The Logger's VOICE - Winter 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. Most of us managed to get through the summer with possibly the best weather conditions I’ve seen in my 40 years of logging and possibly the worst wood markets I have seen in my 40 years in business. The fall weather for us was typical, with heavy rain events which caused our crews to shut down several days. We can only hope for a decent winter without the added expense of extreme low temperatures and excessive snow. The wood fiber markets were very slow all summer, fall and will most likely remain slow throughout the winter. COVID-19 is not going away soon even with the new vaccines. COVID-19 numbers are rising and many states are shutting down again. When states shut down restaurants, bars, and more, our markets slow down. I don’t think the logging industry will improve much until possibly next summer. To complicate things, we still have the market loss of the Pixelle mill because of the digester explosion in the spring. Business is still down 30% or more for most Maine loggers.

As noted in the PLC updates, The PLC has been working with the support of Maine's congressional delegation and other logging associations and lawmakers across the country for months to secure federal relief for loggers in the current crisis. In the final days of 2020, our efforts succeeded!

$200 million in aid for timber harvesters and haulers has been included in a bipartisan $900 billion COVID-19 relief package approved by Congress and signed by President Trump. This is a historic first for the U.S. logging industry and the PLC would like to thank Maine’s congressional delegation, led by the efforts of U.S. Senator Susan Collins and U.S. Representative Jared Golden, for making sure the logging industry was not left out of this latest round of federal assistance.

The aid will go to timber harvesting and hauling businesses that have, because of the COVID–19 pandemic, experienced a loss of not less than 10 percent in gross revenue during the period beginning on January 1, 2020, and ending on December 1, 2020, as compared to the gross revenue of the eligible entity during the same period in 2019. PLC will provide additional details on how this process will work in the near future.

Maine was a leader in this effort and many PLC Members worked hard to make it successful. Thank you all for your hard work.

I encourage loggers to take advantage of Don Burr‘s weekly virtual tailgate meetings. These virtual tailgate sessions are an excellent way to train our employees and satisfy some OSHA requirements. Even though business is slow we still need to create a safe environment for our workers.

On a sad note, The logging community mourns the loss of Sharon Jean Hanington Sibley. I always looked forward to Sharon’s smile and talking with her at the Log-a-Load events. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Hanington family and all those who knew and loved her.

Good luck and be safe!

Tony

S&S Logging Inc. of Wallagrass, ME joined the PLC as a new Contractor Member in December of 2020. The company is Master Logger certified and has a professional staff of 3. For more information contact Scott Desjardins at (207) 834-7354 or email slogging623@gmail.com

Deep Gash Trucking Inc. of Fort Kent, ME joined the PLC as a new Forest Contractor Member in December of 2020. The company has a professional staff of 5. For more information contact Doug Kelly at (207) 316-4653 or email

deepgashtrucking@hotmail.com

Larry Poulin of Readfield, ME has joined the PLC as a new Individual Supporting Member in December of 2020. For more information contact Larry at (207) 458-7124 or email Larrypoulin115@gmail.com

Scott Hanington of Wytopitlock, ME joined the PLC as a new Individual Supporting Member in December of 2020. For more information contact Scott at (207) 299-4289 or email hanington.lumber@gmail.com

Two Steps Back, One Step Forward

By Dana Doran

Happy New Year to all of you and here’s to a fresh start in 2021. I hope all of you had a blessed Christmas at home with family and you were able to focus on the positives in your lives that make living in Maine truly special.

As all of you are aware, our daily lives are inundated by all things COVID-19 and dwelling on the challenges and bad news is easy. What’s hard is to find the diamond in the rough or at a minimum, the positive parts of our lives that can lead us in the right direction.

As loggers, you deal with adversity on a daily basis. You make rights out of wrongs and good times out

of bad. It’s the logger’s way to deal with challenges and move forward. It’s what makes you who you are and, in many respects, it’s the only way you know how (with honor and respect for Waylon Jennings). If you didn’t know how to repair what was before you, you wouldn’t be a logger.

I waited until the last minute to write this article because I wanted some good news to report on heading into 2021 and a step forward after two steps back. So much has occurred in the last nine months, most of it negative, but it is what has transpired in the last two months that has me in a more optimistic frame of mind heading into a new year.

From the Executive Director

Since my October article was published, a new President was elected, Maine’s senior Senator was reelected, a new Maine Legislature was elected and sworn in on December 2nd and a provision for loggers’ relief was included in the COVID 19 Relief Act that was signed into law on December 27th. And while we won’t know the impact of the Presidential or state legislative elections for quite some time, it was the reelection of Senator Collins and the COVID Relief Act that might just be the most important moments in the history of Maine loggers and loggers across the country. One is not mutually exclusive from the other.

Had Senator Collins not been reelected on November 3rd, we might not be in the same position we are today. And while the COVID 19 Relief Act might not be a panacea, it certainly changes the way loggers will be treated by our government from this moment forward.

As I said to Senator Collins at our Annual Meeting in October, the PLC started (1995) at about the same time that she was first elected to the Senate (1996). From that moment forward we have been inextricably linked. Maybe it’s fate, maybe its luck or maybe it’s just meant to be. Simply put, it is as a result of Senator Collins that so much

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EBEEMEE TWP, ME - This winter, crews from W.W. London Woodlot Management Co. have been logging in the forest between the East Branch of the Pleasant River and Route 11, not far from Katahdin Iron Works and the 100 Mile Wilderness.

The job is on land owned by The Conservation Fund that will become Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) land once money has been raised for the purchase, likely in a year or two. In the meantime, the AMC has been permitted to conduct the harvest as the future landowner and W.W. London Woodlot Management Co. has been brought in because in the last couple of years it has become the logging firm the AMC calls whenever harvests need to be conducted on its lands.

Working on AMC lands, which are managed by Huber Resource Corp., is a great opportunity and a welcome challenge for the Londons, who pride themselves on maintaining high standards.

“They’ve been the muscle behind a lot of our conservation work,” Steve Tatko, Director of Maine Conservation and Land Management for AMC, said. “The vast majority of what we own is high elevation and steep, and the blocks tend to be smaller and a lot of them tend to be out of the reach of traditional tree-length operations. The Londons were able to pull together a package that worked for that and it’s working out well.”

The London family operates three distinct companies from their garage in Milo. William W. London and Son Inc., owned by Bill London, is the original

W.W. London Woodlot Management Company

company and handles a variety of jobs including forest road and bridge construction. W.W. London & Son Trucking LLC, run by Bill’s son, Alex, was split off from the original company in 2016 and handles woods trucking. Alex’s wife, Molly, who is a forester, joined the family business that same year. The newest company is W.W. London Woodlot Management Co., run by Alex and Molly and focused on logging.

W.W. London Woodlot Management Co. is a PLC Member and Master Logger certified.

While the London’s logging relationship with the AMC is fairly new, the family’s working relationship with the organization goes back many years. Bill’s company has performed road and bridge work in addition to other jobs for the AMC for a long time. His work bridging stream

crossings while allowing for fish passage has become a model for others to follow, Steve said.

“

I think together Bill and I built sixty-eight road and stream crossing over the past nine years, and that’s not counting the work Bill did for us before that,” Steve said. “His bridge building capabilities have actually really set the standard for other stream restoration type projects.”

That relationship was one factor in AMC selecting the London’s as their go-to firm for timber harvests when Alex and Molly decided to expand the family business into logging. The range of capabilities offered by the three London family businesses was also a factor, “one call does it all,” as Bill said. The fact that Alex and Molly are young and committed to continuing the family business was also a plus, and the company is in a great location for the AMC.

London Continued from Page 11 16

“One of their major objectives is also supporting the local economy in the areas where they are, so to them it was a huge draw that we were right here close to their land base and all of our employees lived right in the Milo area,” Molly said.

Expectations for loggers have risen sharply in recent years no matter where they work, but are particularly high for those who conduct harvests on lands with special conservation, wildlife, environmental, or recreational considerations. AMC lands include all those considerations, and much of the job comes down to operating with as light an impact as possible.

In practice that can mean using quieter equipment near AMC lodges, cutting skid trails carefully to ensure they are not visible from the Appalachian Trail, keeping log yards smaller and out of sight, maintaining clean and professional equipment and working areas, and harvesting with an eye toward the final

look of the job.

