LATEST NEWS
Owl Policy Howler - By: Dan Shell - Timber Harvesting and Forest Operations
America’s relationship with its wildlife historically has been complicated, to say the least. The nation has been a global leader in wildlife protection laws, but the distant past has some dark eras: Whales by the thousands hunted to near extinction worldwide for meat, teeth and mostly blubber to use for oil. Millions of passenger pigeons were slaughtered to complete extinction so city folk could have cheap squab dinners. The Carolina parakeet vanished from the earth because fancy ladies needed fancy hats. And now, during the next 30 years the U.S. government is proposing to hammer 400,000 barred owls with shotguns to save the spotted owl from a bad evolutionary arc.
Wait, what?
Yep, you heard right. The same folks who managed to kill off hundreds of mills and tens of thousands of good family wage jobs by reducing timber harvests in the Pacific Northwest to save the spotted owl now say it’s not the mills that buy the timber or even loggers who cut it who are the spotted owls’ big threat. Instead, it’s the owls who are their own worst enemy.
Specifically, barred owls, the spotted owl’s well-traveled East Coast cousins with a highly adaptive lifestyle, are the problem, says the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS). And there really is a FWS proposal out there to save falling spotted owl populations by pounding the barred owls. Way back in July 2022 the agency filed a “Barred Owl Management Strategy; Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement; Washington, Oregon, and California.” And one of the proposed management alternatives is the elimination of thousands of barred owls, up to 400,000 over 30 years, in various parts of Washington, Oregon and northern California.
And just like those loggers years ago, the barred owls gotta go, too. Turns out the FWS calls the barred owl an “alien species” because it migrated westward and wasn’t found at all in the Pacific Northwest until the 1950s.
Unlike their spotted cousins who are all hung up on old-growth reliant tree voles and wood rats and picky diets, barred owls eat the same things—plus a whole lot more, and also thrive in wider variety of habitats. The spotteds are also lazy on the nest, reproducing every two or three years instead of annually, which makes it even tougher to sustain populations in the face of barred owl competition.
There have been FWS pilot projects and fairly short-term studies, and I believe them when they say areas that have been “depopulated” of barred owls show less to no decline in spotted owl populations.
And, of course, this being the government the solution to save the owl has to be a big one. How big? Well, how about a pile 400,000 barred owls big? Using average sizes and weights, that’s roughly 300 tons of dead owls, and enough owls to stretch 113 miles if placed head to tail. Either way, it’s a lot of owls. And exactly how did they come up with 400K dead barred owls? If that’s good, wouldn’t 600K be better?
And that brings us to another point: logistics. Someone has to build that 300 ton pile, that 113 mile long line of dead birds owl-by-owl. Even an old timey market hunter used to filling skiffs with ducks might decide 400,000 birds is too much work, but the government evidently is not to be deterred.
Let’s do the math here. Over 30 years, that’s 13,333 owls a year, which works out to only 37 owls per day. But that’s every day, rain or shine, snow or dust. Every day, for 30 years. That means putting lots of boots on the ground and shotguns in the air.
The tongue-in-cheek one-liners just write themselves, but I don’t want to belittle government employees too much. Many are trying to do their best in fulfilling mixed mandates, through common sense (or not), or through management by court order.
And the government’s record on these kinds of things, like the nation’s relationship with its wildlife, is decidedly mixed. I know I’m mixing spotted owl apples with biomass oranges but in Arizona the past decade-plus, the government has come up about 80% short on a contract to treat several hundred thousand acres in danger of wildfires—and the acres aren’t even moving targets, they just sit there.
Then again, at least the barred owls have a fighting chance…to fly away, maybe to a nice wooded suburb with less gunfire and a bunch of bird feeder fattened squirrels. Unlike the Pacific Northwest’s loggers, who were sitting ducks for what was evidently the FWS’ misguided policy 30+ years ago, when the spotted owl was listed as threatened in 1991.
Register for Ponsee Bison Launch in North America Webinar
June 12th, 2020 Time: 2:00p.m. CST, 3:00p.m. EST, 12:00p.m. PST
Product presentations:
Official Bison Forwarder Launch
Cobra Harvester
Active Care Service Agreements
Ponsse Manager/Parts Online
PRIZES:
*Register on Ponsse website and then type your name during the webinar for a chance to win!
1st prize $1,000 parts and service credit
2nd prize $500 parts and service credit
3rd prize $250 parts and service credit
Wallingford’s Announces Distribution of Veriga to North America Press release May 2020
Wallingford’s Inc. is pleased to announce a new partnership with Veriga, one of the largest global manufacturers of tire chains and forestry tracks.
Wallingford’s Inc., with its head office in Oakland, Maine has distribution facilities in New Hampshire and Edmonton, Alberta.
