TH 1021 digimag

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! THoct21pgs_SS.indd 1

8/25/21 2:21 PM

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! TH_1021_ASM.indd 2

8/18/21 10:49 AM

A Hatton-Brown Publication HATTON-BROWN PUBLISHERS, INC. Street Address: 225 Hanrick Street Montgomery, AL 36104-3317 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2268 Montgomery, AL 36102-2268 Telephone (334) 834-1170 Fax 334-834-4525 Publisher David H. Ramsey Chief Operating Officer Dianne C. Sullivan

Foremost Authority For Professional Loggers Browse, subscribe or renew: www.timberharvesting.com

Editor-in-Chief Rich Donnell Managing Editor Dan Shell Senior Associate Editor David Abbott Senior Associate Editor Jessica Johnson Associate Editor Patrick Dunning

Vol. 69, No. 5: Issue 688

OurCover The Curran family’s Curran Logging and Seaway Timber Harvesting have grown from a small logging company to a diversified northern New York powerhouse as the Timber Harvesting 2021 Logging Business of the Year. Read their story beginning on PAGE 14. (Jessica Johnson photos; design by Shelley Smith)

Publisher/Editor Emeritus David (DK) Knight Art Director/Prod. Mgr. Cindy Segrest Ad Production Coord Patti Campbell Circulation Director Rhonda Thomas Online Content/Marketing Jacqlyn Kirkland ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES SOUTHERN USA Randy Reagor (904) 393-7968 • Fax: (334) 834-4525 E-mail: reagor@bellsouth.net

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

OurFeatures

MIDWEST USA, EASTERN CANADA John Simmons (905) 666-0258 • Fax: (905) 666-0778 E-mail: jsimmons@idirect.com WESTERN USA, WESTERN CANADA Tim Shaddick (604) 910-1826 • Fax: (604) 264-1367 E-mail: tootall1@shaw.ca

10

Kevin Cook (604) 619-1777 E-mail: lordkevincook@gmail.com

Minimizing Soil Impact Softer Skidding Strategies

INTERNATIONAL Murray Brett +34 96 640 4165 • + 34 96 640 4048 E-mail: murray.brett@abasol.net

12 Miss. Ag Event Draws Crowd Loggers Tout New Technology

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Bridget DeVane 334-699-7837 bdevane7@hotmail.com Timber Harvesting & Forest Operations (ISSN 2154-2333) is published 6 times annually (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/ December issues are combined) by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc., 225 Hanrick St., Montgomery, AL 36104. Subscriptions are free to U.S. logging, pulpwood and chipping contractors and their supervisors; managers and supervisors of corporate-owned harvesting operations; wood suppliers; timber buyers; businesses involved in land grooming and/or land clearing, wood refuse grinding and right-of-way maintenance; wood procurement and land management officials; industrial forestry purchasing agents; wholesale and retail forest equipment representatives and forest/logging association personnel.

All non-qualified U.S. subscriptions are $50 annually; $60 in Canada; $95 (airmail) in all other countries (U.S. funds).

Single copies, $5 each; special issues, $20 (U.S. funds).

Subscription Inquiries—TOLL-FREE 800-669-5613; Fax 888-611-4525. Go to www.timber harvesting.com and click on the subscribe button to subscribe/renew via the web. All advertisements for Timber Harvesting & Forest Operations are accepted and published by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. with the understanding that the advertiser and/or advertising agency are authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. The advertiser and/or advertising agency will defend, indemnify and hold Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. harmless from and against any loss, expenses, or other liability resulting from any claims or lawsuits for libel violations or right of privacy or publicity, plagiarism, copyright or trademark infringement and any other claims or lawsuits that may arise out of publication of such advertisement. Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. neither endorses nor makes any representation or guarantee as to the quality of goods and services advertised in Timber Harvesting & Forest Operations. Copyright ® 2021. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery, Ala. and at additional mailing offices. Printed in USA.

18 Dash Cams Paying Off Boosting Safety, Security

22 Delimbers-Processors New Systems, Components

OurDepartments My Take _____________________________________________ 4 NewsLines ___________________________________________ 6 ALC Annual Meeting _________________________________ 29 Innovation Way _____________________________________ 30 Select Cuts ________________________________________ 34 THExchange ________________________________________ 35 Events/Ad Index _____________________________________ 38

Member Verified Audit Circulation POSTMASTER: Send address changes to TIMBER HARVESTING & FOREST OPERATIONS P.O. Box 2419, Montgomery, AL 36102-2419

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! THoct21pgs_SS.indd 3

8/18/21 3:18 PM

MyTake JESSICA JOHNSON

It’s Their Hearts: The People Of Seaway Timber Harvesting

E

ach time the committee behind the Timber Harvesting Logging Business Of The Year award meets to discuss nominees the conversation defaults to their business acumen. And for this year’s winner, their business acumen is one of the brightest and strongest we’ve seen in many years. Their diversification streams rival those of South Carolina’s Williams family and their takecharge attitude echoes Oregon’s Millers and Idaho’s Ikolas. The Curran family joins a long list of logging families throughout the country who’ve won this award while remaining humble and remembering where they came from— and who helped them get there.

While all three brothers, Pat, Lee and

Tim, are involved in daily operations, all agree Tim is the driving force in the woods. Pat comments, “The award that has been given is because of Tim’s push in the woods. That’s what this is about.”

Tim checks on all the crews each day, does the most machine operating on a daily basis and is the one who interfaces with the numerous woods crews the most. Each brother excels at a different aspect, they agree that without the extremely dedicated team at Seaway, nothing would ever roll.

Furthermore, the brothers agree that without the efforts of Seaway Timber office staff Judy Converse and MaryLou Babcock literally nothing would ever roll. Pat admits the four women

in the two company offices do enough work to keep 10 men busy. “When I watch some of them do things that would take me all day to do in 10 minutes, I am like ‘wow’,” he laughs.

For Tim, the employees are dedicated because that’s who they are: “It’s your heart. It’s your pride.

You’re going to finish it whatever it takes. You’re going to get the job done.” The culture of Seaway is one of hard work: Everyone puts their hands in and gets the job done and the bosses are no exception. Tim adds, “Every one of our employees knows if ➤ 37

Gary Prashaw, left, with Dylan Aldous

The shop crew, from left, Bobby Richards, Ben McKane, Parker Aldous, Zach Rolland, Rodney Aldous, Jacob Rakitis and Bradley LaRock

Woods crew, from left, Tom Foster, John Hubbard, Chad Griffin, Andy Green, Dusty Green, Matt Foster and Romeo Thibault

Paul Coffey

Keith Fenner

Woods crew, from left, Mark Curran, Trever Jeror, Dave Guyette, Reggie Francis, Seth Gabri, Kevin Johnston and Richard Woods

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! THoct21pgs_SS.indd 4

8/20/21 2:34 PM

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! TH_1021_ASM.indd 5

8/18/21 10:49 AM

NewsLines Thinning Work Lowers Fire Impact Racing through tinder-dry pine forests and scrub land northeast of Klamath Falls in south central Oregon, the Bootleg fire is one of the nation’s largest at more than 350,000 acres and was about 80% contained as this issue went to press in August. Early evidence is showing that managed and thinned forests around the Sycan Thinning work in southern Oregon Marsh Reserve led the fire to drop out of the canopy and move to the ground as it burned from untreated areas and encountered thinned forest areas.

The 30,000 acre reserve was acquired by The Nature Conservancy in the 1980s and over the years the organization has worked with the local Klamath native American tribe to thin areas around the marsh and introduce prescribed burns to mimic pre-settlement conditions. According to news reports, The Nature Conservancy officials say it’s still early and more research will need to be done, but reports are the fire moved “gently” along the ground and didn’t harm a research station in the reserve.

Similar effects have been noted in other fires, notably the Wallow Fire in Arizona in 2011 and last year’s North Complex Fire near Quincy, Calif. In both cases communities had thinned and treated areas surrounding small towns—and those areas weren’t as damaged when fires swept through their respective regions.

Huber Plans Sixth OSB Mill Huber Engineered Woods LLC (HEW), a subsidiary of J.M. Huber Corp., announced it will build a new oriented strandboard (OSB) facility in Cohasset, Minn. The plant will increase the company’s production of its ZIP System and AdvanTech structural panels.

The manufacturing facility is projected to provide more than 150 direct new jobs to Itasca County and surrounding areas, while contributing growth opportunities in adjacent local industries including timber and trucking.

Contingent upon site acquisition, approval of certain legislative initiatives and financial assistance from additional state entities, the Cohasset location will be HEW’s sixth mill in the U.S. and its first presence in Minnesota. The mill will expand HEW’s current production footprint of five mills located in Georgia, Maine, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Virginia.

The facility will be located on more 6

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

Huber Engineered Woods is building an OSB mill in Cohasset, Minn.

than 400 acres. The mill will significantly increase HEW’s ability to service the Western and Midwestern housing markets.

Minnesota Counties Offer Logger Relief Programs Minnesota counties have provided more than $1 million in various forms of assistance to logging companies in the northern areas of the state, according to a recent report in the ACLT Update from Associated Contractors Loggers & Truckers of Minnesota.

Northern Minnesota counties manage more than 20% of the state’s timberlands, and are big stakeholders in helping maintain the region’s healthy forest management and a vibrant forest products economy.

Recognizing the importance loggers play in their respective economies, county officials have developed a variety of grants and related “logger friendly” policies concerning county timber sale and forest management policies to reduce the economic impact of the COVID pandemic. Using funds from the federal CARES Act that passed in 2020 and included $150 billion to state and local governments, several northern Minnesota counties decided to use some of their funding to support the timber industry. Some of the actions reported include: ● St. Louis County provided grants to reimburse forfeited down payments on timber permits turned back to the county. This provided more than $130,000 to 10 companies on 18 permits. The county also set aside $750,000 on ROW contracts specifically for logging companies. ● Itasca County modified conditions of some timber permits, offered free one-year extensions on permits that expired before June 30, 2020 and also developed a Business Relief Grant program that awarded 25 grants totaling $309,000 to county loggers in amounts ranging from $3,000-$37,000. ● Koochiching County allowed owners of select timber permits to either get a refund on a turn back or a two year free extension. ● Lake County allowed loggers with fewer than 50 employees to turn back timber permits under certain conditions, and also allowed free one-year extensions.

FRA Recognizes Gray As Outstanding Logger Forest Resources Assn. and STIHL Inc. honored Gray Logging, LLC from Madison, Fla., as the National Outstanding Logger at FRA’s 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting on May 19. A large group of family, friends and colleagues attended the virtual meeting to watch former FRA Chairman Lee Alexander of International Paper honor Jerry Gray during the Zoom session.

