PLC Loggers Voice Winter 2021

Volume 15 Issue 1 | Winter 2021

A Quarterly Publication of the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine

Board of Directors

Tony Madden, President

Cover: A W.W. London Woodlot Management Co.

forwarder operates in Ebeemee Township in early

December 2020. Story, page 10.

Chuck Ames, 1 st Vice President

Will Cole, 2 nd Vice President

Duane Jordan, Secretary

Andy Irish, Treasurer

Jim Nicols, Past President

Aaron Adams

Kurt Babineau

Donald Cole

A quarterly publication of:

The Professional Logging

Contractors of Maine

Tom Cushman

Brent Day

Marc Greaney

Steve Hanington

Robert Linkletter

Scott Madden

Randy Kimball

Ron Ridley

Brian Souers

Wayne Tripp

Gary Voisine

PLC Staff

10

24

108 Sewall St., P.O. Box 1036

Augusta, ME 04332

Phone: 207.688.8195

www.maineloggers.com

Member Spotlight

W.W. London Woodlot

Management Company

Logging for the AMC

Supporting Member

Spotlight

Scandinavian Forestry

Equipment

Executive Director

Dana Doran ▪ executivedirector@maineloggers.com

Membership Services Coordinator

Jessica Clark ▪ jessica@maineloggers.com

Safety and Training Coordinator

Donald Burr ▪ safety@maineloggers.com

The Logger’s Voice

Editor and Designer

Jon Humphrey Communications and Photography

▪ jehumphreycommunications@gmail.com

Advertising

Jessica Clark ▪ jessica@maineloggers.com

Also Inside

4 Calendar and Updates

6 President’s Report

7 New Members

8 Executive Director’s Report

20 Logger Pandemic Relief

22 Trucking

27 Log A Load

28 SJVTC Logger Training

29 Safety

35 Master Logger

36 Maine Forest Service

40 ALC Updates

44 Congressional Updates

Email news, notices, and correspondence

▪ jehumphreycommunications@gmail.com

Event

Calendar

4 Professional Logging Contractors of Maine Loggers Serving Loggers Since 1995

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

jonathan@maineloggers.com

The Logger’s Voice ▪ Winter 2021

5

From the President

By Tony Madden

Hello everyone,

I hope you and your families are healthy. Most of us managed to get through the summer

with possibly the best weather conditions I’ve seen in my 40 years of logging and possibly the

worst wood markets I have seen in my 40 years in business. The fall weather for us was typical,

with heavy rain events which caused our crews to shut down several days. We can only hope for a

decent winter without the added expense of extreme low temperatures and excessive snow.

The wood fiber markets were very slow all summer, fall and will most likely remain slow

throughout the winter. COVID-19 is not going away soon even with the new vaccines. COVID-19

numbers are rising and many states are shutting down again. When states shut down restaurants,

bars, and more, our markets slow down. I don’t think the logging industry will improve much until

possibly next summer. To complicate things, we still have the market loss of the Pixelle mill

because of the digester explosion in the spring. Business is still down 30% or more for most Maine

loggers.

As noted in the PLC updates,

The PLC has been working with the support of Maine's congressional delegation and other

logging associations and lawmakers across the country for months to secure federal relief for

loggers in the current crisis. In the final days of 2020, our efforts succeeded!

$200 million in aid for timber harvesters and haulers has been included in a bipartisan

$900 billion COVID-19 relief package approved by Congress and signed by President Trump.

This is a historic first for the U.S. logging industry and the PLC would like to thank Maine’s

congressional delegation, led by the efforts of U.S. Senator Susan Collins and U.S. Representative

Jared Golden, for making sure the logging industry was not left out of this latest round of federal

assistance.

The aid will go to timber harvesting and hauling businesses that have, because of the

COVID–19 pandemic, experienced a loss of not less than 10 percent in gross revenue during the

period beginning on January 1, 2020, and ending on December 1, 2020, as compared to the gross

revenue of the eligible entity during the same period in 2019. PLC will provide additional details

on how this process will work in the near future.

Maine was a leader in this effort and many PLC Members worked hard to make it

successful. Thank you all for your hard work.

I encourage loggers to take advantage of Don Burr‘s weekly virtual tailgate meetings.

These virtual tailgate sessions are an excellent way to train our employees and satisfy some OSHA

requirements. Even though business is slow we still need to create a safe environment for our

workers.

On a sad note, The logging community mourns the loss of Sharon Jean Hanington Sibley. I

always looked forward to Sharon’s smile and talking with her at the Log-a-Load events. Our

thoughts and prayers go out to the Hanington family and all those who knew and loved her.

Good luck and be safe!

Tony


Welcome New Members

S&S Logging Inc. of Wallagrass,

ME joined the PLC as a new

Contractor Member in December

of 2020. The company is Master

Logger certified and has a

professional staff of 3. For more

information contact Scott

Desjardins at (207) 834-7354 or

email slogging623@gmail.com

deepgashtrucking@hotmail.com

Larry Poulin of Readfield, ME

has joined the PLC as a new

Individual Supporting Member in

December of 2020. For more

information contact Larry at (207)

458-7124 or email

Larrypoulin115@gmail.com

Deep Gash Trucking Inc. of Fort

Kent, ME joined the PLC as a

new Forest Contractor Member in

December of 2020. The company

has a professional staff of 5. For

more information contact Doug

Kelly at (207) 316-4653 or email

Scott Hanington of Wytopitlock,

ME joined the PLC as a new

Individual Supporting Member in

December of 2020. For more

information contact Scott at (207)

299-4289 or email

hanington.lumber@gmail.com

Not a member but interested in joining the

PLC?

Contact Jessica at (207) 688-8195 or email

jessica@maineloggers.com


7

Two Steps Back, One Step Forward

By Dana Doran

From the Executive

Director

Happy New Year to all of you

and here’s to a fresh start in 2021. I

hope all of you had a blessed Christmas

at home with family and you were able

to focus on the positives in your lives

that make living in Maine truly special.

As all of you are aware, our

daily lives are inundated by all things

COVID-19 and dwelling on the

challenges and bad news is easy.

What’s hard is to find the diamond in

the rough or at a minimum, the positive

parts of our lives that can lead us in the

right direction.

As loggers, you deal with

adversity on a daily basis. You make

rights out of wrongs and good times out

of bad. It’s the logger’s way to deal

with challenges and move forward. It’s

what makes you who you are and, in

many respects, it’s the only way you

know how (with honor and respect for

Waylon Jennings). If you didn’t know

how to repair what was before you, you

wouldn’t be a logger.

I waited until the last minute to

write this article because I wanted some

good news to report on heading into

2021 and a step forward after two steps

back. So much has occurred in the last

nine months, most of it negative, but it

is what has transpired in the last two

months that has me in a more optimistic

frame of mind heading into a new year.


Since my October article was

published, a new President was elected,

Maine’s senior Senator was reelected, a

new Maine Legislature was elected and

sworn in on December 2 nd and a

provision for loggers’ relief was

included in the COVID 19 Relief Act

that was signed into law on December

27 th . And while we won’t know the

impact of the Presidential or state

legislative elections for quite some time,

it was the reelection of Senator Collins

and the COVID Relief Act that might

just be the most important moments in

the history of Maine loggers and loggers

across the country. One is not mutually

exclusive from the other.

Had Senator Collins not been

reelected on November 3 rd , we might not

be in the same position we are today.

And while the COVID 19 Relief Act

might not be a panacea, it certainly

changes the way loggers will be treated

by our government from this moment

forward.

As I said to Senator Collins at

our Annual Meeting in October, the PLC

started (1995) at about the same time

that she was first elected to the Senate

(1996). From that moment forward we

have been inextricably linked. Maybe

it’s fate, maybe its luck or maybe it’s

just meant to be. Simply put, it is as a

result of Senator Collins that so much

Doran Continued Page 14


9

E

BEEMEE TWP, ME - This winter, crews from

W.W. London Woodlot Management Co. have

been logging in the forest between the East

Branch of the Pleasant River and Route 11, not

far from Katahdin Iron Works and the 100 Mile

Wilderness.

The job is on land owned by The Conservation

Fund that will become Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC)

land once money has been raised for the purchase, likely in

a year or two. In the meantime, the AMC has been

permitted to conduct the harvest as the future landowner

and W.W. London Woodlot Management Co. has been

brought in because in the last couple of years it has become

the logging firm the AMC calls whenever harvests need to

be conducted on its lands.

Working on AMC lands, which are managed by

Huber Resource Corp., is a great opportunity and a

welcome challenge for the Londons, who pride themselves

on maintaining high standards.

“They’ve been the muscle behind a lot of our

conservation work,” Steve Tatko, Director of Maine

Conservation and Land Management for AMC, said. “The

vast majority of what we own is high elevation and steep,

and the blocks tend to be smaller and a lot of them tend to

be out of the reach of traditional tree-length operations. The

Londons were able to pull together a package that worked

for that and it’s working out well.”

The London family operates three distinct

companies from their garage in Milo. William W. London

and Son Inc., owned by Bill London, is the original


W.W. London Woodlot Management Company

company and handles a variety of jobs including forest road

and bridge construction. W.W. London & Son Trucking

LLC, run by Bill’s son, Alex, was split off from the

original company in 2016 and handles woods trucking.

Alex’s wife, Molly, who is a forester, joined the family

business that same year. The newest company is W.W.

London Woodlot Management Co., run by Alex and Molly

and focused on logging.

W.W. London Woodlot Management Co. is a PLC

Member and Master Logger certified.

While the London’s logging relationship with the

AMC is fairly new, the family’s working relationship with

the organization goes back many years. Bill’s company has

performed road and bridge work in addition to other jobs

for the AMC for a long time. His work bridging stream

crossings while allowing for fish passage has become a

model for others to follow, Steve said.

