The Logger's VOICE - Fall 2022

From the President

By Will Cole

Hello everyone,

Summer is winding down and at least in my little world it's been a nice one. The absence of mud and a continued hunger at the mills has been refreshing.

It begs the question though, "Why are the mills still struggling to get fiber?" Most of us can simply sum it up as too little for too long. Add to this the sucker punch when Pixelle exploded. That was capitalized on by the remaining mills. To top it off a lumber market boom that was not shared until high fuel prices forced it.

To be fair, none of us want to pay more than we need to for equipment, stumpage, trucking ... Supply and demand always dictate pricing.

But it seems to me that big business has begun to operate like small. When Don and I founded Trees Ltd. our model was production based on pulpwood. Why? Because back in the 70's and 80's it never was great, but it never went down. The pulp mills held pricing to create a stability. It was hard to hold it against them when times were good when they didn't take it from us when times were bad. A sort of informal partnership based on the long view.

Some of you may recall back in the 90's L.P. was making a push to encourage CTL harvesting, helping loggers understand costs and providing guarantees to implement them (a long view). Around that time the state started putting pressure on the mills to enforce weight limits.

Understandably the mills were reluctant for two reasons. First of all nobody wants to be the police. Also it could drive up costs since loggers complained that they had to run overloaded to make money which is a bad business model.

We got an idea which I pitched to the mill. Let's haul wood instead of steel. The goal was to build a truck that weighed 5000 pounds less and got 20% better fuel mileage. They liked the idea and supported our efforts.

We took the past five years production and punched those two efficiency gains into a logging cost calculator. What was the result? The truck was free. Just increasing the payload and decreasing fuel covered the entire cost of a brand new truck and two trailers. Many said it wouldn't last, but that 1998 truck is still on the road today. No structural or powertrain issues ever arrived from the weight reduction. This was a long view approach to an immediate problem. The cost of wood didn't have to go up and we made money.

Back then, just like today, there was an "us against them mentality" that had to be overcome. With the blood bath we have seen in the last several years, it is easy to succumb to. But if we as an industry are going to survive and thrive we must start moving in a direction where we work together to solve issues. A glimpse of our political scene shows how "us versus them" works.

I personally believe that the remaining markets have finally realized the status quo is unsustainable for both sides.

A longer view has got to be implemented that encourages investment and tackles cost for both parties involved.

It can be done and will be by someone. The question is, "are we up for the challenge?"

Let's pass our grandchildren the baton of prosperity instead of bitterness by taking the long view.

See you in the woods, Will

Welcome New Members

Masardis Logging Inc. of Masardis joined the PLC as a new Contractor Member in September, 2022. The company has a professional staff of 3. To learn more, contact Douglas Burby at 207-551-1376 or masardislogging@yahoo.com

Allegiance Trucks of Fort Kent joined the PLC as a new Preferred Supporting Member in May 2022. Allegiance is an authorized International®, Hino, Isuzu, and Ford dealership serving the Northeastern United States carrying a large selection of new and preowned inventory. To learn more, contact Gary Daigle at (207) 8346186 or

gdaigle@allegiancetrucks.com or go to www.allegiancetrucks.com.

Falcon Forestry Equipment, headquartered in Brightwater, New Zealand joined the PLC as a new Supporting Member in June of 2022. Falcon Forestry Equipment designs and manufactures a range of mechanized steep slope logging equipment that helps crews reduce health and safety risk, increases the efficiency and productivity and future-proofs your logging operation. The Falcon Forestry Equipment range was developed with one single objective. To get people off the hill in high-risk working conditions and save lives. For more information contact Kyle PakiPaki at kyle@dce.co.nz or visit www.falconforestryequipment.com.

The following companies are not renewing their PLC Supporting Member status for another year: Camerota Truck Parts, Champoux Insurance Group, Rudman Winchell,Acadia Federal Credit Union, Scandinavian Forestry Equipment, Pete's Tire Barns, Inc., Verizon Connect, and Labonville.

The PLC thanks them for their membership.

From the Executive Director

Back Where it All Began

By Dana Doran

On Saturday, September 24, 2022, at the Annual Meeting of the American Loggers Council (ALC) in Branson, Missouri, Andy Irish, President, Irish Family Logging and longtime PLC Board Member and Treasurer, took the gavel and became the 27th President of the ALC. Andy is the next in a long line of Maine representatives who have played an instrumental role in the formation and development of the ALC. The PLC and every logger in Maine should be ecstatic to have Andy assume this role and not only represent Maine, but every logger across the country. Once again, Maine is “Dirigo”, I lead.

For those not intimately aware of the ALC, the PLC and ALC started at almost the same time, so their

paths are inextricably tied together.

In 1994 at a meeting on a hot July weekend, loggers from across the country met in St. Louis, Missouri to discuss forming the ALC. The meeting was a direct response to the American Forest and Paper Association (AFPA) roll out the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). Earlier in 1994, AFPA released the new SFI standard as an attempt to self-regulate before state and federal governments got involved to regulate their practices for them. It was at this point in time that environmentalists were calling into question the forest management practices of paper companies that owned both manufacturing and millions of acres of forest land in the United States and

Canada.

The elephant in the room with this new standard, both then and now, is the fact that it was created and implemented without any input from the logging sector. Additionally, there was and still is a complete disregard for the fact that the burden of implementation, compliance and blame within SFI lies at the feet of loggers. SFI is a voluntary marketing pathway for those who hold a certificate (mills, landowners and land management companies), but it has used loggers as the scapegoat and also as a way to control loggers and competition.

Spearheaded by a logger from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Earl St. John, and thirty-three other brave

logging leaders from across the country, the meeting in 1994 was convened, and over the course of a few days, the framework of the ALC was developed and the rest is as they say, history.

The meeting in St. Louis and the development of the ALC was a gutsy move, especially considering that loggers were expected to be seen and not heard within the industry. Though loggers had previously been silent and fragmented, these leaders stood up and said, “We are going to be heard. We are not going to be dismissed and ignored. We are going to be represented!” (credit to ALC archives)

From the beginning, the ALC was formed and

Doran Continued Page 10

Photo courtesy of PLC Member SYL-VER Logging, Inc. Fort Kent.

developed with significant input from Maine and the induction of Andy Irish is the next chapter in the Maine story.

At the first meeting of the ALC, Harold Bouchard and Dick Schneider, HO Bouchard/Comstock Woodlands participated, and Harold put his money where his mouth was. On Harold’s behalf, Dick would go on to be the first Board member of the ALC from Maine (1994-2000) and the second ALC President from 1995-96. In 1996, the 2nd ALC annual meeting was held in Bangor and Harold paid to have three Cyr buses full of attendees travel to the Comstock camps on the Golden Road to see what off road logging really looked like.

Cheryl Hanington Russell, sister of PLC Board Member, Steve Hanington, would become the Executive Director of the ALC from 1996-2001 and the office of the ALC and PLC would operate out of the same space in Lincoln for the next five years.

In 2000, Steve Hanington would join the ALC Board as Harold Bouchard’s successor, signifying the second generation of Maine participation in the ALC.

In 2003, Steve became the second president of the ALC from Maine and his term ended in 2004. Ironically, at the same time that the Bush Cheney Administration was running for a second term and landed in Maine for a campaign stop, it was the same weekend that Steve stepped down from the position. Steve would remain on the ALC Board one more year and in 2005, Andy Irish took over his position as the representative from Maine.

Andy has been part of the ALC longer than any other Mainer. His dedication and service to the industry runs deeper than most know and deeper than Andy would probably want to admit.

As a first-generation logger, Andy, Jim Nicols and Rodney Wales piled into Rodney’s Cadillac and traveled to Lincoln to the first PLC organizational meeting in 1995. Their goal was to make sure that loggers from western Maine also had a voice. Rodney passed away earlier this year, but both Andy and Jimmy are still on the Board today, 27 years later. The ‘we’ has always been more important than the ‘me’ to Andy.

As Steve Hanington has remembered at one of the first meetings of the PLC in 1995, “So finally, I walked over and said everybody’s wondering if you guys are spies for the paper companies, who the hell are you?” Steve laughed. They have been friends ever since and they have put PLC first as Board mates for almost three decades. Maine’s participation and leadership in the ALC is long and vast and has not come without it’s challenges. That said, as Andy says to me all the time, “We might have different accents and be from different areas, but at the end of the day when you look past how we talk and how we dress, we have more in common than we have different.” ALC is the convening organization that sets these differences aside and provides a singular voice to fight for what’s right. Sounds similar to the PLC.

In 1999, with leadership from Harold Bouchard, Steve Hanington, Cheryl Hanington Russell and many others, PLC initiated the process of creating the Master Logger (ML) program as a voluntary, floor-based performance standard to recognize the exceptional harvesting practices that logging contractors had been invested in for years. We could not let others define this profession nor define who loggers were and how they would be recognized. ML was created so that loggers could define themselves and determine their own destiny.

In 2000, the PLC offered this program in good faith to the ALC as a preeminent opportunity for logging companies across the country to receive recognition for their harvest practices. In July of 2000, at Earl St. John’s camp in Michigan, the ALC Executive Committee endorsed the program as a tool for its membership throughout the country. Through this collaboration and other work done by the PLC and its sister organization, the Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands, the Master Logger brand is now recognized in 20 states, in Canada and Japan. And in 2020, the Master Logger Certification Program® was trademarked by the US Patent Office.

Andy’s company, Irish Family Logging is Master Logger Certified and has been since the first cohort went through in 2001. Andy has probably been the biggest proponent of the Master Logger Certification Program in

the ALC since he joined the Board in 2005. It was his leadership that continued to move it along and it’s this type of leadership that Andy will bring to the ALC over the next year.

While the ALC and PLC have grown immensely since those early days in 1994 and 1995 with Andy’s leadership at their core, each organizations’ focus is not just on SFI anymore. However, it’s amazing that as much as things change, the more they stay the same.