“What we hear a lot is go cut the side of that mountain and make it look like you never cut the side of that mountain,” Alex said. The logging package the London’s put together to meet the AMC’s need for lighter, quieter, more selective harvesting includes a cut-tolength system with a CAT 501 processor and CAT 574 forwarder. They also have a tree-length crew with one feller buncher with a very busy and skilled operator feeding two grapple skidders and two delimbers. AMC goals for timber harvests include revenue generation, but many other goals as well, Steve said.

“We see ourselves as a longterm owner, and this acquisition is going to get us up to 100,000 acres, but we’re not as huge as some of our neighbors, so being able to return to areas for light removal throughout the

? Processor operator Ray Clement in his machine.

W.W. London delimber in action December 2020.

growth cycles of these stands is really important to us so we tend to do lighter removals per acre than most,” Steve said. “We’re really focused in on developing late successional species so we’re trying to rebuild red spruce, sugar maple, and yellow birch, really focused on those three really longlived species that we want to grow, both for the ecological value and for the economic value.”

From a logging perspective, the unique needs of the AMC have been an opportunity for the Londons to challenge themselves.

“For us it’s been fun, we’ve enjoyed the challenge of different cutting prescriptions,” Molly said. “Product-wise it’s pretty similar to what everybody else is doing, we send a lot of the same products to the same mills. Sometimes we save out cedar for hiking boardwalks or

bridges, deliver firewood to lodges, or some cedar for kindling.”

The Londons credit their employees for making their business model successful. They have been fortunate to hire some experienced, dedicated workers who are willing to adapt to the needs of the AMC work. That includes employees who had never run cut-to-length logging equipment stepping up to the task and learning on the job.

The work for AMC and Huber has grown to nearly 80 percent of the London’s logging business. They are very busy, glad to be, and enjoy working on long-term timber management right in their own backyard with the organization, building a future.

“Being younger in this business, it’s great to see some nice wood being left behind on these jobs so we can go back some day, and I’m hoping my kids can go back some day as well,” Alex said.

Alex and Molly London.

W.W. London grapple operating in Dec. 2020.

Doran Continued from Page 916

positive has been done for our industry and we would not be in the same place today without her respect, admiration and work on your behalf. As a result of Senator Collins, we have received the ability to move 100,000 lbs. up and down the Interstate amongst a number of other positive changes in federal law. But what may be the most important piece of legislation she has moved forward is the fact that loggers across this country will forever be known as farmers of the forest and for that we are eternally grateful.

On two prior occasions (March 2018 and July 2020), I’ve used this article to express my frustration that loggers are farmers and fisherman too but have never been treated as such. For the last 40 years, the United States government has held out its hand and offered help to any farmer or fisherman in this country if they were harmed by trade, market collapse, invasive species, drought, natural disasters, etc. If you had an issue and you were a farmer or fisherman, essentially, you could get the help you needed at a moment’s notice.

For loggers, this has never been the story. Unlike farmers and fisherman, loggers don’t sell their product directly to the consumer. As a result, they are at an arm’s length from the direct harm, but are always impacted, nonetheless.

Similar to famers and fisherman, loggers are and always will be very independent and proud people who cultivate and harvest a renewable crop from their surroundings. Yet, asking for government help is foreign to loggers and has always been viewed as more a measure of failure than success. This point of view is to be respected, but when the loggers finally must ask, it also must be a sure sign of desperation that should not be cast off like the boy who cried wolf. If the logger is asking for help, it must be because they really need it. With COVID-19 and the explosion at the Jay mill, this clearly points to a need that really does exist.

COVID Relief

Over the last eight months, the PLC has been working with the support of Maine's Congressional Delegation, Governor Mills and other logging associations and lawmakers across the country to secure federal relief for loggers in the current crisis. On December 27th, our efforts culminated in one of the most important pieces of legislation in logging history.

$200 million in aid for timber harvesters and haulers was included in the bipartisan COVID-19 relief package. This is

mere pocket change as only it represents only two tenths of 1% of a $900 billion package. However, for the first time in United States history, loggers will be given help directly by the federal government. Aid will go to timber harvesting and hauling businesses that have, because of the COVID–19 pandemic, experienced a loss of not less than 10 percent in gross revenue during the period beginning on January 1, 2020, and ending on December 1, 2020, as compared to the gross revenue of the eligible entity during the same period in 2019.

The significance of this announcement for timber harvesters and haulers in the United States cannot be overstated and probably would not have happened had Senator Collins not been reelected. At no prior time in our nation’s history have loggers been offered formal support and relief from our nation’s government, and again, we can’t thank U.S. Senator Susan Collins and U.S. Representative Jared Golden for leading the effort to secure this aid on behalf of the hard-working small family businesses in the industry here in Maine, Senator Angus King and U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree for joining that effort and for the work of Forest Service Director Patty Cormier and Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Amanda Beal here in Maine behind the scenes. Loggers and truckers need the same help and recognition farmers and fishermen have received since the pandemic began, and as a result of good old fashioned Yankee ingenuity and teamwork, especially from the state of Maine, at long last they are getting it.

Maine’s entire Congressional delegation and representatives of other timber-producing states have supported aid proposals for U.S. timber harvesters and haulers for months, but the industry has been left out of every previous relief package while billions have flowed to farmers, fishermen, and even growers of Christmas trees.

Most recently, On Sept. 18, President Donald Trump and USDA Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the launch of the nation’s second agriculture pandemic relief package, Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP2). The new $14 billion package added tobacco, hemp and Christmas trees to the list of eligible crops, yet as with the first CFAP package, timber was left

off the list. More than $7 billion in payments to farmers were approved in the first month of CFAP2 alone. Zero dollars went to timber harvesters and haulers. In response, a bipartisan group of legislators from across the U.S. including Maine’s delegation fired off letters to Perdue seeking a change in CFAP that would allow loggers to qualify for aid. The change was denied.

The U.S. farming industry alone has received billions in federal aid to offset losses from the U.S.-China Trade War since 2018, and this year received billions more to offset losses from the COVID-19 pandemic. Total federal aid to U.S. farmers in 2020 is at record levels, reaching $40 billion by October. Though loggers are “farmers of the forest” harvesting a renewable crop, they received none.

Maine’s heritage industries of fishing, farming, and logging ALL need support in this time of crisis, yet for months now timber harvesters and haulers were left to fend for themselves as farmers and fishermen received help. It is gratifying to finally see them receive aid that can help them survive until markets and conditions in the industry recover.

The PLC will provide additional details on how this process will work in the near future, but it is not expected that applications for assistance will be available until sometime in January or February 2021.

Also included in this landmark legislation were two other provisions that will benefit our membership: 1) the Paycheck Protection Program –Round 2; and 2) a tax credit for new residential wood heat systems.

Paycheck Protection Program

The legislation allocates $284 billion to this Paycheck Protection Program, a forgivable loan, with some changes to the way the program is administered for second-time applicants: Businesses (as well as some nonprofits, self-employed and independent contractors) can apply for a second PPP loan if they:

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Doran Continued from Page 15

• Have fewer than 300 employees;

• Are not publicly traded; and

• Can demonstrate a reduction in gross revenues of 25% or more in at least one quarter of 2020, compared to the same quarter in 2019.

Loans for second-time applicants can be up to 2.5 times the company’s monthly payroll, with a cap of $2 million. In order for this loan to be forgiven, a recipient needs to use at least 60% of the funds on payroll. The remainder can be used for an expanded list of expenses, including rent, utilities, payments to vendors for supplies, and purchases of personal protective equipment.

In order to apply for a second PPP loan, a company has to have used (or will use) all of their first PPP loan. If you are applying for a second loan and haven’t yet done the paperwork for forgiveness of your first loan, it might be a good idea to get started on that. There will be a streamlined forgiveness process for second-round loans up to $150,000, so that’s positive.

The Small Business Administration, which administers the PPP through banks, has 17 days from the legislation being signed to provide guidance, so expect the program to get started in late January. If you are considering this, now might be a good time to speak with your banker.

The legislation also clarifies that money received from a forgiven PPP loan is not taxable, and that expenses paid with a PPP loan can be deducted for tax purposes. This overrides previous guidance from the IRS, which was likely to cause problems for many businesses.

Modern Wood Heating Tax Credit

The legislation also contains a tax credit for highefficiency residential wood heat – wood stoves, pellet stoves, and whole home heating units such as wood and pellet boilers. This tax credit allows homeowners to take a 26% investment tax credit based upon the fully installed cost of the heating appliance and has the potential to increase demand for wood heating in residential

settings. The companion tax credit for commercial and industrial wood biomass heating systems was not included in this legislation and will remain a priority of the PLC in the future but this is a very good start over 10 years in the making. Again, this would not have happened without the leadership of Maine’s Congressional delegation.

