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New Members
Welcome New Members
Syl-Ver Logging Inc. of Fort Kent joined the PLC as a new Contractor Member in October of 2021. The company has a professional staff of 3. For more information call Marty or Ben at 207-834-2126 or 207-398-4105 or email martypelletier@gmail.com.
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Valcourt and Sons Inc. of Fort Kent joined the PLC as a new Contractor Member in October of 2021. The company has a professional staff of 2. For more information call Rene at 207834-2356 or email ReneValcourt10@gmail.com.
R. Levesque Logging Inc. of Fort Kent joined the PLC as a new Affiliated Contractor Member in October of 2021. The company has a professional staff of 2. For more information call Lisa at 207-631-9074 or email lrlevesque@fairpoint.net.
S. J. Rollins Technologies Inc.
of Brewer, ME joined the PLC as a new Preferred Supporting Member in October of 2021. The company is a Maine Corporation that has been providing Hosted Services, Managed Services, Network Security, Software Development, and Phone & Communication solutions since its inception in 1986. For more information visit www.sjrollins.com or call Ryan Mick at (207) 941-0264 ext. 102. or email him at rmick@sjrollins.com.
Not a member but interested in joining the PLC? Contact Jessica at (207) 688-8195 or email jessica@maineloggers.com
From the Executive Director
By Dana Doran
What a year 2021 has been. It’s hard to believe that the earth has made another journey around the sun, but here we are. As I always do with the first edition of the Voice at the beginning of a new year, I like to reflect on what the PLC has accomplished. Although, this year, I feel a bit guilty celebrating what the PLC has done while I know so many of you are suffering out there to not only pay the bills, but to ensure that 2022 is not your last year in business. More on that a little later in this article, but first, here’s a quick recap of 2021 and I think it’s safe to say that this really was a year of leadership for the PLC and all Maine loggers. 2021 got off to a challenging start as the Coronavirus raged throughout the state last winter. Typically, in winter, I spend most waking hours across the street at the Capitol, testifying on legislation and calling our members to appear with me from time to time. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen as all legislative activity was conducted online via Zoom from January through May. The Legislature finally returned to in-person activity in early June and even allowed participants to walk the halls without a mask for the final weeks of the session in late June and July. Upon reflection, this may have been the most
challenging legislative session I’ve ever participated in over the last two decades of working with Congress and the state legislature. Zoom was only part of this frustration as the lack of personal contact not only made processes that much more unproductive but created even more divisiveness in party politics as a result. I’m hopeful that 2022 will be different here in Augusta, but I’m not counting my chickens as it appears that the state Legislature is going to return to Zoom for the whole month of January. It seems that the old saying, “what’s old is new again,” doesn’t just apply to wood markets these days. With a legislative session online and no opportunity for face-to-face contact, the PLC couldn’t hold its annual legislative breakfast in March. We were also forced to hold all spring safety trainings online and postpone the Annual Meeting until fall. Making the best of a challenging situation, we did succeed on many levels in 2021. Even though our safety trainings had to be online, we produced a quality product that rivaled our previous in person safety trainings and by all accounts, the reviews were very positive. I don’t think there will ever be a replacement for our in-person trainings, but I am proud to report that over 130 PLC member companies attended our online trainings along with over 900 of
Doran Continued from Page 96 their employees. Not too shabby I would say and they couldn’t have happened without the heroic efforts of PLC Safety and Training Coordinator, Donald Burr, the tireless efforts of PLC Membership Services Coordinator, Jessica Clark, our safety training sponsors and the amazing work of our instructors. Moving into summer, our Mechanized Logging Operations Program started off right on time in June in the woods north of Old Town thanks again to Donald Burr and the staff at Northern Maine Community College. Twelve students started the program and 12 students graduated in mid-September ready to enter the logging workforce. As of today, 10 of 12 are working for PLC members. In July 2021, the Pandemic Assistance for Timber Harvesters and Haulers (PATHH) program was finally opened for applications to help our membership and timber harvesters and haulers across the country. For review, in April 2020, the PLC started this campaign, along with the tireless efforts of our entire Congressional delegation, the American Loggers Council and sister organizations throughout the country to provide aid to timber harvesting and hauling companies who had suffered as a result of the pandemic. The farming and fishing community had received in excess of $30 billion from Congress in 2020 and it was only right for the logging and trucking community to receive similar treatment. After getting “Loggers Relief” legislation passed in December 2020 to create the program, the application period finally opened in July and closed in mid-October. At the end of the day, 350 Maine businesses were provided with more than $12 million from the program, which was the 2nd most in the country. That said, only $200 million was provided by Congress even though there was an established need of more than $385 million. However, beggars can’t be choosers and for the first time in US history, loggers and truckers were finally treated the same as their sisters and brothers in farming and fishing. In Maine, our motto is Dirigo (I lead) and I’m proud to say that we did lead on this effort. I’m thankful for the collective efforts of all those involved. And finally, we were able to continue with our leadership efforts this past fall for Log A Load for Kids and celebrated our 25th Anniversary (belated) in person at the Cross Insurance Center. We were finally able to celebrate our history at our first in person Annual Meeting since 2019 to give thanks to those who have done so much for our organization and the industry. Record crowds attended the Annual Meeting as well as our two golf tournaments in Lovell and Lincoln. Between the three events, we also raised over $205,000 in 2021 for Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland and Northern Light Eastern Maine Healthcare in Bangor. Our largest previous combined total in our history was in 2020 when we raised $140,000. I’m amazed at the generosity of our membership, especially in such challenging times, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised as there’s nothing a logger can’t do when faced with a goal and a little adversity. To lead is the logger way after all. With 2021 now in the rearview mirror, I would like to raise a serious concern being expressed by our membership consistently over the last six to eight months. What started as a murmur has now become an uproar and I know that as a result, a majority are not planning to continue the level of investment it will take to supply this industry if things do not change. Most are looking at more profitable endeavors and looking to reduce their exposure to logging any way they can. Many are comparing the situation now to 2009, but history cannot turn a blind eye and many are vowing not to repeat their past mistakes. Today, the good news is that hardwood log markets continue to remain strong and are carrying the load for most while biomass is making a small comeback. Looking back in time, 2009 was very similar to now. Log markets were strong, biomass was needed because fossil fuel prices were high and pulp markets were strong, but pulp prices were not. What’s old is new again, right? Not exactly. Back in April of 2021, I wrote an Op. Ed. for
the Bangor Daily News on softwood lumber. At that time, demand for building products was through the roof as folks were not traveling and were putting money into home renovation. Prices for lumber shot up and many here in Maine thought everyone in the forest products industry was profiting as a result. Retail and wholesale prices then were at an alltime high. What was not at an all-time high? Prices paid to loggers and truckers for the harvesting, delivery and stumpage costs of the fiber that goes into those products. After writing that article, I did hear of some changes for a short period of time. Lumber prices came down, but prices paid to contractors went up. These price increases were short lived as most of the increases were reduced, and now things have come full circle again as retail and wholesale prices are now even higher than they were back in April. What’s different now compared to April is that it’s not just softwood logs that have created the only discrepancy for contractors. It also appears that a similar situation has now been created in pulp markets as well. As our members know, when the Pixelle mill exploded in April 2020, it sent shock waves through the industry. Suddenly, there was no home for 1.5 million tons of softwood pulpwood/sawmill residuals and 500,000 tons of biomass. At the same time, Covid 19 was wreaking havoc globally and the demand for paper products was at an all-time low. As a result, we saw every pulp and paper producer in the state drop their price for delivered wood by 20% because there was less competition for the product and less demand from consumers. Contractors understand the principles of supply and demand and while reduced demand and decreased prices was explainable through early 2021, what’s happened over the last eight months is not. Global demand for paper products is essentially back to normal and has increased in many cases. While the demand for softwood pulpwood has not recovered from the Pixelle explosion, the demand for hardwood pulp has and we are even hearing of shortages of wood from some because logging capacity has been reduced. While increases in demand for pulpwood have occurred over the last eight months, prices paid for pulpwood have not. To date, the major buyers of pulpwood here in Maine have kept
“If mills want to keep pricing flat or offered minimal increases, in the order of one half of obtaining reasonably the fuel cost increase. priced wood in the long Currently, contractors are run, they would do well to face facts regarding being paid less now for mill delivered wood then they were in 2009. This is happening at a time when mills are the costs that loggers are making more money for their product incurring to supply their than they ever have while paying less mills and step up to the for their raw material. table, respect their suppliers, and act as a The question I’m often asked by our membership is, why can’t contractors be paid a fair rate that is responsible partner.” consistent rather than be gouged in times like this? Isn’t it better for everyone to create consistency in pricing rather than large swings in the bell curve? Contractors value good, stable markets that provide opportunity for them to operate a professional business. Contractors also know and understand better than anyone what it costs to put a reliable and productive woods production team together. However, for some reason, they are never trusted nor respected when they present their costs. And to make matters worse, when they do present the facts, it’s still their fault as they are told there’s just too much logging capacity out there right now. The current state of affairs throughout the industry causes the majority of Doran Continued on Page 126
Doran Continued from Page 11 16 our membership to believe that a sustainable supply might be in jeopardy. So now, let’s deal with the facts. At the same time that pulp mills are paying less for wood, nearly all of these same mills have announced price increases for finished products to their clients, which have already gone into effect or will on January 1, 2022. Some of the announced reasons for these increases by the pulp and paper community are, “the ongoing rise of raw material costs, particularly pulp, chemicals and energy in combination with extremely high freight costs due to global logistic constraints…,”. I’m dumbfounded. Wood consuming mills can pass along price increases to their clients for their increased operational costs, while paying less for wood. If a contractor tries to pass along similar price increases to the mill for the same reasons (labor, raw material costs, energy, etc.) in their delivered price for wood, they are essentially told to go pound sand, reduce the amount of wood they produce or go out of business. I must say that it must be nice to be on top of the food chain!!! I guess if given the chance, I would like to ask the wood buyers or corporate managers at these mills, have you ever been paid less for the job you do every day? Do you get cost of living increases, merit increases and performance bonuses each year? And to do your job, do you carry millions of dollars of overhead on your own personal balance sheet? My guess is that to every question, the answer would be no as nearly every employee of a pulp and paper mill in Maine has gotten an increase in pay in the last year and is not working for what they were paid in 2009. Yet, they expect their wood suppliers not only to work for less, but simply absorb the cost increases that are everywhere and essentially be ok with providing a service at levels that are less than they were paid 12 years ago. To help put this in perspective with real numbers and not just anecdotal statements, I asked Keith Michaud from Frank Martin and Sons what has happened to equipment prices since December 2020. Keith offered the following:
“Just a few facts on price increases above and beyond what we quoted in December 2020 to now:
Machines first. Tigercat on average up 14.4% Hitachi up 10% Liugong up 20% Kobelco up 15% Pro Pac up 15% Roto Bec up 28% Pitts up 25% then an additional 25% in January CSI delimbers up 20% Freight up 20% on average FAE/Fecon and every bucket and thumb manufacture up 20% Skidder chains up 40% Undercarriage parts up 25% Oils up 45% Hoses up 40%
This doesn’t include the steel surcharges and fuel surcharges that come after the fact. In other words we have no idea where we are going on a weekly basis.”
What Keith has provided is substantiation of what is really happening out there. Contractors are not only making less for what they do, but if they can afford to reinvest in their business, which is the minority of contractors, they are paying 20-30% or more for everything, including labor, insurance, parts, equipment, fuel. It’s a double whammy to everyone and it is not sustainable. If mills want to keep obtaining reasonably priced wood in the long run, they would do well to face facts regarding the costs that loggers are incurring to supply their mills and step up
to the table, respect their suppliers, and act as a responsible partner. Perhaps its cliché, but we hear it all the time that we are all in this together; it certainly doesn’t feel like it. Another troubling matter that I have heard about from at least 10 of our members is, apparently, while mills resist paying their suppliers more for wood, they are offering record high wages and benefits for our member’s employees to jump ship and join their team. One member described it to me as rubbing salt in the wound, as he watched his 5th employee leave to work at the local mill. This happened after this member invested over $20,000 in training for that employee. For all of you ready to turn the page on 2021 and start anew in 2022, I really do hope that it can be a fresh start and you can stay in business. If that’s going to happen, then maybe those who buy wood can be honest for once and explain to you why they’re recruiting your employees, paying you less than they did 12 years ago, while at the same time, their own paycheck has gone up? If they can’t, then I hope they realize that those of you who are diversifying your business to do other things, all while telling your kids and relatives to flee for other opportunities, is not a tall tale!!! Stay safe, be well and I look forward to seeing all of you this winter.
BANGOR – The Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of Maine held its 25th Annual Meeting Friday, Oct. 29, raising a record $95,000 in the annual Log A Load For Maine Kids live auction and presenting awards to businesses, individuals, and legislators from across Maine for their contributions to the logging industry. The meeting was held at a new location this year, the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, ME. Honored guests at the event included U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, U.S. Congressman Jared Golden, State Sen. Russell Black, American Loggers Council (ALC) Executive Director Scott Dane, and retired U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills of the 82nd Airborne. The event – which included COVID-19 precautions in accordance with local and national health and safety guidelines - was also the first major indoor gathering of the PLC in more than a year, with last year’s Annual Meeting and Log A Load live auction being held virtually. The PLC membership had not gathered with guests since the Legislative Breakfast in early March 2020. Many attending the Annual Meeting remarked on how good it was to see friends and colleagues in person again, and turnout and auction participation in this 25th
Anniversary event reflected their enthusiasm. “This event has set new records both for funds raised for our Children’s Miracle Network hospitals in Bangor and Portland, and for attendance - we have never had nearly 200 people at an Annual Meeting before,” Dana Doran, Executive Director of the PLC, said. “No matter the challenges, this group continues to exceed expectations in every way and to stand strong for the industry and the Maine children and families who benefit from Log A Load for Maine Kids, and I could not be prouder of them.” The day included a business meeting for PLC
Member contractors in the morning, which featured a visit from Sen. Collins. It also included a presentation by GoLab President Josh Henry. A noon luncheon open to contractors, PLC Supporting Members, and guests was held with Scott Dane of the ALC the featured speaker. The evening events included the Log A Load for Kids Auction, dinner, awards ceremony, and a special presentation by Retired U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills of the 82nd Airborne. The Annual Meeting live auction is one of the PLC’s major fund-raisers for the Log A Load for Kids
Meeting Continued from Page 15 Foundation to benefit Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals in Maine, and last year raised more than $59,000 in support of the cause. Fund raising efforts also include golf tournaments in northern and southern Maine, which this year both broke records and generated nearly $110,000 combined. The initial total raised the night of the meeting was $87,498. Once final donations were totaled by the hospitals that number rose to $95,000. The combined events in 2021 and additional funds raised through sale of items including logger Christmas ornaments mean the PLC has once again broken its annual fund-raising record for a grand total of approximately $205,000! The PLC’s Log A Load efforts have raised more than $1.5 million since 1995. The PLC partners with the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital (BBCH) and Northern Light Health Foundation for its annual Log A Load fund drive. BBCH in Portland and Northern Light’s Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor are Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. 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. Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor includes a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that has received support for years from the PLC’s Log A Load efforts.