At this year’s ALC meeting in Branson, MO, the very same state that hosted the first ALC meeting 28 years earlier, a representative of SFI decided to attend the meeting. I know that I have been going to ALC meetings since 2014 and in that timespan, no one from SFI has ever attended. For that matter, I don’t know if anyone from SFI has ever attended an ALC meeting.

I found it odd that out of the blue, someone from SFI would attend. That said, then I gave it some thought and looked at the agenda.

Missouri is the origination point of the ALC. The ALC started because of SFI. Put two and two together and the reconnaissance mission makes sense. “Back to Where it Began” in more ways than one!!!

Additionally, on day two of the meeting, there were two topics on the agenda that probably reaffirmed why SFI sent someone to keep their eye on those loggers. The two topics were: 1) Antitrust and Contracts; and 2) Agricultural Cooperatives. One of these topics, “Antitrust and Contracts”, was the focal point of my last article in this publication earlier this summer in fact.

Evidently, loggers and their voice are starting to cause SFI some angst and intelligence missions are necessary to find out what loggers are up to. I guess we should be flattered by the response, but wouldn’t it just be easier to respect loggers and work with them to attain mutual goals directly as equal partners, rather than to spy on them when you think they might be getting out of line? Evidently not since it’s been 28 years and we’re not any farther along than we were in 1994 when it comes to SFI and the attempt at mandates. Or are we?

About two weeks before we all left for Branson, MO, a colleague of mine received a very interesting interpretation from SFI regarding what we have all heard is the training mandate for the past 28 years. When pressed on the question of whether there is actually a training requirement in the SFI standard, the response was quite intriguing, especially considering the timing of the trip to Missouri for the ALC meeting.

Long story short, direct from an SFI official, SFI Certified Organizations shall maximize the delivery of raw materials from trained loggers (qualified logging professionals) and strive to have written agreements in place for the use of trained loggers, but the SFI standard simply does not require it. Why? Because they can’t, that’s why. It would be an anti-trust violation because it attempts to exclude competitors that don’t want to comply. It would also cross the line with what can be required of independent contractors. SFI Certificate holders are asked to put it in their contracts as a condition for employment or wood sales, but they simply cannot enforce it.

Doran Continued on Page 126

For 28 years, loggers have been told that training is required to comply with SFI, well guess what, it’s not and it can’t be. Perhaps it took 28 years and a return to where it all began to finally discover the truth about what you’ve been told. Regardless, it’s time to move forward with a new understanding and make sure your rights are not being infringed upon.

Doran Continued from Page 11 16

For 28 years, loggers have been told that training is required to comply with SFI, well guess what, it’s not and it can’t be. Perhaps it took 28 years and a return to where it all began to finally discover the truth about what you’ve been told. Regardless, it’s time to move forward with a new understanding and make sure your rights are not being infringed upon.

I can honestly say that I have never spent a lot of time in Missouri, other than about four hours when I drove from St. Louis to Kansas City back in 1996 on my way to Colorado. It was necessary to pass through on my trip but I can’t say I remember much except for the Arch in St. Louis. Who knew that it would be such an important place in so many ways.

In Missouri, the ALC was born with the help of Mainers in 1994. One year later, because of what happened there, the PLC was born and Dick Schneider would

become the 2nd ALC President and the first from Maine. In 2003, the ALC would select another President, also from Maine. And in 2022, we would return to Missouri, where it all began, and install another President from Maine. In between, we would discover that the reason that the ALC and PLC started, SFI training, could not be mandated after all.

So let’s raise a toast to Andy and celebrate his leadership and his courage to take on a task that not many would want. Let’s celebrate what has been done with Andy’s guidance over the past 27 years and what is about to be accomplished over the next year. Let’s also celebrate the fact the forced training cannot be forced after all.

Maine is such a great place for all of us to live, work and prosper and it’s times like this, when the state takes such a prominent position, that it makes you proud to be called a Mainer.

PERU, ME – Andy Irish, a founding member of the Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of Maine, was sworn in as President of the American Logger’s Council (ALC) Saturday, Sept. 24 at the ALC’s Annual Meeting in Branson, Missouri.

Andy, who has been an ALC delegate representing Maine for nearly two decades, became the third Maine President for the ALC since it was founded in 1994. He accepted the position at the President’s farewell banquet, replacing outgoing President Tim Christopherson of Idaho, and thanking the loggers in attendance for being involved

with the ALC at a time of great challenges in the logging industry.

“

Thank you for being here,” Andy said. “We’re at a place in our industry where we have the chance to either move forward, or go backwards really fast, so we appreciate all the help from everybody.”

Andy has been logging since the 1970s and founded Irish Family Logging in 1984. Today, he shares ownership of the Peru-based business with his wife Kathy, son Jason Irish and son-in-law Dean Knowles. He has been a board member of the PLC since it began in 1995.

Irish to serve one-year term, ALC 2023 meeting will be held at

Sunday River in Maine next October

“Andy is a great logger with many years of experience in the business and has always stepped up to lead on behalf of loggers here in Maine and beyond whenever he was needed,” PLC Executive Director Dana Doran, who attended the ALC meeting, said. “Both the ALC and PLC are fortunate to have him, and I have no doubt he will represent the interests of the industry well in his new role.”

Andy is the first ALC president from Maine since PLC Board Member Steve Hanington finished his term as ALC President in 2004. Andy will serve for one year, with

his term ending in the fall of 2023, when Maine will host the ALC Annual Meeting at Sunday River in October 2023. Andy’s roots go deep in logging: His entire family aside from his uncle, Randy, worked in the Rumford paper mill, but he had no interest in joining them. He began logging while still in school, running a skidder afternoons and weekends for an older operator who needed to cut back on his own hours. After graduating he went to school to become a mechanic and worked for Great Northern and then John Deere after completing his studies. But logging was never far from his mind.

Irish Continued Page 16

Opposite: Andy Irish at the ALC Annual Meeting in Branson, MO Sept. 24.

Above: Irish Family Logging crane and slasher at work in Gilead in September.

Andy’s uncle Randy was the only other logger in the family, and when he needed someone to run a new 540 John Deere skidder Andy joined him as a partner, heading into the woods full time and never looking back. That was in the late 1970s, and for five years they did well logging together. Then Randy wanted to slow down a bit and Andy was ready to start his own business.

“So in 84’ we split up and I went and bought a new cable skidder, a pickup, three new chainsaws and away we went,” Andy recalled. He and Randy still work together - his uncle is 79, tried retirement but came back to the woods and today can often be found running an excavator and dump truck with Irish Family Logging. Andy has experienced the same ups and downs and changes common to most loggers who have been in the business since the industry began transitioning from traditional logging with chainsaws to fully mechanized logging. He has always believed in running new, big equipment to reduce downtime for repairs. Irish Family Logging crews operate primarily in the hills and mountainous terrain of Western Maine, often on commercial timberlands. They weathered the markets and adapted to the changes and the loss of paper mills as many other logging firms have dwindled or disappeared entirely. Irish Family Logging is a Master Logger Certified® company.

Andy got involved early with efforts to form the PLC and ALC in the mid-1990s as loggers nationwide realized they needed their own organizations to represent their interests. He began attending ALC meetings two decades ago and worked with the late Harold Bouchard, who was a driving force behind formation of both the PLC and ALC, on those efforts. Dick Schneder was Maine’s first delegate to the ALC, Steve Hanington became the second when Dick stepped down, and Andy stepped up as delegate when Steve completed his term on the Executive Board in 2005 after serving as President the previous year. Andy has served on the Executive Board for the past three years.

Steve Hanington remembers a meeting in northern Maine that took place in the early 1990s as the PLC was being organized where Andy and Jimmy Nicols of Nicols Brothers Inc. in Rumford showed up and no one knew them. People were wondering if they’d been sent to spy on the meeting.

“So finally, I walked over and said everybody’s wondering if you guys are spies for the paper companies, who the hell are you?” Steve laughed. They have been friends ever since.

Andy went on to serve on the PLC Board and has remained an active member of the board ever since. He has served as treasurer of the PLC for decades, has stepped up reliably to participate in PLC efforts from the halls of the State House in Augusta to the Capitol in Washington D.C., and has spoken up on issues and worked hard to promote logging initiatives including the Mechanized Logging Operations Program that is training entry-level operators

Steve, who served on the ALC board for years, said it represents a big commitment of time and energy for anyone running a logging business. But Andy is not the sort to complain about conditions in the industry and do nothing, he steps up and tries to make things better, Steve said.

I’ve been friends with Andy for a long time and I have a lot of respect for him, and I really commend him for his service,” Steve said.

Cheryl Hanington Russell, a past Executive Director of the PLC who served as Executive Director of the ALC and its first paid employee from the mid to late 1990s, said she doubts there has ever been a person more qualified to be president of ALC than Andy based on his character, his steadfastness, and his experience both as a logging business owner and someone who has been involved with ALC and the issues it was formed to address from the very beginning.

If ever you want anyone on your team, it’s Andy Irish,” Cheryl said, “When he speaks, people listen, and what you see is what you get and that’s what I love about him.”

For his part, Andy said serving on the ALC board has given he and his wife Kathy some great experiences as the meetings move around the nation and draw people from the industry together who would otherwise never have met.

“We’ve met some awfully nice people and we've seen some really nice places, a lot of places we'd probably never have gone if it hadn't been for that you know?” Andy said. “Next year everybody is pretty excited to come to the meeting in Maine, a lot of them have never been here.” This is a time of transition for the ALC, with a

Andy Irish attending an event in Portland, ME as part of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) U.S. Board visit to Maine the week of September 13

new Executive Director – Scott Dane – stepping into the job in 2021 and the organization adopting a new five-year plan including updates to its bylaws and a more pro-active focus, Andy said.

Finances for the ALC are up, along with attendance, and members seem to realize the challenges the industry is facing mean loggers need to pull together and fight if they want to have a future, Andy said.

