for 17 years as a forester. With his well-rounded experiences working in the woods, he is dedicated to helping all of Maine’s woodland owners, loggers and foresters. Randy spent the early part of his career in the applied silviculture aspect of forestry as a Pre-Commercial Thinning contractor. He also taught as a Forestry Instructor at Ashland High School and was a supervisor for a recreational trail youth crew developing snowmobiling opportunities for the County. Randy is proud to say, “the greatest snowmobile trails in the country crisscross Northern Maine’s working forests.” After earning his forester license, Randy helped private woodlot owners and loggers “do the right thing” as a part time consultant.

“As a Maine Forest Service District Forester, I really have the greatest opportunity to connect all the components for a vibrant forest community. My past work with industry, recreation, and teaching gives me the ability and understanding of what needs to be done to accomplish MFS goals.”

Randy resides in Presque Isle and lives with his wife Kristen who is a schoolteacher.

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

District Forester Randy Lagasse in northern Maine.

Soil,SnowandIce- Considerationsfor SpringandWinterHarvests

ByTomGilbert

WaterResourcesSpecialist

Frozen conditions are often the ideal time to begin a timber harvest, especially on sites that are wet or near sensitive resources such as lakes. However, there are a few negative impacts from winter harvests to keep in mind. Keep an eye on packed snow trails once thaw begins, as they can inhibit water movement, causing temporary ponding or flooding in some situations. This impact can be minimized by using cross-drain culverts or by cutting cross drainages in trails following harvest operations.

Another major consideration for winter harvesting is whether the ground has sufficiently frozen to allow access to wetter, or sensitive areas. There are a few factors to consider in determining this.

Ground frost occurs when the ground temperature goes below 0° C (32° F). Frost depth (or the frost line) is the deepest point to which ground water will freeze. Frost depths vary depending upon the climate and the length of time the air is cold. The longer the cold period, the deeper the ground will freeze. But the depth of frozen ground can be limited by more than just climate and the length of time a cold snap persists.

As the ground surface cools in the winter, the layers deep underground may stay warmer than the surface. Winter snowfalls will insulate the ground, preventing heat from the ground from escaping into the atmosphere and blocking cold air from moving into the soil. By trapping the ground’s heat, snow restricts the depth of the frost layer. In other words, soils with deep snow cover often have thinner frost layers than those without snow.

Harvesting in more sensitive areas during frozen conditions will expose snow-covered ground to the cold air and extend the frost layers in these areas. If you find that conditions are marginal, keep in mind that moving a single hitch through these areas will help to freeze up the ground for another day.

Also keep in mind that some soils freeze more easily than others. Dryer soils freeze sooner and stay frozen longer than wet soils. This is because drier (lighter) soils tend to be looser and contain sand particles which have more space for water and ice to form. Wetter (darker) soils are denser and have smaller particles with less space for water. Clay, for example, does not freeze as easily as sand. For more information on the use of forestry BMPs, please visit the Maine Forest Service website: https:// www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/policy_management/ water_resources/index.html

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

As We See It February 2021

By Kevin Smith ALC Communications

We are pleased to report a surge in individual logger membership applications. ALC is the only national organization solely dedicated to representing the rights and interests of independent loggers and log truck contractors (members) on a national level. ALC combines the power of its members with state and regional logging associations across the country to impact our industry positively and pro -actively by sharing the benefits of education, training, networking, research, promotion, and legislative advocacy. In addition to our exclusive member rebates, access to annual meetings, and being a part of the preservation of logging, log truck driver safety training is now included in your ALC membership. The words “safety training” is often a bit taboo for loggers, but the unfortunate reality is that most loggers are just one wreck and a billboard lawyer away from going out of business That is why safety training for log truck drivers has never been more important. Thus, ALC members now have access to 30+ online safety training courses that focus specifically on transportation of forest products.

Members can access training courses at any time using a smart-device or computer with internet access. A detailed record of completed courses, the training material used for the training, the date and time completed, and a training certificate is available for each course completed

through the online training platform. This information can be made available to insurance companies, business owners, and logger associations. The convenience of “ondemand” driver safety training will save time and money, allowing more time for productivity while complying with governmental and insurance carrier mandates. If you are already a member, please contact us and a link will be provided to you for access.

Lastly, we have had several inquiries regarding the logger relief application process, but we still do not have any new information. The ALC along with state/regional associations are working together to ensure that all affected logging and log hauling businesses, both big and small, are included in the logger relief package. The moment we have more information, we will immediately email out an update..

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 It March 2021

Our National Forests Can Help Us or They Can Burn Us Again

By Bill Imbergamo, Exec. Director Federal Forest Resource Coalition

If children learn not to touch a hot stove by getting burned, 2020 should have been America’s “hot stove” moment.

Drought, heat and severe winds combined with overstocked and under-managed forests to create historic fire storms that kicked off on Labor Day weekend. They didn’t go out until the winter snows and rains came, months later.

When all was said and done, over 4.9 million acres of national forest had burned catastrophically. Foresters who warned that our overstocked forests were primed for such an event took no satisfaction in seeing their predictions come true.