“I think together Bill and I built sixty-eight road

and stream crossing over the past nine years, and that’s not

counting the work Bill did for us before that,” Steve said.

“His bridge building capabilities have actually really set the

standard for other stream restoration type projects.”

That relationship was one factor in AMC selecting

the London’s as their go-to firm for timber harvests when

Alex and Molly decided to expand the family business into

logging. The range of capabilities offered by the three

London family businesses was also a factor, “one call does

it all,” as Bill said. The fact that Alex and Molly are young

and committed to continuing the family business was also a

plus, and the company is in a great location for the AMC.

London Continued Page 12

The Logger’s Voice ▪ Winter 2021 11

?

Processor operator Ray Clement in his machine.

London Continued from Page 11 16

“One of their major objectives is also supporting

the local economy in the areas where

they are, so to them it was a huge

draw that we were right here close to

their land base and all of our

employees lived right in the Milo

area,” Molly said.

Expectations for loggers have

risen sharply in recent years no matter

where they work, but are particularly

high for those who conduct harvests

on lands with special conservation,

wildlife, environmental, or

recreational considerations. AMC

lands include all those considerations,

and much of the job comes down to

operating with as light an impact as

possible.

In practice that can mean

using quieter equipment near AMC

lodges, cutting skid trails carefully to

ensure they are not visible from the

Appalachian Trail, keeping log yards

smaller and out of sight, maintaining

clean and professional equipment and

working areas, and harvesting with an eye toward the final

look of the job.

W.W. London delimber in action

December 2020.

“What we hear a lot is go cut

the side of that mountain and make it

look like you never cut the side of

that mountain,” Alex said.

The logging package the

London’s put together to meet the

AMC’s need for lighter, quieter, more

selective harvesting includes a cut-tolength

system with a CAT 501

processor and CAT 574 forwarder.

They also have a tree-length crew

with one feller buncher with a very

busy and skilled operator feeding two

grapple skidders and two delimbers.

AMC goals for timber

harvests include revenue generation,

but many other goals as well, Steve

said.

“We see ourselves as a longterm

owner, and this acquisition is

going to get us up to 100,000 acres,

but we’re not as huge as some of our

neighbors, so being able to return to

areas for light removal throughout the


Alex and Molly London.

growth cycles of these stands is really important to us so

we tend to do lighter removals per acre than most,” Steve

said. “We’re really focused in on developing late

successional species so we’re trying to rebuild red spruce,

sugar maple, and yellow

birch, really focused on

those three really longlived

species that we want

to grow, both for the

ecological value and for

the economic value.”

From a logging

perspective, the unique

needs of the AMC have

been an opportunity for

the Londons to challenge

themselves.

“For us it’s been

fun, we’ve enjoyed the

challenge of different

cutting prescriptions,”

Molly said. “Product-wise

it’s pretty similar to what

everybody else is doing,

we send a lot of the same products to the same mills.

Sometimes we save out cedar for hiking boardwalks or

W.W. London grapple operating in Dec. 2020.

bridges, deliver firewood to lodges, or some cedar for

kindling.”

The Londons credit their employees for making

their business model successful. They have been fortunate

to hire some experienced,

dedicated workers who are

willing to adapt to the needs of

the AMC work. That includes

employees who had never run

cut-to-length logging

equipment stepping up to the

task and learning on the job.

The work for AMC

and Huber has grown to nearly

80 percent of the London’s

logging business. They are

very busy, glad to be, and

enjoy working on long-term

timber management right in

their own backyard with the

organization, building a future.

“Being younger in this

business, it’s great to see some

nice wood being left behind on these jobs so we can go

back some day, and I’m hoping my kids can go back some

day as well,” Alex said.


13

Doran Continued from Page 916

positive has been done for our industry and we would

not be in the same place today without her respect,

admiration and work on your behalf. As a result of

Senator Collins, we have received the ability to move

100,000 lbs. up and down the Interstate amongst a

number of other positive changes in federal law. But

what may be the most important piece of legislation

she has moved forward is the fact that loggers across

this country will forever be known as farmers of the

forest and for that we are eternally grateful.

On two prior occasions (March 2018 and July

2020), I’ve used this article to express my frustration

that loggers are farmers and fisherman too but have

never been treated as such. For the last 40 years, the

United States government has held out its hand and

offered help to any farmer or fisherman in this country

if they were harmed by trade, market collapse,

invasive species, drought, natural disasters, etc. If

you had an issue and you were a farmer or fisherman,

essentially, you could get the help you needed at a

moment’s notice.

For loggers, this has never been the story.

Unlike farmers and fisherman, loggers don’t sell their

product directly to the consumer. As a result, they are

at an arm’s length from the direct harm, but are always

impacted, nonetheless.

Similar to famers and fisherman, loggers are

and always will be very independent and proud people

who cultivate and harvest a renewable crop from their

surroundings. Yet, asking for government help is

foreign to loggers and has always been viewed as

more a measure of failure than success. This point of

view is to be respected, but when the loggers finally

must ask, it also must be a sure sign of desperation

that should not be cast off like the boy who cried wolf.

If the logger is asking for help, it must be because

they really need it. With COVID-19 and the explosion

at the Jay mill, this clearly points to a need that really

does exist.

COVID Relief

Over the last eight months, the

PLC has been working with the support of

Maine's Congressional Delegation, Governor

Mills and other logging associations and

lawmakers across the country to secure

federal relief for loggers in the current crisis.

On December 27 th , our efforts culminated in

one of the most important pieces of

legislation in logging history.

$200 million in aid for timber

harvesters and haulers was included in the

bipartisan COVID-19 relief package. This is

mere pocket change as only it represents only two tenths of

1% of a $900 billion package. However, for the first time

in United States history, loggers will be given help directly

by the federal government. Aid will go to timber

harvesting and hauling businesses that have, because of the

COVID–19 pandemic, experienced a loss of not less than

10 percent in gross revenue during the period beginning on

January 1, 2020, and ending on December 1, 2020, as

compared to the gross revenue of the eligible entity during

the same period in 2019.

The significance of this announcement for timber

harvesters and haulers in the United States cannot be

overstated and probably would not have happened had

Senator Collins not been reelected. At no prior time in our

nation’s history have loggers been offered formal support

and relief from our nation’s government, and again, we

can’t thank U.S. Senator Susan Collins and U.S.

Representative Jared Golden for leading the effort to secure

this aid on behalf of the hard-working small family

businesses in the industry here in Maine, Senator Angus

King and U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree for joining

that effort and for the work of Forest Service Director Patty

Cormier and Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation

and Forestry, Amanda Beal here in Maine behind the

scenes. Loggers and truckers need the same help and

recognition farmers and fishermen have received since the

pandemic began, and as a result of good old fashioned

Yankee ingenuity and teamwork, especially from the state

of Maine, at long last they are getting it.

Maine’s entire Congressional delegation and

representatives of other timber-producing states have

supported aid proposals for U.S. timber harvesters and

haulers for months, but the industry has been left out of

every previous relief package while billions have flowed to

farmers, fishermen, and even growers of Christmas trees.

Most recently, On Sept. 18, President Donald

Trump and USDA Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue

announced the launch of the nation’s second agriculture

pandemic relief package, Coronavirus Food Assistance

Program 2 (CFAP2). The new $14 billion package added

tobacco, hemp and Christmas trees to the list of eligible

crops, yet as with the first CFAP package, timber was left


off the list. More than $7 billion in

payments to farmers were approved in the

first month of CFAP2 alone. Zero dollars

went to timber harvesters and haulers.

In response, a bipartisan group of

legislators from across the U.S. including

Maine’s delegation fired off letters to

Perdue seeking a change in CFAP that

would allow loggers to qualify for

aid. The change was denied.

The U.S. farming industry alone

has received billions in federal aid to

offset losses from the U.S.-China Trade

War since 2018, and this year received

billions more to offset losses from the

COVID-19 pandemic. Total federal aid to

U.S. farmers in 2020 is at record levels,

reaching $40 billion by October. Though

loggers are “farmers of the forest”

harvesting a renewable crop, they

received none.

Maine’s heritage industries of

fishing, farming, and logging ALL need

support in this time of crisis, yet for

months now timber harvesters and haulers

were left to fend for themselves as

farmers and fishermen received help. It is

gratifying to finally see them receive aid

that can help them survive until markets

and conditions in the industry recover.

The PLC will provide additional

details on how this process will work in

the near future, but it is not expected

that applications for assistance will be

available until sometime in January or

February 2021.

Also included in this landmark

legislation were two other provisions

that will benefit our membership: 1)

the Paycheck Protection Program –

Round 2; and 2) a tax credit for new

residential wood heat systems.

Paycheck Protection Program

The legislation allocates $284

billion to this Paycheck Protection

Program, a forgivable loan, with some

changes to the way the program is

administered for second-time applicants:

Businesses (as well as some nonprofits,

self-employed and independent

contractors) can apply for a second PPP

loan if they:



15


• Have fewer than 300 employees;

• Are not publicly traded; and

• Can demonstrate a reduction in gross revenues of 25%

or more in at least one quarter of 2020, compared to the

same quarter in 2019.

Loans for second-time applicants can be up to 2.5

times the company’s monthly payroll, with a cap of $2

million. In order for this loan to be forgiven, a recipient

needs to use at least 60% of the funds on payroll. The

remainder can be used for an expanded list of expenses,

including rent, utilities, payments to vendors for supplies,

and purchases of personal protective equipment.

In order to apply for a second PPP loan, a

company has to have used (or will use) all of their first PPP

loan. If you are applying for a second loan and haven’t yet

done the paperwork for forgiveness of your first loan, it

might be a good idea to get started on that. There will be a

streamlined forgiveness process for second-round loans up

to $150,000, so that’s positive.