Maine Legislature

On November 3, 2020, Mainer’s also went to the ballot box and selected members of the 130th Legislature, which was sworn in on December 2nd and is scheduled to convene Wednesday, January 6th, for the first regular session, which will last through the third week in June.

Democrats kept control of the Senate with 22 seats, while Republicans have 13. Democrats also retained control of the House, even though they lost 11 seats with total representation as follows – 80 Democrats, 67 Republicans and four unenrolled (aka independents).

Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Aroostook, Majority Leader Sen. Nate Libby, D-Androscoggin, and Assistant Majority leader Sen. Eloise Vitale, DSagadahoc have all been reelected to their positions of leadership in the Senate. Republicans chose Jeff Timberlake, R-Androscoggin, as Minority Leader, and Matt Pouliot, R-Kennebec, as Assistant Minority Leader.

In the House, Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford, was elected Speaker of the House, while Rep. Michele Dunphy (PLC Legislator of the Year 2019), D-Old Town, became Majority Leader and Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland. Assistant Majority Leader. House Republicans chose Kathleen Dillingham, ROxford, as Minority Leader and Joel Stetkis, RCanaan, as Assistant Minority Leader.

At this point, no one really knows what this legislative session will actually look like other than it will be held 100% online with no in person contact

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from the public.

So far, there have been about 10% fewer bills submitted for the session (1,600 total) than in normal years (1,800-2,000). This is clearly due to the pandemic and the reduction in state funding, but what these bills will do is anyone’s guess. We do know the Legislature will have to deal with the biennial budget as well as other economic and COVID issues in the first session so this will take precedent and leave very little discretionary funding on the table for other legislative priorities.

As for PLC priorities this session, the Board voted in December not to advocate for any formal legislation directly and instead play a more defensive role this session. With all of the unknowns in terms of how the session will function, the fact that there will be no opportunity for in person contact, other than by phone, email, text or zoom, they thought it would be better to focus on the unknown rather that push an agenda that could be changed without our knowledge. If there are pressing issues that any of the membership feels we should tackle, please do not hesitate to contact me to let me know because we can always seek an emergency bill after deadline.

Until the session kicks into high gear in late January, one of our top priorities is trying to get legislators, especially new ones, to know about logging and trucking, the PLC and what we do. We have sent out congratulatory letters from the PLC to all legislators, along with a copy of our new Economic Impact Study. If the Legislature does proceed with all activity via Zoom, it will provide a greater opportunity for our membership to be engaged, since you can all participate from your office or the pickup.

The new legislative session begins on

January 6th here in Augusta and it will be all handson deck. Members will begin receiving their weekly legislative update on Saturday, January 9th and we hope that all of you will see the value in what we are doing to maintain and expand the profitability for loggers and truckers.

In conclusion, I know that 2020 has been one of the most challenging years in the history of logging in Maine. As the membership responded to various surveys throughout the year but also submitted its renewals this fall, it was very evident that the pandemic and the Pixelle explosion have taken their toll on your volume and your businesses. Logging in Maine in 2020 certainly has taken two steps back. With that in mind, I’m often asked about the future for this industry. I can say with great honesty that not only do we have one of the greatest forest resources on the planet, but we also have one of the most professional and advanced logging forces in the world. As a result, if the growth in the marketplace that we saw in 2019 is evidence of what is possible, then I remain bullish on the future. That said, two things must occur for our membership to remain as part of the future of the Maine forest economy:

1) expeditious help from the federal government to disseminate relief in an efficient manner is critical so that logging firms can bridge the financial gap that has been created in 2020. This will allow contractors to remain whole so that when markets do return, they are ready from day one to help them succeed; and

2) pain must be shared across the supply chain and not just placed on the backs of the logger.

I have heard from some that they have received their contracts from land management companies for 2021 and there have been significant cuts. While this is not unexpected, my hope is that the cut to loggers is the same cut that mills,

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landowners and land management companies are also taking at the same time. Logging costs do not shrink miraculously in bad times and usually only rise. If loggers are going to be the bank, then I hope that they are not the only bank in town. If pain is shared equally and all take responsibility, then we will all ride out this crash and live to see better days together.

What I truly hope does not happen is that the pain is only passed on to to the logger and some feel that they can now gouge the logger because they are the recipient of federal aid. If that does happen, then my first phone call will not be to the local bank, I can assure you.

We are living in historic times, for better and for worse. I hope that all of you have a renaissance in 2021 and better days are on the horizon.

Have a great winter season, please stay in touch when you can and don’t hesitate to let us know if there is anything we can do to help.

Dana

$200 million for loggers in pandemic relief package historic first for industry

The Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of Maine cheered the announcement Dec. 21, 2020 that $200 million in aid for timber harvesters and haulers has been included in an approved bipartisan $900 billion COVID-19 relief package, and credited Maine’s congressional delegation, led by the efforts of U.S. Senator Susan Collins and U.S. Representative Jared Golden, for working to ensure the logging industry was not left out of this latest round of federal assistance.

The aid will go to timber harvesting and hauling businesses that have, because of the COVID–19 pandemic, experienced a loss of not less than 10 percent in gross revenue during the period beginning on January 1, 2020, and ending on December 1, 2020, as compared to the gross revenue of the eligible entity during the same period in 2019.

The aid package was approved by the U.S. House and Senate and signed by President Donald Trump.

“The significance of this announcement for timber harvesters and haulers in the United States cannot be overstated,” Dana Doran, Executive Director of the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine, said. “At no prior time in our nation’s history have loggers been offered formal support and relief from our nation’s government, and we especially want to thank U.S. Senator Susan Collins and U.S. Representative Jared Golden for leading the effort to secure this aid on behalf of the hard-working small family businesses in the industry here in Maine, and Senator Angus King and U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree for joining that effort. Loggers and truckers need

the same help and recognition farmers and fishermen have received since the pandemic began, now at long last they are getting it.”

Maine’s timber harvesters and haulers have been hit hard in 2020: Most Maine logging contractors who are members of the PLC, the state’s trade association for timber harvesters and haulers, are reporting a 30-40 percent reduction in wood markets this year. Many are suffering severe revenue losses, layoffs, loss of clients, reduced productivity, and inability to plan for the future. The unprecedented crisis is due to economic effects of the ongoing pandemic and the loss of the Pixelle Specialty Solutions pulp mill in Jay to an explosion in April.

Maine’s congressional delegation applauded the aid to timber harvesters and haulers in the approved package.

“Throughout Maine’s history, our forest products industry has supported good-paying jobs, driven local economies, and strengthened rural communities,” said Senator Collins. “This industry is built on the backs of our dedicated loggers, who sustainably harvest and haul one of Maine’s most precious resources. Loggers were already facing significant headwinds due to a changing 21st century economy and unfair trade practices, as well as the explosion at the Androscoggin Mill in Jay and the shutdown of the paper machine at Sappi in Westbrook. COVID-19 has only compounded these challenges. Maine’s family logging and log hauling businesses need our support. That’s why I worked to secure $200 million in the COVID-19 emergency relief package to provide critical financial assistance to the skilled professionals who work in this industry to help them get

Maine’s Congressional Delegation joins PLC in applauding aid

through this difficult period.”

“Between COVID-19 and the Jay Mill explosion, many loggers and truck drivers are seeing work slow down as markets for their products decline. Maine loggers don’t want a handout, but they deserve the same support during tough times that we have already provided for farmers and fishermen,” said Congressman Golden. “Senator Collins and I have worked together to introduce new legislation to provide targeted relief for loggers and log haulers, and we’ve successfully included it in the COVID-19 package that passed Congress today. Once this bill is law, we’ll keep working together to make sure these funds get to Maine loggers and truckers.”

“For generations, Maine’s forest products industry has supported jobs and communities, especially in our state’s rural regions,” said Senator King. “Thanks to our state’s abundant forests and our world-class workforce, Maine has been a global leader in this important industry. The sector has faced hard times, and weathered them – but the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic has temporarily curbed market demand for forest products, and have contributed to the immense challenges facing this industry. For the sake of our logging industry, and all the Maine people who rely on it, I am proud to have worked with my colleague Senator Collins on the inclusion of $200 million in this aid package. This industry is essential to communities across our state, and I will continue to stand behind its workers in the challenging days ahead.”

