LOGGING TODAY Spring
2020
Hundreds of students and faculty were joined by local officials, school bands, the Michigan Association of Timbermen and the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association for the Capitol tree harvesting ceremony in Iron Mountain in October.
2 — The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020
The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020 — 3
4 — The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020
LoggINg ToDAy
Trees For Tomorrow plans golf event Aug. 28 in Eagle River EAGLE RIVER, Wis. — Trees For Tomorrow returns to the Eagle River Golf Course to host its 18th annual golf tournament fundraiser on Friday, Aug 28. The event traditionally takes place the Friday after M e m o r i a l D a y b u t w a s rescheduled this year due to the coronavirus situation. T h e f u n d r a i s e r w i l l include an 18-hole, four-person scramble, challenge and betting holes, raffle, luncheon, awards ceremony and a chance to win $10,000 in the hole-in-one contest. The event draws an average of 95 people and the 17th annual golf outing fundraiser generated almost $20,000. All sponsorships are tax deductible. Monies raised at this event support natural resources education and sustainable forestry outreach,
THe Trees FOr Tomorrow annual golf outing fundraiser attracts forestindustry companies from all over Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula.
and provide access through s c h o l a r s h i p f u n d s f o r kindergarten through 12thgrade students in Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan. “As a non-profit, we rely heavily on sponsors to make our golf outing a success,” TFT Executive Director Robin Ginner said. “As this
is only one of two fundraisers that we host annually, w e a p p r e c i a t e e a c h a n d every sponsor and do all we can to acknowledge their support before, during and after the event.” Sponsor benefits include recognition on event sign a g e , c o m m e m o r a t i v e
shirts, TFT’s website and newsletter, annual printed program, and public service announcements before and during the tournament. Top sponsors also get golf registration for a team of four and their organization’s name attached to the event.
In addition to being a sponsor, individuals and companies also can support the event and show their support of natural resources stewardship by participating on a golf team, donating an item for the raffle or volunteering at the event, Ginner said. More information and sponsorship and registration f o r m s a r e a v a i l a b l e a t www.TreesForTomorrow.c om or by contacting Ginner
at 715-479-6456, rginner@TreesForTomorrow.co m. Founded in 1944, Trees For Tomorrow’s mission is t o p r o m o t e s u s t a i n a b l e m a n a g e m e n t o f n a t u r a l resources through transformative educational experiences. The campus, located in the heart of Eagle River, includes national forest property under permit from the USDA Forest Service.
Logging Specialists TIMBER MANAGEMENT BUYERS OF LAND & TIMBER CONTRACT LOGGING • FULLY INSURED LOGS • PULPWOOD
Road Building Crushed & Pit Run Gravel For Sale 137 Bjorkman Rd. Iron River, MI 49935 906-367-3334
The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020 — 5
LoggINg ToDAy
Red pine management important to Michigan forests By BILL COOK Michigan State University Extension Red pine long has been a fast-growing, attractive and relatively disease-free forest tree species. While many natural stands exist, most red pine was planted. A great deal of Michigan’s red pine was planted by the Civilian Conservation Corps, mostly in the 1930s. Michigan had one of the largest CCC programs in the nation and a lot of red pine was planted to reforest lands that had been cut over and burned. Red pine was selected b e c a u s e t h e s e e d s w e r e readily available and fairly easy to extract and work with. Nevertheless, it was a q u i t e a t a s k t o g r o w seedlings in nurseries. The process was rather involved, especially for the technology of the times. Fast-forward to more recent times and much of that red pine has been mana g e d b y t h e M i c h i g a n D e p a r t m e n t o f N a t u r a l Resources, federal government and industry, using a
AN UNTHINNeD reD pine stand is shown where interior trees are beyond recovery. prescribed thinning regime. Researchers developed these protocols after the optimistic and hopeful CCC-ers, and others, had planted thousands of acres of red pine. Red pine growth patterns have a bit of an antagonistic relationship between site o c c u p a n c y a n d r a p i d growth. The best spacing w i l l c l o s e t h e c a n o p y , exclude most competing
vegetation, and begin selfpruning. All this is good. However, attaining enough diameter to justify a commercial first thinning also is important. Too close together, and the canopy will close before that first pulpstick appears. Too far apart, and standwide growth will suffer and stem form will be branchy for too long. Small and few knots is one objective. Spacing recommendations, usually about 6 by 8 feet or 6 by 10 feet, found the sweet spot, assuming a future thinning would happen to keep the trees growing at full speed. Too often, that first thinning didn’t happen or was done too late. Red pine is remarkably sensitive to shade. Once the canopy closes, diameter growth drops dramatically. However, height growth continues. So, abandoned
and unthinned stands consist of tall, skinny trees that are stressed from too little sunlight and the subsequent loss of sugar production through photosynthesis. As lower branches die, the living crowns of trees c a n d r o p t o 1 0 % o f t h e height of the tree, or less. At this point, the plantation — or natural stand — is a lost cause. Even if thinned, the crown ratio will not recover, and the gaunt lollipop trees will be even more subject to wind breakage. With long-unmanaged stands, it often is best to clearcut and start over. One of the worst things that can be done to a red pine stand is a failure to thin. While relatively pestfree, red pine does have a few health concerns worthy of mention, in addition to benign neglect from lack of management.
Stressed red pine are an invitation to bark beetles, wood borers and other pests. Especially in drought years, bark beetle populations can explode, killing much of a red pine stand. Sawfly larv a e e n j o y m u n c h i n g o n younger trees, particularly when they’re shaded. Oddly, the good deed of thinning red pine stands can result in punishment by a fungal disease called Heterobasidion root disease, or
HRD (H. irregulare). Rather pernicious, HRD c a n i n v a d e r e c e n t l y c u t stumps. Once in a stand, the pathogen will spread through root systems. Pockets of dead and dying red pine appear. Diplodia shoot blight and Sirococcus blight will disproportionately impact m u l t i - s t o r i e d s t a n d s , which are sometimes created for species diversity or o t h e r g o o d r e a s o n s . (Continued on page 6)
BUYING ASPEN LOGS
BIGARI’S HARDWARE 1/2 Mile From Downtown Iron River On M-189
PHONE (906) 265-9614 HOURS: Mon. - Fri. 8-5; Sat. 8-3; Sun 9-Noon
1000 Yale Avenue Bessemer, MI 49911-0076 Phone: (906) 667-0277 Fax: (906) 667-0815
6 — The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020
LoggINg ToDAy ... Red pine plantations offer cover for some animal species
MOsT reD PINe in Michigan was planted.
(Continued from page 5) Understories of red pine, under or near-mature red pine can have high mortality rates. Scleroderris canker is a n o t h e r e n e m y o f r e d p i n e . A m o r e v i r u l e n t European strain can cause stand mortality. However, t h a t s t r a i n i s n o t y e t known to be in Michigan. O n t h e h a b i t a t s i d e , young plantations provide e x c e l l e n t c o v e r f r o m weather and predators for m a n y a n i m a l s p e c i e s . However, once canopies close and shade eliminates most of the understory, species diversity d r o p s for a period of time. (Continued on page 7)
The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020 — 7
LoggINg ToDAy
... Red pine remains one of Michigan’s most common tree species (Continued from page 6) On the plus side, this cloistered habitat is preferred by a h a n d f u l o f w i l d l i f e species, which adds diversi-
ty at the community level in a landscape dominated by hardwoods and aspen. Traditional red pine management guidelines were
built around the goal of maximizing the commercial growth for forest products. As goals change over time and with new ownerships,
opening-up red pine stands now comes with certain risks of disease. Many red pine stands h a v e b e e n l o s t t h r o u g h
d e v e l o p m e n t o f h u m a n infrastructure or converted to other forest types. However, r e d p i n e r e m a i n s o n e o f Michigan’s most common
and beautiful tree species. Bill Cook, a forester and biologist, provides educational programming for the entire Upper Peninsula.