The Small Business Administration, which

administers the PPP through banks, has 17 days from the

legislation being signed to provide guidance, so expect the

program to get started in late January. If you are

considering this, now might be a good time to speak with

your banker.

The legislation also clarifies that money received

from a forgiven PPP loan is not taxable, and that expenses

paid with a PPP loan can be deducted for tax

purposes. This overrides previous guidance from the IRS,

which was likely to cause problems for many businesses.

Modern Wood Heating Tax Credit

The legislation also contains a tax credit for highefficiency

residential wood heat – wood stoves, pellet

stoves, and whole home heating units such as wood and

pellet boilers. This tax credit allows homeowners to take a

26% investment tax credit based upon the fully installed

cost of the heating appliance and has the potential to

increase demand for wood heating in residential

settings. The companion tax credit for commercial and

industrial wood biomass heating systems was not included

in this legislation and will remain a priority of the PLC in

the future but this is a very good start over 10 years in the

making. Again, this would not have happened without the

leadership of Maine’s Congressional delegation.

Maine Legislature

On November 3, 2020, Mainer’s also went to

the ballot box and selected members of the

130 th Legislature, which was sworn in on December

2 nd and is scheduled to convene Wednesday, January

6 th , for the first regular session, which will last

through the third week in June.

Democrats kept control of the Senate with 22

seats, while Republicans have 13. Democrats also

retained control of the House, even though they lost

11 seats with total representation as follows – 80

Democrats, 67 Republicans and four unenrolled (aka

independents).

Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Aroostook,

Majority Leader Sen. Nate Libby, D-Androscoggin,

and Assistant Majority leader Sen. Eloise Vitale, D-

Sagadahoc have all been reelected to their positions of

leadership in the Senate. Republicans chose Jeff

Timberlake, R-Androscoggin, as Minority Leader, and

Matt Pouliot, R-Kennebec, as Assistant Minority

Leader.

In the House, Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford, was

elected Speaker of the House, while Rep. Michele

Dunphy (PLC Legislator of the Year 2019), D-Old

Town, became Majority Leader and Rep. Rachel

Talbot Ross, D-Portland. Assistant Majority Leader.

House Republicans chose Kathleen Dillingham, R-

Oxford, as Minority Leader and Joel Stetkis, R-

Canaan, as Assistant Minority Leader.

At this point, no one really knows what this

legislative session will actually look like other than it

will be held 100% online with no in person contact



The Logger’s Voice ▪ Summer 2019 17


from the public.

So far, there have been about 10% fewer

bills submitted for the session (1,600 total) than

in normal years (1,800-2,000). This is clearly due

to the pandemic and the reduction in state

funding, but what these bills will do is anyone’s

guess. We do know the Legislature will have to

deal with the biennial budget as well as other

economic and COVID issues in the first session

so this will take precedent and leave very little

discretionary funding on the table for other

legislative priorities.

As for PLC priorities this session, the

Board voted in December not to advocate for any

formal legislation directly and instead play a

more defensive role this session. With all of the

unknowns in terms of how the session will

function, the fact that there will be no opportunity

for in person contact, other than by phone, email,

text or zoom, they thought it would be better to

focus on the unknown rather that push an agenda

that could be changed without our knowledge. If

there are pressing issues that any of the

membership feels we should tackle, please do not

hesitate to contact me to let me know because we

can always seek an emergency bill after deadline.

Until the session kicks into high gear in

late January, one of our top priorities is trying to

get legislators, especially new ones, to know

about logging and trucking, the PLC and what we

do. We have sent out congratulatory letters from

the PLC to all legislators, along with a copy of

our new Economic Impact Study. If the

Legislature does proceed with all activity via

Zoom, it will provide a greater opportunity for

our membership to be engaged, since you can all

participate from your office or the pickup.

The new legislative session begins on

January 6 th here in Augusta and it will be all handson

deck. Members will begin receiving their

weekly legislative update on Saturday, January 9 th

and we hope that all of you will see the value in

what we are doing to maintain and expand the

profitability for loggers and truckers.

In conclusion, I know that 2020 has been one

of the most challenging years in the history of logging

in Maine. As the membership responded to various

surveys throughout the year but also submitted its

renewals this fall, it was very evident that the

pandemic and the Pixelle explosion have taken their

toll on your volume and your businesses. Logging in

Maine in 2020 certainly has taken two steps back.

With that in mind, I’m often asked about the

future for this industry. I can say with great honesty

that not only do we have one of the greatest forest

resources on the planet, but we also have one of the

most professional and advanced logging forces in the

world. As a result, if the growth in the marketplace

that we saw in 2019 is evidence of what is possible,

then I remain bullish on the future.

That said, two things must occur for our

membership to remain as part of the future of the

Maine forest economy: 1) expeditious help from the

federal government to disseminate relief in an

efficient manner is critical so that logging firms can

bridge the financial gap that has been created in 2020.

This will allow contractors to remain whole so that

when markets do return, they are ready from day one

to help them succeed; and 2) pain must be shared

across the supply chain and not just placed on the

backs of the logger.

I have heard from some that they have

received their contracts from land management

companies for 2021 and there have been significant

cuts. While this is not unexpected, my hope is that

the cut to loggers is the same cut that mills,

14 18 Professional Logging Contractors of Maine Loggers Serving Loggers Since 1995

landowners and land management companies are

also taking at the same time. Logging costs do not

shrink miraculously in bad times and usually only

rise. If loggers are going to be the bank, then I

hope that they are not the only bank in town. If

pain is shared equally and all take responsibility,

then we will all ride out this crash and live to see

better days together.

What I truly hope does not happen is that

the pain is only passed on to to the logger and

some feel that they can now gouge the logger

because they are the recipient of federal aid. If that

does happen, then my first phone call will not be to

the local bank, I can assure you.

We are living in historic times, for better

and for worse. I hope that all of you have a

renaissance in 2021 and better days are on the

horizon.

Have a great winter season, please stay in

touch when you can and don’t hesitate to let us

know if there is anything we can do to help.

Dana


19

$200 million for loggers in pandemic relief

package historic first for industry

The Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of

Maine cheered the announcement Dec. 21, 2020 that $200

million in aid for timber harvesters and haulers has been

included in an approved bipartisan $900 billion COVID-19

relief package, and credited Maine’s congressional

delegation, led by the efforts of U.S. Senator Susan Collins

and U.S. Representative Jared Golden, for working to

ensure the logging industry was not left out of this latest

round of federal assistance.

The aid will go to timber harvesting and hauling

businesses that have, because of the COVID–19 pandemic,

experienced a loss of not

less than 10 percent in

gross revenue during the

period beginning on

January 1, 2020, and

ending on December 1,

2020, as compared to the

gross revenue of the

eligible entity during the

same period in 2019.

The aid package

was approved by the U.S.

House and Senate and

signed by President Donald

Trump.

“The significance of this announcement for timber

harvesters and haulers in the United States cannot be

overstated,” Dana Doran, Executive Director of the

Professional Logging Contractors of Maine, said. “At no

prior time in our nation’s history have loggers been offered

formal support and relief from our nation’s government,

and we especially want to thank U.S. Senator Susan Collins

and U.S. Representative Jared Golden for leading the effort

to secure this aid on behalf of the hard-working small

family businesses in the industry here in Maine, and

Senator Angus King and U.S. Representative Chellie

Pingree for joining that effort. Loggers and truckers need

the same help and recognition farmers and fishermen have

received since the pandemic began, now at long last they

are getting it.”

Maine’s timber harvesters and haulers have been

hit hard in 2020: Most Maine logging contractors who are

members of the PLC, the state’s trade association for

timber harvesters and haulers, are reporting a 30-40 percent

reduction in wood markets this year. Many are suffering

severe revenue losses, layoffs, loss of clients, reduced

productivity, and inability to plan for the future. The

unprecedented crisis is due to economic effects of the

ongoing pandemic and the

loss of the Pixelle Specialty

Solutions pulp mill in Jay

to an explosion in April.

Maine’s

congressional delegation

applauded the aid to timber

harvesters and haulers in

the approved package.

“Throughout

Maine’s history, our forest

products industry has

supported good-paying

jobs, driven local economies, and strengthened rural

communities,” said Senator Collins. “This industry is built

on the backs of our dedicated loggers, who sustainably

harvest and haul one of Maine’s most precious resources.

Loggers were already facing significant headwinds due to a

changing 21st century economy and unfair trade practices,

as well as the explosion at the Androscoggin Mill in Jay

and the shutdown of the paper machine at Sappi in

Westbrook. COVID-19 has only compounded these

challenges. Maine’s family logging and log hauling

businesses need our support. That’s why I worked to secure

$200 million in the COVID-19 emergency relief package to

provide critical financial assistance to the skilled

professionals who work in this industry to help them get


Maine’s Congressional Delegation joins

PLC in applauding aid

through this difficult period.”

“Between COVID-19 and the Jay Mill explosion,

many loggers and truck drivers are seeing work slow down

as markets for their products decline. Maine loggers don’t

want a handout, but they deserve the same support during

tough times that we have already provided for farmers and

fishermen,” said Congressman Golden. “Senator Collins

and I have worked together to introduce new legislation to

provide targeted relief for loggers and log haulers, and

we’ve successfully included it in the COVID-19 package

that passed Congress today. Once this bill is law, we’ll

keep working together to make sure these funds get to

Maine loggers and truckers.”

“For generations, Maine’s forest products industry

has supported jobs and communities, especially in our

state’s rural regions,” said Senator King. “Thanks to our

state’s abundant forests and our world-class workforce,

Maine has been a global leader in this important industry.

