PLC Logger's Voice Winter 2019

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The American Loggers Council is “loggers working for loggers.” That’s more than just a motto to promote our organization as the national voice for professional timber harvesters. It’s a mission statement and a guiding principle, expressing our belief that if loggers don’t get involved to protect our industry, nobody else will. And when loggers are working to help fellow loggers, we see real results in the policy arena. An excellent example is the recent effort in New Hampshire to override a governor’s veto in order to protect biomass facilities in the Granite State. Loggers understand biomass facilities provide a key market for low-grade wood products. They are an important part of our industry’s infrastructure that allows us to compete in a global economy. Biomass is good for rural economies and provides a renewable alternative to fossil fuels. But some don’t understand the benefits, especially in light of slumping prices for other forms of energy. Republican Gov. Chris Sununu raised alarms when he vetoed legislation to require utilities to purchase a portion of their electricity from the state’s wood-burning power plants. Gov. Sununu blocked the bill under the guise of protecting electricity ratepayers. It’s no coincidence his position was fully supported by antilogging special interests in Concord. There were serious consequences to Gov. Sununu’s veto. Without a stable biomass sector, many forestry and logging businesses were preparing to close their businesses and lay off workers. Many in New Hampshire found this potential outcome unacceptable, so they rallied to form a campaign to convince the state legislature to override the veto. In addition to personally lobbying their legislators, loggers attended town halls and organized rallies outside the state capitol. Many sent letters to editors of their hometown newspapers. The New Hampshire Forest Industry and Forest Landowners orchestrated a Biomass Override Petition drive that was very effective, got citizens involved and impressed the legislators. These efforts paid off to protect New Hampshire’s logging industry. The House rallied just enough votes to meet the two-thirds threshold needed to override the veto on a 226-113 vote. The override easily passed the Senate, 21-3. The organizers of this effort deserve applause from loggers across America. It should inspire us all to get involved and see what we can do to protect our industry in our communities, our states, and our nation. Our industry is under constant threat from antilogging politicians and their special interest supporters. We can’t afford to sit on the sidelines as bad policies threaten our businesses. ALC recognizes that many of us are too busy working in the woods, meeting payrolls and raising families to engage in public policy debates. That’s why we As We See It November 2018 “This is How Loggers Win in the Policy Arena ” By Nick Smith constantly strive to make it easier for loggers to get engaged and make their voices heard. It’s why we organize the ALC annual Fly-In to make it easier to visit the nation’s capital, and why we have retained Steve Southerland to represent us when we’re not in Washington DC. It’s why we partner with the Federal Forest Resource Coalition and work with Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities to alert you to developments in federal forest management. ALC understands that time is one of your most important resources. We only ask that you invest some of your time, even if it’s very little, to get informed and engaged in the policy issues that affect you. When “loggers are working for loggers” everyone wins. Nick Smith is Communications Specialist for American Loggers Council and founder of Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities, a non-profit, non-partisan organization that advocates for active forest management on federal forest lands. The American Loggers Council is a 501 (c)(6) not for profit trade organization representing professional timber harvesters in 33 states across the United States. If you would like to learn more about the ALC, please visit their web site at www.amloggers.com, or contact their office at 409-625-0206. We Support Maine Loggers 32 Professional Logging Contractors of Maine Loggers Serving Loggers Since 1995
The 24 th annual meeting of the ALC held October 11th-13th in Seaside, Oregon was a tremendous success. I would like to thank ALC President, Mark Turner and ALC Executive Director, Danny Dructor for a great meeting. With the passing of the gavel, I became your new President. I consider it an honor to serve as your president and invite you to contact me if I can help you in any way. As President, I look forward to continuing work on getting the bills passed on The Future Logging Careers Act, and the Right to Haul Act. In the spring of 2019, your Board will be going to DC for our Board Meeting and visits to the hill. We’re looking forward to that meeting and the opportunity to speak with our Congressmen/women about these two bills as well as other logging issues. Safety and Trucking issues are impacting all of us. On Thursday, October 11, 2018, we had a Team Safe Trucking Meeting with an impressive agenda put forth by Jimmy Locklear with Forestry Mutual Insurance Company. Obtaining qualified drivers is one of the most pressing problems loggers have today. There are only a few insurance companies remaining that will insure log trucks with some requiring a minimum of 3 yrs. experience driving a log truck. With this policy in place, inexperienced drivers will not be able to get the experience they need to be insured. This will eventually cause us to be unable to obtain drivers to haul our wood to the mill which will then become a mill problem as well. I know of one logging company that has hired someone to teach driver training and has an agreement with an insurance company to allow an inexperienced driver to be insured after a sixmonth training period. This might be a partial solution to the problem but an expensive one. Along with obtaining drivers, hiring and retaining trained equipment operators is also an issue. Alabama is addressing the issue of trained equipment operators with the help of the Alabama Forestry Association and the Alabama Loggers Council. They have started a five-week training program for skidder drivers. Two groups have already graduated this training with plans to continue this training around the state using a mobile classroom. As we move into our 25 th year, the American Loggers Council will be conducting a 5-year strategic planning meeting in Washington, DC on June 21-23, 2019, at the office of Capitol Hill Consultants, the consulting firm that the ALC has retained to assist us with our efforts in Washington. We will be determining goals of what the ALC would like to accomplish within the next 5 years. If you would like to share some of your thoughts and ideas, please contact me or other board members prior to those dates. I hope you will go ahead and mark your calendars for our 25 th annual meeting next year in Orange Beach, Alabama at Perdido Beach Resort on September 26th – As We See It December 2018 “A Message from ALC President Chris Potts” By Chris Potts 28 th , 2019. Plans are already underway for this to be an excellent meeting enjoyed by all. Be certain and check our web site at www.amloggers.com for information about this meeting and other logger events that will be taking place around the country. Chris Potts is the owner of Potts Logging based out of LaFayette, Alabama. The American Loggers Council is an 501(c)(6) not for profit trade association representing professional timber harvesters throughout the United States. For more information please contact the American Loggers Council at 409-625-0206, or americanlogger@aol.com, or visit our website at www.amloggers.com The Logger’s Voice ▪ Winter 2019 33
Page 1: Volume 13 Issue 1 | Winter 2019 A Q
Page 4 and 5: Event Calendar PLC Office, Augusta
Page 6 and 7: From the President By Jim Nicols He
Page 8 and 9: From the Executive Director As this
Page 10 and 11: *This article is reprinted by permi
Page 12 and 13: Irish Logging Continued from Page 1
Page 14 and 15: Irish Logging Continued from Page 1
Page 16 and 17: OWNER: Daniel Dunnells Jr. YEAR FOU
Page 18 and 19: Trucking Industry News... FMCSA Dro
Page 20 and 21: PLC Supporting Member Spotlight: Am
Page 22 and 23: AFM Continued from Page 21 has seen
Page 24 and 25: Think By Donald Burr PLC Safety & T
Page 26 and 27: *This sign-in sheet is intended to
Page 28 and 29: WILTON - November 10 was a wet and
Page 30 and 31: PLC News Briefs... 1028 Calais Rd.
Page 34 and 35: As We See It January 2019 “Americ
Page 36 and 37: Congressional Delegation Update I a
Page 38 and 39: 34 Professional Logging Contractors
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