8 — The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan
Thursday, April 30, 2020
LoggINg ToDAy
‘BeLEAF It or Not!’ videos cover forestry, logging topics ESCANABA — Michigan State University-Extension and the forestry community in Michigan and Wisconsin are in the process of making a set of 30 to 35 YouTube videos. Launched in 2019, the “BeLEAF IT or Not!” proj e c t c a n b e f o u n d a t https://www.youtube.com/c hannel/UC9Xlg9034e27a Wm77vL-6Fg/videos. The main idea is to produce professionally filmed
video shorts, each five to seven minutes, placed on a YouTube channel, and then supported by an informative w e b s i t e . E a c h e p i s o d e address a particular topic about forests and forestry, especially those related to management, logging and industry. Many of the video themes will complement curriculum elements in school grades four thorough seven. The overall tone of the videos is lighthearted with a
serious focus, somewhat like “Bill Nye The Science Guy” programming. This approach, for school classrooms, has not been found on YouTube as a comparable educational resource, although many other informative forestry videos are available. The core team consists of three people — Extension e d u c a t o r s B i l l C o o k o f E s c a n a b a a n d G e o r g i a Peterson of East Lansing,
along with James Ford, the owner of Great Lakes Digital Video and a tenure-track professor at Grand Valley State University. The Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association is helping support the project. Other contributors include the Society of American Foresters, Weyerhaeuser, t h e U . P . S u s t a i n a b l e Forestry and Wildlife Fund BILL COOk, LeFT, and Georgia Peterson are hosts and the Michigan Forest for the “BeLeAF IT or Not!” forestry videos available free for classrooms and home-schooling. Foundation.
The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020 — 9
1331 JACKSON STREET IRON MOUNTAIN, MI
1-800-551-5057 FAX (906) 774-0413
BUSINESS HOURS: 7:00 A.M. TO 5:00 P.M.
MECHANICS ON DUTY FROM 8:00 A.M. TO 5:00 P.M.
(CENTRAL TIME)
MONDAY - FRIDAY
SALES/DELIVERY/SERVICE
Phone for Shop Prices on: Hendrickson Re-Bush Spring Repair/Replacement Brake Jobs Mack Re-Bush Lift Axle Re-Bush
REPRESENTING: The Universal Group, LLC Triangle, Standen’s America, Marathon Brake, Ridewell, Granning, Firestone, Webb, Dayton Parts, LLC & Stemco
SPRINGS, PINS, HANGERS, BUSHINGS, HARDWARE, U-BOLTS
AIR BRAKE SYSTEMS
DAYTON FRONT END PARTS
HENDRICKSON WALKING BEAM EXCHANGE PROGRAM
Engine Air Compressors Air Dryers Air Suspension Parts & Service
NEWAY - TURNER - GRANNING PAGE - RIDEWELL - PETERBILT FREIGHTLINER - KENWORTH
COMPLETE STOCK OF: SHOES, CAMSHAFTS, DRUMS, CHAMBERS, VALVES, SLACK ADJUSTERS
AIR BAGS
TIE ROD ENDS, DRAG LINKS, SHOCK ABSORBERS
Stemco No Ream King Pins Axle Sleeving Suspensions Complete Stock of Parts for: HENDRICKSON - REYCO - DAYTON HUTCH - FREUHAUF - KENWORTH PETERBILT
10 — The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020
The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020 — 11
12 — The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan
Thursday, April 30, 2020
LoggINg ToDAy
Salvaging timber from July storms in Wisconsin might be difficult By DANIELLE KAEDING Wisconsin Public Radio S U P E R I O R , W i s . — After severe storms last July, efforts are ongoing to clean up damage to forests across northern and central Wisconsin. But some foresters fear a glut of wood on the market m a y h a m p e r e f f o r t s t o remove damaged timber. M o r e t h a n 2 8 6 , 0 0 0 acres spanning seven Wisconsin counties were damaged by storms that produced straight-line winds
Rob Nickels 906.250.0054 Tyler Nickels 906.282.3475 Shop 906.563.5880 Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest photos
THOUsANDs OF ACres of forest were damaged in the ChequamegonNicolet National Forest due to severe storms last summer.
and tornadoes last summer, according to the Wisconsin D e p a r t m e n t o f N a t u r a l Resources. The damage was spread across county, state, national and private forest l a n d w i t h p r i v a t e l a n d s accounting for nearly half the damage, according to figures provided by Ryan S evers on, the agency’s northeast district forestry leader. S e v e r s o n s a i d t h e cleanup has faced several challenges. “The market can only t a k e s o m u c h w o o d a t a
time. Some of it’s access,” Severson said. “We’ve had an incredibly wet year and our early start to winter and heavy snow cover has limited our ability to drive frost into the ground and freeze down some of our wetter sites.” Langlade County experienced some of the worst effects of last summer’s storms with about 81,000 acres of forest land across a mix of ownership that was damaged, according to the DNR. (Continued on page 13)
Nickels Logging, Inc. P.O. Box 213 1108 Railroad Ave. Norway, MI 49870 Fax-906.563.9888
The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020 — 13
LoggINg ToDAy
... More than 100,000 national forest acres affected by storms (Continued from page 12) Erik Rantala, the county’s forestry administrator, said the county has at least 70 salvage sales that have been awarded, spanning more than 8,000 acres of timber. Rantala said the acreage amounts to twoand-a-half years of timber that they would have set up for sale. “We’re still setting stuff up and selling. Certainly through 2020, we’ll be very busy or timber sales will be very busy on the county forest,” Rantala said. “(It will) primarily be salvage sales — g e t t i n g t h e s e t h i n g s cleaned up.” The county has typically brought in more than $2 million in revenues from
timber sales in recent years. Rantala said he expects to see an initial spike in revenues due to the volume of wood damaged in the storms despite a decline in prices with a glut of wood on the market. Yet, it’s raising concerns for future years when that timber and revenue may not be there. Rebekah Luedtke, executive director of the Wisconsin County Forests Association, said many wood yards were uncharacteristically full going into the winter due to the amount of wood already salvaged from the storms. “Time will tell to see how fast mills and other folks can use that product,”
she said. The amount of stormdamaged wood that remains in the forest is cause for sign i f i c a n t c o n c e r n o f increased risk for fires this spring, the DNR’s Severson said. “ C e r t a i n l y , w e ’ l l b e implementing measures to help mitigate those concerns,” he said. Those measures include burning restrictions and the success of timber salvage operations currently underway. Severson said three of eight salvage sales had been completed on state-owned land in the northeast district, as well as six sales in the Spooner area. Another 19 salvage sales on state-owned land in Langlade County
sTOrMs THAT PrODUCeD straight-line winds and tornadoes last summer spread damage across county, state, national and private forest land in Wisconsin.
were expected early this year. T h e C h e q u a m e g o n Nicolet National Forest e s t i m a t e s m o r e t h a n
100,000 acres were affecte d b y t h e s t o r m s , s a i d Casey Jardine, the forest’s acting public affairs officer. She said the extent of the
d a m a g e s t i l l w a s b e i n g assessed. The U.S. Forest Service has awarded 14 s a l v a g e s a l e s s p a n n i n g 2,308 acres.