Founded in 1975, Wallingford’s is the largest wholesale distributor of logging supplies in North America serving nearly 3000 OEM, distributors, and dealers. John Wallingford, President of Wallingford’s Inc. stated “We are very excited with this new relationship with Veriga and look forward to bringing this great brand across the Atlantic.”
Established in 1922, Veriga has expansive production program and is a prominent European presence in the forestry industry. Wallingford’s Inc. is looking forward to marketing Veriga’s broad range of products across North America, adding new products to our line-up with European design and quality. They use the best raw materials and have an advanced manufacturing facility, including cutting edge heat treatment, resulting in products the user will find to be both functional and durable. New products include:
A full line of bogie and wheel tracks for forestry equipment
Forestry chains for skidders and CTL machinery
Snow/traction tire chains for trucks, tractors and heavy machinery
Tire protection chains for heavy machinery
With every passing year Veriga has enjoyed continued European success against its major track and chain competitors, and we expect the same here in North America as the brand name and demonstrated quality becomes known. Mitja Peterlin, CEO of Veriga, states “We are looking forward to our cooperation with Wallingford's Inc. We have been trying for quite some time to find the right partner to introduce our products to the North American market. We have enormous trust in Wallingford's, which has tradition and is a true specialist in the required field. Together we will make sure that we will give customers the best possible service, that they deserve.” To learn more visit: www.wallingfords.com, www.veriga-lesce.com or call 1-800-323-3708.
Komatsu’s New 901XC 8WD Harvester is a Thinning Powerhouse for Challenging Steep, Rough or Soft Terrain
Chattanooga, Tenn., April 3, 2020 — Komatsu’s new 901XC (eXtreme Conditions) 8WD harvester excels in challenging steep, rough or soft harvesting environments. The 901XC has all of the market-leading features found in Komatsu’s proven 901-6WD harvester platform, including the innovative, 3PS three-pump hydraulic system, best-in-class ergonomic cab, 4-way cab/crane leveling, and ±180° cab/crane rotation.
Unique Komatsu 8WD System : Komatsu’s 901XC differs from other 8WD harvesters because of its unique drive system. Its exclusive “double Comfort Bogie” drive system provides excellent handling and follows the terrain more closely than competitors’ 8WD machines that have a fixed rear-axle design. The 8WD system generates 12% more tractive effort and significantly reduces rear ground pressure: 53% lower psi with tracks and 19% lower psi with tires, compared to the 901-6WD model.
Performance & Productivity: The 901XC shares all the same market-leading features as the Komatsu 901, 911, 931, 931XC and 951 harvesters, including Komatsu’s innovative, 3PS three-pump hydraulic system, for higher hydraulic working flow at low engine speeds, while lowering fuel consumption. The system allows the operator to simultaneously slew, feed and maneuver. These hydraulic system interactions are all automatically controlled by Komatsu’s new MaxiXT control and information system.
The range of available Komatsu harvesting heads includes the S92, C93 and C124 designed to meet specific application needs. The 901XC is ideally suited for the rugged Komatsu C124 “carry-style” head, which has four powerful motors and four heavy-duty driven feed rollers.
Operator Comfort & Convenience: The premium, modern cab provides the operator with excellent upward and downward front line-of-sight visibility. Sixteen powerful LED working lights provide excellent illumination, for improved visibility in low light conditions. An air suspension, air-vented seat, fully adjustable ergonomic armrests and hand controls, and an automatic, 4-season climate control system, keep the operator comfortable in all working conditions.
Serviceability: All daily maintenance checks and fills can be performed at ground level or from inside the cab. The highly-functional machine design includes a one-piece hood that opens rearward to fully expose the entire engine compartment for easy service access. An automatic central lubrication system and well-placed front, rear, cab and hydraulic tank service platforms further facilitate machine serviceability. All filters are vertically mounted to ease replacement and minimize the potential for spills.
About Komatsu: Komatsu is an industry-leading manufacturer and supplier of equipment, technologies and services for the construction, forklift, mining, industrial and forestry markets. For nearly a century, Komatsu equipment and services have been used by companies worldwide to develop modern infrastructure, extract fundamental minerals, maintain forests and create technology and consumer products. The company’s global service and distributor networks support customer operations, tapping into the power of data and technology to enhance safety and productivity while optimizing performance. Komatsu® is a registered trademark of Komatsu Ltd. Komatsu America Corp. is an authorized licensee of Komatsu Ltd. All other trademarks and service marks used herein are the property of Komatsu Ltd., Komatsu America Corp., or their respective owners or licensees. Note: All comparisons and claims of improved performance made herein are made with respect to the current Komatsu 901-6WD model unless otherwise specifically stated. Materials and specifications are subject to change without notice.
