Logger's Voice Fall 2024 edition updated

Volume 18 Issue 4 | Fall 2024

A Quarterly Publication of the Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast

Vermont Floods PLC Members’ Disaster Relief Efforts Page 14

Also in this issue...

President’s Report

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New Members

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Director’s Report

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Maine Trailer

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Board of Directors Chuck Ames, President Duane Jordan, 1st Vice President Kurt Babineau, 2nd Vice President

Cover photo: Matt McAllister, owner of Matt McAllister Logging, harvesting with a feller buncher in Starksboro, Vermont in September, 2024.

Marc Greaney, Secretary Andy Irish, Treasurer Will Cole, Past President Aaron Adams Jack Bell Brent Day Thomas Douglass

A quarterly publication of:

Steve Hanington Randy Kimball

The Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast

Sam Lincoln Robert Linkletter Molly London Tony Madden

Jim Nicols Marty Pelletier Cedric Pepin Ron Ridley

108 Sewall St., P.O. Box 1036 Augusta, ME 04332 Phone: 207.688.8195 www.plcloggers.org

Gabe Russo Wayne Tripp Gary Voisine

PLC Staff Executive Director Dana Doran dana@plcloggers.org Deputy Executive Director of Legislative & Public Affairs Ben Grant ben@plcloggers.org Deputy Executive Director for Membership & Operations Jessica Clark jessica@plcloggers.org Deputy Executive Director for Communications and Marketing Hannah Duguie hannah@plcloggers.org Safety and Training Consultant Donald Burr safety@plcloggers.org Office Coordinator Tristian Shealy office@plcloggers.org

The Logger’s Voice Editor and Designer Jon Humphrey Communications and Photography jehumphreycommunications@gmail.com Advertising Jessica Clark jessica@plcloggers.org © 2024 Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast (PLC) All material (“content”) is protected by copyright under U.S. Copyright laws and is the property of the PLC or the party credited as the provider of the content.

For more information call (207) - 688 - 8195

14 Vermont Floods 20 Maine Trailer Inc. Also Inside 4 5 6 7 8 12 24 28 32 33 34 42 45 46 48 50

Calendar Updates President’s report New Members Executive Director’s report PLC Golf Tournaments MLOFT Program Membership Renewal Trucking Acadia Dividend Safety Master Logger® Maine Forest Service ALC updates Congressional updates Legislative Events

Event

Calendar

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Updates

Do you have news to share?

The PLC is always seeking news from our Members that showcases our industry’s professionalism, generosity, and ingenuity.

Send ideas to communications@plcloggers.org

The Logger’s Voice ▪ Fall 2024

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From the President

By Chuck Ames

products you use at the office, to the Hello Everyone, My question for everyone is, bed you lay your head down in at night, wood impacts our lives every what would the world look like without trees and the wood products day.

Now take away all products they make to enhance our everyday lives, and the loggers who manage made from wood. No houses, paper, toothpaste, toilet paper and many the forests sustainably as a renewable resource in our everyday other things we take for granted in our everyday lives. Almost lives? everything we use today derives Let's start by looking at our from trees, and I think we need to everyday lives and how much we make this a loggers’ talking point rely on wood products. From waking up in the morning when our because I do not think people feet hit the floor made of wood, to realize just what would happen without wood products in our using the bathroom where your everyday lives. toilet paper and even your Think of plastic houses which toothpaste are made of or contain would be non-recyclable, all the wood products. Moving to the way down to toilet paper that I can kitchen where the floor you're walking on is wood, and you grab safely assume would not be as your cereal bowl from the kitchen pleasant to use if it were made from plastic or metal. So, when you see a cabinet made of wood along with the box your cereal comes in made logger, you might want to thank them for making your everyday life of wood fiber. Even our vehicles have wood in them. From the paper a little easier!

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Welcome New Members New Contractor Members

New Supporting Members

Ripley & Fletcher of Maine joined the PLC as a new Enhanced Supporting Member in August 2024. The company has three locations in Maine that include Ripley and Fletcher Ford of South Paris, the premier dealership in Oxford County since 1909; Ripley & Fletcher Plus in Farmington CP Logging Inc. of Fort Kent, ME which is an authorized Bobcat, joined the PLC as a new Affiliated Massey Ferguson, Star EV and Evolution dealership that also Contractor Member in September carries a wide selection of pre2024. The company has a owned automotive inventory; and professional staff of 1. For more information contact Cody Plourde at Ripley & Fletcher Plus of Saco which is an authorized Segway, Star (207) 834-6539 or email EV and Evolution dealership that codyplourde5@gmail.com also carries a variety of equipment trailers for all your needs and Fisher and Boss snow plows. For more information contact Bill Osgood bosgood@ripleysplus.com or visit www.ripleyandfletcherford.com or www.ripleysplus.com DNL Logging LLC of Jackman, ME joined the PLC as a new Contractor Member in September 2024. The company has a professional staff of 1. For more information contact David Lessard at (207) 668-6465 or email David.lessard20@hotmail.com

Not a member but interested in joining the PLC? Contact Jessica at (207) 688-8195 or email jessica@plcloggers.org The Logger’s Voice ▪ Fall 2024

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Morale From the Executive Director

By Dana Doran

MLOFT student Connor Ennis operating a grapple skidder in September, 2024.

From October 1-4, I attended the American Loggers Council (ALC) Annual Meeting in Sonora, CA with PLC Members, Andy Irish, Irish Family Logging; Chuck Ames, SDR Logging; and Brian Souers, Treeline, Inc. I/We look forward to these meetings as it’s a great opportunity to speak with loggers from across the country and learn about what is happening in their neck of the woods. Maine also has a leadership role with the ALC as

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Andy is Immediate Past President and Chuck is an ALC Board Member and was just elected as Secretary/ Treasurer. I would encourage more of our members to get involved with the ALC as it continues to evolve and provides more value on a national scale.

While we were there, it gave us the opportunity to take the temperature and ask questions of our colleagues regarding markets, pricing and the overall morale of

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loggers in different areas of the country. Do they have hope and is there a ray of sunshine that is keeping them from diversifying or hanging it up altogether? Usually there is some small nugget of good news or development that I can bring back to Maine to signify change is in the air. Unfortunately, it was not that kind of meeting this year.

Loggers from every corner of the country are just

as challenged as those in the Northeast. Markets are down everywhere, regardless of commodity. Pricing is below what it takes to remain profitable and every contractor in the room was about as glum as I have seen them in the 10 years I have attended this meeting.

More on that in a moment, but I thought I would share an update on the reaction I had to my article from the Summer edition of the Voice that should inform you

Doran

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Doran

Continued from Page 96

that misery not only seeks company, but proves that my The beginning of the article describes a middleempathy for you is real. aged shrimp farmer from Bangkok, Thailand, who If you didn’t have a chance to read it, part of my operated more than two dozen shrimp ponds, employing seven people and making more than enough to support his article from July was an update on how the Legislature family just a few years ago. Since then, the prices he gets and Executive Branch in Maine have been equally from purchasers have fallen by half and he’s had to scale dismissive of the loggers’ plight in the recent past. As a result of writing that article, I was called to the principal’s back to four workers and about one third of the ponds, some months not breaking even. His wife has also had to office you could say.

Staff from the Maine Governor’s office asked me take a second job just to support their two children.

The primary point of the article wasn’t that the to meet with them to challenge what I had said. plight of the shrimp farmer was due to simple supply and Evidently, I touched a nerve with what I had written and demand, but that big Western supermarkets that make was told that it was offensive. windfall profits are aggressively pursuing ever-lower As a result of this accusation, I asked those on the wholesale prices, which is causing misery for people at other side of the table to prove me wrong and to offer any the bottom end of the supply chain. type of evidence they could find Sound familiar? that what I had written was indeed An investigation of the not factual. By the end of the industry in Vietnam, Indonesia and meeting, it was clear that they had India, which provide about half of the no such evidence but were simply shrimp in the world’s top four frustrated for being called out. markets, found a 20%-60% drop in When I asked where we go earnings from pre-pandemic levels as from here, thinking for a second producers struggle to meet pricing that there actually might be some demands by cutting labor costs. In remorse or compassion on their many places, this has meant unpaid part, it was clear that likely there and underpaid work through longer would be even less done as a result. hours, wage insecurity and many not From what I can tell since that even making minimum wage. The infamous meeting in July, my primary culprit of this change, suspicions are 100% accurate. In supermarket procurement practices. fact, I might even say that a mild case of black balling might be Most who read this article occurring. That will be hard to will mutter to themselves, well, it’s a prove of course, but I will tell you third world country, so it’s not that simple requests to help the surprising. However, this same type industry made in April of 2023, of practice has been happening for far which had been worked on to a too long in the forest products point, have suddenly gone quiet. I industry, in our own backyard. guess even the public sector is blind As I have made mention over to the plight that you are up against the last three years, we have lost about 40% of the logging and also holds a grudge for those that speak up. capacity in the Northeast. This is due to massive market Also over the last few months, I have taken notice reductions, downward price pressure from the markets of what feels like other industries that are treated similarly that remain and inflation on everything that loggers need to logging. and use.

In a recent article written by David Rising of the For the last two years, most market issues were Associated Press, entitled, “As big supermarkets pursue relegated specifically to the pulp and paper industry. profits, research shows growing exploitation of shrimp Global pulp demand decreased significantly and the mills farmers”, Mr. Rising takes a deep dive into what has been that remain have essentially gone to wintertime happening recently to those who farm shrimp for a living. purchasing and operations until things change.

