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timber, fiber, or energy from the forest, will generate the largest sustained mitigation benefit.”

“These studies build on the scientific literature that consistently shows existing regulations are working as intended to ensure biomass is responsibly sourced in the U.S. Southeast to provide a positive impact on the climate and the environment,” says Amandine Muskus, Executive Director at USIPA. “Woody biomass critics often argue that wood pellet production in the U.S. Southeast reduces carbon stocks and creates a carbon debt that accelerates climate change. However, there is no published research that has been subjected to the rigors of independent peer review that supports these claims. Indeed, they are directly refuted by the weight of empirical scientific evidence.”

OFIC: Oregon Must Overhaul Timber Plan

Oregon’s proposed Forest Habitat Conservation Plan by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) for manag- ing 600,000 acres of state forests needs to be overhauled due to inaccurate data and the plan’s impact on communities and forest health, according to the Oregon Forest Industries Council, a trade group representing forestland owners and forest products manufacturers.

The biggest concern is an almost 30% reduction in state timber harvests scheduled for the next two years that’s part of the proposed habitat conservation plan that will manage the state’s forests for the next 70 years.

Despite state officials saying harvests would average close to 250MMBF annually over time, county officials are worried the reduction would stay in place, drastically reducing the contribution state timber revenues make to local governments. Ironically, such a reduced harvest will also hit the ODF with big budget reductions.

Their main concern was that ODF originally said its plan would allow the harvest of 250 million board feet of timber annually but has revised it to 173.5 million board feet for the next two years. Counties are worried that amount would stay in place over seven decades, reducing by $30 million revenue per biennium for ODF’s budget and more for counties that depend on it.

County officials say they want the Oregon Board of Forestry to reject the plan and return to the drawing board. They said the decline in revenue would lead to the need for the Legislature to fund ODF’s critical duties, including firefighting.

Red Rock Biofuels Is Up For Auction

The Red Rock Biofuels sustainable aviation fuel facility (with woody biomass as its feedstock) under construction in Lakeview, Ore. is for sale, following the recording of a notice of default and foreclosure as placed by the lender and trustee.

The default for which the foreclosure was made was due to the failure to pay when due the principal-of and interest-on certain Economic Development Revenue Bonds issued by the state of Oregon, acting through its State Treasurer, its Oregon Business Development Commission and its Oregon Business Development Dept. The principal is nearly $299 million and the interest is nearly $56,000 for a total default amount of nearly $355 million.

Consequently, notice was also given that on the morning of February 9 at the Lake County Courthouse the property would be offered for sale at public auction to the highest bidder for cash. That date was then moved to early March.

The sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) operation, founded in 2011, was designed to produce drop-in fuels from woody biomass and manufacture approximately 20 million (US) gallons (≈ 75.7 million liters) per year of low-carbon intensity renewable biofuels. The facility finally broke ground in summer 2018 but remains incomplete and construction has been halted at times, though it appeared to be nearing completion.

Its development was supported taxexempt economic development bonds issued in 2018 through the state of Oregon, and from a funding grant from the Dept. of Defense and other sources.

As recently as last August, Red Rock Biofuels and Frontline BioEnergy LLC, a provider of waste and biomass gasification solutions, announced they had successfully tested their innovative technology that gasifies Red Rock’s residual woody biomass feedstock into a highquality syngas for the production of SAF and renewable diesel.

Previously Red Rock reported that it and Shell had entered into a cellulosic fuel purchase and sale agreement in which Shell would purchase SAF and cellulosic renewable diesel fuel from Red Rock’s biorefinery for distribution and marketing.

Oregon FS Officials Withdraw Project

Citing new information, Forest Service (FS) officials in Oregon say they are re-working a proposed forest health project in eastern Lane County in the Willamette National Forest. The FS withdrew project authorization several months ago, and is planning to introduce a revised proposal this spring, after looking at potential environmental impacts.

Changing wildfire conditions in Oregon and new federal guidelines prompted the re-assessment, FS officials say.

The Flat Country Project proposed tree thinning, logging, and wildfire fuel reduction across 4,000 acres of the Willamette NF in support of forest health and community protection. Conservation groups had raised concerns over the inclusion of old growth trees in the plan.

Court Halts Idaho Forest Health Project

Ruling that the Forest Service is violating environmental laws, a federal court in Boise, Id. has halted the Hanna Flats Logging Project in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest, citing potential harm to grizzly bear habitat.

FS officials relied on Bonner County’s wildfire protection plan that designates the area as a wildland urban interface in claiming the logging project qualified for a categorical exclusion under the Healthy Forest Restoration Act since it’s in an area where homes and structures are vulnerable to wildfire.