“Maine’s forests are a vital part of our way of life and our economy, supporting more than 34,000 jobs and serving as the backbone of our rural communities. That’s why I’ve advocated for meaningful relief for the logging industry from the very beginning of this economic crisis. This funding will help to support the forest products industry as they weather this storm,” said Congresswoman Pingree. “I know this package doesn’t solve all of the pressure this industry is facing, and while it certainly doesn’t go far enough to support Maine families who are struggling during this crisis, I’m proud that this bill includes targeted funding for the forest products industry as they report historic reductions in their markets.”

Maine’s entire Congressional delegation and representatives of other timber-producing states had supported aid proposals for U.S. timber harvesters and haulers for months, but the industry was left out of every previous relief package while billions have flowed to farmers, fishermen, and even growers of Christmas trees.

Most recently, On Sept. 18, President Donald Trump and USDA Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the launch of the nation’s second agriculture pandemic relief package, Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP2). The new $14 billion package added tobacco, hemp and Christmas trees to the list of eligible

crops, yet as with the first CFAP package, timber was left off the list. More than $7 billion in payments to farmers were approved in the first month of CFAP2 alone. Zero dollars went to timber harvesters and haulers.

In response, a bipartisan group of legislators from across the U.S. including Maine’s delegation fired off letters to Perdue seeking a change in CFAP that would allow loggers to qualify for aid. The change was denied. The U.S. farming industry alone has received billions in federal aid to offset losses from the U.S.-China Trade War since 2018, and this year received billions more to offset losses from the COVID-19 pandemic. Total federal aid to U.S. farmers in 2020 is at record levels, reaching $40 billion by October. Though loggers are “farmers of the forest” harvesting a renewable crop, they received none.

“Maine’s heritage industries of fishing, farming, and logging all need support in this time of crisis, yet for months now timber harvesters and haulers have been left to fend for themselves as farmers and fishermen received help,” Doran said. “It is gratifying to finally see them receive aid that can help them survive until markets and conditions in the industry recover.”

Trucking

Trucking Industry News...

U.S Department of Transportation Issues Final Rule to Streamline Process for Aspiring Truck and Bus Drivers...

Thursday, December 17, 2020

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today announced a final rule to streamline the process for men and women interested in entering the trucking workforce. The new rule will allow states to permit a third-party skills test examiner to administer the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) skills test to applicants to whom the examiner has also provided skills training.

“During the COVID-19 public health emergency truckers have been American heroes and the Department is committed to helping our economy by reducing unnecessary barriers for those interested in obtaining jobs in the trucking industry,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao.

Federal rules previously prohibited a third-party CDL skills instructor who is also authorized by the state to administer the CDL skills test from performing both the instruction and the qualifying testing for the same CDL applicant. The final rule announced today eliminates that restriction and permits states, at their discretion, to allow qualified third-party skills trainers to also conduct the skills testing for the same individual. This new rule is designed to alleviate testing delays and eliminate needless inconvenience and expense to the CDL applicant without compromising safety.

The rule change is effective 60 days from publication in the Federal Register.

To view a copy of the final rule, visit: https:// www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/commercial-driverslicense/third-party-commercial-drivers-license-testers

DOT Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance Notice…

The Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, Pub. L. 115-334, (Farm Bill) removed hemp from the definition of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act. Under the Farm Bill, hemp-derived products containing a concentration of up to 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are not controlled substances. THC is the primary psychoactive component of marijuana. Any product, including “Cannabidiol” (CBD) products, with a concentration of more than 0.3% THC remains classified as marijuana, a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act. Learn more at https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/ USDOT/bulletins/27bd19f bypass.pdf

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 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.

MANCHESTER, PA – Scandinavian Forestry Equipment (SFE), a distributor of heavy equipment for modern forestry applications, is a relatively new company, but founder and President Greg Porter has been in the industry for two decades.

Greg, an Ohio native who earned a degree in accounting before starting his career, worked for 17 years for Log Max, rising at the age of 26 to President, and leading the company for 12 years.

Greg formed lasting friendships and relationships

ocean freightliners to the market,” Greg said. “It was mainly shipping logistics that brought me to Pennsylvania.”

As the name suggests, Scandinavian Forestry Equipment distributes a product line manufactured in Scandinavia or rooted in the mechanized forestry equipment that was pioneered in that region three decades ago and has since become widespread in the global timber industry.

Eco Log harvesters and forwarders manufactured

with people in the timber industry during those years with Log Max, both in the U.S. and abroad. After years of global travel and corporate responsibilities, he was ready for change and finally decided to found his own company in April 2017. His connections and experience made the new company successful quickly, and have allowed it to grow steadily in a short period of time.

SFE is headquartered in Manchester PA, where Greg started it.

“We’re about an hour from Baltimore because we needed port access to be able to get stuff quickly from

in Sweden are a leading product for SFE. Cranab truck cranes, forwarder cranes, grapples and grapple saws - also from Sweden, are another. Eltec bunchers/harvesters and log loaders manufactured in Canada are a third.

“Those are probably our three main product lines,” Greg said. “From there you branch off to smaller stuff such as attachments like heads, so we also sell Waratah, Log Max, brands like that.”

SFE also sells Slagkraft (a Cranab subsidiary) road clearing equipment and Greg is considering adding

Eltec Log Loader.

Eco Log harvester, at left, and Cranab Crane, right.

other construction equipment to SFE’s lineup. While not heavy equipment, Green Mountain Pellet Grills is another product line just added to SFE’s offerings, and is frequently a give-away with equipment purchases.

SFE has eight employees and a growing network of affiliate dealers and service centers and geographically is represented in the West, the Great Lakes Region, and the East. The company’s Wisconsin operations had been based in Rhinelander until 2020, but this year the company opened a new full-service, state of the art facility in Wausau and plans additional expansion there.

In Maine, SFE has a dealership in Washington: Timber Equipment Sales, owned by Nick Fortune, is located at 235 Augusta Road. Maine is a focus market for the company with good growth prospects.

SFE is a Preferred Supporting Member of the PLC. Greg said when he launched his company he looked for organizations that represented the best opportunities for forming relationships with customers in his distribution area. In Maine, the PLC was clearly the right organization to support when it came to loggers.

“I know where we need to focus and definitely PLC is a good association to be involved with,” Greg said. Greg has worked with loggers for decades, and finds it rewarding.

“For me a lot of it is friendships, a lot of the guys I’ve known for many years. It’s enjoyable to be able to travel and keep the relationships going that you have,” Greg said.

SFE is building its success on superior product knowledge and support, and will continue to do so, Greg said.

“I’ve always been a real customer-focused type person,” Greg said. “I want to make sure that the customer is taken care of and if you buy something from us, doesn’t matter what it is, we want to make sure we support it and support them because they’re important to us.”

The company will continue to grow and now that the new Wisconsin facility is completed SFE will be focusing additional efforts on expanding sales in the Northeast, Greg said.

For more information on Scandinavian Forestry Equipment and its product lines, visit www.scandforestry.com

Eco Log Forwarder.

Maine’s SFE dealership is Timber Equipment Sales, owned by Nick Fortune, located at 235 Augusta Road in Washington.

Thank you to U.S. Senator Susan Collins for taking the time to join PLC's 2020 Annual Member Meeting Oct. 16 via Zoom to speak to members, listen to the issues loggers in Maine are facing, and answer questions! The meeting was held virtually due to the ongoing COVID19 pandemic.

New St. John Valley Technical Center programs offer great opportunities for future loggers

FRENCHVILLE, ME - Over the years, Maine’s technical high school programs for students interested in careers in logging and forestry have tended to grow fewer and smaller, so it is great news for the industry when new opportunities arise.

Over the past two years, St. John Valley Technology Center (SJVTC) has tackled the challenge of providing those opportunities head-on, launching its new Forest Resource Management program in 2019 and adding

has also been an instructor for Maine’s post-secondary Mechanized Logging Operations Program (MLOP), said.

“The simulators are great because they really flatten the learning curve. I’ve seen it, when they do get in the real equipment they know what they want to do and they can do it, versus being really frustrated starting out.”

The simulators also offer the chance to interest 8th graders in the programs who are not old enough to be permitted in the equipment yet.

for

its Heavy Equipment Operation program in 2020. Both programs include training and education for careers in the logging industry, including machine operation.