14 — The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020
LoggINg ToDAy
Ponsse marks 25th anniversary in North America RHINELANDER, Wis. — Ponsse Plc is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of rubber wheel cut-tolength forest machines. Ponsse has grown from a machine entrepreneur’s dream to become an international export company, with operations in 40 different countries. Over the last quarter-century, Ponsse has successfully staked its claim in the forests of North America, but the legend began in 1957 with a frame saw held by a farmer’s son in northern Savonia, Finland. By the end of the 1960s, Einari Vidgrén fashioned his first load-carrying forest tractor from recycled parts in a local village workshop. The Ponsse brand has been non-stop ever since. In 1991, Ponsse touched down on North American soil when legendary forestry a d v o c a t e E a r l S t . J o h n brought the first machines to Powers, Mich. Through proven performance, word quickly spread through the forest industry that Ponsse was here to stay. In 1995, Ponsse North America established a North A m e r i c a S u b s i d i a r y i n Atlanta, Georgia. Sensing opportunity and demand for cut-to-length machinery in the Great Lakes region, the company found its way north and fully took root, moving its North American headquarters to Rhinelander in 1997. Since setting up shop in North America, Ponsse has never stood still. A brand journey that first began in Michigan quickly gained ground in Wisconsin and Minnesota, then Canada, The New England states, Oregon, Washington and
New York. Today, the brand that began in a small village in Finland has now changed the forest industry landscape o f N o r t h A m e r i c a w i t h machines hard at work in about 35 states nationwide, supported by many dealerships and service centers across the continent. From the launch of the Scorpion in 2014, to the much-anticipated launch of the Bison in June 2020, Ponsse has always defined the cutting edge of innovation and performance in forest machinery. The machines are nothing without the horsepower of the men and women who continue to write the next chapter of Ponsse North America’s quarter century success story. Today, the company tips its hard hat to the nearly 100 employees and dedicated customers of Ponsse N o r t h A m e r i c a — s o m e with more than 20 years of service and loyalty. Vidgrén, the founder and chairman of the Board of Directors of the company, was born to a small farmer’s family in Finland, and began working at a logging site at the age of 14 in 1957. Vidgrén started forest work equipped with only a frame saw but eventually became one of the most suc-
cessful machine entrepreneurs in Finland at the age of 27, employing 25 loggers. However, the machines used suffered from durability problems and in 1969 Vidgrén developed a loadcarrying forest tractor for his own use in a local village workshop. He named the forwarder Ponsse, after a crossbreed courser dog that roamed the village. Ponsse was first used at the logging site of a forest company Tehdaspuu, and after a year of use Tehdaspuu asked for more of the same kind of forwarders. This feedback encouraged forest machine contractor Vidgrén to establish a forest machine plant in Vieremä. With a one-vote majority, the municipal council decided to build an industrial plant to be leased to the machine entrepreneur Vidgrén. The plant was completed at the end of 1970 and Ponsse Oy was established. The first forest machine intended for serial production was a PAZ forwarder. Difficulties and setbacks characterized the early years of the plant. Despite tight money and the difficulty of obtaining a loan, the plant developed and there was e n o u g h w o r k f o r t h e machines as well as the staff. A breakthrough in the evolution of forest machines took place in the 1980s. Ponsse became renowned to competitors and customers alike in a single dramatic step in 1983 when it introduced the legendary Ponsse S15 forwarder. Built partly from aluminim, the machine’s chassis
made it significantly lighter than its competitors’ chassis, putting it in a class of its own for cross-terrain performance. Another significant milestone in Ponsse’s history was reached in 1986 when the first harvester head H520 was introduced. It marked an important step in
the expansion of the product family from forwarders to harvesting machines as well. The Finnish quality was rewarded in 1994 when Ponsse became the first ISO 9 0 0 1 - c e r t i f i e d f o r e s t machine manufacturer in the world. This led to an intensified machine development work and an expansion of the plant. In the 1990s, the product range expanded and Ponsse Opti, an advanced measurement and informat i o n s y s t e m f o r f o r e s t machines, was launched on the market. Ponsse was listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange, and founded subsidiaries in Sweden, the
United States, France and the United Kingdom. Ponsse has continued its journey successfully from decade to decade and continent to continent. By now, Ponsse has manufactured more than 15,000 environmentally friendly, cut-tolength forest machines and is one of the developers and manufacturers of the most advanced forest machine technology solutions in the world. The Vieremä factory has grown to cover an area of nearly 10 acres. It still is based around a small hall from where it all started 50 years ago.
The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020 — 15
LoggINg ToDAy
Forest Service repairs iconic Naomikong Bridge GLADSTONE — Hikers on the 2,000-mile North Country National Scenic Hiking Trail can once again hike from the Shallows to Naomikong Overlook via the Naomikong Bridge. Situated near Brimley, the Naomikong Bridge proj e c t w a s c o m p l e t e d b y Hiawatha National Forest’s staff. “ G i v e n t h e b r i d g e ’ s somewhat unique design, this repair project was a perfect opportunity for our recreation and engineering personnel to work side-bys i d e , ” D i s t r i c t R a n g e r Robert West said. Because of its appeara n c e , t h e b r i d g e i s a l s o known as “the mini-Mac” a reference to the much larger Mackinac Bridge that spans the gap between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas. Originally built in the 1980s during development of the 2,000-mile-long national hiking trail, the trail bridge had begun to show its age. In October 2018, the
Hiawatha’s Eastzone engineer, set up and coordinated the renovation work. The Eastzone engineering and recreation staff precut and predrilled the bridge materials off site at their Raco field office, which saved a lot of time during the on-site installation. “One of the biggest challenges was the access to the site, which was a 1/2-mile hike along the NCT. The materials and tools were hauled in along the trail using six-wheelers and a boat trailer,” Kenyon said. Work at the site started BUILT IN THe 1980s, the Naomikong Bridge on the North Country National Sept. 16 and was substantially complete by the end of scenic Hiking Trail near Brimley is also known as “the mini-Mac.” the month. H elp for the bridge was inspected by one were to fail, the entire contract with a private con- install came from district Adam Garrison, who then bridge would fail at that sulting firm for the bridge staff from many departwas the Hiawatha’s facility point and be detached. retrofit. and bridge engineer. Trail Based on these findings, Garrison had the final bridge inspections are con- the bridge was closed. Gar- design completed by July ducted every five years. rison was instrumental in 2019 and then awarded Garrison found that the g e t t i n g f u n d i n g f o r t h e contracts for the material transverse floor beams had design services and in the purchasing. serious splits and checks winter of 2019 procured a Todd Kenyon, throughout their length. These floor beams were critical members, because if
Now Buying: Now Buying: Hickory, Cherry, Maple, Oak and Softwood Pulpwood Sawmill Chips and Sawdust, Apple Chunkwood and Chips.