“Many important things happen at our Annual Meetings, but none more important the funds raised in our live auction for Log A Load,” Doran said. “Every member of the PLC should be extremely proud of what the organization has raised this year for the cause and we thank everyone who made this achievement possible.” *Awards were presented to the following individuals and organizations during the evening portion of the event: PLC Logger of the Year Award: Thomas Logging and Forestry of Guilford. PLC Impact Awards: U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, U.S. Congressman Jared Golden, and Maine State Sen. Russell Black of Wilton. PLC Community Service Award: Treeline Inc. of Chester, Maine. Acadia Insurance Safety Award: Carl Morneau, Morneau Logging, of Chapman, ME. PLC Supporting Member Award: The Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (NEC). PLC President’s Award: Jim Nicols of Nicols Brothers Inc. in Rumford.
*For more on the award winners go to page 18.
Auctioneer Scott Hanington and his wingman Noah Tibbetts working the Log A Load Aucton.
American Logger’s Council Executive Director Scott Dane addressing the meeting.
Past and present PLC Presidents gather for a group photo (from left to right, Greg Cyr, Jim Nicols, Steve Hanington, Tom Cushman, Brian Souers, Scott Madden, and Tony Madden. Bob Linkletter absent from photo.
Above, retired U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Travis Mills of the 82nd Airborne onstage at the end of the Annual Meeting.
PLC Impact Awards: Each year, the PLC recognizes individuals from the public sector who have demonstrated a commitment to the industry and made a significant impact for its improvement. In 2021, the award was presented to three individuals; U.S. Sen.
Each of these three legislators has established a reputation for standing strong with Maine loggers on the issues that matter to our industry and fighting for or against legislation with loggers’ interests in mind. The PLC has worked closely with all three on numerous issues, and in many cases, we owe our success on those issues to Sen. Collins, Congressman Golden, and State Sen. Black.
U.S. Senator Susan Collins was first elected in 1996, one year after the PLC was created, and has worked tirelessly on behalf of Maine’s logging industry ever since. A native of Caribou, Sen. Collins has earned a national reputation as an effective legislator who works across party lines to seek consensus on our nation’s most important issues. She receives a 100 percent rating from the National Federation of Independent Business, our nation’s leading small business organization. Her family has been in the lumber business since 1844 so she is no stranger to the forest products industry. As a veteran lawmaker with seniority and positions on important committees including Appropriations, Sen. Collins has been a powerful ally of Maine loggers and other small business owners in our state. Her list of contributions to our industry is a long
one. U.S. Senator Susan Collins, center, visiting the Mechanized Logging Operations Program.