His research focuses on shrimp farmers not here in Maine, While pulp mills suffered, the solid wood markets or even in the United States, but in Southeast Asia. stayed relatively steady over the last four years, until the However, the supermarkets are actually here in our end of mud season, when the bottom essentially dropped backyard. out on every commodity except white cedar.

I know, you might be asking yourself why I am We know from experience that markets are talking about shrimp farmers right now, but the cyclical and the normal cycle ebbs and flows about every similarities to logging are striking.

Loggers from every corner of the country are just as challenged as those in the Northeast.

Markets are down everywhere, regardless of commodity.

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ten years. We were actually due for a market reduction in I always ask how the crews are doing and how much 2020, which we could generally accept. However, that equipment is running or parked. The majority have gotten market disruption was artificially delayed by the smaller, have more equipment parked than running, and pandemic but compounded by the loss of the Pixelle mill surprisingly, have stated that they would like to get out of in Jay, Maine and the constant misery that has been the industry if they could only find a buyer. inflicted on the region with the loss of pulp and biomass Unfortunately, those buyers are not waiting in the wings plants over the last 12 years. as the situation is much the same across the country.

Adding insult to injury for contractors in the last For the first time during my tenure in this four years is the fact that every segment of the industry position, I am nervous about what the next 24-36 months profited from the pandemic, except for the loggers. will hold for our membership. I would like to say that this Further, not only did pricing for contractors never rise and too shall pass, and the future is right around the corner, stay at a higher level during the pandemic and shortly but I’m not sure I can put the lipstick on at this point. thereafter, but contractors were hit with a double whammy I also do not want to be perceived as the boy that of staggering price inflation for their consumables, as well cried wolf, promoting an abyss when change is constant as a sharp rise and fall of prices. For the and could shift with the wind. However, most part, contractors were forced to get it is different now for sure and that is smaller and/or reduce operations to more true now than ever. sustain the double hit, just like the For those who read this article, shrimp farmers. you might agree with what I have to say, At this point, with a Presidential or you may call me a conspiracy election on the horizon, very little theorist. If wood still crosses the scale, movement in interest rates, and it will likely be the latter and not the employee wages at an all-time high, the former. future looks dim, and morale is low.

However, you can’t argue with Most economists are predicting what has happened with capacity over that things will not turn around until the last four years and it can’t be sometime in 2026 but more likely 2027. brought back overnight or even in a This also tracks with new markets that matter of years without sustained are trying to commence operations change and market consistency. That (Timber HP), planned operations for has not happened in the Northeast in startups (Godfrey Forest Products) and more than a decade and I don’t think stalwarts in pulp and paper and solid contractors are naïve enough to believe wood manufacturing. it, even if it happens for a few months.

For contractors, the question We are at a critical moment for becomes, can they hang on and make it this industry. The majority of another two to three years until things environmentalists believe that improve? Based upon what I’m hearing harvesting should be reduced or stopped and seeing, I have my doubts. Morale even though they don’t realize the out there seems to be at an all-time low with no end in impact it will have on their lives. The public sector has put sight. its head in the sand and has no concept of what is teetering Why do I say this? I have talked to our on the edge unless they can control it. And markets are membership enough over the years to be able to sense suffering all around us and the void is deep and wide. optimism, pessimism, or neutrality. This time is different. However, without a logger, no forest product can be produced or sold and that will become more apparent the Over the last month or so, we have been calling longer this goes on. the membership to encourage them to attend our legislative receptions across the state with legislative If ever there was a time to understand the candidates. From a group that has always been very dilemmas as well as the plight, it is now. Three years from politically active and come out in force to attend any/all now, there might not be capacity to bring those markets political events we have held in the past, the voices on back, so denial is not going to move us forward. other end have not been overly happy or even reserved.

Many have not only lost faith in their ability to operate, Please stay safe, be well and stay in touch. but also feel a politician is not going to change this from their perspective.

As part of my conversations with the membership,

For contractors, the question becomes, can they hang on and make it another two to three years until things improve?

The Logger’s Voice ▪ Fall 2024

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PLC 2024 Log A Load for Kids Golf Tournaments!

PLC’s Log A Load for Kids Northern Maine Golf Tournament underway at JaTo Highlands Golf Course Sept. 13.

“Once again this amazing group has stepped up faithfully The Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of the Northeast raised a combined $111,262 at its two Maine to make a difference for the kids and their families, and I am very proud of everyone involved.”

Log A Load for Kids golf tournaments in 2024.

The PLC also raises funds for The southern tournament raised $47,843 Log A Load at a live auction at its annual on Aug. 23 at Kezar Lake Country Club membership meeting each year and this in Lovell and the northern tournament year raised a record $186,007 at the raised an additional $63,419 on Sept. 13 event. at JaTo Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln.

The PLC’s Log A Load efforts have now raised more than $2.4 million The PLC tournaments benefit since 1995.

Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in Maine. Funds support the Barbara Bush The Log A Load for Kids Children’s Hospital in Portland and program started in 1988. Originally, the Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical concept was for loggers, wood-supplying Center in Bangor and go to support businesses, and other industry supporters research and training, purchase in various states including Maine to equipment, pay for uncompensated care, donate the value of a load of logs to their and benefit the Neonatal Intensive Care local Children’s Miracle Network Units in a mission to save and improve Hospitals. Nationally, Log A Load for the lives of as many children as possible.

Kids is a leader in CMN hospitals’ fundraising, raising more than $2 million “The dedication of the PLC’s Thanks again to Jacob annually through golf tournaments, loggers and truckers and our many Thiboutot and his lemonade fishing events, dinners, truckloads of log friends and supporters in the industry to stand helpers at the southern donations and other events. this cause never wavers no matter how tournament! difficult conditions in the industry may For more information, please be,” Dana Doran, Executive Director of the PLC, said. visit www.logaload.org

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$111,262 Raised for Log A Load for Kids!

Golfers preparing to head out on the course at PLC’s Log A Load for Kids Southern Maine Golf Tournament Aug. 23.

Clockwise from top left: Grilling at the Lincoln tournament; the family of Daniel Phillips (the northern tournament was dedicated to his memory); on the course in Lincoln; family of Matt Jacobs at the southern tournament, air cannon in action at the southern tournament.

The Logger’s Voice ▪ Fall 2024

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Waterlogged Vermont loggers join recovery efforts after historic flooding in the Green Mountain State

Matt McAllister, owner of Matt McAllister Logging, surveys the remains of a crossing on the Lamoille River in Greensboro, VT washed out by flooding in July. Opposite page: His son Walker visited the crossing in September, weeks after the McAllisters rebuilt it to restore access for residents stranded by the flood. suspended logging operations for more than six months GREENSBORO BEND, VT – Matt McAllister Logging did not cut a tree in 2024 from late February until and instead focused on road, bridge and culvert repairs along with debris removal work during and after the early September, but moved plenty of wood during that time, mostly out of ditches, streams, and washed-out roads. longest and most severe stretch of flooding in Vermont in After unusually warm weather in February started living memory.

Owner Matt McAllister grew up here and has mud season off early, the PLC Member logging company

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never seen flooding like what the area experienced in the last couple of years.

“We’ve never had 6-8 inches of rain in four hours before, it was torrential, it just didn’t stop, when you can see inches of water coming down across a slope, I’ve just never seen that in my life in Greensboro until this

summer,” Matt said.

Matt has been logging for decades and clearly recalls the days back before he moved into mechanization when he, his father, and his brother were all cutting wood by hand and yarding it with cable skidders. The weather then was different.

Floods

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Floods

Continued from Page 15 “It used to be so dry and so hot in the summer we’d pray for it to rain that night, but we haven’t done that for 10 years,” Matt said. “We don’t pray for rain anymore; we pray for it to stop.”

Matt McAllister Logging is not alone. Across Vermont, logging contractors with the right equipment have been working on the massive effort to clean up and repair the damage from repeated floods and severe weather in the Green Mountain State over the past two years.

many of the hardest hit areas from 2023.

“Then we had a more isolated event on July 30 that affected part of the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, specifically the St. Johnsbury Lyndon area and then up through Island Pond and Morgan, those are some of those areas which are large logging areas up in there and there were some historic rainfall amounts,” Goff said.

The rainfall amount in St. Johnsbury in that one event was nearly 8 inches in 6 hours, according to some reports.

Sandwiched in between these major flooding events was a historic Dec. 18-19, 2023 heavy rainfall and rapid snowmelt event that caused severe damage across much of the Northeast, including Vermont.

The combination of factors that appear to have produced Vermont’s persistent heavy rainfalls are complicated, but the reasons they have been a problem are simple. Mainly this comes down to a combination of Vermont’s hilly terrain being cut by many small streams and rivers, and to the state’s history of early development of communities and infrastructure along waterways, Goff said.

“These are primarily smaller rivers that are fed by a lot of smaller streams that are in rugged terrain and that are extremely prone to flash flooding,” Goff said. “The other thing that can compound the problem is that we live in an old part of the country where the development of many of these towns goes back over 200 years. They were centered around these mills and sawmills where they relied on waterpower, so a lot of the commerce and roads were around these small streams and rivers and they’re still there today.”