Gray received an honorary wooden plaque and a $1,000 check from TIMBER HARVESTING & FOREST OPERATIONS

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! THoct21pgs_SS.indd 6

8/19/21 9:40 AM

NewsLines STIHL. Gray Logging was one of five regional finalists for the prestigious national award.

Jerry praised his father, W.C. Gray, who started the business in 1971, and his wife, Ginger, who is active in the business’s day-to-day operations.

“I’ve always said that I have the best employees in the Southeastern U.S., and now I can say that I have the best employees in the nation,” Jerry says.

“It is a great honor, and I’m so proud and humbled.”

Jerry is a 40-year veteran of the timber industry, a Florida Master Logger, and a Certified Tree Farmer. He is the current Vice President of the Southeastern Wood Producers Assn. and a member of both the Florida Forestry Assn. and American Loggers Council.

The entire Gray family is active in their local community by sponsoring a college scholarship fund, a week-long hunting and fishing trip for combat marines and their children (including a tour of local logging operations and consuming mills), and routinely sponsoring Fellowship of Christian Athletes and little league ball teams. Furthermore, Jerry was the driving force behind the creation of a CDL Driving School at a local community college, and he actively contributes to the Log a Load for Kids program.

Gray Logging, LLC was Florida District Logger of The Year in 1999, 2000, 2004, and 2010, Florida Logger of the Year in 2010 and FRA Southeastern Region Outstanding Logger in 2010 and 2020.

Roseburg a significant employer in the area, with 137 new jobs anticipated over the first two years.

Roseburg currently has 14 manufacturing facilities in North America, including the country’s second largest short lumber stud mill in Dillard, Ore. The company carefully selected the site for this new mill, with criteria including market demand, business climate, and workforce readiness at the

top of the list. The selected site’s proximity to the company’s Roanoke Rapids timber management office was a factor as well.

Sierra Pacific Buys Oregon’s Seneca Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) is acquiring Oregon-based Seneca and affiliates, combining two family-owned

Oregon’s Roseburg Looks To Carolina Roseburg Forest Products continues to expand operations in the Southeast U.S. with the recent announcement it will build a 400MMBF annual production capacity, 375,000 sq. ft. facility on 200 acres in Weldon, NC in Halifax County.

The sawmill operation, which will be called Roanoke Valley Lumber, is expected to begin site work in early 2022 with startup expected in the fourth quarter 2022.

Roseburg is already the largest private timberland owner in the Roanoke Valley area, following its 2017 purchase of 158,000 acres of timberland in North Carolina and Virginia. Once completed, the mill will also make Foremost Authority For Professional Loggers

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

7

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! THoct21pgs_SS.indd 7

8/19/21 9:40 AM

NewsLines WA DNR Projects Extra Log Revenue The recent quarterly revenue forecast report from the Washington Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) projects an extra $4 million in revenue for the 2021-23 biennium, bringing the total to $364 Washington state timber harvest revenues projected to increase. million. For fiscal year 2021, the revenue had decreased slightly, down $100,000 to $165 million. Log prices for DNR timber sales followed the pandemic narrative: initial uncertainty and a low of $498/MBF in April 2020 before demand for lumber (and timber sales) took off last summer.

The DNR saw prices peaking at $718/MBF in April 2021. Prices have backed off some since, but are expected to remain higher than normal through 2022, the report states. The report also stated the DNR plans to offer around 540MMBF for sale in fiscal year 2021.

According to state statute, 70% of state timber sale revenues are used to fund schools, public safety and infrastructure costs in the counties where sales are harvested. forest products businesses with strong historical roots on the West Coast.

Founded in 1953, Seneca operates a 175,000 acre sustainably managed tree farm, sawmills, and a biomass plant in Oregon. SPI is a leading lumber producer that manages more than 2.1 million acres of timberland in California and Washington.

“Aaron Jones (Seneca) and Red Emmerson (SPI) are both icons of the wood products industry. They were also friends and had a deep mutual respect for each other as industry leaders,” says Seneca CEO Todd Payne in reference to the founders of the respective companies. “This proposed transfer makes so much sense given the companies provide complementary products, and have shared family values and company culture.”

Both SPI and Seneca have a strong focus on sustainable tree management, also managing their timberland for thriving wildlife, healthy watersheds and soils, and world-class recreation.

The companies also share a company culture that recognizes employees as their most valuable asset, values the support of the communities they operate in and serve, and gives back by being dedicated to education and 8

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

administering scholarship programs.

Seneca has been co-owned by Becky Jones, Kathy Jones-McCann and Jody Jones. In addition to sawmill operations, the company operates Seneca Sustainable Energy biomass plant.

Robbins Lbr. Purchases Limington Lumber Two longtime Maine family-owned businesses have joined forces. Robbins Lumber, Inc., a fifth-generation operation based in Searsmont, announced the acquisition of Limington Lumber Co. of East Baldwin, a second-generation manufacturer of eastern white pine.

Limington Lumber will operate as Robbins Lumber East Baldwin, LLC with management and operations staying under the guidance of Win Smith.

Established in 1961, Limington Lumber produces 17MMBF annually in dozens of patterns. The last two decades have seen an aggressive modernization program at the mill.

Robbins Lumber Inc. owns and manages 30,000 acres of its own forests and buys logs from more than 150 independent loggers. Milling operations are located on a 40 acre site in Searsmont.

ReGenerate Purchases Biomass Power Facility ReGenerate Energy Holdings, LLC , a recently formed joint venture between Ember Infrastructure and ReEnergy Biomass Operations LLC, has completed the acquisition of Albany Green Energy, a biomass heat-and-power facility in Albany, Ga. from a subsidiary of Exelon Generation Co. LLC. The Albany Green Energy facility, also known as “AGE,” uses woody biomass from mill residue, forestry waste, recycling and agricultural waste sourced within a 75-mile radius of the facility to provide 50 MW of electricity to Georgia Power, process steam to the nearby Procter & Gamble paper products facility, and process steam that is used to generate electricity for the nearby U.S. Marine Corps Logistics Base. The facility’s 25 employees will join the ReEnergy team.

With the acquisition, ReGenerate owns 137 MW of operating biomass power generation across three facilities, including ReEnergy Stratton and ReEnergy Livermore Falls, both located in Maine. ReGenerate plans to continue the expansion of its platform across North America to deliver sustainable bioenergy products to utilities, corporations and other partners.

Ember and ReEnergy formed ReGenerate in April 2021. ReEnergy, founded in 2008, is a wholly owned subsidiary of ReEnergy Holdings LLC, which, in addition to the Maine facilities, owns ReEnergy Black River, a 60 MW biomass power facility located on the U.S. Army’s Fort Drum installation near Watertown, NY, and ReSource Waste Services LLC, which operates five facilities in New England that recycle construction and demolition waste materials.

Ember, founded in 2018, is a New York-based private equity firm delivering capital solutions to businesses and assets seeking to reduce carbon intensity and enhance resource efficiency.

The Albany operation started up in 2017.

Forest Services Names Moore As 20th Chief Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that Randy Moore will serve as the 20th Chief of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest TIMBER HARVESTING & FOREST OPERATIONS

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! THoct21pgs_SS.indd 8

8/19/21 9:40 AM

NewsLines Service. Moore will serve as the first African American to hold the role of Chief of the Forest Service.

Current Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen is retiring.

Moore has been serving as Regional Forester in the Pacific Southwest Region in California since 2007 where he has responsibility for 18 national forests, covering one-fifth of the state on 20 million acres . Additionally, he oversees State and Private Forestry programs in Hawaii and the U.S. affiliated Pacific Islands.

Previously Moore served as the Regional Forester for the Eastern Region headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis. Moore started his career in conservation in 1978 with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in North Dakota. His Forest Service career began on the Pike and San Isabel national forests in Colorado and the Comanche and Cimarron National Grasslands in Kansas. He served as Deputy Forest Supervisor on the national forests of North Carolina and the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri before serving as Forest Supervisor of the Mark Twain National Forest. Moore also has national-level experience in Washington, DC, serving as acting Associate Deputy Chief for the National Forest System and the National Deputy Soils Program Manager.

Moore earned a bachelor’s degree in plant and soil science from Southern University in Baton Rouge, La.

is critical,” Capps added, noting that Smith in his new opposition will continue to support the logging industry though programs such as the recently unveiled timberhauling.com.

“Our industry must constantly look for new ways of creating efficiencies and cost-savings for our businesses, and this idea has unlimited potential there,” Capps said.

COMING IN TH: — ALC Coverage — Steep & Wet Logging — Supplier Directory — New Tech 2022

CLA’s Smith Leaves For US Endowment Position The Carolina Loggers Assn. (CLA) recently announced that Ewell Smith, Executive Director, is leaving to assume a full-time position working with the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities.

According to a statement from the CLA board chairman Chip Capps, “We will lean on the NC Forestry Association, our brothers in the SC and VA Associations, and the ALC to continue the progress we all have made politically the last years.”

The CLA has current staff in place, Jonzi Guill, Communications Director and Joanne Reese, Finance & Accounting, to continue the projects in place for 2021 and 2022. “With the speed we are seeing changes in our industry now this continuity and forward movement Foremost Authority For Professional Loggers

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

9

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! THoct21pgs_SS.indd 9

8/19/21 9:40 AM

Minimizing Soil Damage On Skid Trails, Crossings Niels de Hoop

B

ack before Best Management Practices (BMPs) were published, loggers used to ask me, “Is it better to use one skid trail and do a lot of damage in one place or should we run all over the place, making more skid trails, but none of them quite as bad?”

I wasn’t sure of the answer at the time, but we decided that it was a little better to stick to the one place that was already damaged.

It turns out that sticking to one skid trail is the better option.

Pore space is important in soils — it brings water and oxygen to the roots (yes, roots need oxygen). Rutting compresses pore space, so the fewer ruts, the better. Studies have shown that roughly 60% of the soil compression happens with the first pass of the skidder. Eighty percent of the compression happens with the second pass, and 90% of the compression happens with the third pass. In other words, running over the same spot 10 more times won’t make the soil any worse than it already is.

Effectively, all the soil damage has already happened after the third pass.

Thus, it is better to use one skid trail and try to confine damage to one place.

Also, a small damaged area is easier to repair, such as by filling in ruts or coming aback later with a ripping plow to try to restore soil porosity.

(To make things more complicated,

one longleaf pine stand study had better tree growth after a skidder simply ran around between the trees. They think it helped the sandy soil stick together better.)

Crossing streams is another headache in logging. In many situations, it is best to go as far upstream as possible

If the stream crossing is small and has solid banks, consider using temporary bridges (steel or wood) that can be emplaced with a grapple skidder. Where usable, these bridges save time and do almost no damage at all to the streambed or stream sides. to cross, especially with small, poorly-defined ephemeral streambeds that have water in them only after a rain. In other situations, it may be better to make a single downstream crossing instead of multiple upstream crossings.