Contact: Steve Yolitz, Komatsu America Corp Forest Machine Business Division, 423.668.3235, syolitz@komatsuna.com
Tigercat Releases 602 Grapple Skidder
March 6, 2020 - Quick, compact and fuel efficient, the 602 grapple skidder is ideal for high value selective logging in tight or challenging terrain. The size and agility of the 602 grapple skidder makes it ideal for selective felling applications. The machine can access high value timber in steep terrain, while minimizing damage to the residual stand. A fixed front axle with an oscillating centre section allows the 602 to achieve a narrow overall width of 2,7 metres (106 in).
For the full news release click here.
John Deere Tackles Steep Slopes with New FL100 Felling Head
MOLINE, Ill. (Feb. 28, 2020) – With the continued growth of the steep slope market and the movement from manual felling in mind, John Deere announces its new large-class directional felling head, the FL100. The FL100 model provides customers with a larger, more durable directional felling head solution.
“Our customers are continuing to tackle more challenging terrain, and we want to provide reliable, durable equipment that is designed to meet their unique needs. As they seek purpose-built equipment for their operations, the FL100 will allow them to efficiently and safely fell in both unique steep slopes and traditional felling applications,” said Jim O’Halloran, product marketing manager for John Deere Tracked Harvesters and Feller Bunchers.
The robust, durable design of the new FL100 makes it ideal for steep slope, shoveling, and traditional felling applications. Featuring increased grip strength, grapple capacity and shoveling performance, the FL100’s grapple arm effectively handles both small and extra-large timber. The increased durability of the FL100 reduces potential downtime in tough conditions, while allowing excellent access to maintenance and service points.
Factory installed on the new John Deere 959ML Shovel Logger/Directional Feller, the FL100 offers 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 equipment, visit a local John Deere Forestry dealer or www.johndeere.com.
About Deere & Company Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) is a world leader in providing advanced products and services and is committed to the success of customers whose work is linked to the land - those who cultivate, harvest, transform, enrich and build upon the land to meet the world's dramatically increasing need for food, fuel, shelter and infrastructure. Since 1837, John Deere has delivered innovative products of superior quality built on a tradition of integrity. For more information, visit John Deere at its worldwide website at www.JohnDeere.com.
Updates Improve Comfort on the John Deere Knuckleboom Loaders
MOLINE, Ill. (Feb. 14, 2020) — New for 2020, John Deere updates its E-Series knuckleboom loaders with new features designed to boost operator comfort. Driven by customer feedback, the 337E and 437E models incorporate a redesigned operator station that is built to reduce noise and heat within the cab, while also including several options that increase comfort throughout the day. The new features, which build upon the fuel efficiency improvements introduced in 2019, provide customers with efficient, comfortable solutions for the loaders’ operation. “Since the introduction of the E-Series machines, we continued to speak with customers and collect their feedback so we can ensure our machines meet their needs,” said Brandon O’Neal, product marketing manager, John Deere Construction & Forestry. “Customers are concerned with comfort and fuel costs, especially as they manage labor challenges and tightening budgets. With the improvements we have made over the last two years, we are able to provide our customers with immediate solutions for their business.” One of the most notable changes on the updated E-Series machines is the removal of the rear and left back windows, reducing the heat load inside the cab and improving operator comfort. Additionally, the removal of the rear window helps to lower noise levels in the cab. Each cab can be equipped with several comfort-boosting options, such as a heated, ventilated seat; a premium radio package, including Bluetooth; a cell phone holder with power supply; or an in-cab storage cooler. Three lighting packages are available to help provide visibility in low-light conditions. To learn more about the John Deere E-Series knuckleboom loaders, visit www.JohnDeere.com or see your local dealer for more details. About Deere & Company Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) is a world leader in providing advanced products and services and is committed to the success of customers whose work is linked to the land - those who cultivate, harvest, transform, enrich and build upon the land to meet the world's dramatically increasing need for food, fuel, shelter and infrastructure. Since 1837, John Deere has delivered innovative products of superior quality built on a tradition of integrity. For more information, visit John Deere at its worldwide website at www.JohnDeere.com.
Tigercat Harvesting Head Product Line Expands
Tigercat continues to expand its range of harvesting heads with the new 568, a robust, productive four-wheel drive harvesting head for roadside processing.
The new Tigercat 568 harvesting head offers excellent productivity and reliability. Optimized harvester head hydraulics maximize performance and efficiency, while robust, high quality components provide long term reliability. Large diameter hoses and large capacity valves provide ample strength to match the greater hydraulic flow and power of Tigercat carriers.
For the full news release and a high resolution image visit: https://www.tigercat.com/568/