The scale of the damage the flooding caused along those waterways is hard to grasp for those who did not Lincoln Farm Timber Harvesting feller buncher witness it firsthand. removing debris from the Passumpsic River in PLC Member company Blue Hill Land & Timber Lyndonville, VT. based in Stowe has worked on recovery efforts for the Vermont is not the only Northeast state that has town, and owner Jed Lipsky said in Stowe and in many been affected by extreme weather events over that period, other areas the debris swept up by the water included but there is no doubt it has suffered more than its share of massive tangles of wood that could block culverts and flooding damage. damage or destroy things in their path including bridges, John Goff is a senior service hydrologist at the homes and utility poles and lines. Blocked culverts then National Weather Service office in Burlington, VT who forced water out of streams and rivers onto roads and oversees hydrological programs including flood programs. property along the waterways.

To find comparable flooding in Vermont’s history he has “I’d say 85 percent of Stowe’s damage to public to go back to Hurricane Irene in 2011, and before that all infrastructure and private came from these massive walls the way to 1927. and wads of trees – root balls, giant, in some cases they Vermont’s current run of extreme flooding events might be 10-12 feet high.” Jed said. kicked off on July 10-11 of 2023 when up to 9 inches of Sam Lincoln, owner of PLC Member Lincoln rain fell in a 48-hour period. Many communities in the Farm Timber Harvesting of Randolph Center coordinated state set rainfall records, and rivers across the state with several other PLC companies during recovery efforts overflowed their banks. The deadly storm paralyzed much including Eastman Trucking & Excavation LLC of of Vermont.

Hartford, VT; Russell Riendeau & Sons Inc. of Almost a year later to the day, the remnants of Lyndonville, VT; and HB Logging LLC of Kirby, VT. The Hurricane Beryl swept into Vermont in July of 2024 and scenes they saw in and around the Great Brook in hammered much of the northern half of the state including Plainfield and the east branch of the Passumpsic River in

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Lyndonville were unbelievable.

“There were places where not only were the homes gone, but the real estate that was under them doesn’t exist anymore,” Sam said, recalling one site where the only evidence left of a family’s home was a mailbox and a wellhead sticking out of the water. “It was pretty staggering.”

Vermont’s rugged terrain can limit routes in and out of many areas to one or two roads, so the loss of roads and bridges stranded hundreds. The debris left behind by the floods included far more than wood, dirt, and stone.

“There was trash, vehicles, household debris, plastic, fiber optic cables, tires, guardrails, just everything,” Sam said.

If the damage from the storms that pummeled Vermont was unprecedented, the role logging companies have played in the National Weather Service rainfall totals from the July 10-11, 2024 storm. Record recovery is also unprecedented. rainfall was recorded in some areas of northern Vermont.

Jed is not just a logger, but an Independent state representative for Vermont’s Lamoille rivers with cables, and off highway vehicles splashing -1 District. In the wake of the flooding disasters, he said the through the shallows to restore Vermont’s battered state and Governor Phil Scott wisely recognized the need to infrastructure. temporarily suspend some rules governing activity in and Sam said Lincoln Farm Timber Harvesting could around waterways to facilitate recovery efforts. This not have done the work it tackled without the help of fellow allowed removal of woody debris from waterways that PLC Member companies Russell Riendeau & Sons could threaten roads, bridges, culverts, homes, and Inc. renting a staging area to him and providing low bed, businesses. forwarder, and dump truck service, and HB Logging As contractors including PLC Members were handling the grinding and trucking of thousands of yards of wood debris.

The offroad haul trucks, staff, and other resources of Eastman Trucking & Excavation were critical to the efforts, Sam said.

“Jim Eastman played a really big role, and I wouldn’t have been able to undertake the Great Brook debris removal job without his experience, his network, his resources. He put a lot on hold to make the project happen,” Sam said. “When AOT asked me to mobilize immediately to clear log jams on four miles of the stream, I asked Jim to help ‘for a few days’ to get it started, and his crew was there for six weeks, from the first load out of the river right until the grass seed was spread the last day of closing the Eastman Trucking & Excavation LLC dump trailer hauling ground debris from HB Logging LLC’s grinder during recovery job out.”

Funding for the recovery work has come efforts. primarily from federal, state, and local sources. In the brought into the recovery efforts this led to unusual scenes case of Lincoln Farm Timber Harvesting, the employer was including feller bunchers, excavators and other heavy the Vermont Agency of Transportation. equipment in waterways, processors pulling logs from The agency hired more than one logging contractor Floods

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Floods

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A Vermont Agency of Transportation technician assesses a log jam on the Great Brook in Plainfield, VT. Jams like these were a common result of the widespread flooding that has plagued the state in the past two years. to remove debris from and around waterways, according to material moved; and work on several smaller washes and Jeremy Reed, Chief Engineer for the Department’s culverts across town as well as three private bridges. The Highway Division.

McAllister’s run a diversified company “It was critical to remove this with a wide mix of equipment, and are The PLC is working to ensure that $1 million included in debris as it represented a risk to life and as comfortable doing earthwork as Vermont's state budget to create a logging, and so they we were wellproperty in the event of another highnew water quality program for water episode,” Jeremy said. “These equipped to handle the work. logging contractors that would efforts are winding down now, and we On a job on Cemetery Ridge reimburse them for resilience expect all the identified work to be Road, water ran down both sides of the practices such as culverts, gravel, road causing damage, and sediment had completed by November 1.” hay, and silt fencing will be made to be removed from both ditches, As the wet weather of July gave available soon by the Vermont way to drier weather in August and culverts replaced, and then loads of Department of Forests, Parks and September, Vermont finally began to dry Recreation. Securing this funding stone brought in to better prepare the out and recovery projects to wrap up. road for future heavy rainfall events, was a PLC priority in the last Late in September, Matt’s son Walker legislative session and it is critical Walker said. spent part of a morning visiting some of to aiding the industry as it grapples On Sparhawk Road, which is the jobs the company had worked on in close to the McAllister’s home, the with increasingly wet conditions. its area. Some of the most noteworthy situation was more serious, with the jobs included a bridge replacement on Shadow Lake Road; crossing destroyed after the flooding swept through. two eight foot culverts and 128 loads of gravel on “There were about 30 people stranded there the Sparhawk Road; more than 50 loads of gravel and stone day after, they couldn’t get out,” Walker said. “There were and some culverts on Flagg Pond Road; 110 loads of 128 loads we put in in two days to get those people out.” gravel and stone and some culverts on Overlook Road; Just south of there, Walker parked on the edge of a major work on School House Road with 2700 yards of farm belonging to his grandfather on a tributary of the

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Above: Walker McAllister of Matt McAllister Logging checks recent ditch repair work the company performed on Cemetery Ridge Road in Greensboro, VT where flooding destroyed sections of the road. Below: Matt McAllister finally back on a logging job in Starksboro, VT in September for the first time since warm weather idled the job in February.

Lamoille River where flooding damaged sections of Stannard Mountain Road, washed out the bridge across to Orton Road, and destroyed a bridge his grandfather used to cross the water just downstream. Only the Lamoille River Rail Trail walking bridge high above the water escaped the flood.

For the McAllister’s the flood recovery work was wrapping up in late September and Matt McAllister was finally back logging at a job in Starksboro. Elsewhere, other PLC Members were also back in the woods or finishing up recovery projects.

While the record-breaking rainfalls and repeated flooding Vermont has experienced in the last two years has undoubtedly hindered the state’s logging industry by making it nearly impossible to cut or move wood for long stretches of time, the recovery work has been a silver lining for some contractors, allowing them to keep workers on the job and money coming in despite the wet conditions.

At the same time, the recovery work and the

adaptability of loggers in handling it may also have reminded the state and municipalities how valuable loggers are to Vermont, a resource not just in the woods but there to be called on in emergencies.

“Logging companies are uniquely qualified to perform this work,” Jeremy at the Vermont Agency of Transportation, said. “The specialized equipment that they bring to bear allows them to remove the debris with a smaller footprint than traditional heavy construction equipment.”

“I think it’s become very evident that the logging equipment and the allterrain, all-conditions skills we have are providing critical surge capacity to the state, and it’s important to recognize what loggers bring to the table in a statewide response,” Sam agreed.

Thank you to PLC Member Companies Matt McAllister Logging, Blue Hill Land & Timber, Lincoln Farm Timber Harvesting, and HB Logging LLC for contributing images and/or information for this article.

The Logger’s Voice ▪ Fall 2024

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Maine Trailer Inc.’s New Initiative: Supporting Log A Load For Kids Through Parts2Go Purchases Record Funds Raised at PLC Log A Load for Maine Kids Southern Maine Golf Tournaments!

Maine Trailer Inc.’s facility on Coldbrook Road in Hampden, ME.

Holiday Lights” display that has raised awareness of its HAMPDEN, ME – This year, the folks at Maine Trailer Inc. decided they wanted to do more to support the importance as well as thousands of dollars to support it.

Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of the Northeast’s Rod said he would like nothing better than to write annual Log A Load for Maine Kids fund-raising efforts, a large check in support of Log A Load if the new effort is and so a decision was made to donate a portion of sales successful. from the company’s new online “If you’re a customer and you Parts2Go ordering system to the cause. need parts, you buy them from us and a Parts2Go is one of many portion of that is going to go back into improvements and additions the that fund and we hope that this is going company is making to better serve to be accepted by the PLC membership customers and position itself for the as a way to raise money for it,” Rod future, and Maine Trailer has pledged to said. “Here's something that they use in donate $75 for every first qualifying their everyday business - they need purchase of $500 or more on the system drums, bearings, seals, and parts for to Log A Load. their log trailers - and I have them, I'm competitive and I'm going to give back The PLC’s Log A Load efforts to the PLC, I think it’s a win-win.” support Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals including Eastern The PLC agrees.