The main environmental concern with stream crossings is to protect water quality downstream. Damaging stream banks and bottoms muddies the water. That mud floats downstream, filling in fishing holes and covering riffles and rocks. This affects the abil-

ity of fish to find food and lay eggs.

An effective way to cross small streams (especially ephemeral streams or drains) is to lay logging slash, treetops and trash trees in them before crossing. This protects the ground underneath while allowing the water to pour through. Ideally, this slash should be removed upon completion of the logging job, but in many cases it does more damage to remove the slash, making leaving the slash in place the better option. This is often the case where the crossing is a broad crossing near the top of a drain.

If the slash impedes water flow, or if it may wash downstream and cause a problem, it should be removed.

Like so many other things, moderation is key. For example, a little slash in a stream can be a good thing. It provides hiding places for minnows and other aquatic life. Biologists call this “Large Woody Debris.” On the other hand, too much rotting slash in the water depletes oxygen from the water, making it difficult for aquatic life to live or breed.

If the stream crossing is small and has solid banks, consider using temporary bridges (steel or wood) that can be emplaced with a grapple skidder. Where usable, these bridges save time (which saves money) and do almost no damage at all to the streambed or stream sides.

In order to protect water quality, we leave Streamside Management Zones (SMZs) around streams, wherein we avoid clear cutting and minimize entry. This does two main things for water quality—preventing siltation of the water and shading the water.

Keeping stream water cool is important for fish and the aquatic life upon which they feed.

The forestry BMP manual provides many more details on these topics.

The Louisiana Forestry Assn., Office of Forestry and Cooperative Extension Service usually have copies available (see www.laforestry.com).

The manual also covers culvert sizing, water bars, mandatory BMPs in wetlands, federally protected Scenic Rivers (Louisiana has 52) and much more. Every logger, forester and forest landowner should be familiar with its TH contents.

C.F. “Niels” de Hoop is an Associate Professor at the Louisiana Forest Products Development Center, School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, LSU AgCenter.

Utilizing one main skid trail keeps soil impact confined to one area.

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! THoct21pgs_SS.indd 10

8/18/21 11:10 AM

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! TH_1021_ASM.indd 11

8/18/21 10:50 AM

MLA Boosts Program, New Deere Simulator

buncher simulator. The prototype simulates an actual cab and is currently the only one of its kind. The John Deere Forest Factory in Finland began developing this simulator three years ago with plans to utilize it in the classroom and increase the number of Event showcases new technology. skilled equipment operators in the woods. reflection of the state’s beauty.

U.S. Southeast forestry sales PatrickDunning “It was a great turnout. We were consultant, Berry Johnson, and Justin JACKSON, Miss. pleased to host inside the Mississippi McDermott, John Deere forestry sales oggers and forestry groups across TradeMart,” Gipson says. “Every piece and tactical marketing manager, U.S. the state made a strong showing at of lumber in the TradeMart, the wood and Canada, worked with David the inaugural Mississippi Ag Livingston, executive & Outdoor Expo August 6-8 director, Mississippi at the Mississippi TradeMart Loggers Assn., and in Jackson. Hosted by the Scott Swanson, Mississippi Dept. of president, Stribling Wildlife Fisheries and Parks Equipment, to get this Foundation, the 110,000 sq. technology to the ft. event featured more than classroom and bolster 100 exhibitors in the the logging workforce. agriculture, wildlife and “We were hearing forestry industry. From Red from folks across the Stag hunting guides, Gulf country, a lot of concern Coast fishing charters, about the shortage of farming equipment to turkey skilled labor and how calls and everything in are we going to help between, the state’s outdoor Ag & Outdoor Expo draws 7,000-plus crowd to the Mississippi TradeMart. create the next expo catered to avid generation of operators outdoorsmen with more than 7,000 walls and exposed wood, was raised in the field. Kept getting asked if we people attending throughout the and harvested in the state of had training aids or simulators and at weekend.

Mississippi. We did that to promote our the time we didn’t on the full tree side.

Mississippi Commissioner of forestry industry. That way people who We’ve had cut- to-length simulators Agriculture and Commerce Andy come to the TradeMart get to see the for years for European markets,” Gipson says the expo was successful beauty of Mississippi wood products.”

McDermott says. “We told our in connecting the public with wildlife Among the crowd was the engineering group there’s a need in the and outdoor industries, and that the Mississippi Loggers Assn. (MLA) industry and it’s a growing need to Mississippi TradeMart building, touting John Deere’s recent find new operators. Can we take the completed in Spring 2021, is a development, a rubber tire fellertechnology we have to date, adapt it and make it available to the market?

And that’s what we did. We adopted it for full tree.”

To further boost the mission of developing new woods machinery operators, the Mississippi Loggers Assn. and Mississippi Forestry Commission are partnering with Hinds Community College to offer a Logging Equipment Operator Academy, which will feature four John Deere rubber tire simulators: two wheeled feller-bunchers, two track feller-bunchers and several desktop models with joysticks.

“We appreciate all the help from Stribling, John Deere and Hinds allowing us to have input on what the industry needs. We worked closely with Hinds on developing the From left: Wayne Withers, new operator program instructor; David Livingston, executive director, MLA; program and Wayne has done an Berry Johnson, U.S. Southeast forestry sales consultant, John Deere; Brandon Martin, Southern Misoutstanding job pulling resources sissippi sales manager, Stribling Equipment.

TH together,” Livingston says.

L

12

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

TIMBER HARVESTING & FOREST OPERATIONS

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! THoct21pgs_SS.indd 12

8/19/21 9:40 AM

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! TH_1021_ASM.indd 13

8/18/21 10:50 AM

Loggers First; Loggers Always Seaway Timber Harvesting Is 2021 Logging Business Of The Year JESSICAJohnson MASSENA, NY ometimes being in business means finding problems to solve. Other times it means solving problems that are already there. Over 30 years ago when the Curran brothers, Pat, Lee and Tim, started their logging business—aptly named Curran Logging—they thought they knew what to expect. Hard workers from basically birth, this bunch from upstate New York has never met a challenge they won’t push through.

Remembering an incident from just this past winter, when a machine got stuck and froze into the earth, Pat and Tim were trying to get it out. Tim remembers Pat asking if he thought they were going to get it out. Without hesitation Tim said yes, he recalls, because there’s literally nothing the pair hasn’t

S

been able to do when they work at it.

“Our father taught us to never quit,” Tim says. “Both our parents, really, taught us to never quit.” That never quit attitude has served them well and is evident in their business. Curran Logging, which started it all, has since morphed from just the family to more than 85 employees running under the Seaway Timber Harvesting banner, which includes Curran Logging’s four logging and chipping crews, a fulltime full-service shop, sand and gravel pits, a parts business that services the public and in-house needs, and a fully automated pellet plant.

The pellet plant wasn’t part of the plan 30 years ago, but now it is an integral part of the operation. How does a logging company get into plant operation though? Easy—the brothers saw a

problem and they fixed it. Pat explains, “We would have never done this if we had a solid paper industry in our area.

That’s how we built the forestry side is supporting the paper industry. As of today, we’re not delivering a single load to the paper industry.”

At one point Curran’s logging force was trucking over 120 loads per week to the Domtar paper mill just across the border in Quebec, running 34 to 38 trucks to get the 200 mile one-way haul handled. But that market shrunk 15 years ago and is almost nonexistent now. Thankfully, Curran Renewables is there producing 80,000 tons of wood pellets annually.

The brothers decided to build the plant to diversify their operation with the goal of being more independent.

The push from the New England

The Curran brothers, from left, Tim, Pat and Lee 14

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

TIMBER HARVESTING & FOREST OPERATIONS

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! THoct21pgs_SS.indd 14

8/20/21 3:10 PM

Shop Manager Rodney Aldous runs a tight ship—a necessary component to the Seaway Timber Harvesting business, with 35 trucks, 60 trailers, 22 skidders, six chippers and grinders, and five feller-butchers.

states to transition the home heating market definitely helped drive the decision, Pat says. The opportunity was in front of their collective faces, so 13 years ago the plant was built.

“None of it would have ever happened without the finances to pull it off,” he adds of the monster $10 million investment to get the project off the ground, up and running. Looking back? The Currans admit they were a little forward thinking, but in the space of a heartbeat they say they would do it all over again—even after COVID-19 dealt them a blow to markets further.

Pat believes that without the pellet plant, and the other diversification streams, because of what happened with COVID, there’s a chance the company might not have made it.

Once again showing the brothers’ collective ability to think outside of the box and be flexible, they changed their business and kept it afloat.

“We’ve had to do other things that Foremost Authority For Professional Loggers

Tim likes to have his bunchers working at least a week ahead, so he has flexibility.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

15

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! THoct21pgs_SS.indd 15

8/20/21 3:10 PM

Skidders are often on long drags, so having more than two helps the wood flow.

Loaders concentrate on three main sorts for logs.

forced ourselves deeper into the aggregate business,” he admits. “But we will always remain in the timber business. Timber is going to be here until we leave the Earth, but as a company you have to do a lot of different things to survive, to keep your people working.” And keeping the people working has been a driving desire for the Currans. Tim adds that, especially with COVID, counting on the mills is hard. “We need the mills, but we can’t count on them,” he says.

Because of this, the family, and its businesses Curran Logging and Seaway Timber Harvesting, are the 2021 Timber Harvesting Logging Business of the Year, making them the first winner of this award from the state of New York.

16

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

The Woods Aided in the woods by a staff of more than 85, including other brother Mark, the Seaway Timber Harvesting crew moves more than 25 loads of chips per day to Curran Renewable Energy, working on tracts of anywhere from 200 to 400 acres. Of that, tracts are mainly thinnings, sometimes purchased by a brokerage and contracted to be cut by Seaway, sometimes purchased by Seaway to be cut by Seaway. The crews, usually three but sometimes four, focus on three main separations for logs, plus at times veneer logs, plus pellet plant chips.

Of the crews, one focuses on clean up, grinding and chipping for biomass—basically a one-man show,

while the other two use either three or four skidders. Crews meet in the woods and Tim tries to keep the guys working as close to where they live as he can. Sometimes it is 60 to 70 miles away, but that is unavoidable. To help cushion the blow for the employees, Seaway pays for their gas.

Most in-woods iron is John Deere, with some Caterpillar machines mixed in, because Tim feels it works better for them and the land they work. Having tried one other brand, it wasn’t a good fit, he says, “I didn’t like it, it just felt bulky to me.” Chippers and grinders are Morbark and Peterson. Trucks are Western Star; trailers are Manac.