Offering some of the newest equipment available in any programs of their kind in Maine, including state-ofthe art simulators that give students the chance to hone mechanized logging operator skills before taking the controls of real machines in the woods, the programs have drawn a dozen students already and interest is growing quickly, according to Kevin Lavoie, Director of SJVTC and Mike Berube, an instructor for the programs.

“We foresee that these numbers will increase because we’ve got a lot of new equipment this year,” Kevin said.

“We’re in great shape, if anyone looks at our Heavy Equipment program they would possibly think it was a 20-year program with the equipment we have right now but we’re only in year one, and Forestry is in year two, so we are blessed.”

In addition to the John Deere and Milton CAT simulators, SJVTC has harvesting equipment including a used Valmet 901c processor, an eight-foot tow-behind grapple/loader, a skidder, winches, and chainsaws to give students exposure to many aspects of timber harvesting.

“They learn a little bit of everything,” Mike, who

Students also get real harvesting experience; in 2020, they cut a right-of-way for a local snowmobile club and have been cutting firewood and trails at a local airport. As equipment is being brought online and added, this will expand, Mike said.

SJVTC is part of MSAD 33, serving three high schools in a region with a long and proud tradition of timber harvesting. The programs have enjoyed strong support from the community and area industry. Local contractors are very interested in the program and looking forward to visiting and getting involved once safety provisions due to the COVID-19 pandemic allow this.

“Everybody I talk to said we should have done this ten years ago,” Mike said. “We’ve had a lot of good support, and I think as the word and awareness gets out that will keep growing and our student numbers will grow as well.”

Learn more at http:// sjvtc.mainecte.org/programs/

Other Technical High School Forestry/Wood Harvesting programs in Maine are located at Oxford Hills Tech School in Norway, Region 9 School of Applied Technology in Rumford, Foster Technology Center in Farmington, and Region Two School of Applied Technology in Dyer Brook.

Students in SJVTC’s Heavy Equipment Operations program and Forest Resource Management program have plenty of opportunity

hands-on learning, both on equipment operation simulators (left and right), and in the woods (below).

SafetyCoaching

ByDonaldBurr PLCSafety&TrainingCoordinator safety@maineloggers.com

Let's talk about safety coaching. The first thing that I want to admit is that safety coaching is not easy and does not come naturally to me, nor I suspect to many of you.

Here is one tool for your safety toolbox: Try having a short conversation that involves engaging the employee's brain. Psychology plays a large role in convincing employees to make safe choices. In retrospect, this makes sense. We know plenty of psychology has gone into advertising, so it stands to reason that there would be just as much in safety training.

Think about it, advertising is the art of getting you to want something that you may not even know existed before seeing the ad. Safety training is convincing the employee to change their actions (making habits) that often (in their mind) is not as convenient or second nature.

Psychology tells us that yelling, ranting & threatening rarely has a lasting impact on behavior. Sometimes it even has the opposite effect by building up resentment and drives unsafe acts to become the action of choice. Probably we all have tried this. I am not saying that you should not yell and possibly be aggressive with your efforts when you witness an unfolding action that you think will end badly soon. In this case, yelling could be very appropriate.

For the long term, non-emergency coaching, try these six steps for successfully changing the way your employee thinks while they are working. When you read down this list, you might think that having a simple conversation about an employee's action is too simple to work, but it is all about changing how the employee's brain processes the behavior.

Let me explain. When you tell your employee to use three points of contact when climbing in or out of a piece of equipment, that does not engage his brain at all. The employee probably can finish this catchphrase for you but yet never do it. Try this instead - when you see the same employee climbing out of a piece of equipment, say, "Chip, why do we use three points of contact when climbing in or out of a piece of equipment"? This engages the employee's brain, and even when it is trivial to answer this, it will have a lasting impact on the way he thinks

about climbing on equipment.

But, don't stop there; ask a follow-up question like "Why does three points of contact work?" Again, engaging the employee's brain. Leave with a positive thought like, "keep up the good work using three points of contact."

This seems like a trivial conversation, but done consistently your employees will make the right choices without thinking about them because their brains will be making them subconsciously.

Here are the six steps with some explanation:

1. Coach in the monument. Don't let a good opportunity go by.

2. Go to the employee, walk up to them (do not make them come to Subconsciously this tells the employee that they and their safety are important to you.

3. Start by stating the action that you saw. "Hey, Chip, I saw you climbing out of the cab of your equipment."

4. Ask an openended question (not giving the employee an option to use just yes or no). Use what, why, or how to start the inquiry. "Chip, why do we use 3 points of contact?"

5. Short conversation. Ask two or more questions but try not to let the conversation go longer than four minutes.

6. End on a positive note. Leaving all with a good feeling, this will improve the next interaction you have with this employee. Try to do this often and on different topics. Challenge yourself to have this interaction with all of your employees. Make a tally sheet or even a spreadsheet that tracks these events & safety issues.

Last thought, beware of extinction. It did not end well for the dinosaurs, and it won't end well for your safety program if you take your eye off safety. If you hammer on a particular topic, you will get results but don't forget to circle back to this topic every few weeks to keep the employees accessing their brains for safety. Safety training is like a load of wood; they need to be delivered every day, and you don't get paid until it has been delivered.

Safety

Ted Clark, CLCS, Loss Control Consultant, Acadia Insurance Quarterly Safety Meeting:Auto accidents

Statistically, the leading cause of death in the workplace is auto accidents. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting industry suffered a total of 581 fatalities in 2017, 285 of which were attributed to auto accidents, nearly twice the second highest hazard, caught by/struck by.

It seems every year a serious auto accident strikes close to home and reminds us of the significant hazards that we face just getting to and from work. With winter right around the corner, it is critical for you to remember these hazards. This safety meeting is not likely to introduce any new ideas but instead, stand to reinforce the importance of taking several simple steps to increase your safety when traveling on woods roads and reduce your exposure to an auto accident.

Navigating Through Increased Traffic on Woods Roads

You should always drive as if you could meet someone that either doesn’t have a radio or has a radio that is broken. The fact is, radios are a nice convenience, but with no way to enforce their use, they cannot be used to replace defensive driving tactics. When you notice a vehicle without a radio, communicate this with the other drivers in the area so they can watch out for them.

Jobsite Traffic

Due to the location of your laydown yards, you will often have people that need to pass through your work area in order to get to their destination. This creates a hazard to you as well as the people that are in the passing vehicle. Long hours doing repetitive work can significantly increase the chance that operators become complacent. Because of this, it’s hard to constantly be diligent about watching for traffic passing through their work zone. One effective, positive control that many companies employ is to post appropriate signage and lay a well-marked log across the road. Like a flagger on a construction job, this can prevent traffic from approaching and

passing through unless your operators give them permission.

Drive for the Road and the Conditions

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

“Wear Your Seatbelt”

Seatbelts are the single most effective way to prevent serious injury or death in an auto accident and while they are not 100% effective, AAA estimates a 45% to 60% effectiveness rate. The purpose of seatbelts is simple: to keep you in the vehicle where you are much better protected from the impact. According to the CDC, more than half of the 22,441 fatalities resulting from auto accidents in 2015 involved a person that was unrestrained at the time of the accident. AAA did a study that showed proper seatbelt use in light trucks will reduce the fatal injuries by 60% and moderate -critical injuries by 65%!

This information is only as effective as you make it. Remember that it’s ultimately your responsibility for how vehicles are operated and also the safety of the people in or around the vehicle.

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 31. Refer to the cutline on page 31 when removing it from the magazine.

Great job by PLC Member and Master Logger company Trees Ltd. of Sidney leading timber harvest tours at the Holt Research Forest in Arrowsic Nov. 7. (photos above.) The tours were organized by the Maine Timber Research & Environmental Education Foundation (Maine TREE). The harvest conducted by Trees Ltd. is the first at the Holt Research Forest since 1988, and is providing researchers with an opportunity to study the impact of professional timber harvesting on family-owned forestland.

Trees Ltd. also stepped up this winter to thin dead trees on property in Rome owned by the Travis Mills Foundation. (photo at left of Will Cole operating grinder). Trees Ltd. donated the labor to the nonprofit retreat for post 9/11 recalibrated veterans and their families. Nice job!

We Support Maine Loggers

Grant Invests in Logger Certification to Support Green

CONCORD, NH The Future Forest Economy Initiative is investing $250,000 to enhance markets for certified wood and to strengthen the supply chain for wood in the Northern Forest region through a grant to the Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands (TCNEF).