Sen. Collins is responsible for making the 100,000 lb. weight exemption on Maine highways permanent, for creating the Community Wood Energy program at the U.S. Forest Service to stimulate wood energy markets; and for spearheading the effort to create the FOR Maine initiative. She also helped residential wood heating systems achieve parity with other renewables for investment tax credits. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Senator Collins co-authored the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which provided a lifeline to millions of small businesses - including many owned by PLC Members - across the country. Senator Collins has cosponsored legislation to support Maine’s logging industry, including the Future Logging Careers Act, which would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to allow parents who own or operate a logging or mechanized operation to employ their 16 and 17 -year-old children. Under current law, workers must be at least 18 years old to work in logging. Sen. Collins has also supported the Mechanized Logging Operations Program created by the PLC and Northern Maine Community College with aid from important industry sponsors. Taking time to personally visit the program as she has done has elevated the program’s visibility and meant a lot to the students involved in it. This summer, she also submitted an earmark request to provide $1 million for MLOP in the current appropriations process to double the size of the program and add a Commercial Driver’s License component as well. Senator Collins cosponsored the Community Wood Energy Innovation Act, and this bipartisan bill authorized $25 million per year to support a grant program for community wood energy systems. This legislation also provided support for initiatives to help manufacturing plants and mills produce innovative wood products, such as mass timber or wood products from nanocellulose technology. Strengthening these sectors will ultimately strengthen wood markets for loggers. Most significantly, in 2020, Senator Collins introduced the Loggers Relief Act to establish a new USDA program to provide direct payments to loggers who had been seriously impacted by the pandemic. Senator Collins, a lead negotiator of the COVID-19 relief bill that was signed into law in December 2020, successfully secured the inclusion of the Loggers Relief Act and $200 million in funding in the final package. Following a push led by Senator Collins and Congressman Golden, the U.S. Department of Agriculture opened the application process in July and it recently concluded. Many PLC logging companies were aided by this program, which represented a historic first by offering federal relief targeted specifically to timber harvesters and haulers just as it has been so many times before for other industries. The PLC is extremely grateful for the hard work and perseverance by Sen. Collins to secure this program. The PLC is thankful for all Sen. Collins does for Maine loggers.
Celebrating the best of 2021
Congressman
Jared Golden represents the Second District of Maine in the United States Congress, where he serves on the Small Business Committee and the Armed Services Committee. Congressman Golden was born in Lewiston and raised in Leeds. After the September 11th attacks, he enlisted in the Marine Corps infantry and served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. After returning home, he used his veterans’ benefits to attend Bates College. Elected to Congress in 2018, Congressman Golden has become a dedicated fighter for small businesses in Maine’s heritage industries, including logging. Always willing to listen and get involved on loggers’ behalf, he has worked closely with the PLC on many issues. Most recently, Congressman Golden invited and hosted U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh on visits in Fayette and Augusta Oct. 5 to learn firsthand from Maine loggers about the challenges in our industry. The Congressman convened a roundtable between Secretary Walsh and members of the PLC to discuss issues including logger recruitment efforts, worker classification issues, and the importance of job training and workforce development for the industry. In September, in a hearing of the House Small Business Subcommittee on Underserved, Agricultural, and Rural Business Development chaired by Congressman Golden, the congressman focused on ways that a booming forest products economy can help address climate change. In that hearing, he ensured the PLC was afforded the opportunity to testify and make sure the voices of Maine loggers were heard. This past spring, Congressman Golden and Senator Angus King reintroduced the Future Logging Careers Act to allow small logging businesses to train 16 and 17year-old family members for futures in Maine logging, and the PLC remains hopeful that with the Congressman’s continued efforts and the support of the entire Maine delegation this act will finally become law. Congressman Golden has also introduced
amendments to benefit Maine loggers, including one in the bipartisan National Apprenticeship Act of 2021 passed by the House in February to make Maine’s heritage industries eligible to receive federal funding through the U.S. Department of Labor programs outlined in the bill. Similarly, last fall, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an amendment to the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act offered by Congressman Golden to support Maine loggers and the biomass industry and promote Maine’s role in the renewable energy economy. Golden’s amendment would improve the way that biomass is inspected and permitted and ensure that federal funds directed at clean energy workforce development programs include the biomass industry. Congressman Golden has also been a strong supporter of the Mechanized Logging Operations Program and a frequent visitor there. Students and instructors have appreciated his visits and have also enjoyed learning that his interest in the hands-on program extends to running the equipment himself whenever he gets the chance. Congressman Jared Golden, at Congressman Golden enjoyed his visits so much that he left, visiting the Mechanized submitted an earmark request to provide $1 million for Logging Operations Program. MLOP in the current appropriations process to double the size of the program and also add a Commercial Driver’s License component. Finally, Congressman Golden, Sen. Collins and the entire Maine delegation introduced and successfully fought for the Loggers Relief Act to establish a new USDA program to provide direct payments to loggers who had been seriously impacted by the pandemic. We are grateful for his leadership on this issue. The PLC is grateful for all Congressman Golden does for Maine loggers.
State Senator Russell Black, at left, with PLC Member Ron Ridley at a harvest in Wilton.