Each day, Tim’s goal for the crew is to make sure the job is done right and everyone gets home at night. “We need production,” he says, “But you also have to make sense of that production. If you have production that everything is smashed and crashed, that isn’t very smart.”

A big part of doing the job right, in Tim’s mind, is taking care of the roads.

He will often go out of his way to build a new, or clean up an existing, road: “If you don’t fix a road it is time on your trucks; trucks will break down, even the personal vehicles coming in and out, it will beat everything up.”

Because of Tim’s attention to the roads in the winter, the crews typically will lay out wood ready to be trucked during the wet conditions and spring breakup, so those that want to work still can.

Of course, at any time of the year keeping trucks on the road is a major challenge due to driver shortages. A unique perspective on the situation, Tim says the labor force shortage is partly the logger employers (like him) who are at fault. “We all complain about it, but we’re so busy working we’re not doing anything about it. You can’t correct a problem unless you do something about it. We have to get with educators and politicians to help change things.”

However, he’s quick to point out that the crew he does have is second to none. “Nothing can be done no matter how much Lee, Pat or myself do without all of them,” he says. Adding that Judy Converse and MaryLou Babcock (office staff) are the heart of the place, “I know I do everything that I can, but I can’t do it without everybody. What else am I going to do?

Retire? No I am not. I am a logger.

And I can do about anything, whatevTIMBER HARVESTING & FOREST OPERATIONS

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! THoct21pgs_SS.indd 16

8/20/21 3:10 PM

er’s got to be done; I can make it work,” he says with conviction.

Giving back to the community atlarge is an important part of Tim’s work, and the employees as well. The week TH visited the crew for this story, the crews donated time to a local wild center cutting poles for a project. “The community is everything,” he believes and not just in special cases like the wild center, but in regards to stepping out and building a pellet plant, too. “If you can create something in your local area and use your raw materials to create jobs, that’s what you do.”

Seaway Timber Harvesting Machine Roster Excavators: Caterpillar (10); John Deere (2) Loaders: Caterpillar (6); John Deere (3) ● Grinders/Chippers: CBI (1); Morbark (3); Peterson (2) ● Skidders: Caterpillar (10); Timberjack (3); John Deere (9) ● Feller-Bunchers: Caterpillar (5) ● Dozers: Caterpillar (4) ● Harvesters: Caterpillar (1) ● Heads: Quadco (1) ● Trucks: Western Star (24); Kenworth (11) ● Trailers: Manac (54); Pitts (3); Big John (1); Homemade (2) ● ●

The Shop Back at the office in front of the shop, “Nothing works without Judy,” Pat states about the operation. The woods crew gets it done, but Converse is the one making sure they can.

Parts Manager Gary Prashaw and Assistant Parts Manager Dylan Aldous, whom Pat says can do anything, keep the machines rolling for the sand and gravel operations, trucking, logging and the pellet plant; plus, a fairly decent outside parts sales business to the local area at a rate of about 75/25 in-house to outside sales. They keep a couple million dollars in inventory across both OEM and aftermarket options. Aldous says he does a lot of hydraulic hose making for the outside, too.

The shop is staffed by six full-time mechanics and one dedicated roaming mechanic, or two if he has to, says Shop Manager Rodney Aldous (Dylan’s father), a former John Deere road tech who’s been with the Currans for 33 years. For Aldous, who runs an incredibly tight (but very clean) ship, everything is done in-house unless it has to be machined. Aldous recognizes that his guys are the heart that keeps the whole thing going—so while he tries to plan each day, it doesn’t always work out that way. “It’s a constant battle to keep everything going,” he emphasizes, “You never know day in and day out what’s going to happen. We try to work on things based on urgency.”

There are dedicated truck and trailer technicians, with trucks being serviced every two weeks checking brakes, lights and greasing. The inwoods operators handle woods machine servicing. Servicing is done every 250 hours on those pieces.

Truck oil is pulled every 10,000 Foremost Authority For Professional Loggers

The paper industry introduced the Currans to chipping, but chipping for biomass is now the driver of their business.

miles. Everything is tracked on Aldous’ iPad using EverNote.

Pat says this is by design to keep a grip on costs, but also because if he was having to sub out this work, the company wouldn’t be able to survive.

“Yes, the overhead is crazy,” Pat admits. “But if we had John Deere or Cat doing all this maintenance, you wouldn’t exist, you just can’t.”

Aldous says it’s a busy business to be in, but he’s worked with, and for, the Currans his whole life and knows there’s no one that works quite like the Curran brothers do: “They don’t think about themselves. They are out for their employees. Work just as hard as I work and that’s something to be proud of. They do well for all of us.”

What’s Next So, what’s next for the brothers?

Pat says there’s a lot of places to be next. “The problem with anything is

securing a decent market for whatever is next,” he admits. “You can have 100 ideas, and if none of those ideas have a market that is solid enough to get into you still have to stay out of it. Somewhere along the line you have to have a financial institution that wants to believe in you, and you need to believe in yourself at the same time.”

For Lee, he wants to see enhanced utilization of equipment and personnel than ever before but in the end he knows one thing: “We have to watch our costs all the time—if you take a wrong step today, you’re in trouble.”

Pat says he isn’t worried about the labor force after COVID. He believes there will always be people who want to work and will work hard. It’s just a matter of making sure there are ample opportunities. And Tim knows he simply doesn’t plan on quitting, so it’s a matter of finding more markets for TH the forest products.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

17

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! THoct21pgs_SS.indd 17

8/20/21 3:10 PM

Tech Spotlight

Dash Cams Improve Safety, Reduce Liability Relatively small investment can pay off big.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Several years back, Bob and Kim Wall, owners of Wall Timber in Osyka, Miss. took a proactive approach and installed dash (windshield) cameras in their 29 tractor-trailer rigs and in some of their crew trucks. A lot has changed since then. For example, the 29 log trucks are now six after a round of downsizing. But the results the Walls have seen after making the investment have stayed the same: Dash cam technology can improve overall safety and reduce the high risk and liability exposure of trucking in the logging industry.

W

atching the dash cam systems pay for themselves repeatedly after they were installed, drivers for Wall Timber went from being leery and suspicious of the new dash cams to being the first to notify others if there’s any issue with the camera.

“They like it now and are quick to tell me if their cameras go out,” says Kim Wall, adding that the dash cams “have vindicated us many times and helped drivers save their jobs.”

Another change from the initial install is the camera: After initially going with a Top Dawg camera, the company switched to a Vicon camera system after the initial set didn’t handle off-road conditions too well. And after getting rid of some of their log trucks, the Walls put those systems on company pickups.

Kim Wall wrote about her experience with dash cams for a Forest Resources Assn. report, available from FRA. Here is Wall Timber’s dash cam project, in her own words: We began research on these cameras in September of 2014, after watching a news segment showing how a trucker’s camera recorded an accident in front of him and proved how the accident really happened, not as all the different witnesses reported it. In October of 2014 18

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

we installed the cameras.

We went to Custom Audio, McComb, Miss., for the installation. We elected to install the cameras on the passenger-side windshield with a tamper proof mount and cable, although these cameras may be installed just by plugging them into a cigarette lighter.

This system, with the improvements we selected, Kim Wall such as longer-playing SD cards professionally installed with tamper-proof mounts and cables, cost $275 per unit, including Custom Audio’s setting up our office computer and providing a demonstration. Custom Audio came to our shop and installed the cameras after work hours, so installation did not shut any of our trucks down.

The camera records the driver’s view and even has audio to record everything on a driver’s shift. GPS on this system has the ability to track video playback with Google Maps, showing the truck’s location as well as its speed and direction. The video is recorded on a micro memory card in AVI format, suitable for playing back on a PC, laptop, or TV using the AV cable, the included HDMI cable, or USB 2.0 cable. This camera also features G-sensor technology, which can

KIMWall detect an impact or collision and will automatically save and lock the video file recorded 20 seconds prior to and after the impact onto the SD card.

Drivers do not turn the camera on or off: it is running when the truck is running or idling. We upgraded the SD card to enable it to record in 8-hour loops. While in the truck, the Dash Cam displays what the driver is seeing on the 1.5 in. LCD screen.

To view an SD card, one need only stop the engine, take the card out, and view it on a computer. We bought extra SD cards, so when we want to view a card, we just install the extra one. We also bought extra cards so if an incident occurs we can keep the original on file. One may also copy files onto a flash drive.

Controlling Costs Insurance costs in the logging industry are high, and the trucking/auto category is almost always the highest, due to these vehicles’ exposure to the public. This system will help prevent fraudulent claims against your drivers and trucks. The video evidence gives proof to your insurance carrier that

After seeing positive results, drivers went from skeptics to camera supporters TIMBER HARVESTING & FOREST OPERATIONS

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! TH_01021_bkj.indd 18

8/18/21 12:44 PM

Tech Spotlight your driver and truck are obeying the law. Since this system makes our drivers more aware of their driving, we feel it also represents a safety improvement. Furthermore, it helps the woods crew’s awareness: They know if a truck is pointing in their direction, they are on camera!

High liability exposures threaten cost-effective trucking.

Video evidence of this type can prove your truck was obeying the speed limit, was on the proper side of the road, did obey the traffic lights, signs, and so on. It can also verify the other driver’s actions. In short, the camera is your witness— not humans who make mistakes, forget, and can be swayed.

At first, the drivers did not want these cameras at all, because to them it seemed as if we were spying on them rather than protecting them. However, after the first incident, in which the video record overturned a driver’s ticket, several drivers became convinced that the advantages were overwhelming. Then after a second incident, only a few drivers are still unhappy about the camera. We feel that this system has already paid for itself, as the following two incidents show: Two days after installing the Dash Cams, we received a call about a sideswipe with another tractor/trailer (oversize rig with escort vehicle). Our driver called 911, took pictures with his accident camera from his truck’s kit, and did all the other correct procedures. When the authorities arrived, the other party stated he had three witnesses who claimed that our driver was speeding and over the yellow line into oncoming traffic. Our driver was ticketed based on these witnesses’ word. When our driver returned to the office, after his post-accident drug test, we viewed the card. We discovered that the escort vehicle with two witnesses was well in front of the other truck, so there was no way they could have seen the accident. Additionally, the other truck was on the yellow line and his mirrors were extended well over the yellow line. Our driver was doing 51 MPH in a 55 MPH zone and was on his side of the yellow line.

In a second incident, our office received a call from a woman stating that one of our trucks had thrown a rock into her windshield, shattering it and getting glass on her, and causing her to drive off the road. Having explained to her that the incident appeared to be a normal “road hazard” (which her own insurance should cover) and having given her our insurance agent’s name and number, we retrieved the card from the unit in question. By that time, she had called our agent and told a different story, claiming that our driver had forced her off the road, that something had fallen off the truck, and other assertions.