The sector has faced hard times, and weathered them – but

the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic has

temporarily curbed market demand for forest products, and

have contributed to the immense challenges facing this

industry. For the sake of our logging industry, and all the

Maine people who rely on it, I am proud to have worked

with my colleague Senator Collins on the inclusion of $200

million in this aid package. This industry is essential to

communities across our state, and I will continue to stand

behind its workers in the challenging days ahead.”

“Maine’s forests are a vital part of our way of life

and our economy, supporting more than 34,000 jobs and

serving as the backbone of our rural communities. That’s

why I’ve advocated for meaningful relief for the logging

industry from the very beginning of this economic crisis.

This funding will help to support the forest products

industry as they weather this storm,” said Congresswoman

Pingree. “I know this package doesn’t solve all of the

pressure this industry is facing, and while it certainly

doesn’t go far enough to support Maine families who are

struggling during this crisis, I’m proud that this bill

includes targeted funding for the forest products industry as

they report historic reductions in their markets.”

Maine’s entire Congressional delegation and

representatives of other timber-producing states had

supported aid proposals for U.S. timber harvesters and

haulers for months, but the industry was left out of every

previous relief package while billions have flowed to

farmers, fishermen, and even growers of Christmas trees.

Most recently, On Sept. 18, President Donald

Trump and USDA Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue

announced the launch of the nation’s second agriculture

pandemic relief package, Coronavirus Food Assistance

Program 2 (CFAP2). The new $14 billion package added

tobacco, hemp and Christmas trees to the list of eligible

crops, yet as with the first CFAP package, timber was left

off the list. More than $7 billion in payments to farmers

were approved in the first month of CFAP2 alone. Zero

dollars went to timber harvesters and haulers.

In response, a bipartisan group of legislators from

across the U.S. including Maine’s delegation fired off

letters to Perdue seeking a change in CFAP that would

allow loggers to qualify for aid. The change was denied.

The U.S. farming industry alone has received billions in

federal aid to offset losses from the U.S.-China Trade War

since 2018, and this year received billions more to offset

losses from the COVID-19 pandemic. Total federal aid to

U.S. farmers in 2020 is at record levels, reaching $40

billion by October. Though loggers are “farmers of the

forest” harvesting a renewable crop, they received none.

“Maine’s heritage industries of fishing, farming,

and logging all need support in this time of crisis, yet for

months now timber harvesters and haulers have been left to

fend for themselves as farmers and fishermen received

help,” Doran said. “It is gratifying to finally see them

receive aid that can help them survive until markets and

conditions in the industry recover.”


21

Trucking

Trucking Industry News...

U.S Department of Transportation Issues Final Rule to

Streamline Process for Aspiring Truck and Bus

Drivers...

Thursday, December 17, 2020

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of

Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety

Administration (FMCSA) today announced a final rule

to streamline the process for men and women interested

in entering the trucking workforce. The new rule will

allow states to permit a third-party skills test examiner to

administer the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL)

skills test to applicants to whom the examiner has also

provided skills training.

“During the COVID-19 public health emergency

truckers have been American heroes—and the

Department is committed to helping our economy by

reducing unnecessary barriers for those interested in

obtaining jobs in the trucking industry,” said U.S.

Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao.

Federal rules previously prohibited a third-party

CDL skills instructor who is also authorized by the state

to administer the CDL skills test from performing both

the instruction and the qualifying testing for the same

CDL applicant. The final rule announced today

eliminates that restriction and permits states, at their

discretion, to allow qualified third-party skills trainers to

also conduct the skills testing for the same individual.

This new rule is designed to alleviate testing delays and

eliminate needless inconvenience and expense to the

CDL applicant—without compromising safety.

The rule change is effective 60 days from

publication in the Federal Register.

To view a copy of the final rule, visit: https://

www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/commercial-driverslicense/third-party-commercial-drivers-license-testers

DOT Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and

Compliance Notice…

The Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, Pub.

L. 115-334, (Farm Bill) removed hemp from the

definition of marijuana under the Controlled Substances

Act. Under the Farm Bill, hemp-derived products

containing a concentration of up to 0.3%

tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are not controlled

substances. THC is the primary psychoactive

component of marijuana. Any product, including

“Cannabidiol” (CBD) products, with a concentration of

more than 0.3% THC remains classified as marijuana, a

Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act.

Learn more at https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/

USDOT/bulletins/27bd19f

bypass.pdf

Hours Of Service Changes Clarified – Change Does

Not Impact Maine 100 Air Mile Exemption…

The recent hours of service changes that were

effective September 29, 2020 have caused a few

questions including about the difference between the

Maine 100 air mile rule and the new Federal 150 air mile

rule.


Trucking

The recent federal changes do not in any way

change Maine’s 100 air mile rule that has long

been afforded to drivers and motor carriers who

operate in Maine and within 100 air miles of

their normal work reporting location.

In short, the Maine 100 air mile rule

exempts motor carriers and drivers that operate

within 100 air miles of their normal work

reporting location (and do not further interstate

commerce) from hours of service and from the

medical card requirements found in the Federal

Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. These drivers

may not drive when sick or fatigued, but are not

required to keep a log book or ELD and do not

require a medical card. This is due to the fact

that Maine adopts the federal regulations with

some state amendments, most notably in the

area of hours of service and medical card

requirements.

To summarize, the recent changes to the

hours of service regulations do not impact the

Maine 100 air mile rule. A CDL driver that

exceeds the 100-air mile radius in Intrastate

commerce must either rely on the federal 150 air

mile rule (“short haul” exemption) or must keep

a log book or ELD. Additionally, drivers who

exceed the 100 air miles in Intrastate commerce

must have a valid medical card.

Need truck

drivers for your

business?

Remember, the

PLC “Logging

Zone” classifieds

can help you

advertise to find

them!

Email

jessica@maineloggers.com!

Free to members!


23

PLC Supporting Member Spotlight:

Scandinavian Forestry Equipment

Eltec Log Loader.

MANCHESTER, PA – Scandinavian Forestry

Equipment (SFE), a distributor of heavy equipment for

modern forestry applications, is a relatively new

company, but founder and President Greg Porter has been

in the industry for two decades.

Greg, an Ohio native who earned a degree in

accounting before starting his career, worked for 17 years

for Log Max, rising at the age of 26 to President, and

leading the company for 12 years.

Greg formed lasting friendships and relationships

ocean freightliners to the market,” Greg said. “It was

mainly shipping logistics that brought me to

Pennsylvania.”

As the name suggests, Scandinavian Forestry

Equipment distributes a product line manufactured in

Scandinavia or rooted in the mechanized forestry

equipment that was pioneered in that region three decades

ago and has since become widespread in the global

timber industry.

Eco Log harvesters and forwarders manufactured

with people in the timber industry during those years with

Log Max, both in the U.S. and abroad. After years of

global travel and corporate responsibilities, he was ready

for change and finally decided to found his own company

in April 2017. His connections and experience made the

new company successful quickly, and have allowed it to

grow steadily in a short period of time.

SFE is headquartered in Manchester PA, where

Greg started it.

“We’re about an hour from Baltimore because we

needed port access to be able to get stuff quickly from

Eco Log harvester, at left, and Cranab Crane, right.

in Sweden are a leading product for SFE. Cranab truck

cranes, forwarder cranes, grapples and grapple saws - also

from Sweden, are another. Eltec bunchers/harvesters and

log loaders manufactured in Canada are a third.

“Those are probably our three main product

lines,” Greg said. “From there you branch off to smaller

stuff such as attachments like heads, so we also sell

Waratah, Log Max, brands like that.”

SFE also sells Slagkraft (a Cranab subsidiary)

road clearing equipment and Greg is considering adding


other construction equipment to SFE’s lineup. While not

heavy equipment, Green Mountain Pellet Grills is another

product line just added to SFE’s

offerings, and is frequently a

give-away with equipment

purchases.

SFE has eight employees

and a growing network of

affiliate dealers and service

centers and geographically is

represented in the West, the

Great Lakes Region, and the

East. The company’s Wisconsin

operations had been based in

Rhinelander until 2020, but this

year the company opened a new

full-service, state of the art

facility in Wausau and plans

additional expansion there.

In Maine, SFE has a

dealership in Washington:

Timber Equipment Sales, owned

by Nick Fortune, is located at

235 Augusta Road. Maine is a

focus market for the company

with good growth prospects.

SFE is a Preferred

Supporting Member of the PLC.

Greg said when he launched his

company he looked for

organizations that represented the

best opportunities for forming relationships with

customers in his distribution area. In Maine, the PLC was

clearly the right organization to support when it came to

loggers.

Eco Log Forwarder.

Maine’s SFE dealership is Timber Equipment

Sales, owned by Nick Fortune, located at 235

Augusta Road in Washington.

“I know where we need to focus and definitely

PLC is a good association to be involved with,” Greg said.

Greg has worked with

loggers for decades, and finds it

rewarding.

“For me a lot of it is

friendships, a lot of the guys I’ve

known for many years. It’s

enjoyable to be able to travel and

keep the relationships going that

you have,” Greg said.

SFE is building its

success on superior product

knowledge and support, and will

continue to do so, Greg said.

“I’ve always been a real

customer-focused type person,”

Greg said. “I want to make sure

that the customer is taken care of

and if you buy something from

us, doesn’t matter what it is, we

want to make sure we support it

and support them because

they’re important to us.”

The company will

continue to grow and now that

the new Wisconsin facility is

completed SFE will be focusing

additional efforts on expanding

sales in the Northeast, Greg said.

For more information on Scandinavian Forestry

Equipment and its product lines, visit

www.scandforestry.com


25

Thank you to U.S. Senator

Susan Collins for taking the

time to join PLC's 2020

Annual Member Meeting

Oct. 16 via Zoom to speak to

members, listen to the issues

loggers in Maine are facing,

and answer questions! The

meeting was held virtually

due to the ongoing COVID-

19 pandemic.