Maine Medical Center (EMMC) in “Maine Trailer Inc. deserves Bangor, making it a very important and credit for coming up with this new way personal cause to Maine Trailer’s Chief Executive Officer to partner with the PLC to increase our annual Log A Load Rod Hathaway and his family, who credit EMMC’s fund raising efforts,” PLC Executive Director Dana Doran, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with saving his said. “This is a great example of a Preferred Supporting grandson’s life more than a decade ago, and which the Member of the PLC going above and beyond to make a family also supports through an annual “Hathaway

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Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast

Loggers Serving Loggers Since 1995

∙Trailer registration, with the company acting as a difference in the lives of the kids and their families.” statutory agent for Maine’s Department of Motor Vehicles, Maine Trailer Inc. joined the PLC in 2018, but it’s and four full-time employees handling registration for relationship with Maine loggers goes back decades.

Maine tags and titles all across the country including The company was founded 40 years ago by Alaska and Hawaii. husband and wife Irwin and Susan Singer, who then owned Maine Trailer Inc. today has 27 employees and Furniture World on Broadway Street in Bangor, ME. serves the entire state of Maine. That includes managing “They started this business because they needed extra storage for furniture, so they bought some trailers and about 2,200 rental units, and the company has also become a huge player in the container storage business, importing the rest is kind of history after that, their friends asked where they got them and whether they could get some, and that got them into the storage business.” Rod said, adding the couple are now retired but stay in touch with him regularly.

From that simple beginning Maine Trailer Inc. began expanding, moving into trailer sales and semi-trailer leasing. That created a need for a service department, and the service department needed parts and so that led to adding a parts department.

“Today of course, parts is a huge business between the company and PLC Member contractors, but the relationship between us was not always the same,” Rod said. “Back in the early 2000s we were predominantly paper haulers, we had the rental trailers that the guys rented to haul paper, and every mill you went to there was always a group of Maine Trailer trailers Maine Trailer Inc. has a fleet of large and small trucks, full-time somewhere in that parking lot.” drivers, and a sophisticated system to track and manage deliveries.

In those days Maine Trailer Inc. – then The company also has a an in-person parts counter as well as an known as Maine Trailer Leasing – had locations active phone and online business and a mobile parts showroom. in Ashland, Scarborough and Auburn in addition to Hampden, but when the economy collapsed in the late 2000s and took with it much of Maine’s paper industry the company lost a lot of business as accounts with hundreds of leased trailers serving the mills dried up. The workforce contracted, and the company’s locations were reduced to Hampden and Auburn.

“We really had to reinvent ourselves after that point, so we diversified tremendously into other areas,” Rod said.

In the years since, the company of today emerged, focusing on five distinct businesses.

Those businesses include: ∙Trailer leasing and rental, which is predominantly large dry vans and flatbeds as well as intermodal. ∙Trailers sales including large trailers as large containers directly from overseas manufacturers to well as utility trailers. rent or sell. They also customize those containers, and ∙Trailer service with six bays and six mechanics some are turned into small offices and camps. devoted to the department and options for both in-house Providing parts, trailers, and containers statewide and on the road service. also means Maine Trailer Inc. has a fleet of large and small ∙Trailer parts with an in-person parts counter as trucks, full-time drivers, and a sophisticated system to track well as an active phone and online business and a Mobile and manage it all.

Parts Showroom.

Maine Trailer

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Maine Trailer Inc. has become a huge player in the storage container business. The company rents, sells and customizes containers.

Maine Trailer Continued from Page 21 Maine Trailer Inc. Marketing Manager Chris Brady said the company’s trucks will deliver anywhere they can reach, and that includes using ferries to serve customers on islands, driving products deep into Maine’s north woods to reach remote sites, and in one case being towed by skidders to reach the top of a mountain.

“Some deliveries are more challenging than others for sure, but pretty much if we can get there we'll get there,” Chris said.

Maine Trailer Inc. is still in business today because it has adapted and changed, and Rod intends for that to continue.

“That’s one thing that I recognized early on, there’s going to come a time where there has to be a change, and for the last five years that’s what I’ve been Maine Trailer Inc. offers trailer service with six bays and doing and preparing for,” Rod said, “We’ve been here for 40 years and got a plan to be here for another 40 years, I've six mechanics devoted to the department and options for both in-house and on the road service. got a succession plan in place and we just keep changing.”

Change has meant hiring younger employees as well as nontraditional employees including former teachers and do your own shopping, it’s cost savings for us and and a former merchant marine. It has also meant them.” recognizing that the old days of a salesman in a pickup An online trailer registration system is also truck are gone and that the future of sales is online. planned for the fall of 2024 as another way to improve That realization led to the launch of the Parts2Go options for customers, Rod added. program, which functions much like an Amazon account Since joining the PLC, Maine Trailer Inc. has for customers and allows both the company and the stepped up for the organization in many ways. The customer to benefit from its 24 hour a day availability, company has been a sponsor for PLC events and supported quick and easy sales system, and expanded inventory the PLC’s quarterly Logger’s Voice magazine through choices. extra ad purchases. It has provided discounts to PLC “So at 9 o’clock at night when a logger gets in and Members and a discounted mobile container office for the figures he’s got to do a brake job next week on a trailer, he PLC’s Mechanized Logging Operations and Forest can log online, see my inventory, price me out, but he can Trucking Program. In 2022, the company won the PLC’s also look deeper into what the master warehouse has and Community Service Award for its annual Hathaway maybe there's alternatives he wants to look at, say he likes Holiday Lights effort. brand X but he's willing to try brand Y,” Rod said. “He can Maine Trailer Inc. and the region’s logging have the products on his shelf with our statewide delivery industry have both come through some difficult times that next week so he's ready to go, and if you can go online together and they depend on each other, and the company

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Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast

Loggers Serving Loggers Since 1995

Service bays at the Hampden facility.

is proud to be a PLC Preferred Supporting Member, Rod said.

“We’ve been supported tremendously by the guys in the woods, and we’re all in it together and working together to make forest products the industry that it is,” Rod said. “That has not been easy obviously with

everything thrown at us, but I think if we all work together and change and tweak our business models, we can all keep people employed, because it is still a very significant part of our local economy.”

Thank you to Maine Trailer Inc. for providing some images used in this article.

The Logger’s Voice ▪ Fall 2024

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2024 Mechanized Logging Operations and Forest Trucking Program Underway

qualified logging operators and forest truckers in an FAIRFIELD, ME – The Mechanized Logging efficient and affordable way,” PLC Executive Director Operations and Forest Trucking (MLOFT) Program, a Dana Doran said. “We could not offer this unique unique 20-week certificate course providing unmatched opportunity to students without the support of Maine’s training and preparation for careers in logging and forest Congressional delegation, which secured Congressional trucking, is now underway for its eighth straight year.

The program is an expanded version of the original Directed Spending (CDS) support for it, or our industry logging operations certificate program created in 2017 by partners, who ensure we have the equipment to offer a topnotch training experience.” the Professional Logging Contractors The opportunity to earn a CDL(PLC) of the Northeast, the Maine A permit and receive preparation for the Community College System, and state driving exam was a significant industry partners, that now includes addition to the program in 2023.

Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training.

Students enrolled in the postsecondary training program harvest The MLOFT program is being timber and operate trucks using hosted by Kennebec Valley Community sophisticated state-of-the-art machines College (KVCC) at its Alfond Campus like those they will encounter in the on U.S. Route 201 but is administered by logging industry. The hands-on Northern Maine Community College experience students gain operating (NMCC) in Presque Isle. equipment is an opportunity unavailable Students began classwork and anywhere else in Maine and neighboring safety training in late June at the Alfond states.

Campus before progressing to hands-on training with Students pay no tuition or fees. The project is mechanized logging machines at an active timber harvest on the campus in late July. That training continued into the funded 100% by a $1M grant from the U.S. Department of fall with a graduation for the students planned for Nov. 7 at Labor, Employment and Training Administration. the Alfond Campus.

To learn more about the program visit: “This remains the only program of its kind in our plcloggers.org/plc-resources/career-training-opportunity/ region, and it is critical to addressing Maine’s shortage of

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Loggers Serving Loggers Since 1995

Top: Students operating equipment at the active harvest site in Fairfield, ME during the summer and early fall of 2024.

Bottom: Students and instructors inspecting a crane on the job site on the first day of equipment training.

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Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast

Loggers Serving Loggers Since 1995

Members of the PLC's Board of Directors toured the Mechanized Logging Operations and Forest Trucking program in Fairfield Sept. 12, meeting the students and instructors at the site where they are actively harvesting timber. This was a unique opportunity for the students to hear firsthand about the logging industry and get answers to their questions directly from potential employers. A huge thank you to the PLC Board for giving their time today for the future tomorrow.

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Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast

Loggers Serving Loggers Since 1995

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Beautiful fall day at the Fryeburg Fair Woodsmen's Day on Sept. 30!

Huge shoutout to all our PLC members who took part in the competitions, it was a blast to watch!

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Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast

Loggers Serving Loggers Since 1995

On Wednesday July 10, PLC Executive Director Dana Doran was a guest panelist for Skowhegan Savings Bank’s Economic Forum. The event held at Bigelow Brewing in Skowhegan featured a panel discussion by state and local experts sharing their insights on Central Maine’s economic outlook. Dana shared the stage with Heather Johnson, the Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development (at left), Aaron Bolster, President and Broker of Allied Realty (at right) , and Kristina Cannon, the President and CEO of Main Street Skowhegan (second from left). They discussed a variety of topics including the state of the economy, significant regional investment projects, the importance of innovation in the forestry sector and real estate market in Central Maine. It was a great opportunity for the PLC to share the struggles and successes of the logging and forest trucking industry.