State Sen. Russell Black of Wilton is currently serving his second term in the Maine State Senate
Awards Continued from Page 19 representing District 17. This district includes all municipalities and unorganized territories in Franklin County, as well as Belgrade, Fayette, Mount Vernon and Vienna in Kennebec County. As a farmer and logger who owns and operates Black Acres Farm in Wilton raising grass-fed beef cattle, hogs and producing maple syrup, Sen. Black currently serves very effectively on the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee and the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee and has been a strong advocate for loggers on each. Prior to his service in the Senate, Black represented District 114 in the Maine House of Representatives for four consecutive terms. While in the House he served as the Ranking Minority Member of the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee, where he also represented the interests of loggers well. Senator Black is a strong supporter of Maine loggers and the state’s forest economy, and his experience in and knowledge of that industry has brought valuable insight and emphasis to the issues Maine loggers face. In 2016 and 2017 Senator Black provided steadfast support for the logging industry when the PLC fought a significant battle to carve out funding from timber harvests on Maine Public Lands to help Maine career and technical high schools purchase new logging equipment for their programs. As a result of Senator Black’s leadership, the PLC was able to overcome two gubernatorial vetoes to make this change permanent and the first grants to these schools were finally delivered at the beginning of the current school year. In 2019, Senator Black took on another battle on behalf of our industry - the proverbial issue of road postings, specifically in municipalities. As a selectman in Wilton, this was risky for him, but he was willing to take on the challenge. The PLC was able to achieve a small victory on the issue and this progress was because of Senator Black’s willingness to fight for loggers. Over the last four years, there have also been attempts at the Maine Legislature to reduce the estate tax exemption - effectively passing along a middle-class tax increase, attempts to add stipulations for Maine loggers to provide benefits for others and attempts to supersede federal law with state laws that only make operating in Maine more expensive. Again, Senator Black has been there each and every time to help the PLC and Maine logging community. By bringing common-sense, a small rural business background, and strong values to his job in Augusta, Sen. Black has represented our industry well and the PLC thanks him for all he has and will continue to do for Maine loggers. PLC Logger of the Year Award: This award recognizes a PLC Logging Contractor for their commitment to the sustainability of the industry and logging as a profession. The recipient this year is: Thomas Logging and Forestry of Guilford.
Thomas Douglass, at right, receives the Logger of the Year Award from PLC Executive Director Dana Doran.
Thomas Logging and Forestry is a true family logging business, and owner and founder Thomas Douglass is a third-generation logger continuing a proud tradition in the woods while bringing a modern approach to the job. Thomas came up in the industry working in the family business, RA Thomas Logging, founded by his grandparents more than five decades ago. Thomas was only 24 when he took over his grandparents’ business after the passing of his grandfather, who was a longtime PLC Board member. Shortly thereafter, he purchased the family business from his grandmother and started Thomas Logging and Forestry back in 2015 at a time when plenty of people were saying the logging industry’s days were numbered. Since then, Thomas and his company have come to represent the best of Maine logging. The Master Logger certified company is professional and well-respected, building on its good reputation in the greater Guilford area one quality logging job at a time. Big enough to handle large jobs with its two cut-to-length crews, but small
enough to be a tight-knit group, it is an adaptable and resilient company that has weathered challenges in logging well.
Forest Briggs, a Sappi wood buyer for central and eastern Maine who spent five years as a forester for the Sappi Stumpage program, has worked extensively with Thomas Logging and Forestry over the years and has always found the company to be professional, easy to work with, and committed to achieving the best outcomes for landowners and the forest. Forest says, “When things get tough, whether it be market conditions or adverse weather, Thomas is always level headed, open to suggestions, and willing to make things work. Thomas Logging is easily one of the best around at product utilization. If that means three sorts for soft maple logs, so be it, they’d do it. I will say, it doesn’t come as a surprise to me that Thomas Logging would be nominated for this award, congratulations Thomas, it’s well deserved.” As a PLC Member, Thomas always steps up when the PLC needs him to represent the industry. Though - like most loggers - he would much rather be in the woods running his operation than speaking on camera or in front of groups at the request of the PLC, he has done it time and time again over the years. Three years ago, Thomas hosted then candidate Jared Golden for a tour of his operation. This past summer on harvest tours with Maine teachers he promoted career opportunities in logging. And in a new ForMaine video on the logging industry that will soon be released, he champions everything that is right about this industry. Thomas also responds every time when we need Members to provide written comments or calls to the legislature on pending legislation. And like so many PLC Members, Thomas Logging and Forestry also faithfully supports PLC’s Log A Load for Maine Kids efforts and their crew has been known to don matching team shirts for the annual golf tournament in Lincoln. A graduate of Unity College with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Forestry, Thomas is a believer that education is now a key ingredient in success in the industry and a supporter of programs in Maine’s technical high schools and the Mechanized Logging Operations Program that are raising the bar for education and training in Maine logging. Thomas is a true advocate for and believer in our industry, even in the toughest times. Most in the industry will recall how difficult the fall of 2015 was. Mills in East Millinocket, Bucksport, and Old Town had recently closed. Layoffs were announced at Verso. Madison Paper was struggling. Yet one of the first posts on Thomas Logging’s new Facebook page asked followers to go to a local television station’s website where a poll on the logging industry’s future was underway. There he wrote, “please Vote NO on the Question of the Day. Logging in Maine is NOT a dying industry! It isn't the first time the industry has made some big changes and it won't be the last!” Maine logging needs that kind of optimism and energy right now. It needs young loggers with old roots in the woods who are willing to step up and speak up when the industry needs them to. Thank you to Thomas Douglass and Thomas Logging and Forestry for representing our industry so well. ***
PLC Community Service Award: This award is given annually to a PLC member, Supporting Member or affiliated organization that has demonstrated a significant commitment to giving back to their community. The recipient this year is: Treeline Inc.