“The last meeting when we went down to Louisiana was just a breath of fresh air,” Andy said. “it was about ‘we’ instead of ‘I,’ we've got the group making decisions not one or two people and we have a really good discussion about everything, so we're headed down the right path that's for sure and our sponsors you can tell are a lot more excited, we've got people that never joined us before.”

Wood consuming mills finally seem to be coming to the realization that if loggers cannot run profitably and afford to pay their workers enough to attract and keep them the entire forest products industry is at risk, Andy said.

“They're scared and they ought to be. The only answer is to make sure we're whole,” Andy said. “We've got a lot of work to do, contractors are not in good shape,

we can't be the last guy in line all the time, it's not gonna work,” Andy added.

Andy has always been committed to the future of the industry and while he and Kathy have gradually stepped back from leading Irish Family Logging and shifted that role to son Jason Irish and son-in-law Dean Knowles, he has no plans to fully retire, but does appreciate a bit more flexibility to travel with Kathy and spend a little more time with his grandchildren and hunting.

Scott Dane, Executive Director of the ALC, said the organization has grown stronger and Andy has been an important part of that and will continue to be.

“The American Loggers Council is in a growth phase. The organization is larger, stronger, more financially sound and more influential than it has ever been,” Scott said. “Andy has been an integral part of the leadership that has guided the Council to this level. As President, I know that Andy will continue elevating the American Loggers Council, strengthening its reputation, enhancing its credibility, and securing its financial sustainability while maintaining the focus of representing America’s logging industry.”

Andy Irish, at left, receives the ALC President’s gavel from outgoing President Tim Christopherson of Idaho on Sept. 24. (ALC Photo)

LIVERMORE FALLS – Every week, 45,000 to 50,000 hardwood pallets roll off the production lines at PalletOne of Maine’s 231 Park Street mill, bound for customers across the globe.

“That’s eight to ten thousand pallets a day, log to pallet,” Stuart Isaacson, Area Sales Manager for the Maine mill, said. “We’re doing great, demand is through the roof, higher than we can produce, we’ve been at capacity for close to two years now.”

That has been good news for Maine loggers, as PalletOne’s sawmill has remained a steady consumer of low-grade hardwood logs despite the ups and downs of the hardwood pulp market and erratic demand for many other

wood-based products during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the world’s goods move on pallets at some point in their distribution to markets, and the mixed eastern hardwood species of Maine are an abundant and renewable source of the raw material to manufacture them.

Stuart Isaacson’s grandfather, Abraham “Sonny” Isaacson, knew this when he and his brothers Eli and Irving began manufacturing pallets in Livermore Falls over a half century ago, and it remains true today.

“My grandfather started Isaacson Lumber Company in 1948 when he came back from World War Two, and for the first few years it was just him and two

PalletOne Inc.

brothers and some kids from Quebec living out in the woods six days a week with horses and buggies cutting, hauling out on Saturdays and sawing on Sundays, said. “Then in the early sixties they built a hardwood and a softwood mill right here on the river and were cutting dimension lumber as well as hardwood stock. I think it was in 1962 when they built their first pallet.”

The mills did well, and Isaacson Lumber’s success in pallet manufacturing propelled the company’s growth in the years that followed. By the late seventies, the three Isaacson brothers were getting older and some faced health issues, so they told their families that if the company was going to continue, it was time to lay the groundwork for a transition to the second generation.

At that time, Stuart’s father Donnie and his uncles Jamie and Tom were young and had scattered across the country to pursue other interests, but they soon came home and began the job of taking over the company. Together with their cousin, Bruce Bornstein, and Plant Manager Clayton Miller, they took on the task of building a new, state-of-the-art sawmill and manufacturing plant in the 1980s, and it was this expansion that eventually brought the company to where it is today, Stuart said.

In 2020, the board of directors of PalletOne was approached by holding company Universal Forest Products Industries (UFP) and a purchase agreement was reached to s industrial sector. Full integration will come in 2024, but the purchase is working out well and PalletOne has already found opportunities for improving service to customers thanks to synergies afforded by being part of UFP and its vast network of companies and resources, Stuart said.

Opposite: Production underway at PalletOne of Maine’s mill in Livermore Falls.

Top: PalletOne crane moving logs destined for the pallet mill. The mill maintains a large log yard at the site. Bottom: Stuart Isaacson inspects logs beginning the process of being milled into boards and stringers.

Today the Livermore Falls mill is a manufacturing powerhouse turning thousands of raw logs into finished pallets every day and shipping them all over the world. The sawmill located next to the Androscoggin River takes in logs from the yard on the other side of Park Street and produces the deck boards, lead boards, and stringers that make up the main components of pallets. Assembly follows at various locations on site depending on the pallet’s dimensions and purpose, much of it automated, though the recycling division employs a small number of hand nailers. Sorting and shipping are centered in the portion of the mill and warehouse located next to the log yard, where the company’s trucks are constantly being loaded with finished products.

The family made the decision in the mid-1990s to sell Isaacson Lumber Company to Pall-Ex, a major pallet shipping network company based in the United Kingdom, which in turn was bought by a publicly traded German company. But it was not long before a recession and worried stockholders presented an opportunity for the Isaacsons to buy the company back advantageously. It was then that PalletOne Inc., founded with other investors, was formed.

Since that time PalletOne has grown into the largest pallet manufacturer in America, with 18 facilities located from Maine to Texas.

The mill is always innovating and adapting to find new efficiencies, deliver better and less expensive products, and to meet unique customer demands.

“We’re making pallets in one-inch increments from 18 inches long to 130 inches long,” Stuart said. “That’s one thing that really separates our sawmill, we’re changing over constantly to meet our customer’s size demands. We’re making over 3000 different designs of pallets. We use pallet design software that was created at Virginia Tech, it gives our customers the safe carrying capacity of a pallet, the life cycle expectancy, what parts are likely to break first, and more.”

PalletOne Continued from Page 19

The cost of a pallet is largely dictated by the board footage and the number of nails required to complete it. Design modifications that can lower both while preserving strength are a huge part of the business. Small savings add up quickly when customers are buying thousands of pallets.

The type of wood used in construction varies depending on the customer needs. Oak pallets, for instance, are not suitable for moving brick and block due to the tannins in the wood, which can stain the product. The mill buys logs of every hardwood species found in Maine, including varieties of oak, beech, maple, birch and ash.

The mill uses the entire log rather than the just the center for pallet components, and by using the outer jacket of the logs the strength of pallets is increased. Residuals like bark, chips, and sawdust are sold for landscaping, biomass energy, or used directly by the mill, which is itself heated by burning residuals.

Pallets made in Livermore Falls go to a wide range of customers, including large consumers like Lowe’s, Amazon, and Poland Spring. Housing and construction materials, groceries, beverages, and furniture are among the goods customers move on them. About 40 percent of the pallets are heat treated for international sale and these

pallets can be found all over the world.

PalletOne is proud to be the largest employer in the Livermore Falls area, with about 160 direct employees, and is strongly involved in the community, Stuart said. Success is built on good people, and the mill is fortunate to have many veteran employees throughout the workforce and a great plant manager in Clayton Miller. These employees have kept the mill operating efficiently and profitably for many years.

Safety is the top priority at the mill. Taking care of employees, families and others who rely on it for their livelihoods is very important to PalletOne, Stuart said.

“I think what sets us apart is really caring for our people and taking care of our workforce, making sure everyone has a livable wage,” Stuart said. “That includes making sure we’re paying a fair wage to the logging force, that’s one of our main concerns in these log negotiations is making sure we’re paying enough to ensure these guys are going to be viable for 20, 30, 40 years to come.”

PalletOne became a Preferred Supporting Member of the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine (PLC) in early 2021 and has been a strong participant in the organization since, including sponsoring PLC Log A Load for Kids fund raising events.

The company joined to support the logging firms

Opposite: Logs on conveyors are monitored as they move into the mill to be sawed. Top left, freshly cut boards moving down the assembly line. Top right, a worker monitors automated machinery that quickly and efficiently nails pallets together. Bottom, finished pallets ready to be loaded onto trucks for shipment.

on which it depends for raw material - many of these firms have had a relationship with the mill for decades. PalletOne also joined to reach loggers who may not be aware they could be selling low grade hardwood logs in Livermore Falls rather than strictly for hardwood pulp, Stuart said.

“We joined primarily to help the support the logging community and make sure that we are known in the logging community and that loggers and landowners understand the value of separating out low grade hardwood logs from their pulp,” Stuart said. “We’ve always paid a premium for that, but our biggest challenge is getting

loggers and landowners to realize that it makes sense to separate this low grade hardwood for our pallet company and not put it all into pulp.”

The mill is hiring and could easily employ another 20 workers, demand shows no signs of slowing down, and business is good. When all is said and done that success is built on making sure the workforce is taken care of, and that is what keeps the PalletOne team working together and working hard, Stuart said.

“We make a ton of cool products, we’ve got a really cool process, but at the end of the day it really comes down to the people,” Stuart said.

Logging Economic Impact Study PLC Contractors Please Respond!

The Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of Maine and the University of Maine in October began collecting data to update it’s tri-annual study that quantifies the economic impact of logging and forest trucking in Maine.

The study will be the first comprehensive look at the status of the logging industry in Maine since the loss of the Pixelle Specialty Solutions Jay mill pulp digester to an explosion in April 2020, and since the COVID-19 pandemic impacted economic conditions globally. It will also reflect inflationary pressures and worker shortages that are challenging the industry. Data collected will be from 2020-21.

Input from PLC Member logging contractors is critical to this process. If you have not yet responded to the survey, please do so by November 15th. The more participation the survey receives, the better the results, and the stronger the conclusions will be.

This will be the third economic impact study of Maine’s logging industry that the PLC has partnered on. Previous studies were released in 2017 and 2020. Those studies have proven to be effective tools for educating the public and lawmakers on the issues loggers face, and in advocacy efforts by the PLC on behalf of loggers and forest truckers.