Midwest Forest Products Company For Delivery to Ladysmith, WI
Dave Colle 15954 River’s Edge Dr., Ste 201 Hayward, WI 54843
(715) 499-0664 (mobile) (715) 462-3038 (home) (715) 634-8955 (office)
Over 50 Years of Experience
ments. “Given the bridge’s location on an especially scenic section of trail along Lake Superior, we are pleased we could tackle the repairs and re-open the trail this year,” said Kari Vanderheuel, Hiawatha’s zone recreation program manager. The Forest Service recreation staff worked closely with the local North Count r y T r a i l c h a p t e r a n d obtained an Iron Belle grant from the state to cover material and hardware costs. Now that the trail is reopened, hikers are encouraged to practice physical distancing while they check out this great section of hiking-only trail along Lake Superior.
16 — The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020
The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020 — 17
LoggINg ToDAy
Iron River logging professional Jerry Shamion remembered IRON RIVER — Jerry Shamion. He M. Shamion, age 77, of Iron attended the R i v e r , p a s s e d a w a y o n I r o n R i v e r Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020, at Schools and Aspirus Iron River Hospital graduated in surrounded by his loving 1960. family. Jerry marHe was born on June 12, ried Christine 1942, in Stambaugh, the Jerry Solander on son of the late Stanley and sHAMION Aug. 1, 1964, M a r g a r e t ( M e n g h i n i ) at Grace Covenant Church.
The couple celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary in 2019. H e w a s a l o g g e r a n d owned and operated Shamco Inc. with his sons. He w a s a m e m b e r o f G r a c e Covenant Church of Iron River, the Michigan Association of Timbermen and the Great Lakes Timber Profes-
sional Association. Jerry spent more than 60 years doing the only job he ever wanted to do — worki n g i n t h e w o o d s . H e enjoyed everything about logging, from pulling logs with horses to using cuttingedge Ponsse equipment, communicating daily with all the guys, especially his
brother, Ron. He often said, “If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.” Even with the demands of running a business, family came first. Jerry treasured his large family and attended countless sporting events and school activities for his kids and grandkids. Jerry
had an infectious personality that delighted many people. He was quick with a joke or story that always left people with a smile. Jerry will be missed and he will also be remembered as a valued friend of the forest. — Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association
18 — The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan
Thursday, April 30, 2020
LoggINg ToDAy
Timbermen help procure Capitol Christmas tree LANSING —Majestic spruces and firs grow from Michigan’s southern border all the way to the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula. And every year, just one of many nominated trees gets selected to grace the Capitol for the holiday season, just like many Michigan families choose their own trees at tree lots and you-cut farms. In 2019, the Christmas tree for the Capitol was a spruce from Iron Mountain d o n a t e d b y J o r d a n a n d Sarah Wolfenberg and their family. It was harvested Oct. 24, and bundled, transported
and delivered to the Capitol on Oct. 26 with help from the Michigan Association of Timbermen and the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association. While this was the fourth tree to come from Dickinson County and the 23rd tree from the Upper Peninsula, it was the first chosen from Iron Mountain. Two past t r e e s w e r e h a r v e s t e d i n Kingsford and one came from Sagola Township. A search crew from the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget had come to the area in August intending to look at several nomi-
nated trees in Dickinson County. I n s t e a d , o n e o f t h e m spotted a fine specimen a l o n g U . S . 2 n e a r I r o n Mountain Power Sports. Sizing it up, taking all the measurements, the 61-foot blue spruce fit all the criteria for consideration. “I’m very proud to say it’s coming from Dickinson County again,” said Denny O l s o n , a m e m b e r o f t h e DTMB harvest crew, Michigan Association of Timbermen and the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association. “The community can be very proud.” Olson has been involved
John Larkin, President One Larkin Plaza P.O. Box 217 Wells, MI 49894 906-786-0693 Fax: 906-786-8012
with 18 of the trees chosen for the state Capitol. The tree lighting ceremony took place Nov. 22 at the 35th annual Silver Bells in the City celebration. The Wolfenbergs attended. Although the Capitol tree is the crown jewel of fresh Christmas trees in Michigan, the state’s tree growers send out 1.7 million freshcut firs, spruces, balsams and more each year to markets around the country. You might think that the tradition of a Capitol tree would date back to when the building was inaugurated, in 1879. But the tradition is much newer than that, Capi-
tol historian Valerie R. Marvin said. There are trees that have been on Capitol Square since at least 1913, but those were considered city t r e e s , p l a c e d b y c i t y o f Lansing workers. The first official state tree went up in 1987, after thengovernor James Blanchard visited New York City and liked the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. Michig a n w a s c e l e b r a t i n g i t s sesquicentennial, or 150th b i r t h d a y , a n d t h e t r e e seemed like a festive addition to round out a year of celebrating. In addition to the cere-
m o n i a l t r e e - l i g h t i n g i n downtown Lansing, the city celebration includes an electric light parade, carolers, chestnuts, horse-drawn wagon rides and sometimes fireworks. But it takes a statewide effort to get to the ceremonial lighting of the tree. The tree procured each year needs to be a spruce or fir, at least 55 feet tall with a maximum crown of 24 feet and maximum trunk diameter of 30 inches; within easy access to a road, with no interference from power lines and available at no cost. (Continued on page 20)
The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020 — 19
LoggINg ToDAy ATTeNDING THe CAPITOL tree lighting ceremony in Lansing were sarah and Jordan Wolfenberg of Iron Mountain with their children, from left, Vaughn, Michael and sarah. The Wolfenbergs donated the 61-foot blue spruce.
Superior Construction
This is our new self-propelled slasher.
and
Craftsmanship This trailer is a 4-bunk tandem axle crib. Tri-axle cribs with 5 bunks, the most popular, are also available. Our aluminum bunks and stakes are designed to last a lifetime!
Our 6-axle crib trailers are the lightest on the market. 100% aluminum from the deck on up. Drop deck or straight-rail configurations are both available.
This is our standard self-propelled carrier. No springs makes it the most durable on the market.
One of our standard rail trailers. Made with the most durable aluminum stakes on the market.
Works with any brand loader with many many options. Unit has 60” sawblade and is all custom built. Great for cutting high value saw logs.
Savage Trailers Inc.
8501 Savage Road, Angora, MN 55703 www.savagetrailersinc.com
Phone: 218-666-5455 or 1-888-218-5455 savagetrailers@hotmail.com
Savage Trailers, Inc. has been designing and building custom trailers and carriers since 1995. Our experience doesn’t stop there; we have been involved in the logging industry since 1980 ... we know what works. Our superior design on aluminum bunks and stakes make them #1 on the market for durability. Don’t just take our word for it Ask any of our repeat customers!
20 — The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan
Thursday, April 30, 2020
LoggINg ToDAy ... Timbermen transport holiday tree to Capitol (Continued from page 18) Once identified, the tree i s c u t d o w n w i t h s o m e pomp and circumstance. A crane is put in place to keep the tree from crashing to the ground, which could break its branches. The tree is carefully laid onto the back of a flatbed truck prov i d e d b y t h e M i c h i g a n BUsLOADs OF sTUDeNTs from area schools joined residents and local and state officials when the Capitol Christmas tree was Association of Timbermen, harvested in Iron Mountain in October. with stands supporting its trunk and branches trussed together with rope to keep it compact and reduce breakage. After the tree arrives at t h e C a p i t o l , l o c a l B o y Scouts practice their knife skills and cut the ropes that trussed the tree for travel. The tree is placed by c r a n e i n t o a p e r m a n e n t stand that goes 6 feet into the ground. It looks like a manhole cover during the off-season. Lansing Board of Water and Light workers then string the tree with thousands of lights.