The court disagreed and halted the project until it can hear the case on its merits. The 2,500 acre project has roughly 1,100 acres of mechanical treatments that include clear-cutting and thinning and other work.

Minnesota Loggers Lose Potential Market

sixth OSB plant.

HEW had announced in June 2021 its plan to build the plant on nearly 200 acres adjacent Minnesota Power’s Boswell Energy Center and create 150 direct jobs with significant job and growth opportunities for area logging and trucking operations to supply the large plant.

The court of appeals said the Cohasset city planners’ earlier decision to only require an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) of the project, and not require a more detailed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) needed to be re-addressed by the city because of issues involving a few acres of two “public waters wetlands” that the court said state law would require an EIS for.

The appeal from Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy also asked the court to weigh the environmental effects potentially caused by air emissions from the new OSB plant and from the volume of timber harvesting that the plant would require. The appeals court ruled in favor of the city as to “no significant environmental effects” but the court took to task the city’s determination that an EAW was enough for the project with regard to public wetlands. Huber initially submitted an EAW and then—at the city’s request—re-submitted a more detailed EAW, which the city accepted while deciding an EIS wasn’t necessary.

The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe appealed, and the appeals court agreed, that the facility “falls into categories” for which an EIS is mandatory under Minnesota law, specifically as to the elimination of public waters wetland.

The city had determined that the project would not eliminate public water wetlands. But the court focused on two small public waters wetlands, which the court said are “accorded greater protection under state law.”

The court said the city should reconsider given these stipulations and then issue a revised decision on the need for an EIS. Huber’s withdrawal from the project apparently now renders such an exercise as unnecessary.

Loggers in Minnesota have lost out on a major new market after a Minnesota Court of Appeals decision in early February that would have caused further delay in the construction of a $440 million OSB plant by Huber Engineered Woods in Cohasset caused Huber to pull out of the project and begin looking to another state for the development of its

The project would have replaced lost jobs and tax base as the adjacent Boswell coal-fired energy plant shuts down its coal burning units and possibly reconfigures to renewable energy sources. The Cohasset OSB mill would have been Huber’s sixth, following facilities in Maine, Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee and Oklahoma.

Running newer woods equipment and trucks makes it easier to find, keep employees.

RICHBURG, SC

Operating one large “super crew” in northern South Carolina, brothers Will and Wesley Coleman and Coleman Brothers Logging are putting up impressive production numbers, routinely hitting 160-190 loads a week and not infrequently hauling more than 200.

Thanks to a timber company relationship that allows the company to run wide open, and three primary markets in relatively close proximity, Coleman Brothers Logging is able to get some serious output from its two-loader, four-skidder, two-cutter configuration.

At age 34, Will Coleman is definitely a member of the younger generation of loggers in an industry where the contractor base is aging—and he’s already been running his own company for a decade.

Will began his career at 18 when he went to work for a logger in the area. His ambition to run his own company eventually kicked in and in 2013 he decided to strike out on his own.

Will and his wife, Katherine, and his brother, Wesley, founded the company and started it up. Together they gradually pieced together two loaders, four skidders and three cutters, all very well used—some might say used up. Will’s father, Tim, joined in to help with maintenance and Will’s uncle, Don “Uncle Stump” Dickson, signed on to drive a truck. “I really rely on my brother, Wes,” Coleman says. “If I’m at work, he’s at work, no matter what. If I’m in the shop, he’s in the shop. And he really takes charge with the skidders. I couldn’t ask for a better partner.”

Working with the Tigercat dealership in Newberry, SC, Coleman replaced his older equipment, and thanks to a new timber company arrangement that expanded production he’s been able to also upgrade his trucking fleet significantly in the past three years.

Trucking Lineup

Moving all that production is a fleet of 11 trucks, mostly latemodel, that Coleman keeps humming all day, striving to get each driver four loads if at all possible.

The trucking side of the company includes a 2023 Mack Granite, four ’22 Mack Pinnacles, a ’21 Mack Pinnacle, a ’19 Mack Pinnacle, ’22 Western Star, ’17 Mack Granite, ’15 Mack Pinnacle and a 2012 Mack. All the Macks were purchased from Shealy Truck Center in Columbia and by and large all are maintained at McMahon Commercial Truck Service in Rock Hill. The Macks pull two 2023 Pitts trailers, a ’22 Big John trailer, four ’22 Pitts trailers, two ’20 Pitts trailers, ’10 Big John trailer, two ’02 Evans trailers, and two lowboys—a 2000 Evans and ’00 Pitts. All are plantation style.