The PLC provides Members with regular email updates and alerts on important issues. If you are not receiving these emails please reach out to our office at 207-688-8195 or email communications@plcloggers.org so we can correct the issue!

The Logger’s Voice Fall 2024

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Trucking Industry News...

FMCSA Removes Four Devices from List of Registered ELDs...

FMCSA Removes Two Devices from List of Registered ELDs...

July 23, 2024,

August 15, 2024,

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) removed BLUE STAR ELD and Administration (FMCSA) removed CTE-LOG ELD, ELD RELIABLE ELD devices from the list of registered VOLT, POWERTRUCKS ELD, and TFM ELD devices Electronic Logging Devices (ELD). FMCSA placed these from the list of registered Electronic Logging Devices ELDs on the Revoked Devices list due to the companies’ (ELD). FMCSA placed these ELDs on the Revoked failure to meet the minimum requirements established in Devices list due to the companies’ failure to meet the 49 CFR part 395, subpart B, appendix A. The removals are minimum requirements established in 49 CFR part 395, subpart B, appendix A. The removals are effective July 23, effective August 15, 2024.

2024.

FMCSA will send an industry-wide email to inform motor carriers that all who use these revoked ELDs FMCSA will send an industry-wide email to inform motor carriers that all who use these revoked ELDs must take the following steps: must take the following steps: Discontinue using the revoked ELDs and revert to paper logs or logging software to record required hours of Discontinue using the revoked ELDs and revert to service data. paper logs or logging software to record required hours of service data.

Replace the revoked ELDs with compliant ELDs Replace the revoked ELDs with compliant ELDs from the Registered Devices list before October 14, 2024. from the Registered Devices list before September 21, Motor carriers have up to 60 days to replace the revoked 2024.

ELDs with compliant ELDs. If the ELD providers correct all identified deficiencies for their devices, FMCSA will Motor carriers have up to 60 days to replace the revoked ELDs with compliant ELDs. If the ELD providers correct place the ELDs back on the list of registered devices and inform the industry of the update. all identified deficiencies for their devices, FMCSA will place the ELDs back on the list of registered devices and During this time, safety officials are encouraged inform the industry of the update. not to cite drivers using these revoked ELDs for 395.8(a) During this time, safety officials are encouraged (1) – “No record of duty status” or 395.22(a) – “Failing to not to cite drivers using these revoked ELDs for 395.8(a) use a registered ELD.” Instead, safety officials should (1) – “No record of duty status” or 395.22(a) – “Failing to request the driver’s paper logs, logging software, or use the use a registered ELD.” Instead, safety officials should ELD display as a back-up method to review the hours of request the driver’s paper logs, logging software, or use the service data.

ELD display as a back-up method to review the hours of Beginning October 14, 2024, motor carriers who service data. continue to use the revoked devices listed above will be Beginning September 21, 2024, motor carriers considered as operating without an ELD. Safety officials who continue to use the revoked devices listed above will who encounter a driver using a revoked device on or after be considered as operating without an ELD. Safety October 14, 2024 should cite 395.8(a)(1), and place the officials who encounter a driver using a revoked device on driver out-of-service (OOS) in accordance with or after September 21, 2024 should cite 395.8(a)(1), and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance OOS Criteria. place the driver out-of-service (OOS) in accordance with FMCSA strongly encourages motor carriers to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance OOS Criteria. take the actions listed above now to avoid compliance FMCSA strongly encourages motor carriers to issues in the event that the deficiencies are not addressed take the actions listed above now to avoid compliance by the ELD issues in the event that the deficiencies are not addressed providers. by the ELD providers.

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Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast

Loggers Serving Loggers Since 1995

Acadia Insurance to Distribute Premium Dividends to Eligible PLC Safety Group Members WESTBROOK, Maine (9, 2024) Acadia Insurance, since 1995 and aims to give independent logging a W. R. Berkley Company, recently announced that it will contractors a voice in the ever-changing logging industry.

The PLC focuses on advocacy, safety, quality operations pay $419,241 in premium dividends to eligible and business innovation for loggers. The PLC is a logging policyholder members of the Professional Logging organization run by loggers that understands the Contractors of the Northeast (PLC) Safety Group. Since importance of the logging industry and its impact on the 1999, Acadia has distributed over $14.5 million in Northeast economy. premium dividends to eligible participants of this For more safety group*. information about the Professional Logging Founded by Acadia Contractors of the Northeast Insurance, the PLC Safety Safety Group, please contact Group dividend program Robyn Sukeforth, Territory rewards logging companies Marketing Specialist, Acadia Insurance, at and sole proprietors for having a safe workplace by robyn.sukeforth@acadia-ins.com. 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 About Acadia Insurance risk management and mitigation expertise to members to Acadia Insurance is a regional underwriter offering help ensure the long-term sustainability of the logging commercial and specialty property casualty insurance industry. coverages through independent insurance agents with local “I am pleased that Acadia is once again able to offices in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New return premium to the Maine-based members for the PLC,” Hampshire, and New York. Rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. said Douglas Freeman, Regional Vice President of Acadia Best, Acadia Insurance Company is a member company of Insurance’s Maine Branch. “Our partnership with the PLC, W. R. Berkley Corporation, one of the nation’s premier which spans over a quarter-century, continues to grow. commercial lines property casualty insurance providers.

Favorable results that qualify for a dividend can only be Please visit www.acadiainsurance.com. attained through the diligent effort of our logging contractor policyholders, the agency professionals who *Dividends are not guaranteed. Dividends are work with them, the team at the PLC, and Acadia’s team of based on experience, are subject to Board approval, and dedicated Loss Control, Underwriting, and Claims the terms and conditions of the program. The amount of experts.” dividends paid historically is not indicative of what may be The PLC of the Northeast has been serving loggers payable in the future.

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The Dangers of Energy

By Donald Burr PLC Safety & Training Consultant

Logging can be one of the most hazardous professions, especially when it involves mechanized logging equipment. This equipment, designed to increase efficiency and productivity, comes with inherent risks tied to various forms of energy—mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, thermal, and gravity. Understanding and recognizing these dangers and implementing effective safety measures is crucial for protecting ourselves in this demanding environment.

Understanding Energy Risks in Mechanized Logging 1. Mechanical Energy: The mechanical energy present in logging equipment poses significant dangers.

These machines have powerful moving parts that can cause severe injuries through entanglement, crushing, or impacts. For instance, operators and mechanics can be caught in the machine’s cutting heads, belts & pinch points, leading to devastating injuries or fatalities.

2. Hydraulic Energy: Mechanized logging equipment relies on hydraulic systems to operate functions such as lifting, cutting, and maneuvering. Hydraulic systems operate under high pressure, which can lead to catastrophic failures. A sudden hose rupture or disconnection of a hose that is under pressure can release pressurized fluid, potentially causing injury or even propelling debris at high speeds. Workers must be cautious during maintenance and operation. Never look for a hydraulic leak using any part of your body. Hydraulic injection injuries are dangerous and can be deadly.

3. Electrical Energy: Many modern logging machines are equipped with sophisticated electronic systems for monitoring and control. However, this introduces electrical hazards. Faulty wiring or exposed components can result in electric shocks or fires. Most of the newer equipment is 24 volts. I once asked a mechanic

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how hot 24 volts are when they are shorted out to the machine, and his answer was simple, “hot enough to weld with.”

4. Thermal Energy: Logging equipment can generate substantial heat during operation, especially in engines and hydraulic systems. Workers are at risk of burns from hot surfaces, hydraulic fluid, or exhaust systems. I know of two equipment operators who opened a hot radiator and received substantial burns. Never open anything that is hot & under pressure. In our climate, we need to watch out for icy or snowy conditions, increasing the likelihood of slips and falls due to hidden hazards.

Always look before you step.

Key Safety Measures for Working with Mechanized Logging Equipment To mitigate the dangers associated with mechanized logging equipment, several essential safety measures should be implemented: 1. Training: Proper training is crucial for all personnel operating or working near mechanized logging equipment. This training should cover equipment operation, hazard recognition, emergency procedures, and maintenance protocols. Regular refresher courses help keep safety practices at the forefront of workers’ minds.

2. Lockout/Tagout (LOTO): The Lockout/Tagout procedure is critical to prevent accidental energization during maintenance. Before performing any work on equipment, operators should ensure that all energy sources—mechanical, hydraulic, thermal, and electrical— are properly shut down and released or secured. Tagging and or locking the machinery clearly communicates that this machine should not be started or moved until the person who put the tab/lock on the equipment determines that it is now safe and removes the tag. A lock or a tag should never be removed by anybody other than the person

Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast

Loggers Serving Loggers Since 1995

who put the tag or lock on.

3. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Wearing the appropriate PPE is essential for safeguarding against risks.

Remember that PPE is the last line of defense in keeping you safe and that it does not make you bulletproof. Only Superman is bulletproof, and Superman is too busy fighting crime to be a logger.

4. Safety Signage and Communication: Clear and visible signage indicating potential hazards can help maintain awareness among workers. Establishing a culture of open communication allows workers to report unsafe conditions or near misses without fear of repercussion. Regular safety meetings can reinforce the importance of vigilance in preventing accidents.

Conclusion The dangers of energy when working on mechanized logging equipment are significant and varied.