27

New St. John Valley Technical Center programs offer

great opportunities for future loggers

FRENCHVILLE, ME - Over the years, Maine’s

technical high school programs for students interested in

careers in logging and forestry have tended to grow fewer

and smaller, so it is great news for the industry when new

opportunities arise.

Over the past two years, St. John Valley

Technology Center (SJVTC) has tackled the challenge of

providing those opportunities head-on, launching its new

Forest Resource Management program in 2019 and adding

has also been an instructor for Maine’s post-secondary

Mechanized Logging Operations Program (MLOP), said.

“The simulators are great because they really flatten the

learning curve. I’ve seen it, when they do get in the real

equipment they know what they want to do and they can

do it, versus being really frustrated starting out.”

The simulators also offer the chance to interest 8 th

graders in the programs who are not old enough to be

permitted in the equipment yet.

Students in SJVTC’s Heavy

Equipment Operations

program and Forest

Resource Management

program have plenty of

opportunity for hands-on

learning, both on equipment

operation simulators (left

and right), and in the woods

(below).

its Heavy Equipment Operation program in 2020. Both

programs include training and education for careers in the

logging industry, including machine operation.

Offering some of the newest

equipment available in any programs of

their kind in Maine, including state-ofthe

art simulators that give students the

chance to hone mechanized logging

operator skills before taking the

controls of real machines in the woods,

the programs have drawn a dozen

students already and interest is growing

quickly, according to Kevin Lavoie,

Director of SJVTC and Mike Berube,

an instructor for the programs.

“We foresee that these numbers

will increase because we’ve got a lot of

new equipment this year,” Kevin said.

“We’re in great shape, if anyone looks

at our Heavy Equipment program they

would possibly think it was a 20-year

program with the equipment we have

right now but we’re only in year one,

and Forestry is in year two, so we are

blessed.”

In addition to the John Deere and Milton CAT

simulators, SJVTC has harvesting equipment including a

used Valmet 901c processor, an eight-foot tow-behind

grapple/loader, a skidder, winches, and chainsaws to give

students exposure to many aspects of timber harvesting.

“They learn a little bit of everything,” Mike, who

Students also get real harvesting experience; in

2020, they cut a right-of-way for a local snowmobile club

and have been cutting firewood and trails at a local airport.

As equipment is being brought online and added, this will

expand, Mike said.

SJVTC is part of MSAD 33,

serving three high schools in a region

with a long and proud tradition of

timber harvesting. The programs have

enjoyed strong support from the

community and area industry. Local

contractors are very interested in the

program and looking forward to

visiting and getting involved once

safety provisions due to the COVID-19

pandemic allow this.

“Everybody I talk to said we

should have done this ten years ago,”

Mike said. “We’ve had a lot of good

support, and I think as the word and

awareness gets out that will keep

growing and our student numbers will

grow as well.”

Learn more at http://

sjvtc.mainecte.org/programs/

Other Technical High School Forestry/Wood

Harvesting programs in Maine are located at Oxford Hills

Tech School in Norway, Region 9 School of Applied

Technology in Rumford, Foster Technology Center in

Farmington, and Region Two School of Applied

Technology in Dyer Brook.


Safety


29

Safety Coaching

By Donald Burr

PLC Safety & Training Coordinator

safety@maineloggers.com

Safety

Let's talk about safety coaching. The first thing

that I want to admit is that safety coaching is not easy and

does not come naturally to me, nor I suspect to many of

you.

Here is one tool for your safety toolbox: Try

having a short conversation that involves engaging the

employee's brain. Psychology plays a large role in

convincing employees to make safe choices. In retrospect,

this makes sense. We know plenty of psychology has gone

into advertising, so it stands to reason that there would be

just as much in safety training.

Think about it, advertising is the art of getting you

to want something that you may not even know existed

before seeing the ad. Safety

training is convincing the

employee to change their

actions (making habits) that

often (in their mind) is not as

convenient or second nature.

Psychology tells us

that yelling, ranting &

threatening rarely has a

lasting impact on behavior.

Sometimes it even has the

opposite effect by building

up resentment and drives

unsafe acts to become the

action of choice. Probably we all have tried this. I am not

saying that you should not yell and possibly be aggressive

with your efforts when you witness an unfolding action

that you think will end badly soon. In this case, yelling

could be very appropriate.

For the long term, non-emergency coaching, try

these six steps for successfully changing the way your

employee thinks while they are working. When you read

down this list, you might think that having a simple

conversation about an employee's action is too simple to

work, but it is all about changing how the employee's brain

processes the behavior.

Let me explain. When you tell your employee to

use three points of contact when climbing in or out of a

piece of equipment, that does not engage his brain at all.

The employee probably can finish this catchphrase for you

but yet never do it. Try this instead - when you see the

same employee climbing out of a piece of equipment, say,

"Chip, why do we use three points of contact when

climbing in or out of a piece of equipment"? This engages

the employee's brain, and even when it is trivial to answer

this, it will have a lasting impact on the way he thinks

about climbing on equipment.

But, don't stop there; ask a follow-up question like

"Why does three points of contact work?" Again, engaging

the employee's brain. Leave with a positive thought like,

"keep up the good work using three points of contact."

This seems like a trivial conversation, but done

consistently your employees will make the right choices

without thinking about them because their brains will be

making them subconsciously.

Here are the six steps with some explanation:

1. Coach in the monument. Don't let a good

opportunity go by.

2. Go to the

employee, walk up to them

(do not make them come to

you).

Subconsciously this tells the

employee that they and their

safety are important to you.

3. Start by stating

the action that you saw.

"Hey, Chip, I saw you

climbing out of the cab of

your equipment."

4. Ask an openended

question (not giving

the employee an option to use just yes or no). Use what,

why, or how to start the inquiry. "Chip, why do we use 3

points of contact?"

5. Short conversation. Ask two or more questions

but try not to let the conversation go longer than four

minutes.

6. End on a positive note. Leaving all with a good

feeling, this will improve the next interaction you have

with this employee.

Try to do this often and on different topics.

Challenge yourself to have this interaction with all of your

employees. Make a tally sheet or even a spreadsheet that

tracks these events & safety issues.

Last thought, beware of extinction. It did not end

well for the dinosaurs, and it won't end well for your safety

program if you take your eye off safety. If you hammer on

a particular topic, you will get results but don't forget to

circle back to this topic every few weeks to keep the

employees accessing their brains for safety. Safety

training is like a load of wood; they need to be delivered

every day, and you don't get paid until it has been

delivered.


Safety

Ted Clark, CLCS, Loss Control Consultant, Acadia Insurance

Quarterly Safety Meeting: Auto accidents

Statistically, the leading cause of death in the

workplace is auto accidents. According to the Bureau of Labor

Statistics (BLS), the Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and

Hunting industry suffered a total of 581 fatalities in 2017, 285

of which were attributed to auto accidents, nearly twice the

second highest hazard, caught by/struck by.

It seems every year a serious auto accident strikes

close to home and reminds us of the significant hazards that

we face just getting to and from work. With winter right

around the corner, it is critical for you to remember these

hazards. This safety meeting is not likely to introduce any new

ideas but instead, stand to reinforce the importance of taking

several simple steps to increase your safety when traveling on

woods roads and reduce your exposure to an auto accident.

passing through unless your operators give them permission.

Drive for the Road and the Conditions

Every year we hear about tragic accidents occurring

on the woods roads that could have been avoided by slowing

down and driving appropriately for the road conditions. Many

of the woods roads will allow for high speed travel in a

straight line but the concern should be the ability to navigate

turns, dodge animals, and stop when needed. Because road

conditions are constantly changing, drivers should always be

evaluating and adapting the way they drive so they can stop

when needed, navigate the turn or dodge an animal that runs

out in front of them.

Navigating Through Increased Traffic on Woods Roads

“Wear Your Seatbelt”

You should always drive as if you could meet

someone that either doesn’t have a radio or has a radio that is

broken. The fact is, radios are a nice convenience, but with no

way to enforce their use, they cannot be used to replace

defensive driving tactics. When you notice a vehicle without a

radio, communicate this with the other drivers in the area so

they can watch out for them.

Jobsite Traffic

Due to the location of your laydown yards, you will

often have people that need to pass through your work area in

order to get to their destination. This creates a hazard to you as

well as the people that are in the passing vehicle. Long hours

doing repetitive work can significantly increase the chance that

operators become complacent. Because of this, it’s hard to

constantly be diligent about watching for traffic passing

through their work zone. One effective, positive control that

many companies employ is to post appropriate signage and lay

a well-marked log across the road. Like a flagger on a

construction job, this can prevent traffic from approaching and

Seatbelts are the single most effective way to prevent

serious injury or death in an auto accident and while they are

not 100% effective, AAA estimates a 45% to 60%

effectiveness rate. The purpose of seatbelts is simple: to keep

you in the vehicle where you are much better protected from

the impact. According to the CDC, more than half of the

22,441 fatalities resulting from auto accidents in 2015

involved a person that was unrestrained at the time of the

accident. AAA did a study that showed proper seatbelt use in

light trucks will reduce the fatal injuries by 60% and moderate

-critical injuries by 65%!

This information is only as effective as you make it.

Remember that it’s ultimately your responsibility for how

vehicles are operated and also the safety of the people in or

around the vehicle.

Acadia is pleased to share this material for the benefit of its

customers. Please note, however, that nothing herein should be

construed as either legal advice or the provision of professional

consulting services. This material is for informational purposes only,

and while reasonable care has been utilized in compiling this

information, no warranty or representation is made as to accuracy or

completeness.

*Meeting sign-in sheet on the back! Cut along dotted line to left to detach this section. 31

Safety

*This sign-in sheet is intended to be used with the quarterly Safety Training Topic on

page 31. Refer to the cutline on page 31 when removing it from the magazine.