“Only a fraction of the forestland in our region is green certified,” said Joe Short, vice president of the Northern Forest Center, which manages the Future Forest Economy program. “Certifying logging companies through TCNEF’s Master Logger program will increase the volume of certified, sustainably harvested wood available to the region’s mills. Certified lands alone are not enough to meet demand for certified wood in the region.”

The three-year grant award will enable TCNEF to expand the ranks of certified Master Logger companies in the region, with a focus on New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. The Master Logger program improves logger performance, company financial stability, and workforce development and retention while increasing the supply of certified wood fiber.

“TCNEF is excited about the opportunity to increase the ranks of third-party certified logging companies in the Northern Forest Region,” said Ted Wright, executive director of TCNEF. “Master Loggers have proven records of professionalism, stewardship, and stimulating local economies.”

The Future Forest initiative a cooperative effort of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities, and the Northern Forest Center grew out of a congressional mandate to support the development of markets for wood products. This is the fourth grant in a three-year program that will invest $2.6 million to expand innovation, create market demand and create conditions that will allow businesses and communities to benefit from these innovations.

The Northeast Master Logger program is a performancebased certification for logging companies in seven Northeastern states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. It provides a unique third-party certification of a logging company’s work in the woods rather than certifying the forestland, as other programs do.

“Our program educates and trains logging companies on Best Management Practices to foster responsible timber harvesting, forest management and environmental stewardship in keeping with Master Logger standards,” said Wright. “The more Master Loggers we have working in the woods, the more we’ll be able to meet the increasing demand for certified fiber.”

To date, the program has certified 120 companies that employ 1,500 people and produce 6 million green tons of wood each year. The Professional Logging Contractors of Maine

originated the program, now managed by the TCNEF, in 2000. More information on the Northeast Master Logger Certification Program is available at masterloggercertification.com.

The Future Forest Economy Initiative has $1,000,000 remaining to invest in projects that will expand the region’s forest economy by diversifying markets for wood and wood products from the Northern Forest region. More information about the Future Forest Economy Initiative, including instructions for submitting grant concepts, is available at https://nfcenter.org/ FutureForestEconomy. Applications are considered on a rolling basis until all funds have been awarded.

“Landowners, loggers and wood product manufacturers in northern New England need new markets for harvested wood, and at the same time, there’s greater demand than supply for certified wood from the region,” said Alicia Cramer, vice president of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities. “This grant addresses both needs.”

In 2020, the Future Forest Economy Initiative awarded three grants that are driving $1.7-million worth of investment in the region’s forest economy. FFEI awarded $450,000 to the Town of Ashland Maine to expand markets for structural round timber, a mass-timber building product; $300,000 to a wood heat marketing consortium aiming to increase demand for wood heating fuels by 50 percent in the region; and $97,840 to the Burlington (VT) Electric Department for design and pre-engineering to advance a wood-fired district heating system to serve the University of Vermont Medical Center.

All together, the four grant recipients and others are matching the Future Forest Economy grants with $1.1 million in matching funds, bringing the total investment in new wood uses and marketing to $2.2 million.

Funds for the program come from the U.S. Economic Development Administration and a congressional appropriation of $3 million secured by the region’s congressional delegation in federal fiscal year 2018 that directed the agency to support the development of markets for wood products in northern regions of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York. The federal funds are matched by $300,000 from the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities to help cover project development and administrative costs.

The Northern Forest Center is a regional innovation leader and investment partner creating rural vibrancy by connecting people and economy to the forested landscape. www.northernforest.org.

The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities is a not-for-profit public charity working collaboratively with partners in the public and private sectors to advance systemic, transformative, and sustainable change for the health and vitality of the nation’s working forests and forest-reliant communities.

AWordFrom PattyCormier MaineForest ServiceDirector

As I write this, there is a beautiful blanket of new bright white snow. And I am reminded of Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”. In this poem Frost writes “The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.” This poem acknowledges the pull of obligations and the distance yet to be traveled before there is rest. A true metaphor for where we are in the world of forestry: locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

In mid-December, it was announced that there are relief funds for loggers and haulers in the most recent submission of a federal Covid relief package. Hopefully as you read this, it will have moved forward. This is a start, and hopefully not an end. We still have miles to go. There were many who put in considerable time to get this to fruition, and I appreciate every one of them. This was a bright spot.

Last week I had the pleasure of traveling with the Department of Agriculture Conservation and Forestry Commissioner, Amanda Beal in northern-central Maine. Maine Forest Service District Forester Terri Coolong guided us to the various stops. The point of the trip was to speak with folks in the forestry sector and hear concerns, suggestions, requests; to hear firsthand the reality of the business of forestry these days. We were welcomed by David Gordon of Katahdin Forest Products, Brian Souers and staff at Treeline, and Jay Haynes, Eglin Turner and Ginger Maxwelli of HC Haynes. We had an informative tour of ND Paper in Old Town and met with Ty and Shay Gardner of Gardner Companies. We heard loud and clear the sobering silence of hopefully only temporarily shuttered mills. During this trip, we received the news concerning the re-build of the Jay mill digester. It literally took my breath away. We also met with small private landowners John Farrington, Jessica Leahy and Bob Seymour. The conversations were candid and what we needed to hear.

There were obvious similarities in the various

conversations we had, such as markets for low grade products, workforce challenges such as employee hiring and retention, state policies, discussions of biomass, biofuels and CLT. Many thanks to those who hosted us. We must keep these conversations going. We are planning another such trip at the end of February in a different part of the state, to make sure we are kept aware of the forestry business and management environment. Now is the time to truly double down on efforts to make Maine attractive for businesses. The Maine Forest Service continues to showcase that our forests are healthy, are growing more than we are removing annually and that Maine is as competitive as other states who are vying for those businesses as well. And that Maine workers have an incredible work ethic (I have heard this sentiment from quite a few other states). I refuse not to be cautiously optimistic that once we get all things pandemic straightened out, that the industry will persevere. We just have many miles to go.

We are looking at a busy legislative season. The legislature has a heavy load this year. I assure you that forestry interests and issues will be well represented and there are many pulling for you who are struggling in this environment right now. It might not seem like it sometimes, but it is true. And I look forward to more candid conversations.

IntroducingyourDistrictForesters MeetMichaelJensen

District Forester Michael Jensen joined the Maine Forest Service in 2018 with an exciting and varied background of working in the forests of North America from Maine to Alaska.

Michael has worked as an employee in an oldfashioned circular sawmill, as a self-employed conventional logger, private consulting forester, and in a shared state/federal position as Water Quality Forester with New Hampshire Forests and Lands and the US Forest Service serving the White Mountain National Forest in NH and Western Maine and state lands in Coos County NH. Michael covers a 2.9-million-acre district that stretches from Deer Isle to Lubec along the coast and inland from Bucksport to Calais.

“As a former Timber Sale Administrator and self -employed conventional logger I really enjoy the fact that my current position allows me to continue to connect with working loggers and do what I can to help them be successful in a challenging environment,” Michael said.

Like all District Foresters, Michael 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 Michael come out to a site – ideally before work beginsto help determine if and how the rules apply, or to talk about different ways to control water and prevent soil movement using BMPs.

Michael and other DFs 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. Michael and the other DFs are a great resource – please use them!

District Forester Michael Jensen.

StatewideStandardsforTimber HarvestingandRelatedActivitiesin ShorelandAreas

ByTomGilbert

WaterResourcesSpecialist MaineForestService

The standards to follow when harvesting timber in shoreland areas vary by location in the state. These include the Chapter 21 rules, also known as “Statewide Standards” in most organized towns and Chapter 27 rules in the unorganized territory. Finally, some towns have their own shoreland harvesting standards.

What are Statewide Standards?

Statewide Standards for Timber Harvesting and Related Activities in Shoreland Areas apply to water bodies and wetlands in many organized towns. These towns have either given enforcement responsibility to the Maine Forest Service or have adopted Statewide Standards into their municipal shoreland zoning ordinances. For an up to date list of towns where statewide standards apply see: https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/rules_regs/docs/ sws_town_status_list.pdf

Where do Statewide Standards apply?

Statewide Standards for timber harvesting and related activities apply to the following areas:

Within 250 feet of

*Great Ponds (waterbodies larger than 10 acres);

*Rivers (downstream of the point where the watershed drains 25 square miles);

*Tidal waters and coastal wetlands;

*Non-forested freshwater wetlands larger than 10 acres;

*Any size pond or freshwater wetland identified by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife as significant wildlife habitat or essential wildlife habitat

Within 75 feet of

*Streams, downstream of the point where the watershed drains 300 acres

Adjacent to

*Streams above the 300-acre drainage point; and ponds or freshwater wetlands larger than 4,300 square feet but less than 10 acres that that are not identified by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife as significant wildlife habitat or essential wildlife habitat.