of Chester, Maine.
Brian Souers, President of Treeline Inc., at right, receives the PLC Community Service Award from PLC Executive Director Dana Doran.
In 1981, Brian Souers, owner and President of Treeline, Inc., founded a forest-based company and named it “Intensive Forest Management.” His vision was to develop a company that would advance professional forest management in Maine. Three years later Brian renamed
Awards Continued from Page 216 the company Treeline, Inc., and it has since become a wellknown and respected name in the forest industry. Brian’s daughter, Whitney Souers, serves as Vice President and the pair work hand in hand, along with a seasoned management team, to keep everything running smoothly. Brian started in business logging with only a chainsaw and a horse named Captain. Since then the company has grown to a high of 90 employees, with over 200 trucks, trailers, service vehicles and pieces of heavy equipment, three large maintenance shops, a small sawmill, a concentration wood yard, and a supply store offering a wide range of forest-based products and services to the surrounding towns and communities that it serves. At Treeline, the employees are family, and community is everything. Dedication to the community and to supporting worthy causes runs deep not only with the Souers family, but with Treeline’s employees. In 2011 Treeline, Inc. decided to organize its outreach efforts and empower people to accomplish more by creating the Treeline, Inc. Making a Difference Fund. The fund allows Treeline’s employees and clients to contribute to any of the programs the company supports, and then Treeline commits to match those contributions. Whitney Souers says, “Many Treeline employees donate a certain amount of their paycheck to these various programs and the funds gets dispersed to those organizations once or twice a year. This is not just a Brian Souers thing, this is a good percentage of our people stepping up to the plate and giving.” Those causes include, “House in the Woods,” a nonprofit organization in Lee founded by Paul and Dee House after their son, Sgt. Joel A. House, was killed by a roadside bomb while serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq. House in the Woods offers outdoor programs to bring together small groups of active military, veterans, and their family members to relax, share, bond, and deal with stress, loss, and grief. Treeline has been a strong supporter of the organization and provided most of the site work for the new lodge being built in Lee. Alzheimers research and support is another cause strongly supported by Treeline through the nonprofit Alzheimers Foundation of America, whose mission is to provide support, services and education to individuals, families and caregivers affected by Alzheimer's disease and related dementias nationwide, and fund research for better treatment and a cure. Treeline is a supporter of the nonprofit Master Sergeant Gary Jordan Veteran Center in Lincoln, whose mission is to honor and empower all veterans and ensure they are treated with sincere gratitude and respect for their service, and to see that veterans are given full assistance. Some of the many things the center does include assisting
veterans with military “forms” to receive proper benefits, providing temporary housing to homeless veterans and helping them with their future, fixing homes of veterans and acting as a “Burial Officer” at military funerals. Treeline supports the Jeff Ludden Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is in memory of former Treeline employee Jeffrey Ludden, who tragically lost his life on his motorcycle on July 22nd, 2017. Jeff’s entire career had revolved around heavy trucks, trailers, and equipment, predominately in the forest industry, and this scholarship in his name memorializes and sustains the positive impact that Jeff had on that industry. Treeline also supports the Community Kids organization, an extension of the children’s ministries of Community Evangel Temple in Lincoln. Community Kids serves the greater Lincoln community through an afterschool program, a preschool enrichment and full-day care program, as well as a four-week summer camp for students entering grades 1-8. In 2005, the program started as an after-school program for six students, and it now has grown to serve 110 students and their families. Other organizations and causes supported by Treeline include Linda Gove Ministries; a special fund for Lincoln area community needs; a special fund for Treeline family emergency needs; and the Silent Sidekicks organization that provides information and education about animal-assisted therapy/activities and the services of trained volunteer handler-animal teams to communities throughout the State of Maine and the Canadian Province of New Brunswick. And finally, the company is also a strong supporter of the Log A Load for Maine Kids efforts of the PLC. Brian and Whitney personally volunteer each year at the Lincoln golf tournament by operating and overseeing the putting contest. This year, Treeline alone raised over $1,500 all by themselves by reworking the contest to raise the bar and do even more for Maine kids. Treeline is a founding member of the PLC, a Master Logger certified company, and Brian Souers is past President of the PLC.