PLC Member and Master Logger company GCA Logging forwarder at work north of Oquossoc in September, 2022. Input from PLC contractors is crucial to the economic impact study.

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

The Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of Maine raised record amounts at its two Log A Load for Maine Kids golf tournaments in 2022, totaling $116,974 for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in Bangor and Portland.

The PLC hosts two Log A Load golf tournaments each year, with its newer Aug. 26 tournament at the Kezar Lake Country Club in Lovell, Maine raising a record $44,207 for the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center and the northern tournament at JATO Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln raising a record $72,767 for Northern Light Eastern Maine Health System’s Eastern Maine Medical Center.

The northern Maine tournament was dedicated

The PLC’s Log A Load efforts have now raised more than $1.925 million since 1995. In addition to setting records at both golf tournaments this year, the PLC Annual Meeting Log a Load for Maine Kids Auction also set a record, raising $144,399.

“

The PLC and our hospital partners, supporters and members have never settled for anything less than a maximum effort when it comes to making miracles happen for Maine kids,” Doran said. “These event totals in 2022 are proof than even in extremely difficult times for the logging industry, the generosity of loggers and the industry never wavers.”

to the memory of Gary “Swampy” Worster of Lee, a longtime supporter of the event.

Northern tournament underway at JATO Highlands.

Thomas Douglass, center, with friends and teammates at the Northern tournament. Thomas Logging and Forestry was the winning team.

The PLC and the Northern Light Health Foundation (formerly Eastern Maine Health Systems Foundation) have partnered in the Log A Load fundraising effort since 1996. Donations have gone to support research and training, purchase equipment, and pay for uncompensated care, all in support of the mission to save and improve the lives of as many children in Maine as possible. Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor is a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital and includes a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that has received support for years from the PLC’s Log A Load efforts.

The PLC partners with The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center in

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

Learn more at www.logaload.org

Teams gather at the start of the Southern tournament at Kezar Lake Country Club.

Winning team at the southern tournament: Drew Corp.

MLOP Graduation 2022

SUMMIT TOWNSHIP – Graduates of Maine’s only college training program for operators of mechanized logging equipment were recognized Thursday, Sept. 15 at a ceremony held at the site in Summit Township where they have spent weeks harvesting timber using sophisticated machines utilized in the contemporary logging industry. Nine students were recognized at the event. They

included Wyatt Ryder of West Paris, Wyatt Baruch of Madison, William Osgood of North Yarmouth, Stephen Pare of Milford, Mason Rowe of New Vineyard, Isaac Valley of Sanford, Eligh Norwood of Gray, Cole Chamberlain of Caribou, and Andrew Shaw of Whitefield. All nine have already secured employment in the logging industry or received job offers they are considering.

Instructors and students of the 2022 MLOP class on graduation day, Sept. 15

Expansion to come in 2023

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

This year’s class is the sixth since the certificate program launched in 2017. The program, offered through Northern Maine Community College (NMCC), provides students a broad overview of the most common mechanical systems found in modern timber harvesting equipment and an understanding of the variables of timber growth, tree species, market flux and a strong emphasis on safety. Courses are taught hands-on in a forest environment, operating the most current equipment in the industry, with supplemental classroom training.

bringing 70 qualified new people into the industry and I think that’s quite an accomplishment,” Cole said. “60 percent of those who have completed the program are still in the profession and I believe that’s better than most colleges, so we’re headed in a good direction.”

Angela Buck, Academic Dean of NMCC, also thanked the many partners who have made the program possible and expressed pride for the accomplishments of the students.

$1 million in dedicated federal funding has been secured to expand the program in 2023 and 2024 and add Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) instruction to train the next generation of timber haulers. The funding will allow the program, which currently operates one 12-week class each summer, to expand to two classes per year for the next two years.

The program was created in 2017 thanks to a partnership between the Maine Community College System, the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine (PLC), and industry partners. Supported by the Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine’s Workforce, students pay no tuition or fees, and the program provides all required personal protective equipment (PPE).

Will Cole, President of the PLC, congratulated the students and noted the impact the MLOP program, now in its sixth year, is beginning to have on an industry that - like all trades - desperately needs new workers. He also thanked the many industry supporters that have made the program possible.

“I’d like to give a round of applause for those folks, as of today through this program, we have completed

“Congratulations for this work, you have a great future ahead of you,” Buck said. “We are very proud of what you have done and of what you are going to do.”

$1 million in dedicated federal funding has been secured to expand the program in 2023 and 2024 and add Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) instruction to train the next generation of timber haulers. The funding will allow the program, which currently operates one 12-week class each summer, to expand to two classes per year for the next two years.

The funding secured on behalf of NMCC was one of Congressman Jared Golden’s Community Project Funding requests. The House passed the bill containing Golden’s request March 9. It subsequently passed the Senate with support from Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and was signed into law by President Biden on March 15.

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

Trucking Industry News...

Beginning November 7, 2022, motor carriers who continue to use the revoked device listed above would be considered to be operating without an ELD. Safety officials who encounter a driver using a revoked device on or after November 7, 2022 should cite 395.8(a)(1), and place the driver out-of-service in accordance with the CVSA OOS Criteria

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has removed ELDorado ELD from the list of registered Electronic Logging Devices (ELD). FMCSA has placed ELDorado ELD on the Revoked Devices list due to the company’s failure to meet the minimum requirements established in 49 CFR part 395, subpart B, appendix A, effective September 7, 2022.

FMCSA will be sending an industry email to let motor carriers know that all who use ELDorado ELD must take the following steps:

Discontinue using the revoked device(s) and revert to paper logs or logging software to record required hours of service data.

Replace the revoked device(s) with compliant ELD(s) from the Registered Devices list before November 7, 2022.

Motor carriers have a grace period of up to 60 days to replace the revoked device(s) with compliant ELD (s). If the ELD provider corrects all identified deficiencies, FMCSA will place the device back on the list of registered devices and inform the industry and the field.

During the grace period, safety officials are encouraged not to cite drivers using ELDorado ELD for 395.8(a)(1) –“No ELD” or 395.22(a) –“Failed to use a registered ELD.” During this time, safety officials should request the driver’s paper logs, logging software, or use the ELDorado ELD display as a back-up method to review the hours of service data.

FMCSA strongly encourages motor carriers to take the actions listed above now to avoid compliance issues in the event that the deficiencies are not addressed in time.

For more information on ELDs, visit FMCSA’s ELD implementation website.

DOT Awards Funding to Community Colleges to Prepare Veterans for Jobs in Trucking…

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has awarded $3.1 million to community colleges and training institutes through the Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) Grant Program. These grants will assist current and former members of the Armed Forces who want to pursue careers in trucking to get commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) and the training they need to enter the profession.

“Veterans know how to get things where they need to go safely. At a time when our supply chain depends on having more qualified truck drivers, this program will give those who have served in uniform a new and important way to contribute, and benefit, by launching a new career in this vital industry,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

The CMVOST grant program has three goals: to expand the number of CDL holders possessing enhanced operator safety training; to provide opportunities for current or former members of the United States Armed

FMCSA has Removed ELDorado’s “ELDorado ELD” from List of Registered ELDs…

Trucking

Forces (including National Guard members and reservists) and their spouses to enter trucking or bussing; and help increase training opportunities for candidates from underserved communities, as identified in the President’s Executive Order 13985.

In FY 2022, FMCSA paved the way for a broader range of institutions to apply for CMVOST grants as the Agency did not require applicants to propose a local matching share of funding. This expansion will allow more

qualified candidates from across the country to more easily be able to afford the training and licensing needed to join the trucking profession commercial motor vehicle drivers.

Trucking

Continued Page 30

In addition to these grants, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the Trucking Action Plan earlier this year that has created new apprenticeship programs to recruit more truck drivers, as well as a compensation study and truck leasing task force to improve retention in the truck driving profession.

Reminder to Substance Abuse Professionals (SAPs): Ensuring a Return to Duty Process Unique to Each Individual Employee...

U.S. Department of Transportation sent this bulletin on Oct. 4.

It has come to the attention of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) that some Substance Abuse Professionals (SAP) are providing Return-to-Duty (RTD) timelines to employees who have violated the DOT drug and/or alcohol regulations before conducting the required initial evaluation and SAP assessment of the employee. Doing so directly contravenes 49 CFR Part 40 and potentially compromises public safety. It also undermines the SAP’s role in evaluating each individual employee and directing that employee to get the specific help the employee needs.

As a reminder, your role as a SAP is important to the DOT return-to-duty process. You are not an advocate for the employer or the employee. Your function as a SAP is to protect the public interest in safety by evaluating the employee and recommending appropriate education and/or treatment, follow-up tests, and aftercare.

As a SAP, the decisions you make and the actions you take regarding an employee who has violated the DOT drug and/or alcohol regulations have the potential to impact transportation safety. The ultimate goals of the SAP process are to address the employee’s needs for rehabilitation for the sake of the employee, and to give the employee the tools the employee needs to return to the performance of safetysensitive duties.

Consistent with sound clinical and established SAP

standards of care in clinical practice, and utilizing reliable alcohol and drug abuse assessment tools, you must conduct an assessment and evaluation, either in-person or virtually (per applicable guidance), of the employee. In our longstanding SAP Guidelines, we have told SAPs, “The evaluation should be comprised of a review of the employee’s psychosocial history, an in-depth review of the employee’s drug and alcohol use history (with information regarding onset, duration, frequency, and amount of use; substance(s) of use and choice; emotional and physical characteristics of use; and associated health, work, family, personal, and interpersonal problems); and an evaluation of the employee’s current mental status.”