Great job by PLC Member and Master Logger company Trees Ltd. of

Sidney leading timber harvest tours at the Holt Research Forest in

Arrowsic Nov. 7. (photos above.) The tours were organized by the

Maine Timber Research & Environmental Education Foundation

(Maine TREE). The harvest conducted by Trees Ltd. is the first at the

Holt Research Forest since 1988, and is providing researchers with an

opportunity to study the impact of professional timber harvesting on

family-owned forestland.

Trees Ltd. also stepped up this winter to thin dead trees on property

in Rome owned by the Travis Mills Foundation. (photo at left of Will

Cole operating grinder). Trees Ltd. donated the labor to the nonprofit

retreat for post 9/11 recalibrated veterans and their families. Nice job!


33

We Support Maine Loggers


Grant Invests in Logger Certification to Support Green

Economy

CONCORD, NH — The Future Forest Economy

Initiative is investing $250,000 to enhance markets for certified

wood and to strengthen the supply chain for wood in the

Northern Forest region through a grant to the Trust to Conserve

Northeast Forestlands (TCNEF).

“Only a fraction of the forestland in our region is green

certified,” said Joe Short, vice president of the Northern Forest

Center, which manages the Future Forest Economy program.

“Certifying logging companies through TCNEF’s Master Logger

program will increase the volume of certified, sustainably

harvested wood available to the region’s mills. Certified lands

alone are not enough to meet demand for certified wood in the

region.”

The three-year grant award will enable TCNEF to

expand the ranks of certified Master Logger companies in

the region, with a focus on New Hampshire, New York and

Vermont. The Master Logger program improves logger

performance, company financial stability, and workforce

development and retention while increasing the supply of

certified wood fiber.

“TCNEF is excited about the opportunity to increase the

ranks of third-party certified logging companies in the Northern

Forest Region,” said Ted Wright, executive director of TCNEF.

“Master Loggers have proven records of professionalism,

stewardship, and stimulating local economies.”

The Future Forest initiative — a cooperative effort of

the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), U.S.

Endowment for Forestry & Communities, and the Northern

Forest Center — grew out of a congressional mandate to support

the development of markets for wood products. This is the fourth

grant in a three-year program that will invest $2.6 million to

expand innovation, create market demand and create conditions

that will allow businesses and communities to benefit from these

innovations.

The Northeast Master Logger program is a performancebased

certification for logging companies in seven Northeastern

states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York,

Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. It provides a

unique third-party certification of a logging company’s work in

the woods rather than certifying the forestland, as other programs

do.

“Our program educates and trains logging companies on

Best Management Practices to foster responsible timber

harvesting, forest management and environmental stewardship in

keeping with Master Logger standards,” said Wright. “The more

Master Loggers we have working in the woods, the more we’ll be

able to meet the increasing demand for certified fiber.”

To date, the program has certified 120 companies that

employ 1,500 people and produce 6 million green tons of wood

each year. The Professional Logging Contractors of Maine

originated the program, now managed by the TCNEF, in 2000.

More information on the Northeast Master Logger Certification

Program is available at masterloggercertification.com.

The Future Forest Economy Initiative has $1,000,000

remaining to invest in projects that will expand the region’s forest

economy by diversifying markets for wood and wood products

from the Northern Forest region. More information about the

Future Forest Economy Initiative, including instructions for

submitting grant concepts, is available at https://nfcenter.org/

FutureForestEconomy. Applications are considered on a rolling

basis until all funds have been awarded.

“Landowners, loggers and wood product manufacturers

in northern New England need new markets for harvested

wood, and at the same time, there’s greater demand than

supply for certified wood from the region,” said Alicia

Cramer, vice president of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry

and Communities. “This grant addresses both needs.”

In 2020, the Future Forest Economy Initiative

awarded three grants that are driving $1.7-million worth of

investment in the region’s forest economy. FFEI awarded

$450,000 to the Town of Ashland Maine to expand markets for

structural round timber, a mass-timber building product;

$300,000 to a wood heat marketing consortium aiming to

increase demand for wood heating fuels by 50 percent in the

region; and $97,840 to the Burlington (VT) Electric Department

for design and pre-engineering to advance a wood-fired district

heating system to serve the University of Vermont Medical

Center.

All together, the four grant recipients and others are

matching the Future Forest Economy grants with $1.1 million in

matching funds, bringing the total investment in new wood uses

and marketing to $2.2 million.

Funds for the program come from the U.S. Economic

Development Administration and a congressional appropriation

of $3 million secured by the region’s congressional delegation in

federal fiscal year 2018 that directed the agency to support the

development of markets for wood products in northern regions of

Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York. The federal

funds are matched by $300,000 from the U.S. Endowment for

Forestry and Communities to help cover project development and

administrative costs.

The Northern Forest Center is a regional innovation

leader and investment partner creating rural vibrancy by

connecting people and economy to the forested landscape.

www.northernforest.org.

The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities is a

not-for-profit public charity working collaboratively with

partners in the public and private sectors to advance systemic,

transformative, and sustainable change for the health and vitality

of the nation’s working forests and forest-reliant communities.


35

A Word From

Patty Cormier

Maine Forest

Service Director

As I write this, there is a beautiful blanket of new

bright white snow. And I am reminded of Robert Frost’s

“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”. In this poem

Frost writes “The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I

have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.” This poem

acknowledges the pull of obligations and the distance yet

to be traveled before there is rest. A true metaphor for

where we are in the world of forestry: locally, regionally,

nationally and internationally.

In mid-December, it was announced that there

are relief funds for loggers and haulers in the most recent

submission of a federal Covid relief package. Hopefully

as you read this, it will have moved forward. This is a

start, and hopefully not an end. We still have miles to go.

There were many who put in considerable time to get this

to fruition, and I appreciate every one of them. This was

a bright spot.

Last week I had the pleasure of traveling with the

Department of Agriculture Conservation and Forestry

Commissioner, Amanda Beal in northern-central Maine.

Maine Forest Service District Forester Terri Coolong

guided us to the various stops. The point of the trip was

to speak with folks in the forestry sector and hear

concerns, suggestions, requests; to hear firsthand the

reality of the business of forestry these days. We were

welcomed by David Gordon of Katahdin Forest Products,

Brian Souers and staff at Treeline, and Jay Haynes, Eglin

Turner and Ginger Maxwelli of HC Haynes. We had an

informative tour of ND Paper in Old Town and met with

Ty and Shay Gardner of Gardner Companies. We heard

loud and clear the sobering silence of hopefully only

temporarily shuttered mills. During this trip, we received

the news concerning the re-build of the Jay mill digester.

It literally took my breath away. We also met with small

private landowners John Farrington, Jessica Leahy and

Bob Seymour. The conversations were candid and what

we needed to hear.

There were obvious similarities in the various

conversations we had, such as markets for low grade

products, workforce challenges such as employee hiring

and retention, state policies, discussions of biomass,

biofuels and CLT. Many thanks to those who hosted us.

We must keep these conversations going. We are

planning another such trip at the end of February in a

different part of the state, to make sure we are kept aware

of the forestry business and management environment.

Now is the time to truly double down on efforts

to make Maine attractive for businesses. The Maine

Forest Service continues to showcase that our forests are

healthy, are growing more than we are removing

annually and that Maine is as competitive as other states

who are vying for those businesses as well. And that

Maine workers have an incredible work ethic (I have

heard this sentiment from quite a few other states). I

refuse not to be cautiously optimistic that once we get all

things pandemic straightened out, that the industry will

persevere. We just have many miles to go.

We are looking at a busy legislative season. The

legislature has a heavy load this year. I assure you that

forestry interests and issues will be well represented and

there are many pulling for you who are struggling in this

environment right now. It might not seem like it

sometimes, but it is true. And I look forward to more

candid conversations.


Introducing your District Foresters

Meet Michael Jensen

District Forester Michael Jensen joined the

Maine Forest Service in 2018 with an exciting and varied

background of working in the forests of North America

from Maine to Alaska.

Michael has worked as an employee in an oldfashioned

circular sawmill, as a self-employed

conventional logger, private consulting forester, and in a

shared state/federal position as Water Quality Forester

with New Hampshire Forests and Lands and the US

Forest Service serving the White Mountain National

Forest in NH and Western Maine and state lands in Coos

County NH. Michael covers a 2.9-million-acre district

that stretches from Deer Isle to Lubec along the coast

and inland from Bucksport to Calais.

“As a former Timber Sale Administrator and self

-employed conventional logger I really enjoy the fact

that my current position allows me to continue to

connect with working loggers and do what I can to help

them be successful in a challenging environment,”

Michael said.

Like all District Foresters, Michael responds to

requests for assistance from all audiences, including

loggers. Many of the most common questions deal with

timber harvesting, both in the planning stage and once

operations are underway.

Did you know you can ask a District Forester to

visit a site before, during or after logging?

Understanding harvest regulations and identifying ways

to apply Best Management Practices (BMPs) that protect

water quality are two of the most common requests.

Every situation is different so it’s often helpful to have

Michael come out to a site – ideally before work begins -

to help determine if and how the rules apply, or to talk

about different ways to control water and prevent soil

movement using BMPs.

Michael and other DFs also teach classes about a

range of forestry topics, from forest management to

BMPS to wildlife considerations in forestry to the Tree

Growth Tax Program. Michael and the other DFs are a

great resource – please use them!

District Forester Michael Jensen.


37

Statewide Standards for Timber

Harvesting and Related Activities in

Shoreland Areas

By Tom Gilbert

Water Resources Specialist

Maine Forest Service

The standards to follow when harvesting timber

in shoreland areas vary by location in the state. These

include the Chapter 21 rules, also known as “Statewide

Standards” in most organized towns and Chapter 27

rules in the unorganized territory. Finally, some towns

have their own shoreland harvesting standards.