Upon viewing the video, we found where she stopped our driver. Although she approached the truck from the rear, so she is not visible in the video, the audio picked her up. She could be heard telling the driver that a rock had hit her windshield but saying nothing about the driver forcing her off the road or that anything had fallen from the truck. From the audio recording it was also clear that she had not been hurt in any way. Our driver’s identifying himself, providing our phone number, and providing his explanation of “road hazard” to her were also all on the tape. We went back over the entire morning’s worth of the tape and discovered that at no point did our driver meet this car on the road or veer onto a driveway edge where he could have thrown up a rock or other object.

Each of these incidents saved the insurance company from paying a false claim, kept our insurance costs down, TH and protected the driver’s record.

Foremost Authority For Professional Loggers

MN Offering New Job Site Security Systems

I

n what may be the first of its kind, Associated Contract Loggers & Trucker of Minnesota (ACLT) has developed remote security systems that can be utilized to monitor logging sites and provide protection from criminal activity. These systems can operate anywhere there is a cell signal (even weak). The ACLT Site Monitoring & Security Systems have been field tested for months and four systems are currently in operation.

The SMS systems only require a cell phone signal, and are otherwise self-supporting stand-alone systems.

The cameras and floodlights are battery and solar powered. The wi-fi router can be powered by conventional 110 volt if available or generator, otherwise it is battery-powered and solar-charged.

The cameras have built in motion sensors, night vision capabilities, auto and remote activated lights, remote activated audible siren and two-way communication. All functions and data are fed and activated by the monitor’s smart phone (multiple smart phones can be programed to receive information).

The objective is to act as a deterrent and avoid damage to logging equipment. However, in the event that the signage, intruder activated floodlights, audible site communication and sirens do not deter criminal intent and activity, the video footage is recorded and archived for proof and documentation, even if the monitoring equipment is damaged.

The components (cameras and floodlights) are all networked and integrated so that when any unit detects motion all cameras and floodlights activate and record. Separate concealed motion detectors have been incorporated to pre-activate the devices prior to proximity activation of the other units. Activation of any component sends an alarm to the monitor’s smartphone. The SMS system is expandable and can support additional cameras and floodlights.

The ACLT will lease the SMS systems to members that want to use the systems on their logging sites. The ACLT will install the systems, maintain the systems, and along with the logging company, monitor the system activity. The lease for a full (2 cameras, 2 floodlights, wifi router and solar panels) is $1,000 plus a monthly $100 TH service and monitoring fee.

Automatic system provides security data backup.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

19

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! TH_01021_bkj.indd 19

8/18/21 12:44 PM

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! TH_1021_ASM.indd 20

8/18/21 10:50 AM

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! TH_1021_ASM.indd 21

8/18/21 10:50 AM

Delimbers&Processors Deere FL100 Felling Head With the continued growth of the steep slope market and the movement from manual felling in mind, John Deere recently announced its newest large-class directional felling head, the FL100. The FL100 model provides customers with a larger, more durable directional felling head solution. The robust, durable design of the FL100 makes it ideal for steep slope, shoveling and traditional felling applications. Featuring increased grip strength, grapple The increased durability of capacity and shoveling performance, the FL100 the FL100 reduces potential grapple arm effectively handles both small and extra-large timber. The increased durability of the FL100 reduces potential downtime in downtime in tough conditough conditions, while allowing excellent access to maintenance and service points. Factions, while allowing excel- tory installed on the John Deere 959ML Shovel Logger/Directional Feller, the FL100 oflent access to maintenance fers the ideal solution for felling and maneuvering timber in steep slope applications. To learn more about the FL100 Felling Head, as well as the full line of John Deere Forestry and service points. equipment, visit a local John Deere Forestry dealer. Visit johndeere.com

Iggesund Harvester Bars Iggesund Forest has a wider and stronger range of harvester bars than any other manufacturer on the market. All harvester bars come with optimal stability and our unique heat treatment that makes them rigid and durable. Along with the Blue Line .404 bars, Iggesund has introduced the Vyking ¾" harvester The Open End system will bars and slasher bars. make changing bars even Blue Line—Open End .404". Along with the numerous benefits Blue Line has quicker and bar mainteto offer, we are excited to introduce the nance time will also be Blue Line with an Open End mounting system. The Open End system will make chang- dramatically reduced. ing bars even quicker and bar maintenance time will also be dramatically reduced.

Vyking—New ¾" Bar. Introducing our most powerful ¾ bar to date, the new Vyking series can handle any and all conditions. Featuring an advanced metal alloy, HD power tip for optimal performance and lifetime, and revolutionary endurance rails with a 60 degree rail angle. All these benefits will reduce downtime and increase productivity.

Vyking-Slasher Bar—while the Blue Line series continues to change the forest industry around the world, now we’re adding our most powerful ¾" bar to the lineup: Meet the brand new Blue Line Vyking Slasher Bar. Specially designed for ground saws, the Vyking Slasher Bar has proven to be a reliable and productive saw bar in all conditions. Visit iggesundforest.com

Ponsse Harvester Heads The Ponsse harvester head collection covers the entire range of harvesting needs, from energy wood harvesting to heavy-duty regeneration felling. Ponsse harvester heads are widely used in both wheeled and tracked base machines. All Ponsse models offer productivity and accuracy as well as durability and long service life.

In Ponsse’s harvester heads, durability and reliability come first. The heads’ delimbing knives must withstand extreme stress, while being as accurate and gentle as possible, without damaging the stem surface unnecessarily. This is why Ponsse’s harvester heads have been developed together with their users. Innovative design, continuous R&D and decades of experience have made Ponsse harvester heads the quality leaders in the markets.

Innovative design, continPonsse harvester heads offer a superior perforuous R&D and decades of mance. Their solid structure, effective functions and precise control guarantee excellent productivity, a high level of quality and, of course, a long service life—all being easily experience have made adjustable and serviceable.

Ponsse harvester heads A strong, reliable structure starts with durability through high-grade materials and the quality leaders. good design. The correct frame length controls the stems well but also passes curves and must also be service friendly.

Wide feed roller geometry means even large stems are carried underneath by feed rollers, improving grip and lowering friction. This allows lower pressure settings, giving higher effectiveness and lower fuel consumption.

Ponsse harvester heads have a large high speed saw motor with lots of power. Good saw geometry prevents bending saw bars and cracking trees, and large sawing diameter allows the heads to handle flares at the base of the tree.

Accurate feeding to length features controlled acceleration and deceleration, and a large tilt angle allows smooth head feed without hitting tilt frame stoppers, causing less stress. A strong feeding system delivers a balance of high power and speed in different harvester head size classes, with optional motor sizes to fit different needs.

Clean delimbing systems have long knives to grab trees easily: Four optimally designed movable knives and one adjustable 22

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

TIMBER HARVESTING & FOREST OPERATIONS

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! TH_01021_bkj.indd 22

8/18/21 3:20 PM

ProcessorProducts bolted top knife ensure clean delimbing results. Longer processor knives and rear knives are available as options.

Ponsse harvester heads advanced Opti System enables accurate measuring and easy settings. The system includes a useful and easy-to-use reporting program. Flexible system allows use of GPS positioning, data transfer and different kinds of Windows-compatible software. Ponsse harvester heads also offer a wide variety of options, including: top saw, saw chain grease lubrication, heavy-duty version for tracked carriers, saw box lights, processor knives. bolted rear knife, and a find end sensor. Visit ponsse.com

Schwab Hose Assembly Device Your delimbers take a beating every single day. Keep your delimber up and running with Schwab Brothers Hydraulics—Compact Hose Assembly Device (CHAD). These units allow you to build hydraulic hose assemblies for your delimber or processor and any other hydraulic hose assembly for any of your equipment without ever leaving the woods. These up-time oriented units easily Build hydraulic hose ascrimp up to 1" 4-wire hoses. The CHAD’s durable, service semblies for your delimtruck mountable, compact design and air-over-hydraulic crimping capability easily give you the ability to efficiently ber or processor or any build hose assemblies in minutes, on-site! In today’s proother hydraulic hose asduction-based markets, downtime can be catastrophic. By sembly without ever leavimplementing the CHAD on your job site, you are guaranteed to cut downtime costs due to hydraulic hose failures. ing the woods.

Visit schwabbrothershydraulics.com

Tigercat Harvesting Heads Tigercat harvesting heads are built to match the high-performance capabilities of Tigercat track and wheel carriers and are well suited to a variety of jobs including at-the-stump harvesting, roadside processing and debarking.

The 570 is most productive working with trees 15-50 cm (6-20 in.) diameter in softwood and hardwood stands. Although best suited to the Tigercat H845 series, the 570 is designed to work with the H822, H855 and 1185 carriers, or a 20-25 tonne forestry excavator. With optional hydraulically timed processor knives, the 570 can also be used for roadside processing. The 570 has recently proved itself beneficial in debarking eucalyptus.

The 575 is a heavy duty three-wheel drive harvesting head also best suited to in-stand harvesting in the 175-560 mm diameter Tigercat heads are built to range. It is very effective in tough applications like large limbed hardwood and crooked match the high-perfortrees. With optional mechanically timed processor knives for easier picking, the 575 is also an excellent roadside processing head. The 575 features Tigercat’s unique three-two drive mance capabilities of Tigercat track and wheel system. When processing a tree, the head starts in three-wheel drive, maximizing feed force for faster acceleration and quickly powering through bigger trees. As the load drops, it autocarriers and are well matically shifts to two-wheel drive, improving efficiency and increasing feed speed up to suited to a variety of jobs. 30%. Both the 570 and 575 use larger diameter hoses and larger capacity valves than similar class heads to match the greater hydraulic flow and power of Tigercat harvester carriers.

The 568 harvesting head is a robust, high performance head designed for tracked carriers. It is best suited for road-side processing applications, with trees in the 15-55 cm (6-22 in.) range.With timed knife arms and triangulated wheel arms, the 568 can quickly pick and maintain positive tree contact and control. The patented 4WD-2WD auto-shift drive system provides extra power and positive grip when feeding large trees, fast speed in smaller trees and full manual control when needed.

Knife arms feature double-edged, replaceable blades with optimal contour for clean delimbing. The front floating knife with spring preload follows the contour of the tree further enhancing delimbing performance. Other features of the 568 include optional conventional boom or through-tip boom continuous rotation, laser diffuse or through-beam find end sensors, colour marking and various feed wheels. Visit tigercat.com

Trilink Bars, Chain At TriLink Saw Chain we believe that quality is the key to success. Our manufacturing facilities are certified ISO 9001-2000. This certification gives our customers the confidence that they are buying from a company that is committed to providing quality products and services. TriLink Saw Chain also offers a complete line of saw chain that has been tested, approved, and listed by Underwriter’s Laboratories as meeting all standards for low kickback chain in accordance with the American National Standard Safety Requirements for gasoline powered chain saws. Our manufacturing facilities are audited quarterly by Underwriter’s Laboratories to maintain this listing and your confidence in our products.