We want to strongly remind SAPs of the following 49 CFR Part 40 regulatory requirements:

Provide a comprehensive assessment and clinical evaluation unique to the employee. [See 40.293(a)]

Recommend a course of education and/or treatment unique to the needs of the employee whom you have assessed and evaluated. You must make a recommendation for education and/or treatment that will, to the greatest extent possible, protect public safety in the event that the employee returns to the performance of safety-sensitive functions. [See 40.293(b) and 40.293(b)(2)]

In determining what your recommendation will be, SAPs must not take into consideration any of the following: Employee claims that the testing process was unjust or inaccurate. [See 40.293(f)(1)]

Employee attempts to mitigate the seriousness of the violation (e.g., hemp oil, “medical marijuana” use, “contact positives”, poppy seed ingestion, job stress). [See 40.293(f) (2)]

Personal opinions about the justification or rationale for the drug and alcohol testing. [See 40.293(f)(3)]

Again, SAPs should not provide employees with estimated RTD timelines because each employee’s situation is unique.

As a resource, the Substance Abuse Professional Guidelines is posted at https://www.transportation.gov/ odapc/substance-abuse-professional-guidelines.

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

WESTBROOK, Maine - Acadia Insurance, a W. R. Berkley Company®, recently announced that it will pay $970,903 in premium dividends to eligible policyholder members of the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine (PLC) Safety Group. Since 1999, Acadia has distributed over $13 million in premium dividends to eligible participants of this safety group.

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

“The strong partnership between Acadia and the PLC has once again resulted in premium dividends being paid to the group,” said Douglas Freeman, Regional Vice President of Acadia Insurance’s Maine Branch. “These financial rewards are the result of the dedication of the PLC members and the Acadia Underwriting, Loss Control, and Claims teams, who are all focused on promoting safe operations. I also want to acknowledge our independent agency partners who play a key role in this successful long-term relationship.“

The PLC of Maine has been serving loggers

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

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

About Acadia Insurance

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

Ted Clark, CLCS, Loss Control Consultant, Acadia Insurance

Quarterly Safety Meeting: Preventative Maintenance

With untold pressure on the logging industry to produce and a strained supply of parts for your machinery, 2022 has been a challenging year for equipment maintenance, forcing owners and operators to “do more with less” and to “make it work until it can be fixed properly.” With the seasons quickly turning to winter, these challenges will quickly become amplified with the harsh conditions increasing the wear and tear and making preventative maintenance even more challenging.

Cleaning, which generally takes place at a relatively high frequency during the summer months, also falls off due to the challenges and limitations associated with the weather. Wood debris which is often laden with oils and grease can serve as fuel for a fire, causing an existing fire to rapidly spread inside the machine and quickly overwhelm fire protection measures that you have in place. The maintenance issues, coupled with the challenges to keep machinery clean, can be a recipe for disaster when it comes to protecting your machinery from fire loss.

The best way to reduce the likelihood of a fire loss on machinery in the winter is to work with your mechanic staff, supervisors, and operators to develop a winter maintenance plan that specifically addresses the increased hazards.

A basic maintenance plan should include:

Frequent inspections of wear items such as hydraulic lines, gaskets, etc. requiring them to be replaced as soon as they reach a predetermined threshold in order to avoid partial or complete failure. If a fluid leak is noticed, it should be remediated immediately, rather than waiting for it to worsen.

The process and frequency for cleaning machinery in the winter should include daily debris removal by the operator and consistent higher-level cleanings that include air and pressure washing. During the winter, with cold temperatures and potential for the water to freeze, pressure washing may not be practical. Because pressure washing may not be possible in the winter, it is critical to develop a plan to remove fluids following a leak or spill such as utilizing spill pads to absorb it.

Check and clean preheaters.

Verify radios work on the machine.

Master switches should be shut down at night, cutting power to the machine and reducing the chance of a fire resulting from faulty or worn wiring.

Verify your loaded stream extinguishers are properly winterized with manufacturer recommended anti-

freezing agent. RV anti-freeze is not recommended as it contains flammable components that can make the fire worse. Refer to your fire suppression contractor to verify that you are properly winterizing your loaded stream extinguishers.

Verify your fire suppression system is up-to-date with inspection and maintenance. This should take place at least every 6 months by a third-party suppression contractor. An active fire suppression system may help reduce the damage caused by a fire on your machine. Avoid storing oils and/or compressed canisters, such as starter fluid, in engine or hydraulic compartments on the machinery. While these areas may be hot enough to keep the materials warm, they can also cause these items to ignite or fuel an existing fire.

Parts and materials supply has been a challenge since COVID disrupted the supply chain. While some parts are more readily available, it’s a good idea to have an inventory of parts and wear items on hand so they can be replaced as needed and you’re able to keep your operation running.

Make sure steps and access points are well maintained and clear of snow and ice.

Make sure lights on the machinery are all in good shape and cleaned to give visibility in the dark hours. Check your secondary egress from the machine.

Breakdowns and machine fires cause countless hours and days of down time, losing your company untold profits. Winter, presenting different and increased hazards then summertime, demands a maintenance and cleaning policy that accounts for these challenges. Developing a winter maintenance and cleaning program that specifically addresses these hazards, and working with your employees to maintain this level of maintenance, will help you remain more productive and, in turn, more profitable in the long run.

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

Safety

*This sign-in sheet is intended to be used with the quarterly Safety Training Topic on page 33. Refer to the cutline on page 33 when removing it from the magazine.

LifelongLearning

ByDonaldBurr PLCSafety&TrainingCoordinator safety@maineloggers.com

When I was working as a commercial logging operator, the contractor I worked for always said we do not hide anything even if it makes us not look good or intelligent. With this article, I am continuing with this tradition. This summer, on the Mechanized Logging Operations Program (MLOP), we had an accident that could have been easily prevented. I was standing there watching and directing some of the actions.

In early August, we had just taken delivery of a different delimber and we were getting into it and teaching students about the differences it had compared to the delimber that was switched out. At the same time, a hose began leaking on the crane.

With the crane instructor, we looked over the leaking hose and determined what we needed to replace it.

I noticed that it had a male pipe end, and I started to explain what type of fitting it was and that possibly it was a rare swivel male end. I failed to notice that it was the heel cylinder hose and that the boom was resting on the heel (1st mistake).

One more instructor and three students joined us for the adventure. I directed one of the students to get the wrenches needed to take the hose off. To get better leverage, the student stood on the heel, about 1.5 ft off the ground (2nd mistake). We talked about hitting the fitting with a hammer to loosen it up, which end swiveled, and which way to hold the wrenches for maximum torque.

All students and instructors had safety glasses, but in this group, only two of the instructors were actually wearing them (3rd mistake).

The crane instructor was standing behind the student, undoing the hose and assisting him in standing on the heel. When the hose came off, it sprayed hydraulic oil over two students and me. Neither student got hydraulic oil sprayed directly into their eyes, but when the oil ran down their faces, the oil got into their eyes. We washed their eyes with bottled water, and neither complained of pain or vision issues.

The student standing on the heel fell off when the heel dropped to the ground. The heel hit the crane instructor in the back of the hand, breaking the skin open. We decided to take the students and the instructor to the local walk-in care to be checked. The doctor gave the students some drops for their eyes and said everything looked good. The instructor was also cleared by the doctor but did require one follow-up appointment, and now he and

the students are fully recovered.

Later that night, I was telling this story at our town’s fire department training, and one of the firefighters turned to me and said, “don’t you have a de-energizing policy (Lockout/Tagout) and one or two videos on this subject? I think you should watch those!” He is right. We had a written LO/TO policy for the crane. I have also written, produced, and made available to the PLC contractors three videos, two talking about safety glasses and one on Lockout/Tagout.

I think that my next video should be keeping your eye on what is essential 1st. I should have known better, but I got caught up with explaining the different aspects of the hose and using wrenches to take the hose off and not, “Where is the danger here?”

When the boom was grounded, it was low enough to reach the hose without standing on anything and was deenergized, making it easier and safer to work on. We have a step-by-step process to make the equipment safe to work on. We should have started there, and I can assure you that we did just that from then on.

In conclusion, what are the lessons learned here?

1. Don’t be focused on the problem until you answer the question, “where is the energy, and how can we get hurt here?”

2. Make sure everybody is wearing proper PPE for the job.

3. Continue to reevaluate the repair for hazards.

4. Safety is everyone’s job. If you see a hazard stop the repair and make it safe.

Here are the links to the three videos, and look for the upcoming video on “keeping your eye on what is essential 1st.”

(Humpday safety) Safety Glasses: https://youtu.be/ BqUsGRCoXdk

(Unsafe Zone) Tony Madden’s taking about safety glasses: https://youtu.be/8o_r4QAT5ko

(Humpday safety) Lockout/Tagout: https://youtu.be/ Cpfx4a23kco

Reducing Slips, Trips and Falls, andAssociated Injuries in the Logging Industry

By Brie Weisman, OTR/L with Maine LogAbility

(Part 2 of 2)

In the last issue we discussed best practices to reduce slips, trips and falls (STFs) on the job. This month we’ll cover exercises for a strong and limber core. Strength and agility dramatically reduce both the likelihood and the severity of STFs. Because falls can be reduced but not eliminated entirely, we’ll also discuss how to fall correctly to minimize injuries.

EXERCISES FOR BALANCE AND AGILITY

For aging loggers, balance and agility exercises help counter muscle loss and slower reaction time. For loggers of any age or fitness level, they improve performance in the midst of accidents and emergencies. They also have the valuable benefit of leaving you feeling less tired and sore after long or strenuous workdays.

-Do bicep curls with dumbbells while balancing on one foot

-Stand on one leg while slowly moving the raised foot forward/backward and side-to-side. Increase the level of difficulty by standing on a pillow or exercise equipment designed for improving balance, such as a wobble board.

-Squats. (Beginner squats: from a stand to sit and sit to stand with a standard kitchen chair, without using arms. Progress to not sitting back on a chair for as many reps as possible, until you can perform full sets of standard squats.) As you bend, keep knees centered over ankles–don’t lean forward so they extend over toes.

-Heel-toe walking, forwards and backwards.