What are Statewide Standards?

Statewide Standards for Timber Harvesting and

Related Activities in Shoreland Areas apply to water

bodies and wetlands in many organized towns. These

towns have either given enforcement responsibility to

the Maine Forest Service or have adopted Statewide

Standards into their municipal shoreland zoning

ordinances. For an up to date list of towns where

statewide standards apply see:

https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/rules_regs/docs/

sws_town_status_list.pdf

Where do Statewide Standards apply?

Statewide Standards for timber harvesting and

related activities apply to the following areas:

Within 250 feet of

Within 75 feet of

*Streams, downstream of the point where the watershed

drains 300 acres

Adjacent to

*Streams above the 300-acre drainage point; and ponds

or freshwater wetlands larger than 4,300 square feet but

less than 10 acres that that are not identified by the

Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife as

significant wildlife habitat or essential wildlife habitat.

The Maine Forest Service is available to assist

towns that are interested either in transferring

responsibility for administering Statewide Standards to

the Maine Forest Service or in adopting Statewide

Standards into their municipal shoreland zoning

ordinances to promote uniformity and clarity of their

timber harvesting standards in shoreland areas. For more

information on Statewide Standards please visit the

Maine Forest Service website at: https://

www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/policy_management/

water_resources/sws/sws.html.

*Great Ponds (waterbodies larger than 10 acres);

*Rivers (downstream of the point where the watershed

drains 25 square miles);

*Tidal waters and coastal wetlands;

*Non-forested freshwater wetlands larger than 10 acres;

*Any size pond or freshwater wetland identified by the

Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife as

significant wildlife habitat or essential wildlife habitat

For more information on fundamental

forestry BMPs please see our field

friendly BMP manual, Protecting Maine’s

Water Quality, available on our website:

https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/

policy_management/water_resources/

bmps.html


Maine Agricultural and Forestry

Leaders Commit to Slowing the

spread of Emerald Ash Borer as

USDA Announces Plans to Roll Back

Regulations

AUGUSTA -- The Maine Department of

Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) has

announced that it will employ an Emergency Order

under Maine State Forester Patty Cormier's

authority to continue emerald ash borer (EAB)

regulation in the state.

This decision follows the U.S. Department

of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service (APHIS) announcement of plans

to deregulate EAB effective January 14, 2021. EAB

poses a significant threat to Maine's approximately

480 million ash trees. DACF officials maintain they

are slowing EAB's impact through quarantines that

limit the movement of ash out of infested areas.

Although the spread of EAB across the state

is inevitable, slowing EAB's spread will continue to allow

for adaptation while maintaining viable wood product

markets and ecosystem values. A slower spread of EAB

will also allow for public utilities, the Maine Department

of Transportation (MDOT), and cities and towns to better

control ash tree management costs, necessary to protect

infrastructure and public safety.

As USDA APHIS deregulation takes effect, the

Emergency Order will maintain prohibitions on importing

ash into Maine. Simultaneously, a revision of existing

Maine state EAB quarantine rules will be determined

through a public review process. Through this revision

process, DACF will propose regulating ash's movement

into Maine from other infested states and provinces and

maintaining the in-state movement restrictions while

removing chipped ash material from the list of regulated

articles. (Stakeholders interested in receiving information

about revised EAB rules, including public hearings,

comment deadlines, and the outcome, are encouraged to

use the DACF news service and sign up for EAB

bulletins.)

"We remain committed to slowing the spread of

EAB through quarantine, education, biological control,

and advocacy for careful ash management," stated DACF

Commissioner Amanda Beal. "For each of these efforts,

the most important aspect is every individual doing their

part to safeguard our natural and cultural

resources."


39

Having grown-up around loggers and worked in

several different industries, I can undoubtedly say that

the logging community is like no other. The culture in

which logging is rooted has remained the same even

when everything else in the world has seemingly

changed. It is a unpretentious culture of perseverance,

hard-work, and community.

This year has been particularly challenging.

Covid-19 has had a significant impact on logger’s

profitability across the country. In Louisiana, it is

estimated that production has dropped more than 30%

from the beginning of March. Most logging companies

are small, family-owned, and operate with high

operational costs and low margins. A few months of

diminished production has serious effects on their

solvency.

As if Covid-19 did not cause enough financial

ruin, back to back hurricanes ripped through Louisiana.

Hurricanes Laura and Delta brought violent winds that

wreaked havoc like we have never seen before. The total

economic loss to the Louisiana timber industry because

of the hurricanes exceeds well over $1 billion.

In Winnfield Louisiana, where handshakes still

mean something and so does taking care of your

community. You find folks like the McManus Logging

family, out using their own equipment and resources to

clear the roads and debris from houses, even before the

utility-workers could respond. “The damage was

immeasurable. Trees decimated our infrastructure.

Loggers were working 15+ hour days in 100+

temperatures. The national guard and linemen did a

tremendous job, but when it came to major stuff, they

left it to the skilled cutters. I am so proud to be from the

logging community in times like these,” said Toni

McManus McAillister, McManus Logging.

Loggers will never get the same recognition as

the utility-workers and that is fine by them. That is not

why they did it. Nobody asked them to help, they just

As We See It November 2020

By Kevin Smith

ALC Communications

did what they do – because that is who they are.

Now as we watch the wildfires incinerate the west, we

see the same response. Loggers using their own assets to

fight fires in forests that they were not even allowed to

help manage. This genuine eagerness to selflessly help

others seems to be a common occurrence with loggers,

no matter the geography. Loggers embody the fabric of

what it means to be a community. To be an American.

To just simply be a good human being.

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


As we look back on the year 2020, the majority of

us can probably say it can’t happen fast enough! With the

COVID-19 pandemic, catastrophic wildfires, hurricanes,

mill explosions, the downturn in hardwood markets

resulting from tariffs, extremely wet operating conditions

and shuttered paper and sawmills in many parts of the

country, 2020 has been without a doubt, one of the

roughest and toughest years for professional loggers and

log truckers to keep their businesses afloat, no pun

intended.

It started with the tariffs and ended with the

extended wildfire and hurricane season, and somewhere in

between the issues that surrounded the COVID-19

pandemic. While loggers remained an essential service

provider, many of the mills that we produced to could not

maintain enough personnel to run their facilities due to the

illness.

At a time when paper products in the US such as

toilet paper were flying off of store shelves, loggers

supplying the raw fiber need to produce those products

were seeing their delivered prices drop. As do it yourself

projects picked up because of the stay at home mandates,

lumber prices soared due to the shortage of lumber caused,

in part, by lack of mill capacity due to employee

shortages.

As We See It December 2020

Good Riddance 2020!

By Danny Dructor, Executive Vice President

We asked both Congress and the Administration for some

type of relief package to help those businesses that are

struggling stay afloat long enough to reorganize their

business plans in order to do just that, stay in business.

While we had some help from both sides of the aisle in

both the House and the Senate, the ability of Congress to

pass legislation of any form was curtailed by the partisan

politics that seem to be the new norm in Washington, DC.

Meanwhile, we found that the United States

Department of Agriculture failed to see the similarities

between agricultural producers and loggers and our

attempts at getting assistance by way of the CFAP

program were rejected, perhaps because the advisors to

the Secretary do not understand our industry or perhaps

the Secretary himself was not interested enough in the

issue. We provided them with the data generated by

Forest2Market showing the impact that the COVID-19

pandemic on the logging and log trucking industry, but to

no avail. Meanwhile, commercial Christmas Tree growers

are eligible for the program even as they are set to have a

banner year as social distancing and stay at home policies

are still in effect in many states across the US. Go figure?

Loggers are survivors as well as adaptors. Once

again the majority of you have risen to the occasion and

ALC Continued Page 42


41

ALC Continued from Page 41

figured out a way to make a go of it, but there have

been casualties, many that could have been avoided

with an assistance program from the federal

government.

Besides legislation that we have worked on

for many years such as the Safe Routes Act and the

Future Logging Careers Act, it has become evident

that one important recognition needs to be made

and that is to create parity between logging and the

rest of the agricultural commodity producers. We

aren’t going to cry for assistance every time the

ground gets too wet to work or another mill goes

down due to market fluctuations, but logging and

log trucking businesses should have the

opportunity, the same as the other agricultural

producers, to at least qualify for low interest loans

or even small forgivable loans when pandemics that

are totally out of our control shut down the

businesses and markets that we rely on to deliver

our product to.

2020 can’t get out of here fast enough, but

we will have our work cut out for us in 2021.

Wishing each and every one of you a safe,

happy and blessed Christmas season and a

prosperous 2021!

There are many unknowns facing our

Logging Families following the 2020 elections and

for most of us, there are many unanswered

questions that we would like to have answers

to. Will the new appointees installed by the new

administration effect what we do as Loggers? Will

the changes in the agencies that are involved in

Logging and Trucking reverse the gains that we

witnessed in the last four years? Will we see more

regulations on our industry that have negative

impacts on our operations?

Of particular interest to many of us in the

Western States and other federal timber sale

dependent communities across the United States is

the improvements that we have seen over the past

four years in the ability of the U.S. Forest Service to

put up timber sales with more success and to

actually increase the volumes being offered. Will

that continue? Stay tuned.

As of this writing, today, we received notice

that the COVID Relief package being voted on this

afternoon contains a $200 million dollar component

that is being set aside for logging and log trucking

businesses across the U.S. that have been impacted

by the COVID-19 pandemic. How will this be

distributed? What determines your

eligibility? The American Loggers Council and its

many state and regional associations have been

working to have those logging and log hauling

businesses included in the package, but with

success comes more questions, again… stay tuned!