Heading into 2021, America faces crises that must be addressed: We must sequester and store more carbon so there is less of it in the atmosphere to reduce the odds of future firestorm events. We are also facing a housing affordability crisis; Freddie Mac estimated in 2020 that 29 states face housing shortages of between 2.5 and 3.3 million units. Home building has picked up since the Great Recession but not enough to keep up with housing demand. Homebuilders say that increased lumber costs are leading to reduced housing starts, which is the last thing an undersupplied housing market needs.

By better managing our national forests, we can take steps to meet both of these crises. The National Forest System has over 80 million acres of land at “moderate to high-risk” of disastrous fire. Because they are overstocked, our national forests are particularly vulnerable to threats like drought and insect and disease outbreaks. Prior to the 2020 fire season, the National Forest System had a documented reforestation backlog of over 7.4 million acres. More active management of our national forests, including timber harvest, can help address both crises. National forest timber must be processed in U.S. mills, which will help create jobs at home while meeting domestic demand for housing. Lumber and composite building products can help build new housing units that could help us store literally gigatons of carbon

By salvaging some of the acres that burned in 2020, and more actively thinning others, our national forests can help create carbon friendly housing solutions while clearing the way for new forests to begin taking carbon out of the atmosphere and storing it in new, growing forests. All of this work would take place outside of wilderness areas, where timber harvest is prohibited. Massive new lands set aside do nothing to protect these areas from uncontrolled wildfire. Failure to act will just leave the national forests vulnerable to another season of uncontrolled

wildfires. These fires damage habitat, harm watersheds and release millions of tons of carbon into the atmosphere. We’ve also got to invest in reforestation. The reforestation needs created by the 2020 fire season already exceed our capacity to produce seedlings and get them planted. Congress must step up not only to support management but to provide seedling sources to allow reforestation.

The national forests can’t meet all of America’s timber demand. But as public resources, the public should expect them to be managed to help meet our needs, not make our crises worse. If we invest a bit in forest management and take steps to increase management outside of protected areas our national forests can help meet our needs for more housing while helping address our climate concerns.

Or we can reach for the hot stove again.

Bill Imbergamo is the executive director of the Federal Forest Resource Coalition. Follow the organization on Twitter @FederalForest.

PLC Logging and Trucking Cost Calculators Members Only Benefit!

These calculators allow you to quickly estimate the hourly cost of operation for any piece of your equipment.A webinar available on the members only section of the PLC website includes a demo of both from the designer and a question and answer session that was held at the end with PLC Members.

This is the latest members-only benefit from the PLC and the calculators were created at the request of and with the assistance of PLC Members. Check them out at https://maineloggers.com/ contractormembersonly/

DISCLAIMER: These calculators are being made available for your business use as a member benefit. They produce equipment estimates and are not official products of the PLC nor should they be used for negotiation purposes.

Congressional Delegation Updates

Good News at LP Houlton for Maine’s Forest Products Industry

Recently, Louisiana Pacific Corp. made a major announcement that is great news for Mainers in the forest products industry. The company recently shared its plan to invest $150 million in its LP Houlton mill located in New Limerick, which will help secure the mill’s future.

This upgrade will enable LP Houlton to manufacture SmartSide, an advanced engineered wood siding used on the outside of homes. This new production line will strengthen Maine’s position as a leader in engineered wood products.

In January, I met with LP Chairman and CEO Brad Southern and other company officials to encourage the selection of the Houlton mill. We discussed how the LP Houlton mill is well suited for this expansion due to the substantial supply of aspen, the wood used for SmartSide. A motivating factor behind this decision was the

Advancing Maine’s Rural Economy Through Biobased Manufacturing

For generations, Maine’s forest products industry has demonstrated resiliency in face of massive challenges and continues to thrive today thanks to our state’s abundant natural resources, driven workforce, and commitment to innovation. As the industry continues to look for opportunities to strengthen and expand its operations and support for good jobs in rural Maine, I’m committed to standing with you 100%.

One potential growth area lies in using every part of our resources effectively – as I often say, we want to use every part of the pig but the squeal. New technological advancements have made that possible, as the production of biofuels and the rise of biobased products create new potential applications for low-grade wood. With demand for low-grade wood on the decline in recent years, these enterprising sectors in Maine could see this as an opportunity to evolve and create hundreds of jobs in the state – both new jobs at sites of new biobased manufacturing, and new opportunities for the industry’s loggers and truckers. In addition, these new sectors would inject new money into rural Maine, and help address the threats of climate change on our working forests.

The benefits are clear – but unfortunately, a bureaucratic definition is standing in the way. Unfortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency’s interpretation of the federal “Renewable Fuel Standard” does not include significant portions of Maine’s naturally regenerated forests, putting our forest products industry at

top-notch workforce at LP Houlton, known for its skill, dedication, and work ethic. I am glad this project will help to secure the existing jobs. This project will also increase the wood supply needed at LP Houlton by 30 percent and substantially increasing shipping volumes, benefitting our logging and transportation industries.