TriLink saw chains are engineered for precision, balance and low vibration. All chains are manForemost Authority For Professional Loggers

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

23

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! TH_01021_bkj.indd 23

8/18/21 3:20 PM

Delimbers&Processors ufactured with advanced heat treatment and a hard chrome finish on the cutters to provide an improved cutter performance.

Our semi-chisel chains cut faster and stay sharper longer in dirty and gritty cutting conditions. The full chisel chains are designed specifically for the professional cutter. The square cutter edge on our full chisel chains is designed to reduce cutting friction for an extremely smooth clean cut and faster chip clearance. Visit trilinksawchain.com

North America Supply Offers GB, Orbit Loggers can now purchase GB and Orbit products online for fast and easy delivery right to their location. North America Supply offers a wide range of products for mechanical harvesting, and $500 purchases qualify for free shipping.

Orbit harvester saw chain is manufactured with high quality alloy steel and ofNorth America Supply fers professionals the best balance of quality and value in the industry. The offers on-line ordering Orbit ¾" pitch saw chain has micro raand free shipping for dius semi-chisel cutters and increase kerf width similar to Orbit .404 pitch chain. Both Orbit lines of harvester chain are engineered $500 purchases. for maximum performance and fast cutting speed. All Orbit saw chain is manufactured with enhanced multi-layered chrome plating providing excellent durability and wear rsistance.

Since 1959, GB has built a solid reputation by manufacturing products that set new industry standards, playing an active role in the development in the forestry equipment industry. An innovative blend of titanium and alloy steel yields the ultra-high strength material with uniform metal hardness throughout the bar, and because the rail is non-tempered this reduces rail flexing and cracking. This alloy steel is extremely durable, resulting in fewer bends and better “memory” allowing it to return to original shape which increases run. time for operators.

GB Professional Harvester Bars are available in both .404" and ¾" pitch and are designed with mounting configurations to fit most mechanical harvesting processor heads. The .404" XV line has a patented 15 tooth sprocket that reduces RPM resulting in less friction and wear. This, combined with the patented “Lube Direct” channels to directly feed the bearings lubrication, improves overall performance and life. The ¾" BC tip has the “Lube Direct” system and a machined edge to control chipping. Please visit northamericasupply.com

Waratah HTH624C 4x4 LP Waratah Forestry Equipment recently debuted the HTH624C 4x4 LP—a loader-processor built for increasing productivity. The multi-use head features attributes of a standard processing head with extra capability for manipulating multiple logs, making it extremely efficient.

“The HTH624C 4x4 LP makes quick work of loading or processing,” said Brent Fisher, product marketing manager for Waratah. “In addition to the benefits of a four-wheel-drive processor, it features a large sawing capacity and an extra-large delimb opening for handling multiple One of the key benefits is logs to clear the deck fast. At its ability to work in tight Waratah, we’re always looking for ways to boost customer productivspaces. As a multi-use ity and efficiency, and the tool, it can handle the jobs HTH624C 4x4 LP delivers.”

The four-wheel drive, four-roller head has a shorter tilt frame that helps loading of multiple pieces of trucks or extend reach with higher deck piles—working effortlessly to manipulate logs equipment. on carriers with or without live heels. Its larger delimb opening enables operators to grab multiple logs, clearing the yarder chute or shovel more efficiently. With a wide maximum delimb opening, the HTH624C 4x4 LP can manipulate large single logs and improve log deck picking.

Likewise, the HTH624C 4x4 LP also features a large sawing capacity with an 815 mm (32 in.) maximum sawing capacity.

It’s also fit for 27+ metric ton carriers, meaning that it can carry out large jobs.

One of the key benefits of the HTH624C 4x4 LP is its ability to work in tight spaces. As a multi-use tool, it can handle the jobs of multiple pieces of equipment – a key feature when space doesn’t permit several pieces of equipment.

With a weight of 3,560 kg (7,848 lb.), the HTH624C 4x4 LP provides added capacity and delimbing force to tackle the big jobs. Its minimum delimb close of 120 mm (4.7 in.) allows it to process a wide range of diameter classes.

Visit waratah.com/product/hth624c-4x4-lp/

24

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

TIMBER HARVESTING & FOREST OPERATIONS

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! TH_01021_bkj.indd 24

8/18/21 3:20 PM

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! TH_1021_ASM.indd 25

8/18/21 10:50 AM

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! TH_1021_ASM.indd 26

8/18/21 2:51 PM

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! TH_1021_ASM.indd 27

8/18/21 10:50 AM

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! TH_1021_ASM.indd 28

8/18/21 10:51 AM

THoct21class_SS.qxp_Layout 1 8/18/21 11:08 AM Page 29

AMERICAN LOGGERS COUNCIL 27th Annual Meeting • October 7-9, 2021 Coeur d’ Alene Resort, Cour d ’Alene, Idaho

“The Gem State”

O

27th Annual Meeting Agenda THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7 7 am–5 pm: Registration at Coeur d’ Alene Resort.

Exhibits Open. Convention Center 8 am–4 pm: Idaho Logging Tour (optional) 6:30 pm–8:30 pm: Cocktail Welcome Reception at the Coeur d’ Alene Resort, Bay 1-2, Explore Coeur d’ Alene for Dinner options 8:30 pm–9 pm: Executive Committee meeting, TBD

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8

n behalf of the American Loggers Council, and the Associated Logging Contractors– Idaho, I invite you to attend our 27th Annual Meeting in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, a visitor’s paradise and truly one of our nation’s gems.

After taking a year off from a face-to-face annual meeting due to COVID-19 restrictions, we are proud to be hosting the 27th reunion of the members, sponsors and allied association representatives that have allowed us to stay in business over the past 27 years.

All events will be based out of the Coeur d’Alene Resort, an easy drive from the Spokane International Airport (GEG).

Coeur d’Alene offers many opportunities for you to make this a family

affair, from our scenic natural attractions to lake activities and shopping in the downtown area should you choose to extend your visit.

Debbie and I are excited that you are visiting our part of the country and welcome you to some of the friendliest people on the planet, but be forewarned, Idaho law prohibits you giving a box of candy to someone weighing 50 pounds or more!

See you in October!

6 am–12 pm: Registration at Coeur d’ Alene Resort.

6:45 am–7:45 am: Breakfast Buffet, Casco/Kidd/ N Cape – Convention Center 8 am–4 pm: Seminars and guest speaker, Bay 5-6, Convention Center (lunch included) 10 am–12 pm: ALC Spouses Event, Playing With Glass–Craft your own beautiful glass souvenir then lunch at Tito Macaroni’S followed by shopping at your own in beautiful Coeur d’ Alene 6 pm-7 pm: President’s Reception-Bay 1-3, Convention Center 7 pm–10 pm: President’s Dinner & ALC Auction, Convention Center

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9 6 am-8 am: Registration at Convention Center 7 am–7:45 am: Breakfast buffet, Bay 4, Convention Center 8 am–9 am: ALC Board of Directors meeting, Bay 2-3, Convention Center 9:15 am–11:30 am: Full membership meeting, Bay 2-3, Convention Center 12 pm–1:30 pm: Full membership Awards Luncheon— Sponsor recognition, Presidents Award & Logging Activist of the Year Award, Bay 4, Convention Center

Tim Christopherson President

ALC’s Live Auction – Friday, October 8, 2021 Item Name: ________________________________________________________________ Description of Item: __________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Estimated Value: _______________ Donor: _______________________________________ Contact person: ____________________________________________________________ The American Loggers Council is a nonprofit 501(c)(6)organization. Donations given to the ALC for auction items may not be written off as a charitable contribution. Please have all donated auction items turned in at the registration desk by noon Friday, October 8 to facilitate setting up the event. Thank you!

If you need to ship your auction item to the meeting, please send to: Coeur d ’Alene Resort, c/o Melissa Menke, 115 South Second Street, Coeur d’ Alene, ID 83814.

All auction items being shipped need to arrive at the Resort more than five business days prior to the start of an event or auction.

Please clearly mark package "For American Loggers Council Event 10-8-2021.”

Association Supporters

The American Loggers Council would like to thank these businesses for their year-round support and sponsorship of our organization: Bitco Insurance Companies, Forestry Mutual Insurance, Hatton-Brown Publishers, Hawkins & Rawlinson, Hiab, John Deere, Loggers World Magazine, The Lyme Timber Company, Maxam Tire, Morbark, International Truck, North American Timber Program, Peterbilt, Ponsse, Southern Loggers Cooperative, Tigercat, Titan International, Wallingford’s Inc., Western Star

9 am–2:30 pm: Ladies—on your own in Coeur d’ Alene 6 pm–7 pm: President’s Farewell Reception, Bay 1-2, Convention Center 7 pm–10 pm: President’s Farewell Banquet, Roll Call of the States, Timber Harvesting’s Logging Busines of the Year Award, Passing of the gavel presentation

Booking Your Hotel We have contracted with the Coeur d’ Alene Resort in Coeur d’ Alene, Id. Reservations can be made by calling the hotel directly at 1-888-965-6542. Be sure and let them know you are with the American Loggers Council when making your reservation to receive the group rate.

Room Rates Single North Wind $160/night Park Tower $195/night Lake Tower $240/night Group rates apply only to the specific room block as noted above. All rates are subject to local and state taxes. Early check-outs must be confirmed at time of check-in. Changes made after that time will be subject to a $75 change fee.

The cut-off date is August 25, 2021 and it will be here before you know it!

Getting There The closest airport to Coeur d’ Alene is the Spokane International Airport (GEG), 38.8 miles or a 41 minute drive. The Resort currently provides 6passenger LimoVan service to and from Spokane International Airport with 48-hour advance reservations. The current rate is $69 per person, round trip; $29 per child ages 2-11, round trip. A 13 passenger motor coach is also available.

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

InnovationWay Tigercat Shovel Logger Tigercat has raised the bar with the introduction of the LSX870D shovel logger. Based on the popular LX870D series track carrier platform, the machine is designed for extreme duty steep slope logging. With the choice of attachments including the new Tigercat BG13 grapple with a live heel boom or the SC08 shovel clam grapple, the LSX870D is suited to pre-bunching and shovel logging in challenging terrain.