NORTHERN SUPPLY Thanks Loggers For Your Support! Heavy Duty Fleet Batteries & Filters Are On Sale Hydraulic Fluid On Sale Homemade Hydraulic Hoses Made On Site
1230 Carpenter Ave. Iron Mountain, MI 774-2446
“You’ll find it at CARQUEST”
The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020 — 21
LoggINg ToDAy
‘Monument men’ survey Michigan’s land By KATHLEEN LAVEY Michigan Department of Natural Resources Meridian Road. Baseline R o a d . T o w n l i n e R o a d . Rangeline Road. Section Street. These road and street names refer all the way back to the early 1800s, when the U.S. Congress established a General Land Office and created the Public Land Survey System. Early land surveyors systematically divided Michigan into a grid of 1-mile squares, marked with wooden corner posts at half-mile intervals, following a northsouth meridian, an east-west baseline, township lines, range lines and section lines. The posts — known as monuments — would be the basis for documenting o w n e r s h i p o f l a n d a n d establishing cities and vil-
TRAILER MFG., INC. Custom Built 2-5 Axle Pup Trailers for the Logging Industry Since 1979 Semi Trailers for the Logging Industry Custom Built Truck Racks Used Trailers For Sale Premier Pintle Hooks Turntables for Pup Trailers Aluminum Wheels Hendrickson Trailer Air Suspensions Hendrickson Truck Lift Suspensions
(715) 478-3435 9743-A Hwy. 8 West Crandon, WI 54520
lages, roads, streets, bridges and the boundaries of public and private lands. Life for a surveyor back in those days was not one of luxury. Michigan was vast, forested and swampy, with no roads, no GPS and no easy ways for the surveyors to get where they were going. It wasn’t uncommon for surveyors from southern Michigan to make their way to the western Upper Peninsula by walking to Saginaw Bay, where they’d catch a steamer to Sault Ste. Marie.
There, they might hook up w i t h a c a n o e - p a d d l i n g voyageur for a ride west before walking inland to commence their surveying work. Now that’s a rough commute. “The logistics of what they had to do to survey some of the areas of our state is just amazing,” said Jeremy Pipp, a surveyor with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources who is based in the U.P. town of Norway. GeNerAL LAND OFFICe plat maps, original surveyor’s field notes and (Continued on page 22) existing corner records are used to determine property lines.
22 — The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan
Thursday, April 30, 2020
LoggINg ToDAy
... Michigan surveying markers date to 1800s (Continued from page 21) “You’ve got to appreciate these extraordinary individuals, enduring these hardships, and completing their assigned work,” Pipp said. Pipp is one of seven land surveyors and four technicians who mark as many as 1,000 boundary corners in a year on 4 million acres of state forest land. They’re called in to mark boundaries for timber sales and resolve p r o p e r t y l i n e d i s p u t e s between the state and private property owners. “We want to define the boundaries for the benefit of the department, which also benefits the adjoining land owners and the public,” Pipp said. “Good boundaries make for good neighbors.” The DNR puts monuments on its corners using g a l v a n i z e d s t e e l p i p e s , capped with an aluminum disc stamped with the land surveyor’s license number and the corner’s location within the Public Land Survey System. Mirroring the work of the original surveyors, DNR surveyors mark (blaze) nearby trees, inscribe them and provide measurements
as to how far they are from monuments. These “bearing trees” or “witness trees” help surveyors locate the m o n u m e n t a g a i n w h e n needed. All the information is recorded in the county Register of Deeds’ office. State surveyors are responsible for finding and re-marking the sites of the original boundary monuments put in place during the 1800s. That task often involves a good bit of old-fashioned sleuthing, which might start by looking up land records at the county c o u r t h o u s e a n d e n d b y searching for clues out in the woods after riding a fourwheeler or a snowmobile to the area. “It’s a nice mold of art, science, archaeology, math- PrOFessIONAL sUrVeyOr JereMy Pipp uses a Total station, an electronic theodolite (transit) ematics and geometry all integrated with an electronic distance meter, to measure angles and distances. mixed into one,” Pipp said. “You gather all of this information and say, ‘What does this mean and how does this all come together?’” The original wooden posts from those early surveys have weathered away over time, and often all that remains is a depression in the ground or, just below ground, the pointed base of an original survey post. (Continued on page 23)
Logging • Firewood Land Clearing Reforestation Services State Registered Foresters Buyers & Sellers of Standing Timber & Lands
The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020 — 23
LoggINg ToDAy ... Michigan surveyors excited by finds (Continued from page 22) “Underground a post point can be preserved like the day they put it in,” Pipp said. Finding one of those i s “ f a n t a s t i c , ” P i p p said. “Someone drove a post into the ground and took s o m e n o t e s n e a r l y 1 7 0 years ago, and through your retracement skills A MICHIGAN DePArTMeNT of Conservation corner monument from the 1950s is you were able to recover shown. Corner monuments constructed from materials such as steel, brass, and aluthis monument,” he said. minum are used to increase durability and longevity. In 2012, state surveyor Matt Dontz and a student assistant found an original m o n u m e n t p o s t s e t i n 1 8 5 0 — a s h a r p e n e d cedar log — immersed in w a t e r t h a t p r o t e c t e d i t from the elements. “ A t t h a t m o m e n t I k n e w I w a s l i v i n g t h e highlight of my surveying career to date and possib l y m y e n t i r e c a r e e r , ” D o n t z w r o t e a b o u t t h e incident. His quest started with handwritten copies of original land office notes in M o n t m o r e n c y C o u n t y , n o r t h o f A t l a n t a i n t h e northeast Lower Peninsula. Those notes led to a stream in a swampy area, where the original stake was found. J o h n N u t k i n s , w h o works out of the DNR’s Newberry office, has been surveying for 19 years. He also has found an original post or two, but said it is more common to find the bearing trees nearby. Those include originals a n d t r e e s t h a t w e r e m a r k e d i n t h e 1 9 5 0 s , ‘60s and ‘70s. (Continued on page 25)
A COrNer POsT from Michigan’s original survey is shown. This post was set on July 30, 1850, and was unearthed in 2012.
24 — The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan
Thursday, April 30, 2020
LoggINg ToDAy Forest Facts — There are 14 billion trees in Michigan. The state has about 20 million acres of forest, covering about 53% of its acreage. This is an increase of over a million acres since 1980. The most common tree species in Michigan are: sugar maple, red maple, red pine, northern white cedar, northern red oak, quaking aspen, bigtooth aspen, black cherry, and hemlock. Together, they make up 70% of the total timber volume. — Michigan state University extension
The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020 — 25
LoggINg ToDAy
Surveyors meld old, new techniques (Continued from page 23) “Actually, you see quite a few of them; it’s neat,” he said. “It’s the ones that h a v e n ’ t b e e n f o u n d b y somebody else yet that you get really excited about.” Besides marking the grid lines for townships, ranges and sections, the original surveyors also were charged with evaluating the environment in the area where they were working. A 19-point list of things to put in field notes included: — A description of the l a n d s u r f a c e , “ w h e t h e r rolling, broken or hilly.” — The soil, “whether first-, second- or third-rate.” — Trees listed in order of prevalence. — A description of all rivers, creeks and smaller streams. — All lakes and ponds. — All minerals and ores and “all diggings therefore.” — All settlements, roads and trails. Many of Michigan’s earl y s t a t e s u r v e y o r s w e r e meticulous, as is evident by comparing record measurements with those made with modern equipment. Other surveyors weren’t quite as precise, which can mean more detective work for today’s surveyors trying to trace old lines.