In addition to a changing 21st century economy, unfair trade practices, and the explosion at the Jay mill, the pandemic made 2020 a difficult year for our forest products industry. That is why I worked to secure $200 million in the COVID-19 emergency relief package late last year to provide critical financial assistance to the loggers and log haulers and continue to push the Administration to disburse this vital support.

Throughout Maine’s history, our forest products industry has supported good-paying jobs, driven local economies, strengthened rural communities, and protected our natural environment. The investment by LP shows that the future of the forest products industry is bright. I am delighted by this announcement and will continue to stand by an industry and the workers that define our State.

a disadvantage. Maine’s timetested forest management practices have helped establish sustainable, naturally regenerative working forests, and limited the use of tree plantations – which are today classified as eligible feedstocks by the EPA. Like many of you, I strongly believe Maine’s forest feedstocks should qualify and receive equal treatment under current EPA regulations. Making sure Maine’s forest industry competes on a level playing field will open the door to key investments in this important sector of the future, and make sure our state isn’t penalized for its longstanding efforts to support healthy working forests.

As we enter into a new Administration – with new leadership at the EPA – ensuring Maine’s forest feedstocks qualify under this rule is one of my top priorities. Demand for biobased products will continue to rise in the years ahead, and Maine is poised to play a leading role in the advancement of this new technology. We have the resources, we have the workforce – we just need to ensure rules from Washington don’t inhibit Maine’s continued leadership in the forest products industry. Opening this door is vital to the future of this industry, and I’m ready to work with all of you as we push to realize new investments in forest products manufacturing, supporting the long-term health of both this industry and Maine’s economy.

Sen. Susan Collins

Sen. Angus King

The U.S. Constitution specifies that “Congress and in particular, the House of Representatives is invested with the 'power of the purse,' the ability to tax and spend public money for the national government.” This responsibility falls to the House Appropriations Committee, which I’ve been a member of since 2013.

I’m proud to announce that in January, I was elected to serve as the Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies.

The Subcommittee I now lead has jurisdiction over the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and some related agencies, like the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s U.S. Forest Service. As the most forested state in the country, this new role allows me the chance to prioritize policies and funding opportunities that support the needs of Maine’s forest products industry.

In addition to maintaining 193 million acres of public forests and grasslands, including the small part of the White Mountain National Forest that crosses into Oxford County, the U.S. Forest Service also works closely with states, private forest owners, and researchers to promote forest health, stewardship, and innovation in the forest products sector. Last year, U.S. Forest Service programs

Since December, I’ve taken two big steps to work for Maine loggers, who are still facing down more than a year of mill closures, accidents, layoffs and industry-wide changes in part because of COVID-19.

Part of my work addresses what loggers need immediately: economic relief from COVID-19. I’m proud that, after a lot of bipartisan effort with Senator Collins, we were able to pass $200 million dollars in coronavirus aid that will go directly to logging and log-hauling businesses that have been hurt by the pandemic.

But that aid won’t matter to everyday folks until it’s in their pockets. That’s why I joined a bipartisan group of my colleagues in February to press the U.S. Department of Agriculture to get money in loggers’ hands as soon as possible. I’ll keep you updated as we continue the push.

But we didn’t stop there. We need to look ahead too. For Maine’s logging industry, that means looking at our workforce. We need new blood, but new loggers also

provided almost 6,000 Maine forest landowners with educational or technical assistance, supported responses to the more than 1,100 wildfires that occurred in this unusually dry year, and funded research on wood pellet heating, mass timber construction, biochar, and other innovative markets. Another matter under this Subcommittee’s jurisdiction that affects Maine’s working forests is our ability to further reduce carbon dioxide emissions by producing biofuels from low-grade wood. For years, I have been working with my Congressional colleagues to urge EPA to clarify the definition of renewable biomass as it relates to Maine’s wood harvest residuals and pre-commercial thinnings. Clarifying that the wood harvested in Maine meets this definition would permit Maine’s wood feedstocks to participate in EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard program (RFS), leading to new economic opportunities and biofuel industry development in our state. Language I submitted directing EPA to engage with forestry stakeholders to create markets for low-grade and low value wood was signed into law via the FY2021 appropriations bill. As Interior Appropriations Chair, I’m looking forward to working with EPA to implement this directive in the 117th Congress.

I'm honored to lead the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior and Environment at this critical moment. As Chair, I look forward to working with you to provide the resources needed to preserve the longterm health of our environment and our forests, while ensuring that Maine’s forest products sector remains a driving economic force.

need an opportunity to learn the ropes. Luckily, now, there are new opportunities on the horizon.

After hearing from loggers and others working in Maine’s heritage industries that they didn’t have the same access to apprenticeship grant funding as other American industries, I knew we had to take action. So when Congress passed a bill expanding apprenticeship grants earlier this year, I added an amendment to the bill to make loggers, fishermen, farmers, and other Maine heritage industry workers explicitly eligible for the apprenticeship grants. We hope to see the Senate take quick action.

I know there’s still so much that we can do to help. But to make sure I get it done, I need to hear from you. Our team is here to help, and you’re the experts. Please, reach out however is easiest for you by phone, or email with suggestions if you have them.

Like I said last time, 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