-Play with the kids! Jumprope, dance, hopscotch, run obstacles, dodgeball, etc. If you feel the need to let kids win, try your utmost on your own as well, after playtime. If young kids are legitimately beating you, practice until they can’t!

-Stretching/yoga. Increased flexibility means greater range of motion and faster reflexes.This not only reduces STFs overall, it also results in a greater ability to recover from a slip or a trip, as well as increased ability to react well in a fall. It also reduces the overall risk of injury and soreness outside of STFs. Please download our Yoga for Farmers poster or request a copy. Farmers and loggers have similar aches and pains and similar work tasks.

We will be providing a more specific Yoga for Loggers poster in 2023.

https://extension.umaine.edu/agrability/wp-content/ uploads/sites/15/2020/07/

YogaForFarmersPoster_Web.pdf

HOW TO FALL

The difference between a good and bad fall isn’t luck, it’s a cool head and planning.

LOOK. The moment balance is lost and a fall is imminent, take charge. Seek a safe location toward which to direct your fall, away from people and hazards.

DIRECT your fall by turning/leaning into the direction you want to go. If necessary, swing arms in that direction to create directional momentum.

RELAX. Fall relaxed, loosely curled up, rolling into the fall, to a side if possible.

PROTECT. Use a shoulder to protect your head if necessary. If you cannot fall as described above, try to land on soft, fleshy body parts, like buttocks or shoulders.

AVOID using arms to break falls! That risks breaking or otherwise injuring shoulders, wrists, fingers, and the long bones of the arms.

PRACTICE. Gymnasts, martial artists, and other athletes train how to fall correctly. Seek out a personal trainer with these skills.

AFTER YOU FALL

Fight the impulse to spring up as if nothing happened. Excitement, fear, and embarrassment all cloud judgment; adrenaline masks serious injuries. Rushing to your feet on a sprain or break can significantly worsen that injury. In the event of a hard fall or a direct blow to the head, neck, or spine, the possibility of a spinal or head injury is very real. In the event of any fall, follow basic first aid protocol for a full bodily inventory for injuries (https://www.redcross.org/take-aclass/first-aid). It is preferable that someone else perform the inventory on you as you lie still. This is especially true if the fall involves the head, neck, or back. Immediate medical attention should always be sought for black outs, dizziness, nausea, headaches, tenderness to touch on the spine or head, or visible spine or head injuries. A wealth of data shows that the best hope for complete or the greatest possible recovery from concussions and other serious head injuries lies in receiving medical attention as soon as possible.

For More Information, visit Maine LogAbility, part of the Maine AgrAbility program: https://extension.umaine.edu/ agrability/

Safety Safety Meeting

PLC Members, you are invited to join us in-person on Tuesday, October 25th for our fall PLC Safety Committee meeting to develop our safety training programs for 2023. The meeting will be held in Bangor at the Cross Insurance Center, at 515 Main St. Please RSVP to: office@maineloggers.com or call 207-688-8195 ext. 1

PLC Statement on Jay Mill Closure Announcement

JAY – The Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of Maine trade association greeted Pixelle Specialty Solutions’ announcement Sept. 20 that its mill in Jay will close early next year with disappointment and concern, citing the effect the loss of the mill will have on the local community and Maine’s forest economy.

“We are deeply concerned for those, including

many friends and family members of our own members, whose livelihoods will be affected by this announcement,” PLC Executive Director Dana Doran, said. “Before the loss of its pulp digester to an explosion in April 2020, the Jay mill represented about 23 percent of the pulp market for the state of Maine and was critical to Maine logging and trucking firms and their ability to properly manage forest health. The decision last year not

The Pixelle Specialty Solutions mill in Jay, Maine.

to rebuild that digester was a huge blow to the industry and the forests, and while very little of the pulp consumed by the mill today comes from Maine, we remain hopeful that a future owner may see the potential it has and create new opportunities for Maine wood fiber.”

Wood pulp has always been an anchor of Maine’s forest economy, until recently providing a large and reliable market for wood unsuitable for lumber or other high-grade products. The pulp market has also allowed loggers to better manage forest health by making it financially possible for them to selectively thin forest stands to achieve the best longterm outcomes rather than targeting only the largest and straightest trees for saw logs.

Pixelle’s announcement made no mention of whether the company intends to sell the mill. Selling to an owner willing to continue operating it to create products made from Maine wood fiber should be the top priority for Pixelle, Doran said.

“With Maine’s vast forest resource and experienced logging and trucking workforce close at hand, we believe restarting the mill and pulp production in Jay will make good financial sense for a future owner,” Doran said. “We also hope that this announcement reminds Maine’s elected officials how challenged Maine’s loggers and truckers are at the present time as they grapple with inflation, workforce challenges, and unstable markets. If we want to ensure the logging industry in this state does not become a thing of the past, the time to act is now.”

WaterbarInstallation

ByTomGilbert

WaterResourcesSpecialist

MaineForestService

Waterbars are one of the most commonly used BMPs. Inexpensive and quick to install, a few properly placed waterbars before a big rain or at closeout can mean the difference between a trouble free harvest and the headache of mud in the brook. Though they seem simple, installing an effective waterbar takes some thought and practice. It is better to take the time to install a few good waterbars, and in the right places, than waste time and diesel pushing mounds that may be ineffective.

The first question to ask is do I need waterbars? A trail that has been well brushed and on a gentle slope or one that has used the natural terrain to break up long continuous slopes may not need waterbars at all. Trails that have long continuous slopes, steep sections or approaches to stream crossings with exposed soil are all good candidates for waterbars.

Once you have determined waterbars are needed, take some time to figure out the best locations. Waterbars

seed and mulch should be used instead of waterbars. A properly constructed waterbar has five parts; an inlet, an outlet, mound height, depth and proper angle. Inlet – The inlet of a water bar must extend far enough off the trail to be sure all runoff on the trail is captured.

Outlet – The outlet must extend far enough off the trail so that water will not reenter the trail. It should direct the water into an area of undisturbed forest floor so it can disperse and be absorbed, preventing water from reaching a waterbody.

Mound height– The mound height should be high enough so that water cannot flow over the waterbar. Depending on conditions, often 6-12” high is sufficient.

Depth – The depth channels water off the trail via the outlet. Water should drain effectively but not gather enough speed to erode the trail.

Angle – Waterbars should be installed at about a 30 degree angle to the trail. A “mound of dirt” oriented perpendicular to the trail will not drain properly and will form a dam, eventually directing water over or around the structure.

Installing a good waterbar with a skidder presents some special challenges, for a helpful video check out the EZ Bar waterbar installation instructional video on the Maine Forest Service Website: https://www.maine.gov/ dacf/mfs/policy_management/water_resources/ bmps.html

need to be located frequently enough to prevent large volumes of water from accumulating in the trail. Waterbars must also be designed so they will get water off the trail effectively and it keep it off. On stream crossing approaches, the last water bar should be located just outside the waterbody filter area. Inside the filter area, soil stabilization techniques such as brush or

What loggers deal with every day: Misunderstanding and hostility

Recently a local logger in Standish Maine was left a less than friendly note in his skidder. On the morning of August 15 2022 a note was found in the cab of the logger’s skidder berating his existence while telling him he was destroying the forest.

On July 21 2022 a line of strong thunderstorms went through Maine and unexpectedly caused a lot of widespread damage to many people’s property. One particular landowner lost a lot of trees due to blowdown from the storm. This logger was hired to do a clean up job to remove the trees that broke and clean up the mess that was made from the storm, all to promote a healthier forest for this landowner.

These are the things that often times logging operations deal with. The lack of conversation between people that don't understand the industry and the importance of managing land is summed up perfectly in the note that was left. Ironically, the person in question left the note on private property that was printed on paper from forests like the one the logger was “destroying.”

The note above was left in the cab of a skidder belonging to a logger at a job site in southern Maine. This came to the attention of PLC Member Contractor Richard Wing & Sons Logging, who was trucking for the logger at the time.

Contributed by PLC Member Contractor Richard Wing & Sons Logging

$30 Million USDA Award Includes Funds To Expand Number of Master Logger Certified Companies and Develop Climate Logging Curriculum and Incentives

AUGUSTA, ME - The Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands (TCNEF), will receive funding to expand the number of Master Logger Certified® companies and develop Climate-Smart curriculum and incentives for loggers as part of a $30 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program.

USDA awarded the grant on Sept. 14 to the New England Forestry Foundation (NEFF) and its partners to help forest landowners implement climate-smart forest practices that also protect ecosystem health and biodiversity. The partnership includes more than 20 companies, organizations, and institutions from across New England, including TCNEF.

The overall project is known as the New England Climate-Smart Forest Partnership Project and will implement forest management practices with large commercial producers and smaller woodlot owners to store more carbon in the forest, quantify the resulting carbon gains, and build markets for climate-smart forest products to store carbon in wood products and substitute wood products for fossil fuel-based materials.

TCNEF will receive more than $2.3 million of the funds and match that amount through its own funds and inkind contributions to generate up to $4.7 million. That money will be utilized over four years to cut application costs for logging companies seeking Master Logger certification - thereby expanding the number of new companies by up to 50 percent, developing and offering Climate-Smart logging training including Best Management Practices (BMPs), and incentivizing companies to adopt the practices taught in that curriculum through payments on a per-acre basis.

“Loggers, and more specifically Certified Master Loggers, play a critical role in Climate-Smart Forest practices, they are the ones who implement BMPs and provide the quality work which has a major impact on the

amount of carbon storage and climate resilience a forest can achieve,” Ted Wright, Executive Director of TCNEF, said. “TCNEF thanks USDA for recognizing the important role of loggers and including them in this program.”

Funding for Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities will be delivered through USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation in two pools. The 70 projects announced on September 14 are from the first funding pool, which included proposals seeking funds ranging from $5 million to $100 million. Access the full list of selected projects.

The Master Logger Certification Program® was created in 2000 as the world’s first point-of-harvest certification program, offering third party independent certification of logging companies’ harvesting practices. In 2003, the TCNEF was created to administer the program with the broader goal of “enhancing the health of working forest ecosystems through exceptional accountability” throughout the Northern Forest region.