The Maine Forest Service is available to assist towns that are interested either in transferring responsibility for administering Statewide Standards to the Maine Forest Service or in adopting Statewide Standards into their municipal shoreland zoning ordinances to promote uniformity and clarity of their timber harvesting standards in shoreland areas. For more information on Statewide Standards please visit the Maine Forest Service website at: https:// www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/policy_management/ water_resources/sws/sws.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

MaineAgriculturalandForestry LeadersCommittoSlowingthe spreadofEmeraldAshBoreras

USDAAnnouncesPlanstoRollBack Regulations

AUGUSTA The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) has announced that it will employ an Emergency Order under Maine State Forester Patty Cormier's authority to continue emerald ash borer (EAB) regulation in the state.

This decision follows the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announcement of plans to deregulate EAB effective January 14, 2021. EAB poses a significant threat to Maine's approximately 480 million ash trees. DACF officials maintain they are slowing EAB's impact through quarantines that limit the movement of ash out of infested areas.

Although the spread of EAB across the state is inevitable, slowing EAB's spread will continue to allow for adaptation while maintaining viable wood product markets and ecosystem values. A slower spread of EAB will also allow for public utilities, the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT), and cities and towns to better control ash tree management costs, necessary to protect infrastructure and public safety.

As USDA APHIS deregulation takes effect, the Emergency Order will maintain prohibitions on importing ash into Maine. Simultaneously, a revision of existing Maine state EAB quarantine rules will be determined through a public review process. Through this revision process, DACF will propose regulating ash's movement into Maine from other infested states and provinces and

maintaining the in-state movement restrictions while removing chipped ash material from the list of regulated articles. (Stakeholders interested in receiving information about revised EAB rules, including public hearings, comment deadlines, and the outcome, are encouraged to use the DACF news service and sign up for EAB bulletins.)

"We remain committed to slowing the spread of EAB through quarantine, education, biological control, and advocacy for careful ash management," stated DACF Commissioner Amanda Beal. "For each of these efforts, the most important aspect is every individual doing their part to safeguard our natural and cultural resources."

As We See It November 2020

By Kevin Smith ALC Communications

Having grown-up around loggers and worked in several different industries, I can undoubtedly say that the logging community is like no other. The culture in which logging is rooted has remained the same even when everything else in the world has seemingly changed. It is a unpretentious culture of perseverance, hard-work, and community.

This year has been particularly challenging. Covid-19 has had a significant impact on logger’s profitability across the country. In Louisiana, it is estimated that production has dropped more than 30% from the beginning of March. Most logging companies are small, family-owned, and operate with high operational costs and low margins. A few months of diminished production has serious effects on their solvency.

As if Covid-19 did not cause enough financial ruin, back to back hurricanes ripped through Louisiana. Hurricanes Laura and Delta brought violent winds that wreaked havoc like we have never seen before. The total economic loss to the Louisiana timber industry because of the hurricanes exceeds well over $1 billion.

In Winnfield Louisiana, where handshakes still mean something and so does taking care of your community. You find folks like the McManus Logging family, out using their own equipment and resources to clear the roads and debris from houses, even before the utility-workers could respond. “The damage was immeasurable. Trees decimated our infrastructure. Loggers were working 15+ hour days in 100+ temperatures. The national guard and linemen did a tremendous job, but when it came to major stuff, they left it to the skilled cutters. I am so proud to be from the logging community in times like these,” said Toni McManus McAillister, McManus Logging.

Loggers will never get the same recognition as the utility-workers and that is fine by them. That is not why they did it. Nobody asked them to help, they just

did what they do – because that is who they are. Now as we watch the wildfires incinerate the west, we see the same response. Loggers using their own assets to fight fires in forests that they were not even allowed to help manage. This genuine eagerness to selflessly help others seems to be a common occurrence with loggers, no matter the geography. Loggers embody the fabric of what it means to be a community. To be an American. To just simply be a good human being.

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 December 2020 Good Riddance 2020!

By Danny Dructor, Executive

As we look back on the year 2020, the majority of us can probably say it can’t happen fast enough! With the COVID-19 pandemic, catastrophic wildfires, hurricanes, mill explosions, the downturn in hardwood markets resulting from tariffs, extremely wet operating conditions and shuttered paper and sawmills in many parts of the country, 2020 has been without a doubt, one of the roughest and toughest years for professional loggers and log truckers to keep their businesses afloat, no pun intended.

It started with the tariffs and ended with the extended wildfire and hurricane season, and somewhere in between the issues that surrounded the COVID-19 pandemic. While loggers remained an essential service provider, many of the mills that we produced to could not maintain enough personnel to run their facilities due to the illness.

At a time when paper products in the US such as toilet paper were flying off of store shelves, loggers supplying the raw fiber need to produce those products were seeing their delivered prices drop. As do it yourself projects picked up because of the stay at home mandates, lumber prices soared due to the shortage of lumber caused, in part, by lack of mill capacity due to employee shortages.

Vice

President

We asked both Congress and the Administration for some type of relief package to help those businesses that are struggling stay afloat long enough to reorganize their business plans in order to do just that, stay in business. While we had some help from both sides of the aisle in both the House and the Senate, the ability of Congress to pass legislation of any form was curtailed by the partisan politics that seem to be the new norm in Washington, DC. Meanwhile, we found that the United States Department of Agriculture failed to see the similarities between agricultural producers and loggers and our attempts at getting assistance by way of the CFAP program were rejected, perhaps because the advisors to the Secretary do not understand our industry or perhaps the Secretary himself was not interested enough in the issue. We provided them with the data generated by Forest2Market showing the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic on the logging and log trucking industry, but to no avail. Meanwhile, commercial Christmas Tree growers are eligible for the program even as they are set to have a banner year as social distancing and stay at home policies are still in effect in many states across the US. Go figure? Loggers are survivors as well as adaptors. Once again the majority of you have risen to the occasion and

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figured out a way to make a go of it, but there have been casualties, many that could have been avoided with an assistance program from the federal government.

Besides legislation that we have worked on for many years such as the Safe Routes Act and the Future Logging Careers Act, it has become evident that one important recognition needs to be made and that is to create parity between logging and the rest of the agricultural commodity producers. We aren’t going to cry for assistance every time the ground gets too wet to work or another mill goes down due to market fluctuations, but logging and

log trucking businesses should have the opportunity, the same as the other agricultural producers, to at least qualify for low interest loans or even small forgivable loans when pandemics that are totally out of our control shut down the businesses and markets that we rely on to deliver our product to.

2020 can’t get out of here fast enough, but we will have our work cut out for us in 2021. Wishing each and every one of you a safe, happy and blessed Christmas season and a prosperous 2021!

As We See It January 2021 Let’s Get Started

By Tim Cristopherson, President

There are many unknowns facing our Logging Families following the 2020 elections and for most of us, there are many unanswered questions that we would like to have answers to. Will the new appointees installed by the new administration effect what we do as Loggers? Will the changes in the agencies that are involved in Logging and Trucking reverse the gains that we witnessed in the last four years? Will we see more regulations on our industry that have negative impacts on our operations?

Of particular interest to many of us in the Western States and other federal timber sale dependent communities across the United States is the improvements that we have seen over the past four years in the ability of the U.S. Forest Service to put up timber sales with more success and to actually increase the volumes being offered. Will that continue? Stay tuned.

As of this writing, today, we received notice that the COVID Relief package being voted on this afternoon contains a $200 million dollar component that is being set aside for logging and log trucking businesses across the U.S. that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. How will this be distributed? What determines your eligibility? The American Loggers Council and its many state and regional associations have been working to have those logging and log hauling businesses included in the package, but with success comes more questions, again… stay tuned!

Once the Presidential election is finally confirmed, we will know who we are working with

and we will start a plan of attack to get our Logging and Trucking issues back on the table, working with whichever administration is in the White House. So far we have weathered Administration changes over the past 26 years and have been able to work with decision makers on both sides of the aisle on multiple issues. Our job is and will remain to educate those incoming legislators on our industry while keeping those veterans in Washington, DC updated on the issues that are impacting us the most.

