PLC Logger's Voice Winter 2019

From the arrival of the
emerald ash borer in Maine to the
onset of devastating fires in
California, 2018 has been a year
of challenges for American
forests. Unfortunately, these
issues don’t show signs of
magically disappearing as we
usher in a new year.
But I do see reasons for
hope in 2019. For one, I think the
Rep. Chellie Pingree new Congress set to begin in
January will be well positioned
to address the challenges facing the forest industry. And I
intend to advocate for those priorities by supporting
strong funding for relevant programs, encouraging
research, and ensuring the industry can capitalize on new
opportunities.
Once again, I am honored to represent the State
of Maine as one of our two elected members of the House
of Representatives, and am thankful for the opportunity to
serve our state once again. In particular, I look forward
to working in a bipartisan way on several issues of
importance back home in Maine and for foresters and
loggers in particular.
I will continue to serve on the House
Appropriations Committee. With my six years of
experience on the committee, I am ready to take
advantage of the opportunities the new Congress will
offer to strengthen funding research and agencies that
impact our Maine woods. These include the Economic
Development Administration, U.S. Forest Service and
Department of Interior.
I am also eager for Congress to dig into some key
issues more fully. We must place more attention on how
extreme weather events like windstorms in Maine,
droughts throughout New England, wildfires in the West,
or category 5 hurricanes along our coasts are affecting
our forests nationwide. And I am committed to working
with my colleagues from other states with forested land to
address the impacts of invasive species—the emerald ash
borer in particular.
Also, as a proud member of the Working Forests
Caucus, I am eager to work with my colleagues on new
forest opportunities in the upcoming session. Working to
get the Timber Innovation Act over the finish line either
in 2018, or in the new session, will be a priority for me.
Please reach out to my office at any time to make
your voice heard with issues that you would like to see us
address in Congress. I am eager to hear from you and
hopefully see you out and about in
Maine.
A recount of votes cast in the race for the House of
Representatives seat in Maine’s second congressional
district had not been completed when the deadline for
content of The Logger’s Voice Winter 2019 edition expired,
therefore there is no column in this issue for the seat. Since
then, the recount has been suspended, however legal
challenges have been filed in connection with the election
and remain unresolved. The PLC looks forward to hearing
from the second congressional district’s Representative in
the Spring 2019 issue.
The Logger’s Voice ▪ Winter 2019 37