Master Logger has since expanded to seven northeast states from Maine to New York. Today there are more than 120 Master Logger companies in the region.

In addition to administering the Master Logger program, TCNEF administers an FSC® -certified group of family forest landowners throughout New England and New York. Under this arrangement forest landowners can inexpensively gain access to FSC® group certification. TCNEF is the administrative body that holds the FSC certificate and has overall responsibility for compliance with the FSC® Northeast Regional Standard.

TCNEF also administers an FSC® -certified group of Chain of Custody that provides an information trail, established and audited according to rules set by FSC, for Master Loggers and wood products companies to ensure that wood comes from certified forests.

Learn more at tcnef.org and masterloggercertification.com

As We See It July 2022

By Scott Dane

Missouri, Going Back to Where ItAll Began

In 1994, loggers from across the country met in St. Louis, Missouri to discuss forming the American Loggers Council, hoping to provide a national voice for the logging sector of the forest products industry. The meeting was precipitated by the American Forests and Paper Association rolling out the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. A program which was initiated without any input from the logging sector, with disregard for the fact that the burden of implementation and compliance was going to lay primarily upon the loggers.

Spearheaded by Earl St. John, and thirty-three other logging leaders from across the country, the meeting was convened, and over the course of a few days the framework of the American Loggers Council was developed.

That was a gutsy move, especially considering that loggers were expected to be seen and not heard within the industry. Though loggers had previously been silent and fragmented, these leaders stood up and said, “We are going to be heard. We are not going to be dismissed and ignored. We are going to be represented!”

As we’ve recently celebrated Independence Day, it is

good to recall that the founders of the American Loggers Council, like the founders of the United States, similarly risked personal ramifications, but still, “pledged to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our honor.” In retrospect the risk was worthwhile, as with our nation, so it has been for our organization. The battle belongs to the brave.

Today, the American Logging Council is unquestionably the NATIONAL VOICE OF THE AMERICAN LOGGERS, representing over 30 state and regional associations, nearly 100 Individual Logger Members (ILM), and all major primary industry vendors. You, as a stakeholder in the timber industry, are represented from coast to coast, north to south, from the landing to the halls of Congress.

As We See ItAugust 2022

By Scott Dane

Mature and Old-Growth Trees Defining Ambiguity

Ox-y-mo-ron: a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction and are selfcontradictory. Such as Responsible Government, in this case – Forest Management.

Washington DC has been described as embodying the best of northern hospitality and southern ingenuity. Not necessarily the epitome of functionality. On “Earth Day” President Biden signed an Executive Order directing the Forest Service and Department of Interior to “define, identify and complete an inventory of old-growth and mature forests on Federal lands.”

It is the “defining” of old-growth and mature timber where the concern should be for the forestry professionals and forest products industries. The variations in regions, species, management practices and numerous other factors create such a level of ambiguity (the quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness) that it is impossible to define a single standard. Hence, defining the undefinable and the oxymoron - defining ambiguity.

Regardless “Old-Growth” has been employed by anti -forest management groups to obstruct forest management to the point of predisposing millions of acres to burn annually. All in the name of protecting the forests. Now throw “Mature Forests” into the equation.

The Climate Forests Coalition, a group of dozens of environmental organizations including Environment America, the National Resource Defense Council, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the Sierra Club prepared a report claiming that logging is the greatest threat to mature and oldgrowth forests.

The objective of this exercise in defining OldGrowth and Mature Forests is evident: further obstacles to federal forest management. Significant restrictions and limitations already exist regarding Old-Growth forests on federal land. The addition of the new category of “Mature Forests” opens a pandora’s box that would create a new weapon in the arsenal of regular legal challenges to federal forest management efforts.

“Commercial forests are often grown to maturity and then harvested before they reach old-growth status” Len Montgomery, Environment America Public Lands Director.

The irony of this statement is very revealing in that it would advocate that “mature” timber not be harvested in order to allow it to reach “old-growth” status, at which time it cannot be harvested either. This would suggest that timber should be harvested before it reaches maturity, which would be contrary to the position that mature timber is necessary to develop old-growth timber because, under that premise, immature timber must be protected to allow it to become mature timber and later old-growth timber. Hence, under the guise of old growth and mature forest scrutiny, no timber

harvest on public lands is the ultimate objective of opponents of professional forest management.

For a government that professes to follow the science, I would suggest that they consider Silviculture. Generally, silviculture is the “science” and art of growing and cultivating forest crops, based on a knowledge of silvics (the study of the life history and general characteristics of forest trees and stands, with particular reference to local/regional factors). The focus of silviculture is the control, establishment, and management of forest stands. The primary benefits of silvicultural practices are; it produces abundant raw materials for the forest products industry; it increases forest cover which is necessary for the conservation of wildlife; and it maintains a perfect water cycle in nature.

The practice of silvicultural-based forest management identifies the process as a stand that is tended, harvested, and re-established. Silviculture is a cycle that requires all aspects of the process to be completed. The harvest age class cycle is based on maturity, which varies from region and species.

The science of silviculture identifies the optimal point, and maturity, at which timber should be harvested. Mature trees are those that have reached their maximum product value, or the point where vigor, health, or growth are declining. Harvesting timber after the point of maturity renders dead, rotten, and diseased forests that are prone to diminish the merchantable value.

Therefore, any consideration defining Mature Forests and Old-Growth Forests, must be based on the science of silviculture and not an environmental agenda of no timber management or harvest. The latter is not scientifically based and is an obvious attempt at creating another false premise to obstruct science-based silviculture forest management practices. “You must remember that the forest which contributes nothing to the wealth, progress, or safety of the country is of no interest to the government”, President Theodore Roosevelt, America’s “Conservation President”, 1903 speech to the Society of American Foresters, the USDA and the DOI.

This is an exercise in semantics that will accomplish nothing positive toward the forest management goals and objectives of the United States. Implementation of language defining “Mature Forests” will, on the contrary, “create forests which contribute nothing to the wealth, progress or safety of the country, and should be of no interest to the government.”

In conclusion, if the USDA/USFS and DOI were to dangerously attempt to define “Mature Forests”, without basing it on the facts and science, it is merely a pandering exercise in futility that would contribute nothing to the objective of improving forest health and reducing wildfires by forest professionals, but instead would result in another obstruction to federal forest management objectives and healthy forests.

As We See It October 2022

By Scott Dane

Get in the Wheelbarrow

Superbowl Champion Quarterback Kurt Warner sent a letter to the American Loggers Council that was shared at the Annual Conference. In it, Kurt conveys a story regarding a symbolic reminder to the 1999 Superbowl Champion, St. Louis Rams football team during their practices. Their coach Dick Vermeil had a blue wheelbarrow on the sidelines. It was a visual motivational reminder to inspire the team and was based on the following story:

There once was a man who traveled from town to town performing a tightrope act. In one town he proclaimed that he would walk on a rope spanning a nearby wide river canyon. He boasted he would do it pushing a wheelbarrow.

Townsfolk didn’t believe him, so he practiced flawlessly just five feet off of the ground on a rope tied between a pair of trees. After seeing the tightrope walker practice one farmer said he believed the man could cross the river canyon. He even bet $10 to prove his faith in the man’s skills.

The man asked the farmer if he really had faith that he could do it? The farmer said, “I sure do.” The tightrope walker said, “Okay, get in the wheelbarrow!”

The moral of the story is there are believers that stand on the sidelines and believers that get in the wheelbarrow. Kurt’s letter closes with:

Success on any field begins with faith. Faith in yourself. Faith in your teammates. Faith in coaches. And in my case faith in God. The championship teams that I played with had faith. We climbed in the wheelbarrow together.

So – Keep the Faith

Kurt Warner was an American underdog who got his chance to play for the St. Louis Rams in 1999 after having been passed over by other teams. The American Loggers Council got its chance in St. Louis Missouri in 1994 when the “team” was formed by a bunch of American underdogs who had faith – faith in themselves, faith in each other and faith in God. They got in the wheelbarrow together and over the past 28 years crossed many canyons while building a championship team. They didn’t stand on the sidelines, they got in the game. They took the hits, but they carried the ball and scored! The American Loggers Council is a championship team!

Kurt also autographed a poster titled Legacy which said: “Legacy – Live a Life that Inspires Others to Dream Bigger, Try Harder, Do Better and Accomplish the Unexpected.”

Those that came together to form the American Loggers Council in Missouri in 1994 have left a legacy because they inspired others to dream bigger, try harder, do better and accomplish the unexpected. They had faith and got into the wheelbarrow. Today’s American Loggers Council is their legacy. Some of them were in Branson and were recognized. Representing the first President, Earl St. Johns was his grandson, Jordan St. Johns, and his great-grandson.

Also present and recognized were inaugural representatives Jim Carey (MI) and Eric Mayranen (MN) and Charles Johns (FL). Representing Marvin Zuber (OR) was his son, Bruce Zuber, Western Regional Representative of the American Loggers Council.

The legacy of the American logger has been recognized. It was announced at the conference that a Resolution was introduced in the U.S. Senate to designate October 12th as National Loggers Day. This resolution honors the American Logger for their role in building America; producing products for Americans from the renewable timber harvested; creating jobs; and forest management which results in healthy forests that provide recreational opportunities, animal habitat, clean water, carbon sequestration and reduction of wildfires. The designation of this National Loggers Day was achieved because (team) members of the American Loggers Council worked together to garner this overdue national recognition. So loggers, on October 12th, take a moment to proudly reflect on what you do, on what your fathers and grandfathers did, and how it contributes to building America every day. Without loggers, America would not be the great country it is today. You are an American legacy.