The addition of the LSX870D to the Tigercat lineup provides a higher power, closed loop drive alternative to the LS855E. Where the LS855E provides higher swing speed and lower ground pressure, the LSX870D allows for improved multifunctioning ability and quicker, more responsive travel speed. The Tigercat FPT C87 engine supplies 330 HP, which combined with the dedicated attachment pump provides plenty of multi-functioning power. Lift and reach capa-

bilities for the LS855E and the LSX870D are identical.

Tigercat’s leveling track machines use innovative technologies and systems optimized for a wide range of steep slope applications including shovel logging, felling and harvesting. Tigercat’s super-duty leveling undercarriage is longer and wider, providing exceptional stability on steep slopes. The patented leveling design uses two massive hydraulic cylinders and heavy steel sections for a solution that is simple, robust and reliable. The Tigercat leveling system leans into the hill when leveling to the side which further improves machine stability and operator comfort. Visit tigercat.com

Bandit Track Grinder Bandit Industries’ new Model 1425 track is a highly productive and compact horizontal grinder. It is equipped with many of the same features as the tow-behind version and by adding tracks it substantially increases the capabilities of this unit. By making it available with tracks, it can now travel over a variety of landscapes with the durable Caterpillar steel track undercarriage.

The 1425 track is equipped with a 7' long x 24" wide steel or rubber belt infeed conveyor and a stationary discharge with a stacking height of 7'. To further enhance the machine’s capabilities, a grinder head or chipper drum can be ordered, giving it the ability to produce mulch or a dimensional chip.

When ordered with a grinder head, there are 14 cutterbodies with teeth, creating an aggressive, yet smooth grinding action. While the chipper drum features 4 chipper knives that will produce a chip ranging from ¼" all the way up to 1". Like our larger horizontal grinders, the 1425 track is offered with a variety of tooth and screen options.

Customers can now order this machine with a Caterpillar C4.4, 174 HP Tier 4 final.” Visit banditchippers. com

Deere Smooth Boom Further enhancing the machine operation in demanding forestry applications, John Deere adds its Smooth Boom Control technology to its M-Series tracked feller-bunchers and MH-Series tracked harvesters.

Developed in global collaboration between the John Deere wheeled cutto-length and full-tree forestry teams, 30

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

TIMBER HARVESTING & FOREST OPERATIONS

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! TH_01021_bkj.indd 30

8/18/21 3:26 PM

InnovationWay

the SBC system instantaneously responds to operator input while smoothing out the acceleration and deceleration of hydraulic functions on the machine, improving overall control.

“Machine response is important to efficient machine operation, especially when working in challenging conditions day in and day out,” says Jim O’Halloran, product marketing manager, John Deere. “With SBC, we’re improving machine functionality, making operation easier on both the operator and machine. As a result, operators can control the machine movements more effectively, especially when reversing motions. SBC delivers a smoother experience for the operator and less wear and tear on the machine over time.”

The SBC software further refines the motion of the boom, swing and travel functions using advanced signal control to keep the machine ready to go. This results in a significant improvement in overall joystick and foot pedal response, reducing the signal delay at the start and end of each operator command.

The SBC software is now available as a standard feature on new tracked feller-bunchers and harvesters or as an upgrade for existing M- and MH-Series machine owners. Visit johndeere.com

Husqvarna Light Saw Bar

Husqvarna is taking the next step in offering best-in-class cutting systems with the launch of the new Husqvarna X-Tough Light lightweight bars through its partnership with Sugihara/Diatop Co. LTD, a praised and recognized manufacturer of chain saw bars. Made for everyday professional forestry and tree care work, the new Husqvarna X-Tough Light bars offer a combination of lightweight, durability and cutting performance.

“We are very excited to finally announce our partnership with Sugihara. Their ability to produce the best chain saw bars is well recognized in the industry. Our mission is to offer our customers the best cutting system possible and Foremost Authority For Professional Loggers

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

31

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! TH_01021_bkj.indd 31

8/18/21 3:20 PM

InnovationWay these new bars are a vital part in that,” says Gent Simmons, Global Portfolio Director for Tree Professional at Husqvarna.

Husqvarna X- Tough Light benefits from a solid, lightweight body with hard resin inserts that reduce weight, making it is easy to maneuver. Additionally, the hard resin inserts make the bars robust, ensuring high productivity and improved straightness in the cuts. The three-rivet RSN mount and an optimized oil hole help provide reliability and performance during long workdays.

These features, along with the rail hardness of the new bars, gives longer maintenance intervals. Also, the sprocket nose adds to the high performance of Husqvarna X- Tough Light and the new premium design provides a nice distinct appearance.

“With these new lightweight bars our customers get another addition to the complete cutting system we offer with Husqvarna chainsaws, chains and bars. With Husqvarna X- Tough Light bars, users benefit from a durable and low weight option, which improves maneuverability,“ says Gent Simmons.

Husqvarna’s new ⅜" lightweight bars, Husqvarna X- Tough Light, comes in lengths up to 36" and are available starting July 2021. The bars fit Husqvarna chain saws from 60cc and up with a large bar mount. Visit husqvarna.com

Foley Take-Off Clutches Loggers operating wood chippers and tub grinders with twin disc style clutches no longer need to worry about downtime. Foley Engines specializes in Twin Disc/Rockford and WPT power take-off clutches. The clutches are often called “hand clutches.” Foley now offers both new and factory remanufactured power take-off (PTO) clutches with upgraded severe duty components including 100% Kevlar composite discs. These proprietary Kevlar composite linings have as much as a 300% longer service life compared to the molded fiber friction discs commonly used, and avoid failures caused by broken teeth.

Not only do their Kevlar plates last longer, Foley remanufactured exchange units eliminate the delay and downtime in having a PTO clutch rebuilt locally. Additionally, the remanufactured units offer the clutch owner significant savings compared to buying a new unit.

Given its more than century-long history, the company can also help people with obsolete units for which parts are no longer available. Foley Engines operates

32

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

TIMBER HARVESTING & FOREST OPERATIONS

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! TH_01021_bkj.indd 32

8/18/21 3:26 PM

InnovationWay from a 20,000 SF facility with modern machine tools and equipment to fabricate new replacement parts. The company stocks approximately 200 new and remanufactured PTOs that are ready for same day shipment. Visit foleyengines.com

Butt Rot Treatment Butt Rot is the common name of a fungus that grows on freshly cut stumps that can spread to the root system of adjoining live trees, working its way up and ruining the most valuable part of the tree—the butt log. Root contact from infected stumps can infect surrounding trees and newly planted trees with potential severe economic loss. Infection through sequential thinning can be expected to be exponential. This can render land unusable for forestry.

Effective control measures are necessary for sustainable forestry and include the prophylactic treatment of all freshly cut stump surfaces with borate during thinning and clear felling. The leading treatment is disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (DOT), available as CelluTreat, which replaced granular Sporax. It is designed for mechanized harvester and spray application. Borates are natural salts, have low mammalian toxicity and are essential micronutrients. Boron-deficient forest lands can enjoy a secondary micronutrient benefit from application.

Cellu-Treat DOT borate is EPA and state registered. It has been used and shown most effective since the 1960s. The application of Cellu-Treat is done at 5% solution concentration. Treatments are best done at time of felling (or within one day) to at least 80% of the stump surface and are probably needed when temperatures are expected to be above freezing during the day for up to a month after felling. Early and careful consideration of application equipment can avoid longer-term maintenance costs and can help avoid the need for antifreeze during cold temperature applications.

All conifers are susceptible to this disease, and red pine and trees on

Foremost Authority For Professional Loggers

sandy soil and re-forested agricultural land appear more susceptible. Cellutreat DOT borate is easy, low toxicity, effective, non-corrosive, non-heat sensitive (allowing through the bar or under the bar harvester applications) and can have glycol added during freezing temperatures.

Mixing and application does not require a respirator.

Boron application also improves yield and overall plant health including disease resistance by reversing deficiency. Visit nisuscorp.com/wood-preservation/ timber-harvesting

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

33

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! TH_01021_bkj.indd 33

8/18/21 3:20 PM

SelectCuts As We (ALC) See It

ALC: A True National Voice for Loggers SCOTT DANE In the last month the American Loggers Council (ALC), with our state association members, has represented the American logging industry at White House roundtable meetings, participated in the Pandemic Assistance Dane for Timber Harvesters and Haulers (PATHH) announcement press conference, was a witness in a Congressional hearing, and received national media coverage of our opposition to the nomination of the Director of the Bureau of Land Management.

First, after many months of working with the USDA, USFS and FSA as they developed the Pandemic Assistance for Timber Harvesters and Haulers, the program was unveiled. ALC was the primary organization that participated and provided input to ensure the program met the objectives of target group. ALC was trusted to respect the confidentiality of the program development and was the timber industry’s primary stakeholder at numerous meetings.

In fact, upon the public announcement, Zach Ducheneaux, Administrator of the Farm Service Agency (FSA), said, “We thank the American Loggers Council and its state association members for helping us better understand the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the timber harvester and timber hauler sectors… they provided insights on their industry that allowed us to develop an effective and efficient program that delivers the greatest benefits to businesses in need.”

ALC was invited to be one of 20 participants at a virtual White House Summit meeting with Commerce Secretary Raimondo and other Cabinet members and Administration officials to discuss the Homebuilding Supply Chain. ALC was the only participant representing the American logging industry. ALC took advantage of the opportunity to provide comments that the logging industry end of the supply chain has not derived any benefit from 34

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

the record lumber prices and explained the need to maintain the Canadian softwood lumber duties.

ALC Government Relations Chair, Henry Shienebeck, and Great Lakes Timber Professionals Assn. Executive Director, was a witness in the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry Congressional Hearing on The U.S. Wood Products Industry: Facilitating the Post COVID19 Recovery. As one of four Congressional hearing witnesses, Henry represented the American Loggers Council. Again, Henry touched upon the fact that the loggers and truckers have not realized any benefit from the record lumber prices. In closing he provided recommendations that would facilitate the wood products industry recovery such as the Future Careers in Logging and Safer Routes legislation that ALC has been advocating for. He also encouraged the development of new forest products such as cross-laminated timber (Mass Timber) and biomass products derived from forest based feedstocks.

ALC Board of Directors voted at the Summer Board Meeting in Minneapolis to oppose the nomination and confirmation of Tracy Stone-Manning as the Director of the Bureau of Land Management due to her documented involvement in eco-terrorist tree spiking incidents. The ALC opposition and request to the Senate to vote no on her confirmation was picked up by national news services across the country.

These four examples, over the past month alone, demonstrate why American Loggers Council is “The national voice for loggers.”

Scott Dane is the Executive Director of the American Loggers Council. ALC is a 501(c)(6) trade association representing the interests of timber harvesting and timber hauling businesses across the United States. For more information visit www. amloggers.com.

