Congressional Updates

Congressional Delegation Updates

Supporting Maine’s Forest Products Industry During the Pandemic and into the Future

It was a great pleasure to attend the PLC’s 25th annual meeting in October to hear directly from loggers and haulers about the issues impacting your industry and to receive the Impact Award. In the early days of the pandemic, some logging contractors benefitted from the Paycheck Sen. Susan Collins Protection Program I wrote, allowing them to keep their workers employed. As the pandemic persisted and the forest products industry encountered unique market challenges, however, it became increasingly clear to me that the industry required specific, targeted assistance. That is why I, along with Representative Jared Golden, introduced the Loggers Relief Act to provide financial assistance to your industry. This legislation, signed into law last December, established a program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide more than $200 million in direct payments to timber harvesters and haulers across the nation that have suffered significant reductions in revenue due to the pandemic. Never before had the USDA provided direct relief to the industry. Your organization helped to craft this bill and worked tirelessly to build strong support for it in Congress. This crucial program started accepting applications in July, and, to date, more than 350 Maine logging and hauling operations have been approved for more than $12.4 million.

The pandemic has underscored other issues that affect your industry. The shortage of truck drivers has a direct impact, which is why I co-sponsored the DRIVE Safe Act to establish an apprenticeship program for drivers ages 19 to 21 to operate commercial vehicles in interstate commerce. I strongly supported the inclusion of a pilot program for this much-needed change in transportation policy in the bipartisan infrastructure law that I co-authored with nine of my Senate colleagues. Your organization has long recognized the importance of robust workforce development programs, such as the Mechanized Logging Operations Program. I have visited this program in the woods of Western Maine, and it was inspiring to meet young Mainers who are passionate about learning new skills that will propel them on a promising career path and strengthen our state’s forestry sector. As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I secured $1 million in the Senate Appropriations bill to help continue and expand this program. It is essential that your businesses are supported at this difficult time. It also is essential that the hard-working and skilled people in your industry have the support they need to live and prosper in the communities they love. I look forward to continuing to be a strong partner on issues to strengthen your industry.

American Rescue Plan Aid Boosting Maine’s Forest Economy

The forest products industry has been tested during the COVID pandemic, as so many business sectors have seen unpredictability and change. Indeed, the virus’s global impact has upended business-as-usual, with market disruptions leading to significant challenges for the entire logging supply chain. It quickly became clear that in order to protect this important economic driver for Maine communities, support was required. A major federal boost came in the December 2020 COVID relief legislation, which established a fund to support logger and log hauling businesses – but now, more help is on the way. When we crafted the American Rescue Plan, I was determined to make sure the legislation delivered funds to be given directly to the states, to be allocated as their leaders saw fit – and when the legislation passed in March 2021, that approach was an important part of the package. These funds allow each Governor to make the investments that address the unique needs of each state, helping fuel a fast recovery from the pandemic. Governor Mills is rising to the occasion – and last month, announced a $20 million fund to provide grants to Maine loggers, foresters, lumber yards, and others involved in the forest economy. These grants – available through the Forestry Recovery Initiative – can be used for a number of necessary operating expenses impacted by the pandemic, including payroll, rent or mortgage payments, utility bills, personal protective equipment, or other essential business costs. After a challenging year and a half, these grants will build on the work of the Forest Opportunity Roadmap (FOR/ ME) and help stabilize our forest economy and increase the sector’s competitiveness in the short- and long-term. I’m grateful to Governor Mills for putting these federal funds to work for Maine’s forest products industry, providing an important boost for the businesses and people who found themselves needing a little extra help due to forces outside their control. Applications for Phase 1 of the FRI are open now through January 31st, with additional phases of the grant program coming online in early 2022. Details on eligibility and how to apply are available at https:// www.mainetechnology.org/recovery-funding/forestry/; if you or someone you know is eligible, make sure to get an application in soon. Thank you again, for all that you do – and know that we are with you, and committed to ensuring that this industry continues to play a vital role in Maine.