The potential for serious injury is ever-present, from mechanical and hydraulic risks to electrical and thermal

hazards. However, logging operations can significantly reduce these risks through rigorous training, adherence to safety protocols, and a commitment to ongoing maintenance. Operators should always ask where the energy is and how it can hurt them before starting work on their equipment.

Ultimately, prioritizing safety protects workers and enhances overall productivity and morale. By fostering a culture that values safety and encourages proactive measures, the logging industry can work towards minimizing accidents and creating a safer working environment for all.

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Do you have ideas for safety topics or issues the PLC should focus on? Let us know! Reach out to safety@plcloggers.org

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Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast

Loggers Serving Loggers Since 1995

Ted Clark, CLCS, Loss Control Consultant, Acadia Insurance

Equipment Fires utilize a handheld extinguisher on remaining flames. It In the insurance industry, we generally track numbers pretty closely to look for any alarming trends that should be noted here that fire suppression systems may differ in how they are activated and you should familiarize may indicate a larger problem that needs to be addressed. yourself with your own system before a fire occurs.

This year the number that seems to be rising significantly over past years is the amount of equipment fires we have 5. Get ready with your portable extinguishers. A been seeing. The fires range from very minor to significant portable extinguisher, such as a loaded stream, can be and there does not seem to be one manufacturer, or one type helpful in extinguishing a fire once it has been suppressed. of machine to blame. As with anything, a periodic reminder Most manufacturers recommend leaving the engine is a critical step in curbing a concerning trend. I have compartment closed to prevent the fire from getting more written this article to share some useful tips to consider oxygen while also allowing the suppression agent to do its when training employees on the effective use of fire job. Because of this, most equipment manufacturers have suppression in the event of a machine fire. designated locations around the machine where you can insert a fire extinguisher hose and discharge it.

Fires on logging machinery is something that is always in the back of our minds. With significant amounts 6. Standby at the machine. Fires have been known of fuel, wood debris, high temperatures and lots of electrical to rekindle on machinery up to several hours after the initial wires, the chance of a fire is significant and often times fire was presumed to be extinguished. After the fire appears serious when they occur. Throw in challenging markets to have been extinguished, you should wait at your machine where profits are down, the temptation may be to push off with additional handheld fire extinguishers until you are machinery maintenance, reduce cleaning frequency, and run comfortable that it has been completely extinguished. machinery harder than what you may do if the markets are While the fire is taking place, there is a lot of information good. While understandable, it is critical to make sure the that can be helpful in figuring out what caused the fire to machines are cleaned out frequently and maintained ignite. Below are some observations you can make to help properly in order to reduce the exposure to a fire on the investigators figure out the cause of the fire: machine which could have a detrimental effect on your 1. What color was the smoke? A surprising business. amount of information can be gathered by the color of When a fire occurs, the operator taking immediate smoke. The color of the smoke can help point towards and effective action can make the difference between a where the fire ignited as well as what was fueling the fire. machine that suffers zero to minor damage and a machine 2. What did you hear? You may hear an alarm that suffers a significant fire loss. Because of this fact, an indicating the fire suppression system discharged. You may occasional reminder to operators about how to fight an hear crackling, potentially pointing to an electrical problem. equipment fire can be extremely helpful if a fire occurs.

Simple observations like these can help investigators find While every situation is different, the following steps can be the cause of the fire. taken to help reduce the damage caused by a fire: 3. What did you see? Note areas on the machine 1. Don’t get hurt. Machines are replaceable but the where you first see flames. Where was the fire most operator is not. If the fire is too big or you are not intense? What happened when the suppression system went comfortable that you can extinguish the fire safely, you off? should stand back and take precautions to prevent the fire 4. Take a video or pictures. If you are no longer from spreading onto the ground or other equipment in the able to fight the fire, and as long as it is safe to do so, area. It is not worth risking the operator’s safety to standing back and taking a video and/or photos can be extinguish a fire. helpful to investigators.

2. Call for help immediately. Tell other operators Fires on machinery are hazardous and can cause in the area what is going on and ask them to come help you. significant downtime for a logging contractor. While Often times the other machines can carry water or additional manufacturers of equipment and fire suppression systems handheld fire extinguishers to assist in extinguishing the continue to work diligently to prevent fires from ever fire. occurring, it remains true that as long as you are cutting 3. Shut machine down by turning off the key, wood with machinery, fire is always going to be a grounding out hydraulics and, if possible, shut off the possibility. Simple steps like those listed above can go a master switch. Shutting the machine down completely and long way in preventing the severity of a fire and getting grounding out the hydraulics will help you reduce the your machinery back to work quickly. amount of additional fuel, such as fuel, being introduced to Acadia is pleased to share this material for the benefit of the fire. Shutting the master switch off will help to remove a its customers. Please note, however, that nothing herein should potential source of re-ignition. be construed as either legal advice or the provision of 4. Activate your fire suppression system. If the professional consulting services. This material is for system has not yet activated, you should immediately informational purposes only, and while reasonable care has been activate it manually. Activating it manually can prevent the utilized in compiling this information, no warranty or fire from growing by suppressing it enough to allow you to representation is made as to accuracy or completeness.

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Sitting

By Brie Weisman, OTR/L with Maine AgrAbility Is sitting for hours on end the “new smoking?”

Some people may laugh off the question, but the health profession is taking this notion very seriously.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic analyzed 13 studies of sitting time and activity levels and found that those who sat for more than eight hours a day without participating in an exercise routine to counter it had a risk of dying similar to that posed by obesity and smoking. That should not be particularly shocking as a sedentary lifestyle is, after all, quite literally unnatural. Our bodies are made for regular, vigorous motion: for gathering and chasing down food; for fleeing to avoid becoming someone else's food; for exploring and learning about our environment whenever our more immediate needs are met. Sitting, historically and evolutionarily, is what we are supposed to do in the few moments when all our work is done at last– the exception, not the rule. A sedentary lifestyle is a very new phenomenon. Retirement, the combustion engine, and the first screens all arrived in the last, razor-thin sliver of humanity’s existence. Chairs have been around slightly longer–about the last 1.5% of our time on the planet.

And they’ve caught on in a big way. According to the CDC, for adults ages 19-64, sitting four to eight hours is considered a moderately sedentary lifestyle. Eight or more hours is a high risk lifestyle. Loggers and fleet truck drivers should take note. It’s hard to find a logger today who does not sit in their equipment for less than eight hours. Most don’t take hourly breaks, and many remain in their cab for more than two hours between breaks. This falls within the high risk lifestyle already–without accounting for the hours spent on the road driving to and from the work site, or time at home at the kitchen table or in front of some sort of screen at the end of the day.

Interestingly, loggers now engage in less physical equipment, standing up, stretching out, and walking about activity than most office workers. The office affords the for a minute or two. opportunity for increasingly popular sit-to-stand desks, and What are the specific dangers of a sedentary employees are encouraged to take regular, scheduled lifestyle? breaks. In addition to that, they take additional walks to the Perhaps counterintuitively, sitting increases rather water cooler or coffee machine or copier, to associates’ desks and offices, to meetings, and perhaps to lunch down than decreases the compressive forces on the spine–by as much as 40%. The natural curve of the spine supports the the street. The daily lunchtime exercise walk is steadily growing in popularity. At a bare minimum, loggers should body evenly while standing, and motion creates a constant adopt a similar workday habit, with regular time outside of redistribution and sharing of the body’s weight across

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Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast

Loggers Serving Loggers Since 1995

year. That’s a lot of money. So much that it could pay for every student leaving high school in America this year to attend a state university or trade school. Twice over. With more than a few billion to spare. What about joining the military as another option? Unfortunately, an astonishing 77% of today’s young adults are physically unfit for US military service.

We need to do better. Fitness affects happiness, longevity, productivity, and as a society we have neglected it for so long that it’s become a national security concern.

Be good to yourself, and be an example to your family, friends, and coworkers. Get off your butt! Start now.

muscle groups. Sitting in more or less the same position all the work day increases the risk of musculoskeletal injuries: lower back trouble, tight shoulders, sore neck, even aching hands and circulatory problems can be a consequence of sitting too much. Have you ever felt that your shoes are tight at the end of the day, or noticed swelling in your legs?

That’s a symptom of too much sitting. Other chronic diseases highly correlated with long term sedentary lifestyles include obesity, diabetes, depression, dementia, muscle loss, osteoporosis, multiple types of cancers, stroke and heart disease.

So, what’s a logger to do? In general, a regular exercise program is important for everyone. While on the job, short microbreaks should be considered an essential part of every logger’s day. Getting out of the cab and walking around your machine for just one minute every half hour will go a long way to countering the problems of a sedentary job. A single minute! That adds up to a mere 3% of your day. Not only does science say it’s good for the body–a wealth of research says it’s also good for the bottom line. Short mental breaks from a task undertaken for long periods of time makes any worker more efficient and less prone to costly errors in the long run. A walk around inspection of your machine in that single minute may also identify an issue to address that will prevent the need for a costly larger repair and time down. Micro breaks that increased worker health and productivity, combined with quick, regular preventative inspections of expensive equipment should be a no-brainer not only allowed, but insisted upon by every logging company.

Now, this article is of course for loggers, but we’re also parents, role models, citizens. And the issue of sedentary lifestyles reaches well beyond logging. It has grown to become a national concern. A January 2024 CDC article noted that 110,000 deaths could be prevented annually if US adults would increase their moderate-tovigorous physical activity level by just 10 minutes a day.

Ten minutes! Sadly, a mere one in four adults currently meet even this minimal effort.