Michigan’s state surveyors these days use a combination of old-school and modern techniques. Surveying has continued to evolve to use GPS, and some surveyors are using technology such as drones. But the heart o f t h e p r o f e s s i o n i s t h e same: to ethically determine and mark property lines. “Some of the (early) surveyors were really diligent conducting their original surveys, and some were not,” Pipp said. When the original points are elusive, “you’ve got to try and come up with a hypothesis and find evidence to support that. The goal is to be in harmony with the original survey.” Where does it all start? Michigan’s grid of townships, ranges and sections originates from a location southeast of Leslie, now memorialized in the 108acre Meridian-Baseline State Park. The park straddles Ingham and Jackson counties and contains Michigan’s two initial points. It’s about a 1.5-mile round-trip hike to the historic points. The park is on the west side of Meridian Road, just north of Territorial Road. The exact coordinates of the historic point, for anyone i n t e r e s t e d , a r e : L A T
42.422854000000001 LONG 84.364743000000004. To become a licensed s u r v e y o r i n t h e s t a t e o f Michigan, jobseekers must: — O b t a i n a c o l l e g e degree in surveying (Michigan Technological University and Ferris State University offer them in Michigan). — Complete four years of experience for those with a bachelor’s degree or three years for those with a graduate degree in surveying. — P a s s t w o n a t i o n a l examinations and one statespecific examination. — Apply for a license and be of good moral charA Tree sHOWs township, range and section markings. acter. — Pass written and pracALGOMA LUMBER COMPANY, INC. SUCHOVSKY tical tests. NORTHERN HARDWOOD LOGGING, LLC — Work in the field for LUMBER SINCE 1950 three years for those who W7265 Co.Rd. 358 PHONE (920) 487-3511 have a master’s degree and Daggett, MI 49821 INDUSTRIAL REMANUFACTURING BUYERS OF: four years for those with a SERVICE, INC. STANDING TIMBER AND LOGS bachelor’s degree in surveyKarl Suchovsky • Specializing in selective cutting and MFL Specializing in Sales, Repair and Testing of ing. harvest plans 906-753-6310 Hydraulic Pumps, Cylinders, Motors, & Valves • Prompt Payment More information about Complete Machine Shop Service • Our staff is qualified to manage your professional surveying can Complete Line of Hoses & Fittings woodlot to suit your objectives Warren • We’re always in the market for all species of be found through the Michi3 Superior Ave. standing timber, logs & timberland Suchovsky Crystal Falls, MI 49920 gan Society of Professional 1400 Perry St. • Algoma, WI 54201 Surveyors at MISPS.org. 906-753-6666 www.algomalumber.com
GREEN BAY, WI
(800)242-2891 • Collision Repair • Sandblasting and Painting • • • • • • •
Trailer Repair Fabricating Custom Welding Parts and Accessories Towing Available New & Used Trailer Sales Rental Trailers
If you would like your logging related-business photographed and featured in Logging Today...
Full Line of Chrome & Accessories Visit us online at www.trudelltrailers.com
Call The Daily News at (906) 774-2772
26 — The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan
Thursday, April 30, 2020
LoggINg ToDAy Forest Facts — All the standing timber volume in Michigan would stretch across 250,000 miles, which is more than the distance to the moon. — Michigan state University extension
504 E. Oak Street Stanley, WI 54768 Phone 715.644.5777 • Fax 715.644.5786
Ted Fischer President Cell 715.577.7975 ted.fischer@ikeinternational.com Scott Seemann Cell 715.577.7977 scott.seemann@ikeinternational.com
The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020 — 27
LoggINg ToDAy
Great Lakes Logging Expo planned Sept. 10-12 in Escanaba E S C A N A B A — T h e Great Lakes Logging & Heavy Equipment Expo is a three-day event that takes place in September. More than 200 indoor a n d o u t d o o r e x h i b i t o r s attend each year to showcase the best of the best when it
c o m e s t o l o g s p l i t t e r s , portable sawmills, compact tractors and logging equipment, chainsaw carving, wood/pellet stove dealers and much, much more. For event updates and to receive an exhibitor contract via e-mail when registration
i s o p e n , s i g n u p f o r e announcements. The 2020 event is Sept. 10-12 at the U.P. State Fairgrounds in Escanaba. For more information, contact Jennie Baker at jbaker@gltpa.org or 715282-7979.
28 — The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020
LoggINg ToDAy Forest Facts — The U.S. forest products industry accounts for approximately 4 percent of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP, manufacturing nearly $300 billion in products annually. The industry employs approximately 950,000 men and women. It meets a payroll of approximately $50 billion annually and is among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers in 45 states. — american Forest and Paper association
The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020 — 29
LoggINg ToDAy
Firefighters protect lives, valuable resources By JOHN PEPIN Michigan Department of Natural Resources D i d y o u e v e r d r i v e through a beautiful Michigan forest, admiring the stately white birches, the colorful maples or the towering pines, and wonder who protects these places in the event of a wildfire? Sure, it’s firefighters, but who are they, exactly? What about the birds, the
deer, the wildflowers and ferns and other plants and wild creatures? Or the moms and dads, kids and grandkids, brothers and sisters and their camps and houses, places they live and play? Who steps up with a fire tool and a helping hand to aid these among us when flames and smoke cover the countryside? At the Michigan Department of Natural Resources,
it’s firefighters who represent a wide range of people from across several DNR divisions and disciplines. These firefighters have undergone training and fitness testing, and they report to the Fire Section, within the DNR’s Forest Resources Division. For the DNR team, firefighting is merely a part of the work duties they perform. (Continued on page 30)
DUGREE TRUCKING & FOREST PRODUCTS INC. “ 2 0 0 1 R e c ip ie n t O f T h e M ic h ig a n A s s o c ia tio n O f T im b e r m e n E x c e lle n c e In L o g g in g A w a r d ” FIreFIGHTers FrOM AN active “short team” in the Upper Peninsula gather for an evening briefing in Marquette County.
“ 2 0 0 6 M ic h ig a n F o r e s t A s s o c ia tio n Lo g g e r O f T h e Y e a r A w a rd ”
Buying Standing Timber And Wooded Land Quality Work & Competitive Pay Fully Insured References Available
Promoting Wise Use Of Our Renewable Resources Proud To Be A Member Of: The Great Lakes Timber Professional Association & The Michigan Association of Timbermen
Gerald J. Dugree Certified MI Master Logger
Phone (906) 498-2325
Mobile (906) 250-0218
30 — The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan
Thursday, April 30, 2020
LoggINg ToDAy
... Every fire is different (Continued from page 29) Though pressed by deadlines, countless tasks and a short supply of extra time, these DNR coworkers lend some of their much-needed talents to the cause of saving lives and protecting p r o p e r t y a n d n a t u r a l resources. Some of these firefighting men and women are members of Michigan’s four incident management teams, often referred to as “short teams.” These teams get help battling blazes from local volunteer fire departments and, in cases of large fires, equipment and personnel from other states or provinces. D N R s t a f f e r s w h o respond to the challenge of firefighting bring diverse talents to bear in exchange for a rewarding opportunity sOMe OF THe staples of the firefighting trade are to personally contribute to a greater good. shown.