Kurt Warner and his wife Brenda run the First Things First foundation which is dedicated to impacting lives in a lasting way by promoting Christian values, sharing experiences, and providing opportunities to encourage everyone that all things are possible when people seek to put “first things first”. When Kevin Smith, American Loggers Council Director of Communications and Marketing, contacted the First Things First Foundation and explained to them that the American Loggers Council is the national sponsor of the Log-A-Load For Kids program and that we would be holding a fundraising auction at the conference, Kurt responded with the letter and autographed Legacy poster.

With great success comes great responsibility. Kurt Warner accepts this and so does the American Loggers Council. The ALC has been blessed with success, and, like Kurt, appreciates the responsibility to help others and impact their lives in a positive way. The Log A Load For Kids auction raised over $56,000! In addition, an impromptu auction to support a logger dealing with cancer was conducted. The two items (autographed Duck Dynasty duck calls and Stihl chainsaw) that were donated were auctioned –donated back – then reauctioned - numerous times, raising a total of $38,000.

Two-hundred and fifty timber industry

The outpouring of support and generosity demonstrated by loggers from across the country for children in Missouri and a logger in Louisiana was a testimony of the character of the logging community and family.

representatives came to Branson Missouri from across the country to represent the American logging industry. They met to discuss and explore “Tomorrow’s Timber Industry”. To share ideas and thoughts, much like loggers did 28 years prior when they formed the American Loggers Council, to ensure that there is a viable future for the next generation. They came together to be responsible corporate stewards and support their communities. They came together to be part of a team, a winning team, and to make a difference – and what a difference they made!

The American Loggers Council now represents loggers in 38 states. If you are reading this, and you are not a member of your state logging association or the American Loggers Council, don’t be a believer that stands on the sidelines, be a believer that gets in the wheelbarrow. Be a part of the team!

Congressional Delegation Updates

In August, I had the pleasure of attending a grand opening at the Louisiana Pacific Building Solutions Houlton facility to celebrate the successful conversion to manufacture LP SmartSide products. It was a great day for the Houlton mill, Aroostook County, our State, and Maine’s forest products industry.

Last year, I joined in a conference call with LP Chairman and CEO Brad Southern and other company officials. At that time, Houlton was among three LP facilities in North America being considered for this investment. We discussed the advantages Houlton offered, including its location on the East Coast, its substantial supply of aspen, and access to an existing rail line to bring raw material in and ship finished product out. But Houlton’s greatest asset is its top-notch workforce, known for its skill, dedication, and work ethic.

Following this conference call, LP announced a phased, multiyear plan to expand production of SmartSide an advanced engineered wood siding used on the exterior of homes at LP Houlton. The mill’s conversion to siding production reinvested $150 million into the facility.

This investment secures and expands good-paying, rewarding jobs. It will increase the wood supply needed by 30 percent, benefitting our logging and transportation industries, and strengthen Maine’s position as a leader in engineered wood

I try to get up to the County every summer, both to visit old friends, but also because I’ve found that even just one day of seeing is worth a hundred days of reading. This August, I RV’d up north to see some of the new investments being made in Aroostook, especially in the forest products industry.

My first stop was at Louisiana Pacific (LP) Houlton to see their new $150 million investment in modern house siding. After years of producing oriented strand board, LP transitioned to wood-strand siding – called SmartSide Trim and Siding – a product in much higher demand. Going forward, LP will be producing 220 million square feet of their weather-resistant trim and siding annually – enough for 100,000 houses. The expansion into the 21st century product will help the company retain their phenomenal workforce and access entirely new global markets. It’s a big deal for LP Houlton, the more than one hundred people who work there, and the communities who rely on them. With this expansion, LP will need thirty percent more trees a year – almost all of which they get from local forests. This will boost the entire County industry and create more work for everyone from processors and distributors to truckers and loggers. The only challenge now is making sure we have enough trained loggers to get LP the Maine wood they need.

That’s why later in my trip I went to Northern Maine Community College (NMCC) to see how

products. LP’s decision recognizes that from the depths of our woods to the factory floor, the men and women of Maine’s forest products industry get the job done.

Due to increased demand for home construction products, production at the Houlton mill increased substantially during 2020, from 100 employees working five days a week to 160 working 24/7. The conversion to SmartSide production added a 90,000-square-foot facility to house new equipment to trim and finish the siding. Part of an existing building was also renovated for the new production line. The pressing of the mill’s first siding board took place in late March 2022 and it expects to achieve full operating capacity within a year. The mill will be able to produce enough siding for 100,000 homes per year.

As we celebrated this exciting leap forward in our efforts to revitalize the forest products industry, we also received some unfortunate news from Western Maine. The closure of the Androscoggin Mill in Jay is especially difficult because the dedicated employees worked so hard to get the mill back up and running after the catastrophic explosion in 2020. My office stands ready to connect affected workers with resources that can help provide employment training and job search assistance.

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. Throughout Maine’s history, our forest products industry has supported good-paying jobs, driven local economies, strengthened rural communities, and protected our natural environment. I will continue to stand by your industry, which defines our State.

stakeholders across the County are rising to meet this moment. With growing demand for equipmenttrained loggers, NMCC is receiving $1 million from the new Congressionally-Directed Spending program to expand their 12-week, tuition-free Mechanized Logging Operations course. Now, they’ll be able to train 30 people a year on the highly-technical, cutting edge equipment used in modern logging.

I was proud to support this federal investment, and am excited to see how it will address logger shortages and build upon ongoing efforts with the FOR/Maine Initiative while giving more Maine people access to these good jobs.

Look, you don’t need me to tell you about the challenges that our forest products industry has faced; the announcement in Jay is a real blow. I know times haven’t always been easy; but with investments like these and the hard work everyone is doing, I firmly believe the future of Maine’s forest products industry is bright. Together, we’re going to continue to create new jobs, reach new markets, and solidify the foundation of this heritage industry well into the future.

Sen. Susan Collins

Sen. Angus King

This summer brought recordbreaking heat and severe drought to Maine. Around the country and across the world we have witnessed unprecedented storms and ravaging wildfires showing us just how destructive and costly climate change will be. As the impacts of climate change intensify, it is more important than ever to support our logging and forestry industries, which are a crucial part of our economy and way of life.

That’s why I strongly supported the historic Inflation Reduction Act passed by Congressional Democrats and signed into law by President Biden. This comprehensive legislation does far more than combat inflation, as the title suggests. The Inflation Reduction Act is the largest climate investment in U.S. history and includes significant forestry-related investments.

The Inflation Reduction Act includes $5 billion in forestry programs to ensure our public and private forest lands have the tools they need to address destructive fire seasons, restore forest ecosystems, address climate change, and more. The $100 million for the Wood Innovations Grants Program will support forest product innovation and expand markets for wood products. We’ve seen the benefits of this program in

In light of the devastating recent news from Pixelle Specialty Solutions about their plans to close the Androscoggin Mill early next year, I wanted to voice my support for the hundreds of people this closure will affect. This announcement is a major blow to the dedicated employees at the mill, their families, and the Town of Jay and its surrounding communities.

Two years ago, after a catastrophic explosion, the incredible team at the mill got two paper machines up and running again in just over a week. They have worked so hard for so long to keep the mill running despite enormous obstacles, making the news of the closure even more disheartening. Please know that my team is here to connect affected workers with resources that can help provide employment training and job search assistance. We are just a phone call away.

Despite this major loss, Maine’s commitment to innovations in the forest products industry remains strong. Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to head to Pleasant River Lumber in Enfield to meet with the Forest Resources Association at their Annual Meeting and learn more about some of the latest innovations and advancements in the forest industry happening right here in our state.

Sitting down with some of the loggers, land managers, and mill workers who make up our state’s forest products industry, I heard about the progress they’re making in harvesting, management, and manufacturing. I also had the chance to tour

Maine – for example, GO Lab received $250,000 from the Wood Innovations Grant Program to test and market wood fiber insulation. The University of Maine received $250,000 from the grant program to support a combined heat and power wood energy System. Dirigo Center Developers received $250,000 for a cross-laminated timber office tower and retail demonstration project, further expanding markets for Maine’s forest products.

There’s also $450 million for competitive grants to foresters carrying out climate mitigation, participating in emerging private markets and providing measurable increases in carbon sequestration. I’ve been a strong advocate for providing resources to help forest owners access new economic opportunities and develop solutions to mitigate the climate crisis, particularly through my Rural Forest Markets Act. Federal forest grant programs like this help create quality jobs and strengthen rural economies. They also importantly recognize the forestry sector as part of the climate solution.

As the most forested state in the country, sustainable, working forests are the backbone of Maine’s economy and our rural communities, which is one of the many reasons I proudly voted for the Inflation Reduction Act. I will continue to advocate for programs and legislation that will support the longterm viability of the forest products industry so we can weather whatever storms lie ahead - together.

the facility at Pleasant River’s Enfield mill and see their significant expansion, including where they plan to install a second saw line.

Innovations and expansions like these help support the supply of and market for Maine wood, while also providing a foundation for a steady transition to renewables. From making biochar to funding projects that invest in the growing, processing, and use of forest resources, Mainers are paving the way for the future of our forest products industry.

As these advancements are made, our team is continuing to support existing pillars of Maine’s forestry industry however we can. Earlier this month, I sent a letter to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) urging them to complete their review of Brookfield Renewable’s’ Shawmut Hydroelectric Dam on the Kennebec River so that the dam, and Skowhegan’s Sappi Paper Mill which relies on the dam for power, can stay open.

No matter what part of the industry you’re in, our team is looking to support Maine forest products however we can. If you think we could be of service to you, please shoot our logger support team an email at MELoggerSupportTeam@mail.house.gov We should get back to you quickly.

Outside of the woods, I know that times are tough right now. Even if it is not related to your work, my team and I are here to help. Please let us know if we can help you solve problems you or your family is having with Medicare, Social Security, the VA, or other federal programs or agencies. You can reach my staff at:

Lewiston: (207) 241-6767

Caribou: (207) 492-6009

Bangor: (207) 249-7400

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

Rep. Chellie Pingree

Rep. Jared Golden