When it comes to spec’ing out tractors, Coleman says he likes a stick shift transmission, and some of his drivers do as well: The rigs are roughly split between manual and M-drive transmissions, though he believes over time the manuals will be phased out. Tractors are spec’ed with 505 HP MP8 Mack engines. There are a few air-ride suspensions in the fleet, but Coleman specs most with camelback suspensions. “They tend to hold up better and have less rear end trouble,” he says. Rear ends are all Mack, mostly Mack 379s.

Trucks roll on Falcon tires, mostly, along with some Hankook and Hercules. Coleman says he tries to get 80,000 miles out of tractor tires before recapping and running them on trailers.

Coleman Brothers Logging is currently testing out a Mack maintenance program on some of the rigs. Things are still sorting out, Coleman says, but it’s apparent he’ll need an extra truck for those days one of the program rigs is in for maintenance.

All 11 of Coleman Brothers Logging’s trucks run with Samsara dash cam systems. “I really like them,” Coleman says, especially that he can see what each truck is doing all from his phone. “I tell the drivers that the camera is your best friend on the road” as far as recording what really happened, he adds. He notes that he cameras have recorded several close calls in the three years since he’s been running them.

Looking at the number of newer rigs bought in the last three years reflects an upgrade and expansion: “We were spending too much on repair bills with older model trucks,” Coleman says, noting the enormous expenses associated with running that many trucks. Also, Coleman Brothers Logging’s production was rising, thanks to a good relationship with Myers Timber Co.

The combination of newer equipment and trucks and steady work makes a difference when looking for employees, Coleman says: “Before, when we had our bare bones forestry equipment, it was harder to attract and keep good help. Now we’re able to recruit and maintain a good quality crew. They want to work on the newer equipment models and I can sure understand that.”

Coleman says he has a great group of drivers who drive safe, take care of their trucks and know what they’re doing.

Drivers like running the newer rigs, Coleman says, adding that he’s always working to ensure each gets four loads a day. Current primary markets are the New-Indy Containerboard plant in Catawba and the Canfor Southern sawmill in Camden, plus International Paper mills in Eastover and Santuck.

Depending on the crew’s location, Coleman works to keep drivers on the road, alternating long routes and building efficiency whenever possible.

Logging Crew

Coleman Brothers Logging operates with four skidders: a 2021 Tigercat 620H, ’16 and ’18 620E’s and a ’13 620D. The company also has three Tigercat 720G feller-bunchers: 2023, ’22 and ’16 models.

At the loading deck, the Coleman brothers use a 2023 Tigercat 250D and a ’23 234B knuckleboom loaders. The crew also uses a ’14 John Deere 700K bulldozer for road and deck clearance.

Coleman is a big fan of the Tigercat dealership in Newberry. “You can’t ask for anything better when it comes to our dealer,” he says. “They take very good care of us. I love the Tigercat brand but it also comes down to service. Tidewater provides us with excellent service time after time.”

Tim Coleman, a seasoned mechanic who has worked as head mechanic for the long-time popular amusement park Carowinds in Charlotte, helps keep tabs on all the moving parts and equipment at Coleman Brothers. “I don’t know where we’d be without dad’s help,” Will says. “He’s one of the best mechanics in this part of the world.” According to Will, if you made a list of all the things Tim Coleman can’t fix, you’d have a very short list.

Will’s wife, Katherine, manages the Coleman Brothers Logging office. Her duties include insurance, payroll, and keeping up with taxes and benefits. She and her dog Sugar also make runs to Newberry, Chester, Rock Hill or Charlotte for parts or whatever else needs doing. “It’s a ton of hard work and it doesn’t ever slow down but we’ve gotten used to it and so now it just seems normal,” she says.

Keeping so many parts moving efficiently means hard work. Coleman explains that his crew generally works a 12-hour day—5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.—and occasional Saturdays.

“We don’t take many rain days either,” he adds. “I don’t see how we could make it without producing at least 150 loads a week. It takes that to keep up with the rising price of parts, fuel, insurance and everything else.”

The price of gasoline, motor oil, hydraulic oil and diesel is a killer these days, he adds, knowing he is saying the obvious. “But you can’t do much about fuel, and you don’t get to pick the mileage that you run,” Coleman says.

While loggers and executives in the timber industry have long held concern about the lack of young people going into the business, Coleman Brothers Logging is proof that the youth of America has not yet deserted the forest in favor of less vigorous occupations—and that the younger generation has a lot to offer.

“There is a place in the industry for young loggers like Will,” says Kevin Wright of Tigercat dealer Tidewater Equipment in Newberry. Over time his work ethic has proved sound and he was able to replace the old equipment with new. That makes such a big difference in productivity.” TH