Leadership and logistics R i c h A h n e n i s a f i r e supervisor from the Crystal Falls Management Unit who has served on a short team in the Upper Peninsula since 1999. He has worked as incident commander on nine events. “One of the biggest things that keeps me interested in being on an incident management team is the fact that every incident has its differences. There are no two alike, so I learn something from each one,” Ahnen said. “ I t i s a c h a l l e n g e t o b e involved in stressful situations, I feel — but a very positive thing for me.” Rose Wilbur is on the east Upper Peninsula short team, serving as a logistics s e c t i o n c h i e f . T h a t i s a behind-the-scenes position, with many functions that work to support the team. (Continued on page 31)
We are currently looking for standing timber, all species, Competitive Prices!
The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020 — 31
LoggINg ToDAy ... Coordination, planning essential to gathering crews (Continued from page 30) crews, food supply lead- positions. “One of the main prior- e r s a n d o t h e r s u p p o r t (Continued on page 32) ities is to ensure that the p e o p l e w o r k i n g o n t h e i n c i d e n t h a v e h o u s i n g , water and meals,” Wilbur s a i d . “ T h i s r e q u i r e s a great deal of coordination and preplanning.” L o g i s t i c s i s a l s o responsible for the equipm e n t i n t h e f i r e c a c h e trailer, filling resource requests, determining base c a m p s e t u p , h e l p i n g t o appropriately stage equipment and supervising team communications. F o r l a r g e r i n c i d e n t s (mostly those that require o u t - o f - s t a t e d u t y ) , t h e l o g i s t i c s s e c t i o n c h i e f o v e r s e e s b a s e c a m p
A MICHIGAN DePArTMeNT of Natural resources firefighter spreads flames on a prescribed burn at Fayette Historic state Park in Delta County.
“Land Management Today For Everyone’s Future” WE BUY STANDING TIMBER
AND TIMBERLANDS COMPETITIVE PRICES PROFESSIONAL FORESTER AND MANAGEMENT PLANS AVAILABLE SFE CERTIFIED AND MASTER LOGGER SAND AND GRAVEL LAND CLEARING
CALL 906-542-7200 minericklogging.com • phillipjminerick@gmail.com
N10670 Hwy. M-95 • Sagola, Michigan 49881
32 — The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020
LoggINg ToDAy
FIreFIGHTers GeT sOMe training during a 2019 gathering in Alger County.
... Firefighting teams organized under incident command system (Continued from page 31) “Ensuring that the team and the fire crews have substantial meals throughout the day and the resources that they need to do their job are the main reasons I truly enjoy the logistics position,” Wilbur said. “It is my contribution to the overall operation. The crews work very hard — they are often tired, dirty and exhausted. My job is to support them; that is why logistics is so important.” Structure The teams are organized under an incident command system, which is a highly functional structure that e n a b l e s s h o r t t e a m s t o respond to a wide-ranging set of events beyond wildfires, ranging from hurricanes, floods and tornadoes to the Columbia space shuttle disaster or planning for
the Super Bowl. “I’m ex-military, and the incident command system is tailored after the military in a lot of ways. It works well, no matter what the risk is t h a t w e a r e m a n a g i n g , ” Ahnen said. “It is very satisfying to see it in action and to be part of a team that knows the system and how to operate within it.” In addition to providing a strong organizational framework, the system allows teams to expand or contract depending on the response required. For example, the U.P.’s two teams have a combined total of about 30 m e m b e r s , i n c l u d i n g trainees, alternates and staff at the incident coordination and dispatch center. Getting started Jennifer Burnham, who works as a plans section
chief on the west U.P. team, began her journey to fighting fire with a curiosity cultivated in the DNR’s Shingleton field office. There, she began asking someone already in the position “one million questions on fire behavior and how all things fire tied in to one another.” In 2007, as the historic Sleeper Lake Fire — which b l a c k e n e d m o r e t h a n 18,000 acres in Luce County — was winding down, a plans section chief who worked the blaze asked Burnham if she was interested in being on a team. At first, she declined, but a year later Burnham was on the team roster as a plans section chief trainee. “As a team, we do not sit for days on end waiting for the ‘big one,’” Burnham said. (Continued on page 33)
The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020 — 33
LoggINg ToDAy
... Upper Peninsula fire team members work together to fill gaps (Continued from page 32) “We try to get together a couple times a year and work through new issues on fire facing incident management teams, or ones that just won’t go away.” Tori Irving is a communications unit leader for the west U.P. team who says she’s truly enjoyed working as a team member since 2012. “Being on the team gives me the opportunity to work with different people, (gain) a whole different perspective of fire management and a lot of insight about what happens behind the scenes,” Irving said. “Working in the communications unit can be hectic, but it is also very gratifying. Communications is the link between the fire line and the other units of the team.” Irving said for her position, and some others, no special advance training is required to serve on an instate team in Michigan — trainees learn on the job. Some spots on the team, like incident commander,
“I like the challenge that Army to the media and fedthe job provides — keeping eral and state agencies. “People pull together in track of all the moving parts — even with the chaos that times of crisis,” Ahnen said. comes with the timelines to “And in this day and age, meet,” Douglass said. “You that is truly rewarding.” Find out more have to keep a level head DNR firefighters don’t and not let the pressure get to you. And I like to com- just put out fires, they also radery of the team as we use strategically set fires to pull everything together manage the forest. Learn more about prescribed burns each day.” Ahnen said the people — and how the DNR fights involved are another reason wildland fires — at Michihe remains a team member. gan.gov/FireManagement. He enjoys working with The site includes a daily fire DNR team personnel and danger rating, DNR fire MICHIGAN DePArTMeNT OF Natural resources firefighters possess many cooperators from other enti- reports and an interactive talents and abilities. Firefighting is only part of the work they do for the t i e s r a n g i n g f r o m t h e graphic on the number of public and the DNr. National Guard, the Red fires the DNR responds to division supervisor or safety into,” McNamee said. “I their tour, and say, ‘Thanks, Cross and the Salvation each year. officer, require fire line like the challenge of making this was the most organized training. Others, such as sure that our firefighters fire camp that I have been public information officer, have the means to do their in,’” McNamee said. “This resource unit leader or com- job.” then provides a challenge to puter technical specialist, do He said team members do even better on the next not. work together, irrespective incident, which is why I do Staying on of their positions, to fill any this job.” Dan McNamee has been gaps allowing the whole A m y D o u g l a s s i s a A Semi-Annual Publication the logistics chief on the team to be successful. resource unit leader, who Only $8.00 Per Year west U.P. team since 1992. “ I l i k e t h e f e e l i n g o f keeps track of all personnel “The main reason I have doing a good job and having and equipment on an incistayed is because of what some firefighter coming up dent. She’s been on the U.P. the teams have developed after their shift, or the end of teams since 1999. Call Jennifer Flynn At