Sedentary-related issues also cost us $117 billion a

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

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Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast

Loggers Serving Loggers Since 1995

The Logger’s Voice ▪ Fall 2024

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Maine Study Shows Impact of Master Logger Water Protection Workshops The Maine Forest Service (MFS) has announced results of its 2022-2023 study on the implementation and effectiveness of Best Management Practices (BMPs) in timber harvesting across the state.

According to MFS, the 2022-2023 results are consistent with previous years, showing a solid commitment to BMPs within Maine's forestry and logging community.

Notably, there was a 5% decrease in sedimentation associated with crossing structures since the 2020-2021 report, with the report stating, "Sediment entry to the waterbody was observed at 29% of all crossings, a decrease from an average of 34% reported between 2020 and 2021." Historically, sedimentation is most often linked to crossing structures.

This positive result coincides with a dramatic increase in recent years in BMP workshops conducted by the Northeast Master Logger Certification Program® in Maine and neighboring states. Master Logger is the only organization providing true hands-on BMP training to A Master Logger Best Practices Workshop underway contractors and their employees in the region. in Jay, Maine in 2023.

Key findings of the Maine Report included: BMP use or avoidance strategies.

• 70% BMP Application on Crossings: Seventy The Professional Logging Contractors of percent of sites had BMPs correctly applied on crossings the Northeast (PLC) encourages all loggers who and approaches, or crossings were completely are not Master Logger certified to consider avoided. BMPs emphasize planning harvests to certification as a way to improve and market their minimize stream crossings whenever feasible. business and access quality training • 84% Effectiveness in Preventing opportunities. PLC members also receive a Sedimentation: Eighty-four percent of BMP discount on Master Logger renewal fees. observations indicated that no sediment entered a Learn more about certification by visting waterbody, achieving the primary goal of BMPs to masterloggercertification.com or by ontacting keep sediment out of water sources.

Master Logger Program Manager Sydney Andersen • 97% Wetland Protection: Ninety-seven percent of at (207) 688-8195 Opt. 2 or sydney@tcnef.org sites had no wetland crossings, demonstrating effective

Are you a Master Logger® in Maine who is buying new equipment? Take advantage of the Direct Link Loan Program and get an interest rate reduction of up to 2% on qualifying equipment. Details of the program and how you can take advantage of it may be found on the Master Logger® website at masterloggercertification.com/programs/ 42

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PLC had a great two days with Acadia Insurance at Timber Talks in Lincoln, ME and St. Agatha, ME in July, with presentations on changes to forms, rechargeable battery safety, fire suppression systems and an update about logger health from NEC Logger Health & Safety. A big thank you to Acadia for their commitment to the safety and financial well-being of PLC members.

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The Maine Forest Service 2022-2023 Biennial Report on Use and Effectiveness of Forestry Best Management Practices

By Tom Gilbert Water Resources Specialist Maine Forest Service

The Maine Forest Service (MFS) has conducted statewide monitoring of Best Management Practices (BMPs) on timber harvesting operations since 2000 to assess the use and effectiveness of BMPs in Maine. The Maine BMP monitoring effort helps to track progress through the years, measure outcomes and identify priorities for future MFS educational programs. Data from the BMP monitoring effort are also used to produce a biennial report to summarize and analyze findings. The newest report, from 2022-2023 monitoring seasons, was released this month.

Data for this report were collected and analyzed using a standardized method detailed in the “Best Management Practices Implementation Monitoring Protocol.” This protocol assesses the overall rate of appropriate BMP application, as well as the effectiveness of the suite of BMPs used in preventing erosion and sedimentation on a given site. The following are key findings of this year’s report: ∙Seventy percent (70%) of sites had BMPs applied appropriately on crossings and approaches, or crossings were avoided. ∙Eighty-four percent (84%) of observations of BMP use and effectiveness found no sediment entered a waterbody. ∙Ninety-seven percent (97%) of sites showed no evidence of chemical spills. ∙When applied appropriately, BMPs are effective at preventing sedimentation from entering waterbodies. ∙Ninety-seven percent (97%) of sample sites had no wetland crossing.

The 2022-23 BMP monitoring results are generally consistent with the past few years and continue to show a general acceptance of the use of effective BMPs by the state’s forestry and logging communities. As has been well documented by previous monitoring reports and numerous studies from around the country, when BMPs are properly applied, they work to achieve the objective of protecting water resources. Conversely, when not applied or applied inadequately the risk of detrimental impacts greatly increases. This reinforces the conclusion that continued

monitoring, education, and training are key to sustaining the progress that has been made with forestry BMPs and will allow Maine’s forestry community to continually improve in the future.

The full report is available online in the water resources section of the MFS website: https:// www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/policy_management/ water_resources/bmps.html

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As We See It July 2024 “A Better Understanding

By ALC President Mike Albrecht National Wildfire Crisis Strategy and the goal of On May 16, 2024, I had the distinct pleasure and accelerating the pace and scale of forest honor to cosign, along with Forest Service Chief, Randy Moore, a “Memorandum of Understanding” between the restoration can be accomplished and sustained into the American Loggers Council (ALC) and the USDA Forest future.”

Service.

The press release that followed the MOU signing Initiated by the Forest Service, this MOU was fully quotes Forest Service Chief Moore saying, “Loggers are endorsed by the American Loggers Council Board of on the front line every day, contributing directly to the Directors at our April 19th Spring Meeting. Our ALC health of the nation’s forests . . . while also creating jobs Executive Director, Scott Dane, deserves tremendous and strengthening local economies.” And I added to that: credit for steering this MOU effort, working with key “America’s loggers are the “boots on the ground” Forest Service staff through sessions of editing and providing essential wood products while helping to protect compromise. and restore our forests to their fullest potential.

The final result is a document titled, “American We cannot do our job without a strong working Loggers Council and USDA Forest Service Collaborative relationship with the United States Forest Service.”

Efforts for Healthy Forests, Markets, and Logging In the discussions that followed the signing of this Industry.”

MOU, one of the Forest Service officials was inspired to At this point, I suggest you let that rather lengthy say, “We are a team; we can’t exist without each other.” title “sink in” for a moment. No, it is not a misprint. This Well, if we are truly a team, and our goal is “working title now represents what every American logger and every together for healthy forests, markets, and logging Forest Service employee should understand. We are now industry” . . . then who are we competing with? My encouraged and expected to work collaboratively (read: answer: up until recently, there hasn’t been any other team together) to produce healthy forests, healthy timber – we’ve been faced off against each other. markets, and a healthy logging industry.

Many, if not most, of you are better historians than To further underscore what we should all now me, although I find history fascinating and insightful. In understand, the MOU has a “Statement of Mutual Benefits my opinion, the best book chronicling the history of and Interests.” I will quote a portion of these mutual American forestry was published back in 1971. Written by interests as follows: Henry Clepper, it is titled, Professional Forestry in the “The Forest Service utilizes professional logging United States. No, it doesn’t include the past 50 years, but contractors and timber haulers through various contracts it does provide a detailed and accurate accounting of the storied events that shaped America’s current forest and agreements to accomplish forest restoration and management policies. hazardous fuels treatment projects on National Forest System (NFS) lands. The ALC works to support, as part of Chapter 1 is aptly titled, “The Plunder of the its mission, an economically viable, healthy, and Pineries,” recalling when loggers and lumbermen operating sustainable logging workforce with a ready supply of in the 1800’s were described as, “villains, scoundrels, and timber and restoration byproducts and robust markets to thieves.” Chapter 10, titled, “Timber Famine Warnings: deliver raw materials to. The Forest Service depends on an Prelude to Regulation,” ushers in the notion that America’s adequate professional logging/hauling contract workforce forests would soon be depleted. This concern gave birth to to bid on Forest Service timber sales and contracts along the US Forest Service and two teams. The American with robust markets to deliver material to so that the timber industry and the Forest Service began to battle in an

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circulated, read, and understood. Every Regional Forester undeclared war, perpetuated by misunderstanding.

There were cease fires along the way that allowed should brief his/her staff. Every Forest Supervisor and District Ranger should brief their staff and employees. To for progress. America’s wildfire events gave birth to have teeth, the concepts in this MOU need to be integrated Smokey the Bear, who became the Forest Service symbol for an effective wildfire prevention program, and despite a into forest plans and there needs to be accountability showing progress in achieving the stated goals. litany of government regulations, America built a vibrant Every state logging association needs to share this timber industry.

MOU with their Board of Directors, passing it on to all But misunderstandings continued to polarize the two sides, prompting Henry Clepper to note that, “to more their membership. The only way this MOU will result in additional acres treated, fires prevented, and more wood than one contemporary observer, it appeared strange that, products for America, is to have it communicated through as industrial forestry became better, the attitude of the regulators became more critical.” As the design of logging the Forest Service and the timber industry, thoroughly equipment became more environmentally friendly, more understood, and transformed from a “Memorandum” into public land was designated as wilderness, near natural, wild an “Action Plan.” and scenic, and roadless. Timber operators are now My request to you is that you read the licensed and take continuing education courses but remain Memorandum of Understanding for yourself. All the main untrustworthy in the eyes of many within an agency I still points are discussed in the first 3 ½ pages. It takes ten hear referred to as the “Forest Circus.” minutes to read and understand it. If and when we agree Bottom line, in 2024, even though America’s with it, the doors of “understanding” and “action” open forests now cover almost 800 million acres, we have wider. You can find the MOU at www.amloggers.com: on become the world’s leading IMPORTER of softwood the menu, go to News & Issues, Latest News, May 2024. lumber. We are losing sawmills at the rate of about two per month. Over the past ten years, the Forest Service has lost 40% of its non-firefighting workforce.