Once the Presidential election is finally

confirmed, we will know who we are working with

As We See It January 2021

Let’s Get Started

By Tim Cristopherson, President

and we will start a plan of attack to get our Logging

and Trucking issues back on the table, working with

whichever administration is in the White House. So

far we have weathered Administration changes over

the past 26 years and have been able to work with

decision makers on both sides of the aisle on

multiple issues. Our job is and will remain to

educate those incoming legislators on our industry

while keeping those veterans in Washington, DC

updated on the issues that are impacting us the

most.

In the meantime take a look at our

website, www.amloggers.com, and take the 2020

ALC Logger survey while you’re there. Our

Facebook page also contains information on the

American Loggers Council and what we are up

to. Both these pages will keep you updated on

what’s going on at the ALC. You can also find the

latest information on what programs and how to

apply for relief allowed in the COVID Relief

package as they becomes available.

Tim Christopherson is the co-owner of

Dabco, Inc. based out of Kamiah, Idaho and serves

as the President of the American Loggers Council

and Past President and Board Member of the

Associated Logging Contractors, Inc. in Idaho. For

the past several years he has walked the halls of

Congress in Washington, DC with members of the

American Loggers Council advocating for issues

that would benefit the logging and log trucking

profession.



43

Congressional Delegation Updates

Supporting Maine’s Resilient

Forest Products Industry During

the Pandemic

Forest products are a vital

part of both Maine’s history and its

future. I had the pleasure of

participating in two recent events

that underscore the contributions and

resilience of this great industry.

In October, I joined the

Professional Logging Contractors of

Sen. Susan Collins Maine’s annual meeting via

Zoom. It was an honor to speak to

the group and learn more about the state of the industry, as

well as congratulate your organization for 25 years of

working to strengthen our State’s economy and preserving

our natural beauty.

About a month earlier, I visited Irving Forest

Products in Dixfield to celebrate their nearly $27 million

new state-of-the-art planer mill. That company’s

commitment to complete this investment in the world’s

largest Eastern White Pine mill in the midst of a global

pandemic is remarkable.

Across the nation, the logging industry has

experienced a steep decline in demand for wood fiber since

the pandemic began, leading to an estimated 20 percent or

more drop in the timber harvest. Family logging and log

hauling businesses need our support now more than

ever. Many PLC members have told me they will lose

their highly skilled and dedicated employees – or even

their business entirely – unless relief is

provided. Maintaining this talented workforce is essential

if we are to fully rebuild from the economic devastation

caused by the ongoing pandemic.

That is why I have continued to push for the

passage of the bipartisan, bicameral Loggers Relief Act that

I introduced with Rep. Jared Golden. Our bill would

establish a program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture

to provide direct payments to timber harvesters and haulers

that have suffered significant reductions in revenue in 2020

compared to last year due to the consequences of the

pandemic.

The economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic

is also harming mental health, taking a particularly severe

toll on people whose livelihoods are threatened. To help

meet this important challenge, I am working

to expand telehealth access to mental health services for

rural loggers, farmers, and fishermen. The great challenge

during the pandemic is keeping our people healthy and safe

– physically, economically, and mentally.

I come from a six-generation forest-products

family and know of no other enterprise that requires more

faith in the future and respect for the past. It is essential

that the hard-working and skilled people in your industry

have the support they need to live and prosper in the

communities they love.

Making Sure the Forest Products Industry Gets

Support in COVID Relief Legislation

In rural communities across our state, the forest

products industry is a critical economic engine that has

provided good jobs for generations of Maine people.

Thanks to our state’s abundant forests and our world-class

workforce – from loggers to truck drivers to mill workers

– Maine continues to be a global leader in this important

industry, supporting livelihoods and boosting the region’s

economic prospects.

Maine’s forest products industry has faced hard

times on occasion over the years, and always weathered

them with resilience and determination. However, this

year we faced a new challenge: the economic impacts of

the coronavirus pandemic temporarily curbed market

demand for forest products, contributing to the immense

challenges already facing this industry. The pandemic’s

fallout exacerbated existing difficulties, including ongoing

unfair trade practices by foreign nations and the effects

from this year’s explosion at the Androscoggin Mill in

Jay. To make matters worse, the industry did not receive

any direct relief from the administration; while a number

of other hard-hit industries received federal support to

offset losses, our loggers and mills were left to fend for

themselves.

In response to these

challenges, it was urgent that

Congress acted to provide support

– and in our year-end COVID-19

relief legislation, we did. This

legislative package includes $200

million to support our timber

harvesters and haulers, helping

our state’s logging companies –

many of them family owned –

make up for lost revenue and Sen. Angus King

survive this crisis. I am proud to

have worked with my colleague Senator Collins, along

with the rest of the Maine delegation, on the inclusion of

this figure. The final package also advances additional

wins for the industry, including a tax credit I proposed for

homeowners that use biomass heating systems. This new

provision will help support the market for forest products

and biomass heating equipment, and it passed thanks to

the support of the entire Maine delegation.

The forest products industry is essential to our

state, our economy, and our identity, I will continue to

stand behind its workers in the challenging days ahead to

ensure this important sector has a bright future.


No matter how you put it,

it’s been a tough year. Between the

coronavirus pandemic, economic

downturn, closures and disruptions

at our mills, and pressures related to

climate change, 2020 has been full

of challenges for the forest products

industry. But I’d like to think these

challenges also offer the industry

new opportunities to grow. As the

116 th Congress wraps up, I’m

thinking about my priorities for next

Congress, including important

Rep. Chellie Pingree policies I’d like to see for the forest

products sector.

As the most forested state in the nation, Maine’s

forests are an integral part of our way of life and our economy,

supporting 33,500 jobs. They also sequester about 70% of our

state’s greenhouse gas emissions. This means that our forests

have a critical role to play in both the economic recovery from

COVID-19 and the forthcoming recommendations from the

Maine Climate Council’s Climate Action Plan. Our forests offer

ample opportunity for innovation that will create new market

opportunities, drive economic expansion, and help mitigate the

impacts of climate change. We need a green economic recovery

from COVID-19, and I believe Maine is poised to benefit from

these initiatives.

There’s lots of talk in both Maine and Washington, DC

about how to support green jobs, and those conversations must

As we head into 2021 and

finally put 2020 in the rear-view, I’d

like to share some reflections on the

past year and make a request of

Logger’s Voice readers. This

quarter, I’d like to do something a

little different in my update and ask

you to tell me what Congress needs

to do to help you and your

community succeed.

One thing the last year has

made clear to me is that most people

in America don’t think their

government is listening to them or

Rep. Jared Golden working on their behalf, and that

goes double for people who live in

rural communities. And frankly, a lot of the time they’re right.

It’s harder than ever to make a living in the woods in America,

to start a small business outside of a city or a suburb, or to

maintain strong communities and traditions in small towns like

the ones I grew up in and that most Mainers in the forest

products industry call home.

Those changes don’t come about by accident. They

happen because our society and our government let them

happen. The federal government, and Congress in particular,

has not done a good job of reaching out to and delivering for

rural America.

Normally, I use these updates to try and keep you

informed about the work I’m doing for Maine loggers, truckers,

other forest product workers, and their families. That’s

important, but I think members of Congress these days spend


include the forest products industry. I’m particularly looking

forward to working with the incoming Biden administration,

which recognizes the dual benefits of green jobs as we confront

both the economic and climate crises. As we develop recovery

legislation in Congress, I’ll ensure Maine’s loggers are heard

and will push for the federal government to support the

development and expansion of new, innovative wood products

like cross-laminated timber and insulation. These products are a

win-win-win to improve energy efficiency in our quest to

combat climate change, offer a greener alternative to traditional

building materials, and create new markets for Maine’s forest

products.

As a member of the House Appropriations Committee,

I’ll continue to advocate for funding that promotes innovation

in the forest products industry and helps our forests to be more

resilient in the face of climate change. The Fiscal Year 2022

Appropriations bill is a great vehicle to fully fund programs like

the Northeastern States Research Cooperative, which sponsors

research to sustain the health of the Northern Forest and to

develop new forest products. I’ll also advocate for robust

federal investment in the Community Wood and Wood

Innovations Program, which recently supported a project at

Limington Lumber in East Baldwin to generate renewable wood

heat and electricity for sawmills.

I’m humbled and honored that the people of Maine’s

First Congressional District put their faith in me for another

term, and I look forward to working together to strengthen

forestry in our

state.

too much time telling people what they think is good for them

and not enough time listening to these folks about what they

need. I’ve always tried to go out of my way to listen in this job

and I’m going to recommit to that goal going forward.

I know this has been a bear of a year for people

working in our forest products industry. The Jay Mill explosion,

the pandemic economy, and the rapidly growing need for new

markets means lots of people in the industry are struggling.

Right now, I’m focused on getting a bipartisan deal to provide

COVID-19 economic relief before the end of the year, but I

know that’s just a first step and it won’t come close to what’s

necessary to help this industry recover, meet its potential, and

continue to provide a good living for thousands of Mainers. I

know I need to listen to and hear from you if we’re going to

make that progress.

I really welcome your feedback, and the more specific

you can be, the easier it will be to determine how we can be

helpful. Please reach out to any of my offices by phone or

email. Just be sure to mention to my staff that you’re a reader of

Logger’s Voice, and our team and I will go over your

comments, see if we can find a solution, and get back to you.

You can reach my staff at:

• Lewiston: (207) 241-6767

• Caribou: (207) 492-6009

• Bangor: (207) 249-7400

Or send our team an email at golden.house.gov/

contact/email-me

Happy Holidays and I look forward to hearing from

you.

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47

Professional Logging

Contractors of Maine

108 Sewall St.

P.O. Box 1036

Augusta, ME 04332

PLC Loggers Voice Winter 2021

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