Subscribe To Logging Today
Across the nation, coronavirus forces LOGGING TODAY P.O. BOX 460 new approaches to fighting wildfires c/o The Daily News Iron Mountain, MI 49801
By REBECCA BOONE Associated Press BOISE, Idaho (AP) — They are two disasters that require opposite responses: To save lives and reduce the spread of COVID-19, people are being told to remain isolated. But in a wildfire, thousands of firefighters must work in close quarters for weeks at a time. Wildfires have already broken out in Texas and
Florida, and agencies are scrambling to finish plans for a new approach. They are considering waivers for some training requirements to previously-certified crew members, and moving some training online. Other proposals include limiting fire engines to a driv e r a n d o n e p a s s e n g e r , requiring other crew members to ride in additional vehicles. They may scrap
the normal campsite catering tents in favor of military-issue MREs, or “Meals Ready to Eat” to reduce touching serving utensils. Federal resources for firefighting efforts may be more scarce, leaving states to deal with more fires. In light of the “unprecedented challenge” of the pandemic, Forest Service resources will be used “only (Continued on page 34)
(906) 774-2772 FAX (906) 774-1285
906-774-2772 Ext. 218 Or Mail Coupon With Payment To: The Daily News Logging Today Attn: Jennifer PO Box 460 Iron Mountain, MI 49801
Advertising Carrie Hyska
chyska@ironmountain dailynews.com
News
Name Address Zip
Betsy Bloom
bbloom@ironmountain dailynews.com
Phone No. Logging Today Publication
34 — The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020
LoggINg ToDAy
... Wildfires present added risk as nation copes with COVID-19 (Continued from page 33) when there is a reasonable expectation of success in protecting life and critical property and infrastructure,” Forest Service Chief Victoria Christiansen said. W i l d l a n d f i r e c a m p s have always had a reputation for spreading illness. Norovirus outbreaks have occurred and outbreaks of i l l n e s s e s c o l l e c t i v e l y dubbed the “camp crud” are y e a r l y o c c u r r e n c e s f o r many. The job is so demanding that it’s typically done by younger, healthy and physically fit people. But the nature of the job also works against them: firefighters regularly experiencing high stress, inhaling smoke and dust and dealing with poor
s l e e p i n g a n d p e r s o n a l hygiene. There also are concerns a b o u t p r e p a r a t i o n s n o t b e i n g d o n e . T y p i c a l l y , agencies spend months and millions of dollars preparing for wildfire season — clearing brush and doing prescribed burns to reduce the plants that feed massive wildfires. That’s not happening in many places because some fire managers are trying to allow employees to abide by social distancing guidelines as long as possible and to curb smoke from the prescribed burns during the pandemic. Smoke can make breathing more difficult for people with asthma and other lung conditions. “The biggest issue I see
IN THIs AUG. 25, 2015, Associated Press file photo, firefighters rest at a camp near the Okanogan Complex Fire in Okanogan, Wash. The outbreak of the coronavirus is making the U.s. Forest service and others change strategies for fighting wildfires, as the need for isolation and social distancing comes into play against the necessity of having firefighters work and live closely together.
right now is that the prescribed burns aren’t getting done,” said Casey Judd, the president of the Federal
Wildland Fire Services Association, which advocates on behalf of federal firefighters in 42 states.
“That’s going to increase the fire load.” Under the $2 trillion federal CARES Act, federal fire crews will have paid sick leave for the first time, which officials hope will encourage crew members to take sick leave when they need it. It’s not clear if all state or contract firefighters will have the same benefit. You don’t have to look too far back in history to see how the one-two punch of a pandemic and wildfire can decimate communities. The 1918 influenza pandemic killed an estimated 50 to 100 million people worldwide. In October 1918, sparks from a passing train
• • • • • • •
ignited fields near Cloquet and Moose Lake, Minnesota. Four hundred and fifty people were killed in an area that spanned 1,500 square miles. There were 21,000 injuries and 52,000 displaced people, said Curt Brown, a journalist and the a u t h o r o f “ M i n n e s o t a , 1918.” The aftermath made it easy to spread disease. “It was the perfect situation to spread the flu — if you were lucky enough to survive the wildfire, you were crammed into evacuee housing,” he said. At least 100 people died of the flu in evacuee housing, an estimate Brown called conservative.
Certified Small Engine Repair Retail Lawn & Garden Propane Filling Station Welding Gas and Supplies Wood Master Outdoor Woodstoves Jonsered Chain Saws & Supplies G & C Carports
Summer Hours May 1 - Oct. 15 Mon.-Fri. 7:00-5:30; Sat. 7:00-1:00 Winter Hours Oct. 16 - May 1 Mon., Tues., Thur., Fri. 8:00 - 4:30 Sat. 8:00 - 1:00 Closed Wed. & Sun. 24/7 Online
Located Just West Of Crystal Falls, MI on U.S. 2
www.us2rental.com • 906-875-7368
TRADITIONAL OUTDOOR WOOD OUTDOOR WOOD STOVES STOVES IN FREE SHIPPING FREE DELIVERY STOCK Within 75 Miles
The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020 — 35
FOR DIESEL ENGINE... Parts • Service • Engine Overhaul • On-Site Repair • Factory New or Exchanged Engines
QUALITY SERVICE FOR OVER 60 YEARS ENGINE SERVICES •Service Bays for Diagnostics & Repair & Rebuilds •Field Service •Factory Exchange Rebuilt Engines We do everything from Diagnostics to Complete Engine Rebuilds including Engine R&R.
FUEL INJECTION SERVICES OFFERED We are Bosch Authorized To Test, Repair, and Rebuild Bosch Common Rail Injectors and Pumps using Bosch Authorized Equipment. Complete Rebuilds, Partial Repairs and Exchange Units Available For All Your Fuel Needs. •Ambac* •Delphi* •Yanmar*
•Bosch* •Caterpillar •Stanadyne* •Lucas/Cav* •Zexel/DieselKiki*
•Cummins •Denso*
*Factory Authorized
TURBO CHARGERS Garrett • Holset • Cummins • Rejay • Schwitzer SERVING WISCONSIN & UPPER MICHIGAN
2264 Mid Valley Drive • De Pere, WI • 54115
Factory Authorized Engines, Fuel Injection, and Turbocharger Service We are able to provide field diagnostics & repair for most engine manufacturers.
920.347.0880 • 800.242.8060 Fax (parts or service) 920.347.0884 dsgbinc.com Monday-Friday 7:30am-5:00pm • Saturday by Appointment
Diesel Specialists of Green Bay, Inc., Quality Service for over 60 years. Serving Wisconsin and the upper Michigan with experienced, factory certified technicians utilizing the latest equipment to produce the finest quality. Controlled environment remanufacturing and testing insure clean pump and injector assembly. Along with maintaining a stock of popular fuel pumps and replacement parts, a wide range of exchange programs are also on hand. One day time and material service is available in most cases. At Diesel Specialists we use all OEM: diagnostic tools: •Deutz •Perkins •Yanmar •Isuzu •Cummins •Ford •GM •Dodge We can assist you in our shop, your shop, or in the field.
Authorized Dealer
Authorized Dealer
Authorized Dealer
Authorized Dealer
Authorized Dealer
Authorized Dealer
Authorized Dealer
Authorized Dealer
Authorized Dealer
36 — The Daily News, Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Michigan Thursday, April 30, 2020