It’s time for a reset.

Enter the 2024 ALC/USFS Memorandum of Mike Albrecht has a master’s degree in forestry from Duke Understanding. This historic and very positive document University, is a Registered Professional Forester in outlines a path forward to promote the three priorities listed California, and has worked for over 45 years in forest in its title: Healthy Forests, Healthy Markets, and a Healthy management and the forest products industry.

Logging Industry. It underscores the following statement made recently by Chief Moore as he addressed the Department of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee: Mike currently serves as president of the American Loggers Council and is a past president of Associated California “I can tell you with certainty that if we do not have a Loggers and the Sierra Cascade Logging Conference. vibrant timber industry, we are not going to be able to manage our forests and keep them healthy and resilient.”

Let me say with certainty that the American Loggers Council completely agrees with Chief Moore’s statement, but a final step is required to make the MOU more than 3 holes punched into a binder. It needs to be

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Maine Congressional Delegation Updates remembered for his philanthropy and commitment to the Q: What do Proctor & welfare of his employees.

Gamble, Poland Springs, and Backyard Farms have in The naming this spring of Bucksport native Andrew common? A: They all ship their Silvernail as CEO continues IP’s Maine connection and its products – from personal care items founding ethic of providing opportunity, protecting natural to refreshing drinking water to resources, and being a force for good in communities delicious tomatoes – to market in around the world. That force is strong at the Auburn Plant, packaging made right here in such as with its donation of 10,000 boxes each year to Maine at International Paper’s Wreaths Across America to honor fallen service Auburn Box Plant. members. The generous support of Toys for Tots, I recently had the pleasure Operation Reboot, the Shriners Hospital for Children, the Trinity Jubilee Center, and United Way demonstrate an of joining in a celebration of the ongoing commitment to service.

50th anniversary of the Auburn Sen. Susan Collins plant. From its opening in 1974 to Coming from a six-generation forest-products today, this manufacturing operation family, I know the challenges the industry faces. In the has been a tremendous asset to our State, providing $13 Senate, I continue to support legislation that strengthens an million in payroll and benefits and $9 million to small and essential sector of our State’s economy. This includes trade medium-sized business suppliers. agreements that are free and fair, providing certainty that biomass is a carbon-neutral energy source, and tax policies This success is the result of energetic leadership that encourage business investment and job creation. In and a dedicated workforce joining together to meet the demands of an evolving e-commerce global economy. With addition, I am committed to supporting workforce development initiatives and improvements to our skill and ingenuity, the 130 members of the Auburn team transportation and energy infrastructure. transform renewable resources into a wide range of packaging, strengthening Maine’s forest-products industry.

This year, I have again led a bipartisan resolution designating October 12 as National Loggers Day to honor International Paper was founded in 1898 and now the skilled and resilient loggers in Maine and across the employs more than 39,000 with operations around the country and recognize the critical role they play in world. Maine has been an important part of this success supplying Americans with the products needed to live safe story from the very start. Although co-founder Hugh and healthy lives. From the woods to factories like the IP Chisholm was born in Canada, he built his career here in Auburn Box Plant, Maine’s forest products industry is a our State with lasting accomplishments in the pulp and vital part of our history. Working together, we can help paper industry and sustainable forest management. In addition to his success as an entrepreneur, Mr. Chisholm is ensure it is a vital part of our future.

There will be no column from Senator Angus King in this edition due to Senate Ethics Committee rules stipulating that no sitting member of the Senate can participate in mass communications in the 60 days leading up to an election in which the member is a candidate.

Similarly, the hemlock woolly adelgid threatens our As a representative of hemlock trees, which help maintain stream health and Maine’s First District, I’ve seen firsthand how invasive species are support biodiversity. These pests, along with many others, are putting our forests and the industries that depend on threatening our forests and the livelihoods that depend on them. them at serious risk.

In Maine, our forests are not only That’s why I’m proud to cosponsor the Invasive an economic powerhouse, Species Prevention and Forest Restoration Act, introduced supporting industries like timber, by my colleague Congresswoman Becca Balint of paper, and recreation, but they Vermont. This bill aims to strengthen the biosecurity also play a critical role in measures needed to keep invasive species from entering the sustaining our environment.

U.S. in the first place. It’s far less costly to prevent However, invasive species are invasive species from taking root than to try and control Rep. Chellie Pingree wreaking havoc on our forests, them once they’ve arrived. This legislation would ensure and we must act decisively to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) also has the protect them. funding and tools necessary to prevent and respond to The emerald ash borer, which was first detected in invasions, protect our ecosystems, and support research Maine in 2018, has caused widespread damage to ash trees, into sustainable solutions. which are vital to our ecosystems and the economy.

Through its Invasive Species Program, the U.S.

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Forest Service has funded projects that help manage and species are already having profound effects on our natural mitigate the impact of invasive species on forested land. In resources, and are contributing to tree mortality, ecosystem Maine, the Forest Service has supported efforts to control degradation, and loss of economic opportunities in forestpests like the emerald ash borer and balsam woolly adelgid. dependent communities. These findings underline the This work is essential for protecting not just the trees, but urgency of passing legislation like the Invasive Species the biodiversity and economic value that our forests Prevention and Forest Restoration Act to bolster provide. I was proud to vote in support of the Bipartisan prevention efforts and restore affected areas.

Infrastructure Law, which provided funding for these Our fight against invasive species is also a fight for projects. As Ranking Member of the House Appropriations our future, and the future of our wood products industry.

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies As climate change accelerates, it creates new challenges Subcommittee, which oversees the Forest Service, I’m for forest management, allowing pests to spread more committed to ensuring that the Forest Service has the easily and further destabilizing already fragile ecosystems. resources it needs to continue this important work.

We must be proactive in addressing these intersecting As Congress continues its work on the fiscal year crises, not only to safeguard our forests but also to ensure (FY) 2025 appropriations process, the House that our rural communities continue to thrive. With Appropriations Interior Subcommittee proposed report bipartisan action in Congress, we can ensure that our highlights the increasing pressures on our forests due to forests remain resilient and sustainable for generations to invasive species. The language stresses that invasive come. also been a model for how to create good-paying jobs in I hope you’ve all had a great summer and have been able rural communities and a critical link in the supply chain for to spend lots of quality time with everything from paper products to home insulation to energy. Plus, it’s pride in the distinctive way of living that the people you care most about. generations of Mainers have enjoyed.

It’s the perfect season to enjoy everything Maine has to offer, and We sometimes call our working forests a “heritage I’ve been lucky to experience it industry,” but it’s so much more than that. The Maine with Mainers in every corner of woods connect our past and our present. And they hold the the state the past several weeks. keys to a promising future.

With the August recess Today, the folks at TimberHP have the Madison behind us, I’m back in D.C. mill roaring again because they found new uses for wood. working on the federal budget and Imagine if lawmakers captured that same innovative spirit: the issues that matter most to For example, what if Maine passed a law to ensure that Mainers.

That includes addressing taxpayer-funded construction in Maine uses wood from Rep. Jared Golden challenges in the forest products Maine? Or that taxpayer dollars advance energy industry and laying strong foundations for its future independence by prioritizing wood-based biomass, not just success. heat pumps and solar panels?

One of those challenges is the upcoming I believe we can achieve great things through the implementation of the European Union’s (E.U.) point-ofgrit and ingenuity of our forest products industry. So thank origin regulations. While addressing global deforestation is you for all you do, and I’m looking forward to speaking certainly a meaningful goal, it’s obvious that the U.S. — with you all soon. and Maine in particular — lead the world in modern As always, if you have questions about resources sustainable forest management. Our forest products for the industry or need any support, please send our team industry shouldn’t be subjected to onerous or even an email at ME02JG@mail.house.gov. We will get back to impossible new standards because of bad actors in other you quickly. parts of the world.

Even if it is not related to your job, my team and I It’s why I’ve joined a letter pushing the president are always here to help. Please let us know if we can help to negotiate a pause to the E.U.’s new system and am you solve problems you or your family is having with staying diligent as its estimated launch date creeps closer. Medicare, Social Security, the VA, or other federal Thankfully, we’re not the only ones concerned — even programs or agencies. stakeholders in the E.U. are worried about what a rushed You can reach my staff at: implementation would look like. Ultimately, I believe the Lewiston: (207) 241-6767 United States should be exempted from the standards Caribou: (207) 492-6009 altogether, in recognition of our sustainable practices. I’ll Bangor: (207) 249-7400 keep you posted as more updates are available to report.

You can also send us an email I also think this issue is a good reminder about why at: golden.house.gov/contact/email-me the work you do is so important. For centuries you have set the bar for what a responsible industry looks like. But it’s

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Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, Vermont Congresswoman Becca Balint and Vermont Congressman Peter Welch declined to include articles in this edition of The Logger’s Voice.

PLC Legislative Events

The PLC held several legislative events this summer and fall including “Meet the Reps” events for legislators and PLC Members in Poland September 24 (top right), Skowhegan September 26 (top left), Fort Kent October 10, and Lincoln October 11.

The PLC also held legislative tours of the Mechanized Logging Operations and Forest Trucking Program (MLOFT) in Fairfield (at left) on August 27 and September 4.

We would like to thank all legislators who attended these events and to thank the many PLC contractors who took time away from their busy schedules to attend as well.

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Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast 108 Sewall St. P.O. Box 1036 Augusta, ME 04332