Sen. Angus King

In September, I wrote about economic relief available for timber harvesters and haulers through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) PATHH program. That much-needed assistance is helping countless loggers and haulers in Maine and across the country who have faced serious challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, disasters like the mill explosion in Jay, and a changing 21st century economy. Now, I’m proud to say there’s even more help on the way. The recently passed Build Back Better Act (BBB) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) together mark the most consequential investments in the American people, our environment, and our infrastructure in a generation. The investments made by these bills will reach every corner of our nation—including Maine’s forests and those who work them. First, the Build Back Better Act includes a historic investment in Maine’s forests as a climate solution, supporting innovation and additional market opportunities for the forest products sector that will drive more green jobs in our state. The Build Back Better Act will invest $775 million for the Forest Service’s Wood Innovation Grants, which accelerate advancements in wood energy and wood products markets throughout the United States. It also invests in research on the lifecycle greenhouse gas impacts of wood products, which will help build the body of evidence on the role of forest products as a climate solution and

increase demand for innovative, sustainable forest products sourced from and made in Maine. The Build Back Better Act also includes $1.25 billion for grants to help family forest owners sequester more carbon, increase the resilience of their forests, and participate in voluntary carbon markets, which will bring additional revenue streams to rural communities and help keep Maine’s forests from being lost to development. As we confront the increasing threat of climate change, the Build Back Better Act will promote the important role that our state’s forests can play in addressing this crisis. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is also a critical piece of legislation for the forest products sector and rural communities in Maine. A report by a transportation research nonprofit released in 2020 showed rural roads in Maine are some of Rep. Chellie Pingree the worst in the country. The infrastructure bill’s $550 billion investment in roads, bridges, rural broadband, and more will make daily life for Maine loggers and people across the country safer, easier, and more efficient, at the same time helping our small business owners compete in the expanding marketplace. IIJA also sets aside $40 billion in new funding for bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation, which is the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system; this is a much-needed infusion of support here in Maine as our aging infrastructure brings added costs and burdens to every one of our neighbors. I welcomed my sixth grandchild into the world in November. With his arrival came an overwhelming sense of hope and urgency to act for the next generation. We truly are on the cusp of a historic transformation in this country, and I couldn’t be prouder to fight for the change these bills make possible. I am fighting for you, for your grandchildren and for my own. These bills will ensure a brighter future for them.

Bringing the U.S. Secretary of Labor into the Maine Woods

Too often, the federal officials and bureaucrats making policy in Washington just don’t have a good understanding of what’s happening on worksites in rural America, particularly in complex industries like logging. That’s why I brought U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh to Fayette and Augusta in October so he could learn firsthand from Maine loggers and discuss Rep. Jared Golden opportunities and challenges facing the logging workforce. We took him around to

Maine Custom Woodland’s harvest site in Augusta and Trees,

Ltd.’s harvest site in Fayette, and convened a roundtable between the secretary and Maine loggers to discuss issues including logger recruitment efforts, worker classification issues, and the importance of job training and workforce development for the industry. Secretary Walsh came away with a better idea of the challenges loggers are facing and committed to work with us to address many of these issues.

Relief for Loggers and Truckers

It won’t be a surprise to folks who read this newsletter every quarter that for most of the past year, I’ve been working with Senator Collins to get a pandemic relief program for loggers and log haulers stood up, the USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Timber Harvesters and Haulers. The goal has been to help recover at least some of the losses that loggers and truckers have faced as a result of the pandemic, the Jay mill explosion, and the other factors that have made 2020 and 2021 a tough couple years for the industry. It’s the same kind of relief that farmers or fishermen receive when their industries suffer from circumstances beyond their control. This week, we found out that Maine loggers are going to get $12.3 million through this program. That’s $12.3 million going straight to regular people who make their living in the woods. I’m under no illusions that it’s enough to make anyone whole coming out of the last two years, but I hope it’ll help to set loggers up for success as we dig out and set our sights on the future. Those relief funds should be heading out the door and into bank accounts soon. We’ve been working with dozens of loggers to help them apply for the program and we expect to keep working with them to resolve any issues as funds are disbursed. If we can ever be helpful to you or your team, please shoot our logger support team an email at MELoggerSupportTeam@mail.house.gov. We’ll get back to you quickly.

PLC Annual Meeting

Lastly, I wanted to thank Dana Doran and the entire PLC community for the PLC Impact Award this year. This work will never be about the hardware for me, but it’s an honor to receive this recognition from a community that I deeply respect. Thank you.

Professional Logging Contractors of Maine

108 Sewall St. P.O. Box 1036 Augusta, ME 04332