In the meantime take a look at our website, www.amloggers.com, and take the 2020 ALC Logger survey while you’re there. Our Facebook page also contains information on the American Loggers Council and what we are up to. Both these pages will keep you updated on what’s going on at the ALC. You can also find the latest information on what programs and how to apply for relief allowed in the COVID Relief package as they becomes available.

Tim Christopherson is the co-owner of Dabco, Inc. based out of Kamiah, Idaho and serves as the President of the American Loggers Council and Past President and Board Member of the Associated Logging Contractors, Inc. in Idaho. For the past several years he has walked the halls of Congress in Washington, DC with members of the American Loggers Council advocating for issues that would benefit the logging and log trucking profession.

Congressional Delegation Updates

Supporting Maine’s Resilient Forest Products Industry During the Pandemic

Forest products are a vital part of both Maine’s history and its future. I had the pleasure of participating in two recent events that underscore the contributions and resilience of this great industry.

In October, I joined the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine’s annual meeting via Zoom. It was an honor to speak to the group and learn more about the state of the industry, as well as congratulate your organization for 25 years of working to strengthen our State’s economy and preserving our natural beauty.

About a month earlier, I visited Irving Forest Products in Dixfield to celebrate their nearly $27 million new state-of-the-art planer mill. That company’s commitment to complete this investment in the world’s largest Eastern White Pine mill in the midst of a global pandemic is remarkable.

Across the nation, the logging industry has experienced a steep decline in demand for wood fiber since the pandemic began, leading to an estimated 20 percent or more drop in the timber harvest. Family logging and log hauling businesses need our support now more than

Making Sure the Forest Products Industry Gets Support in COVID Relief Legislation

In rural communities across our state, the forest products industry is a critical economic engine that has provided good jobs for generations of Maine people. Thanks to our state’s abundant forests and our world-class workforce – from loggers to truck drivers to mill workers

Maine continues to be a global leader in this important industry, supporting livelihoods and boosting the region’s economic prospects.

Maine’s forest products industry has faced hard times on occasion over the years, and always weathered them with resilience and determination. However, this year we faced a new challenge: the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic temporarily curbed market demand for forest products, contributing to the immense challenges already facing this industry. The pandemic’s fallout exacerbated existing difficulties, including ongoing unfair trade practices by foreign nations and the effects from this year’s explosion at the Androscoggin Mill in Jay. To make matters worse, the industry did not receive any direct relief from the administration; while a number of other hard-hit industries received federal support to offset losses, our loggers and mills were left to fend for

ever. Many PLC members have told me they will lose their highly skilled and dedicated employees – or even their business entirely – unless relief is provided. Maintaining this talented workforce is essential if we are to fully rebuild from the economic devastation caused by the ongoing pandemic.

That is why I have continued to push for the passage of the bipartisan, bicameral Loggers Relief Act that I introduced with Rep. Jared Golden. Our bill would establish a program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide direct payments to timber harvesters and haulers that have suffered significant reductions in revenue in 2020 compared to last year due to the consequences of the pandemic.

The economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic is also harming mental health, taking a particularly severe toll on people whose livelihoods are threatened. To help meet this important challenge, I am working to expand telehealth access to mental health services for rural loggers, farmers, and fishermen. The great challenge during the pandemic is keeping our people healthy and safe – physically, economically, and mentally.

I come from a six-generation forest-products family and know of no other enterprise that requires more faith in the future and respect for the past. It is essential that the hard-working and skilled people in your industry have the support they need to live and prosper in the communities they love.

themselves.

In response to these challenges, it was urgent that Congress acted to provide support – and in our year-end COVID-19 relief legislation, we did. This legislative package includes $200 million to support our timber harvesters and haulers, helping our state’s logging companies –many of them family owned –make up for lost revenue and survive this crisis. I am proud to have worked with my colleague Senator Collins, along with the rest of the Maine delegation, on the inclusion of this figure. The final package also advances additional wins for the industry, including a tax credit I proposed for homeowners that use biomass heating systems. This new provision will help support the market for forest products and biomass heating equipment, and it passed thanks to the support of the entire Maine delegation.

The forest products industry is essential to our state, our economy, and our identity, I will continue to stand behind its workers in the challenging days ahead to ensure this important sector has a bright future.

Sen. Susan Collins

Sen. Angus King

No matter how you put it, it’s been a tough year. Between the coronavirus pandemic, economic downturn, closures and disruptions at our mills, and pressures related to climate change, 2020 has been full of challenges for the forest products industry. But I’d like to think these challenges also offer the industry new opportunities to grow. As the 116th Congress wraps up, I’m thinking about my priorities for next Congress, including important policies I’d like to see for the forest products sector.

As the most forested state in the nation, Maine’s forests are an integral part of our way of life and our economy, supporting 33,500 jobs. They also sequester about 70% of our state’s greenhouse gas emissions. This means that our forests have a critical role to play in both the economic recovery from COVID-19 and the forthcoming recommendations from the Maine Climate Council’s Climate Action Plan. Our forests offer ample opportunity for innovation that will create new market opportunities, drive economic expansion, and help mitigate the impacts of climate change. We need a green economic recovery from COVID-19, and I believe Maine is poised to benefit from these initiatives.

There’s lots of talk in both Maine and Washington, DC about how to support green jobs, and those conversations must

As we head into 2021 and finally put 2020 in the rear-view, I’d like to share some reflections on the past year and make a request of Logger’s Voice readers. This quarter, I’d like to do something a little different in my update and ask you to tell me what Congress needs to do to help you and your community succeed.

One thing the last year has made clear to me is that most people in America don’t think their government is listening to them or working on their behalf, and that goes double for people who live in rural communities. And frankly, a lot of the time they’re right. It’s harder than ever to make a living in the woods in America, to start a small business outside of a city or a suburb, or to maintain strong communities and traditions in small towns like the ones I grew up in and that most Mainers in the forest products industry call home.

Those changes don’t come about by accident. They happen because our society and our government let them happen. The federal government, and Congress in particular, has not done a good job of reaching out to and delivering for rural America.

Normally, I use these updates to try and keep you informed about the work I’m doing for Maine loggers, truckers, other forest product workers, and their families. That’s important, but I think members of Congress these days spend

include the forest products industry. I’m particularly looking forward to working with the incoming Biden administration, which recognizes the dual benefits of green jobs as we confront both the economic and climate crises. As we develop recovery legislation in Congress, I’ll ensure Maine’s loggers are heard and will push for the federal government to support the development and expansion of new, innovative wood products like cross-laminated timber and insulation. These products are a win-win-win to improve energy efficiency in our quest to combat climate change, offer a greener alternative to traditional building materials, and create new markets for Maine’s forest products.

As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I’ll continue to advocate for funding that promotes innovation in the forest products industry and helps our forests to be more resilient in the face of climate change. The Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations bill is a great vehicle to fully fund programs like the Northeastern States Research Cooperative, which sponsors research to sustain the health of the Northern Forest and to develop new forest products. I’ll also advocate for robust federal investment in the Community Wood and Wood Innovations Program, which recently supported a project at Limington Lumber in East Baldwin to generate renewable wood heat and electricity for sawmills.

I’m humbled and honored that the people of Maine’s First Congressional District put their faith in me for another term, and I look forward to working together to strengthen forestry in our state.

too much time telling people what they think is good for them and not enough time listening to these folks about what they need. I’ve always tried to go out of my way to listen in this job and I’m going to recommit to that goal going forward.

I know this has been a bear of a year for people working in our forest products industry. The Jay Mill explosion, the pandemic economy, and the rapidly growing need for new markets means lots of people in the industry are struggling. Right now, I’m focused on getting a bipartisan deal to provide COVID-19 economic relief before the end of the year, but I know that’s just a first step and it won’t come close to what’s necessary to help this industry recover, meet its potential, and continue to provide a good living for thousands of Mainers. I know I need to listen to and hear from you if we’re going to make that progress.

I really welcome your feedback, and the more specific you can be, the easier it will be to determine how we can be helpful. Please reach out to any of my offices by phone or email. Just be sure to mention to my staff that you’re a reader of Logger’s Voice, and our team and I will go over your comments, see if we can find a solution, and get back to you.

You can reach my staff at:

• Lewiston: (207) 241-6767

• Caribou: (207) 492-6009

• Bangor: (207) 249-7400

Or send our team an email at golden.house.gov/ contact/email-me

Happy Holidays and I look forward to hearing from you.

Rep. Chellie Pingree

Rep. Jared Golden