PLC Supporting Member Award: The PLC Supporting Member of the Year Award is presented annually to a PLC Supporting Member that has demonstrated an unprecedented commitment to logging contractors in Maine. The recipient this year is: The Northeast Center for Occupational Health
and Safety in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
(NEC).
Erika Scott, Deputy Director of the Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety (NEC), at right, accepting the PLC Supporting Member Award on behalf of NEC from PLC Executive Director Dana Doran.
The NEC serves a thirteen-state region from Maine to Virginia. It conducts occupational health and safety research, provides safety trainings, and offers occupational health screenings and services to workers in the agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries. These efforts are undertaken in partnership with other National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health centers, state and federal agencies, land grant universities, medical centers, and advocacy groups. As loggers know, the logging industry is often overlooked in studies and initiatives related to agriculture and forestry. And while great strides have been made in improving safety in the industry overall - and certainly here in Maine thanks to the efforts of many PLC Members there is always more to be done. One of the most significant developments in this area in recent years has been the NEC’s Maine Logger Health and Safety Study, launched five years ago through an NEC and PLC partnership. While basic occupational safety data is collected for logging and many other industries on a national level, the NEC study went much further, looking at nonfatal and chronic health issues associated with logging and seeking solutions. Loggers and
the PLC were involved in the process directly including in an advisory role, an effective and common-sense approach that is not always seen in such projects. Ted Clark of Acadia Insurance, who nominated NEC for this award, noted logging’s national ranking as one of the most dangerous occupations in America, and said in his nomination, “Over the last five years the Northeast Center has worked directly with Maine loggers and through health screenings of around 400 employees, a series of surveys lasting two years, and strategic partnerships with industry professionals, they have developed significant data that has provided unprecedented information regarding the health of this critical industry in the Northeast. Through the dedication, countless hours, untold miles and significant commitment from this small team, they have laid out the groundwork to begin to implement effective changes and recommendations to shift this statistic and improve the health of our workforce.” Baseline results of the study quantified things those working in the logging industry know all too well, including that Maine loggers work long days with long commutes to remote locations, resulting in a lack of access to services that could facilitate healthy living. The study also showed loggers may also be at higher risk of cardiac issues, as evidenced by higher than normal blood pressure rates and indications of sleep apnea. It covered use of personal protective equipment, frequency of safety trainings, and the differences in results between mechanized and conventional loggers. It showed health insurance is a challenge and concern in the industry. In short, it provided well documented and verifiable data on many things the PLC is working on and that can be refenced in efforts to improve outcomes in our industry. Throughout the process the NEC’s excellent staff were courteous and professional, meeting loggers in the woods and manning booths at logging events around the state to do the hard work of gathering data on an industry that is frankly hard to access for the average researcher. More recently, the NEC has been collecting data on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Northeast loggers and adding that data to the toolbox PLC uses to improve safety and health in Maine logging, and to influence policy and planning for our industry. At all times the NEC does an excellent job summarizing and communicating the findings of its work, including regularly contributing to PLC communications. The NEC is an organization and a resource making a difference for Maine’s logging industry and which is always there when the PLC needs them.
Awards Continued from Page 236 PLC President’s Award: The President’s Award is presented to individuals or organizations within the PLC which have a significant and positive impact on the PLC and the logging industry in Maine. The recipient this year is: Jim Nicols of Nicols Brothers
Inc. in Rumford.
Jim Nicols, at right, receives the PLC President’s Award from PLC President Tony Madden. The PLC President’s award is reserved for individuals who are passionate about logging and dedicated to the success of the PLC and the industry. Jimmy Nicols exemplifies both of these traits. Jim is a first-generation logger, born and raised in Mexico, Maine. Jim and his brother Bill started their business in 1979 when they purchased their first cable skidder. Together they built a successful company that has been a strong member of the PLC since the early years of the organization. Nicols Brothers, Inc. established a reputation for quality work over the years with various harvesting systems, and is probably best known for its work on Pingree lands back in the mid-1990’s, thinning spruce/fir stands using a small Rottne processor and forwarder. Since the beginning, Nicols Bros. has performed above and beyond their mission statement, which reads: “Our mission is to provide the highest quality commercial tree harvesting, utilization and transportation services. We also strive to promote professional excellence, workplace safety, and the general well-being of our employees. Through this, Nicols Bros. aims to support sustainable forestry ecosystem management and the local economy.” Jimmy has served, not just once, but twice as the President of the PLC (1997-2001 and again from 20182020) through some very difficult times. He has been an important member of our organization and a leader since the very beginning. He deserves this award, thank you Jimmy!