Huber Acquires Consulting Firm Huber Resources Corp. announced the acquisition of certain assets of Sewall Forestry & Natural Resource

Consulting LLC, which will grow and expand its capabilities globally in timberland appraisals, forest inventory management and forest modeling.

J.M. Huber Corp., parent company of HRC, has a long history of timberland management dating back to the 1940s. Today, HRC continues JMHC’s legacy of forestry management through the stewardship of more than 800,000 acres for clients throughout the U.S. HRC’s full suite of forestry services include forest management plans, sustainable harvest modeling, road building and maintenance, full service administrative and accounting services and timber harvesting and marketing.

The SFNR business was formerly owned by James W. Sewall Co., a 140-year-old Maine-based consulting firm providing renewable energy site design, environmental permitting, transportation engineering, geospatial data analysis, and natural resource economic analysis across industry sectors which include clean energy, utility and property development clients.

SFNR utilizes in-house biometricians to provide forest growth and harvest modeling services to aid clients with critical business decisions for current or future operations, land purchase due diligence and inventory analysis. Additionally, the company provides a variety of consulting services to its forestry clients including litigation support and marketing pricing and cost analysis.

Hamilton Was Key Man For Scotch Marion Charles (Charlie) Hamilton, of Grove Hill, Ala., who devoted his career to Alabama-based Scotch Lumber and Scotch Plywood while also establishCharlie Hamilton loved all ing other aspects of the southern wood prodpine industry. ucts business ventures, died July 18 following an illness. He was 83.

Born and raised in a logging environment near Fulton, the son of ➤ 38 TIMBER HARVESTING & FOREST OPERATIONS

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! TH_1021_ASM.indd 34

8/18/21 10:51 AM

THoct21class_SS.qxp_Layout 1 8/18/21 11:08 AM Page 35

24 Hour Ad Placement Service: 1-800-669-5613

THExchange

1845

1926

EUREKA! EUREKA! EUREKA! OWNERS HAVE OVER 30 YEARS COMBINED EXPERIENCE!

N

EUREKA SAW TOOTH CO., INC.

7180

We can save you money on Saw Teeth. Hundreds of satisfied ACC OW EP customers. Rebuilt Exchange or New. We specialize in rebuild- CRE TING DIT ing Koehring 2000, Hurricana, Hydro Ax split teeth and all CARDS other brands. Call Jimmy or Niel Mitchell. Quantity Discounts!

4275 Moores Ferry Rd. • Skippers, Virginia 23879 PH./FAX (day) 1-434-634-9836 or Night/Weekends • 1-434-634-9185 2687

Foremost Authority For Professional Loggers

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

35

THExchange

24 Hour Ad Placement Service: 1-800-669-5613

24

5078

2687

36 36

JULY/AUGUST 2021 2021 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

TIMBER TIMBER HARVESTING HARVESTING & & FOREST FOREST OPERATIONS OPERATIONS

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! THoct21pgs_SS.indd 36

8/20/21 2:16 PM

Fo

613

NS

THExchange

24 Hour Ad Placement Service: 1-800-669-5613

959 Feller Buncher Operator Mountaineer Mechanized, a subsidiary of The Lyme Timber Company which owns 167,000 acres in southern West Virginia, is hiring a senior operator to run a John Deere 959 tracked fellerbuncher while tethered to an EMS Tractionline dual-winch tethering system. $24-30/ hr with benefits, company truck or commute reimbursement, and paid vacation.

Contact Joe Currie General Manager (540) 808-7832

Timbco/Timberpro Parts Available • Final Drives–Used Lohman GFT 50, 60, 80s & Older Cat Finals in stock. Drive Motors, Implement Pumps, Valve Parts, Cabs, Funk Drives, undercarriages, Booms, Cylinders and more!

• JDeere E-G GII & GIII 548, 648 & 748 Axles, Transmissions, Engines, Rims, Valve Parts, Cabs Cylinders, Blades & more! **ON SALE THIS MONTH!** • Timbco 415 EX w/Rolly II-$65k • Newer Quadco 22B 360-$49k • Low Hours 2017 Quadco 22C-$55k • John Deere Lateral Tilt Hotsaw-$12k • Cat 521B Salvage machine- many parts!

• Cat 928G-newer engine...$35k • 700 Ecotracks for bogeys...$3900 and up • 600 Ecotracks for bogeys...$3000 • 700 Single wheel eco tracks/50 hrs...$4500

Shipping Available And Credit Cards Accepted.

Our trucks make frequent trips to N. Michigan.

13752

614-439-6115 or 740-541-4405

13666

VISIT US ONLINE: WWW.TIMBERHARVESTING.COM 4 ➤ you have to get down in son Tim is the Curran Renewthe ditch or do a tough job, one ables Night Manager. of the three of us, or all three For Kelli, working alongside of us, are in it with them.” her family is a blessing but she Tim says that around their also recognizes that there are community of Massena, he’s expectations and no one wants had more than a few people say to be disappointed. Her cousin they have created something Tricia echoes her sentiments, special. “It is nice to know that “You don’t want to fail bepeople see the real us. They cause it’s the family business.” will tell me ‘Those boys earn Because even though their Woods crew, from left, Michael (Buzz) Guyette, John Soucis, Nate Fran- family's name is on the door, everything they’ve got; if you knew where they started and if cis and Scott Sharpe they know it is the extended it has to get done; they will stay has his own children involved in daily family of Curran Logging and at it until it gets done.’” operations. Lee’s daughter Tricia CurSeaway Timber Harvesting that you It’s not just the hired employees ran Terry is the Curran Renewables Ofdon't want to disappoint. Their fathers whom the brothers treat like extended fice Manager; Pat’s daughter Kelli Curlaid the foundation for them to realize it family. Mark Curran, another brother, ran Ramsey is the Curran Renewables is not just them, the Currans, but it is heads up a chipping crew; each brother Marketing Manager, and Timothy’s them, all the employees.

TH

Pete Wells

Tricia (Curran) Terry, left, and Kelli (Curran) Ramsey

Foremost Authority For Professional Loggers

Judy Converse, seated, with MaryLou Babcock

Rodney Aldous SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

37

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! THoct21pgs_SS.indd 37

8/20/21 2:34 PM

SelectCuts 34 ➤ longtime logger and legendary Scotch logging superintendent M.C. Hamilton, Charlie served in a range of positions for Scotch and was always encouraged by Scotch owner Billy Harrigan.

Hamilton had graduated from Sweet Water High School in 1956 and continued his education at Auburn University, graduating in 1961 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry. Hamilton started at Scotch Lumber and became responsible for land management and timber procurement, and was soon instrumental in the establishment of Scotch Plywood and its three facilities, becoming mill manager and general manager.

In 1985, Hamilton co-formed Hamilton Timber Co. and in 1996 Hamilton and Woods opened the Hamilton Woods Veneer mill in Grove Hill.

During this time, Hamilton served on the Alabama State Forestry Commission as Vice Chairman for 12 years.

He retired from Scotch Plywood in 2012. A year later he sold his interest in Hamilton Timber Co. Hamilton was known as a man of his word, a person of honesty and integrity, and he expected likewise from

his staff and co-workers. He had a giving nature and showed kindness to others. He loved to hunt, fish, camp and play hard with his buddies. He cherished the time he spent with his wife, children and grandchildren.

Early in life Hamilton enlisted in the Federal Reserve and then joined the Alabama National Guard serving as an MP for 10 years.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be given to the Grove Hill United Methodist Church or the Child Advocacy Center in Grove Hill, Ala.

AOL Aims To Boost Workforce Development During its first face-to-face meeting in almost two years, Associated Oregon Loggers (AOL) Board of Directors in May unanimously approved an AOL investment to add a New AOL Workforce Development Program.

This program will begin assisting AOL member employers tackle labor challenges, navigate their workforce shortages, and also start making the forest a great place to work. A new AOL workforce development manager will be hired to champion this essen-

ALC Annual Meeting October 7-9 Still Time To Register! amloggers.com/events

AdLink

EventsMemo

Easy Access to current advertisers! http://www.timberharvesting.com/advertiser-index/

Listings are submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.

September 8-10—Tennessee Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Westin Hotel, Chattanooga, Tenn. Call 615-883-3832; visit tnforestry.com.

September 9-11—Great Lakes Logging & Heavy Equipment Expo, UP State Fairgrounds, Escanaba, Mich. Call 715-282-5828; visit gltpa.org.

September 12-14—Alabama Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Perdido Beach Resort, Orange Beach, Ala. Call 334265-8733; visit alaforestry.org.

September 17-18—Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show, Starkville, Miss. Call 800-669-5613; visit midsouthforestry.org.

September 17-18—Kentucky Wood Expo, Masterson Station Park, Lexington, Ky. Call 502-695-3979; visit kfia.org.

October 7-8—American Loggers Council annual meeting, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Call 409-625-0206; visit amloggers.com.

38

tial function.

The new program responds to members’ urgent need to attract, retain and develop qualified workers in forest occupations. According to AOL Executive Vice President Rex Storm, “We are ready to outreach and make needed workforce connections with other educators, students, career seekers, forest partners, and employment services.”

He added that 97% of recent AOL member survey respondents said the top challenge facing their business is workforce recruiting and retention, and he cited previous AOL, American Loggers Council and Timber Harvesting surveys that show loggers across the country say finding and keeping quality employees is a major concern.

Lack of qualified employees not only makes profitability a bigger challenge, but also affects safety, loss control and insurance costs, Storm says.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

This issue of TIMBER HARVESTING is brought to you in part by the following companies, which will gladly supply additional information about their products.

Air Burners

2

772.220.7303

Bandit Industries

21

800.952.0178

BITCO Insurance

28

800.475.4477

BKT USA

31

888.660.0662

Cleanfix North America

32

855.738.3267

John Deere Forestry

13

800.503.3373

Forest Chain

33

800.288.0887

Manac

25

877.466.2622

Northeastern Loggers Association

27

800.318.7561

Olofsfors

39

519.754.2190

Ponsse North America

11

715.369.4833

Precision-Husky

7

205.640.5181

Prolenc Manufacturing

28

877.563.8899

Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers

20

855.918.2208

Schwab Brothers Hydraulics

27

850.584.7006

Tigercat Industries

40

519.753.2000

TRACT

26

478.447.2893

Trilink Saw Chain

9

877.492.9829

30,33

800.323.3708

5

770.692.0380

Wallingford’s Waratah Forestry Attachments

ADLINK is a free service for advertisers and readers. The publisher assumes no liability for errors or omissions.

TIMBER HARVESTING & FOREST OPERATIONS

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! TH_1021_ASM.indd 38

8/20/21 12:22 PM

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! TH_1021_ASM.indd 39

8/18/21 10:51 AM

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN! TH_1021_ASM.indd 40

8/18/21 10:51 AM