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Oregon Loggers Working To Find, Develop New Employees
EUGENE, Oregon - Throughout three days of the Oregon Logging Conference (OLC), the effort to reach young people and find new employees from all walks of life was a focus of the show. Of course, everyone loves to prop the little kids in an operator’s cab, but the OLC has refined their show’s outreach to focus primarily on high-school aged students who are soon to be making decisions on work and career choices.
More than 900 local and regional high schoolers were registered to visit the OLC, which included presentations tailored to school groups about job opportunities. Students were able to talk with forest industry professionals working in forestry, reforestation, logging, trucking, engine mechanics and welding, machine operators and more— with almost all currently looking for new employees.
Known as “Future Forestry Workers Career Day,” the event this year included a cut-to-length simulator competition sponsored by Oregon State University’s College of Forestry using John Deere simulators. Ponsse also had a simulator at its booth that was a hit with students.
State educators also have a big role to play, according to OLC keynote speaker Blake Manley, a former logger and forestry and natural resources teacher at Sweet Home High School—and also Chair of the Oregon Natural Resources Educators Assn. He’s a relentless forestry career promoter.
One thing Oregon does have going for it is a state-approved high school forestry curriculum that’s currently being offered by 35 school systems in the state. Manley told hundreds of loggers assembled for the keynote that the four legs of support for developing high school forestry interest are:
Having a state-approved curriculum
Having administrative support at the school
Finding the right teacher (and it’s not always the guy with the flannel shirts)
Building local and industry support for the program
Blake Manley “a relentless forestry career promoter”.
Manley noted all communities are different and may choose to emphasize various segments of forestry, “But you all have the potential to have these programs in your schools,” he emphasized. “If you want to know how, find me.”
Associated Oregon Loggers is also working to find new employees for its members and help them keep the ones they have. Recently hired AOL Workforce Development Manager Sara Nelson notes in an AOL Mainline newsletter article that on a recent survey an aging workforce, lack of forest career promotion and demand for higher wages were major labor issues for AOL members.
Changing the forest industry narrative to make it more enticing to young people is a major goal, she says. Also, surveys show AOL members rely heavily on word of mouth when looking for employees. Industry may be able to do better by getting its message consistently in front of groups that are actively seeking jobs. AOL has also printed out some nifty forest career “playing cards” to hand out to interested individuals, with a QR code that links to the AOL web site.
FOREST ACCORD
Oregon’s Private Forest Accord seeks to move beyond attempting to manage forests by expensive and potentially calamitous ballot initiative campaigns, but it also moves the state into a brave new world of enhanced riparian zone and stream protection in return for certainty of future harvests.
As with any such far-reaching effort hammered into legislation, the devil is in the details.
Associated Oregon Loggers formally voted to support the accord that was negotiated by major landowners and industry interests with state and environmental interests during the past two years. But loggers at the OLC are in waiting mode for the accord’s ultimate impact.
One logger noted his family’s timber holdings would qualify for mitigation funding under the accord. He’s happy to hear he’ll be compensated but he’s definitely reserving final judgement until the details are ironed out.
Another logger said he hoped the stream-side protections would be results- based instead of prescriptive based where protection guidelines would be adequate and work as intended but not consist of blindly followed mandates.
Others noted that major landowners going forward will likely reduce private forest timber rotations, with more loggers having to handle more small logs in the future.
John Deere Introduces New Forestry Full-Tree Training Simulator
John Deere announced the release of the new and innovative Forestry Full-Tree Training Simulator. This development offers cost-effective and efficient operator training in a risk-free environment, all while avoiding wear and tear on equipment.
The Training Simulator allows operators to explore interactive virtual logging sites as if they were in the cab of an actual John Deere machine. This product offers realistic, true-to-life controls that can be swapped out to quickly convert the simulator to a different John Deere forestry machine type in a matter of minutes. The simulator is equipped with swappable John Deere controls, allowing quick interchange of joysticks and foot pedals to multiple machine types.
Operators can view the simulation through a single-display, 55” TV. The display screen offers highly detailed, realistic graphics allowing operators to create custom environments, switch between machines in the same environment or mimic stump to landing material flow.
“Our main focus for all operators is safety, comfort, and the control needed to tackle any forestry job. This forestry simulator will be able to provide all three,” said Justin McDermott, John Deere forestry sales and tactical marketing manager, U.S. and Canada. “We built the Forestry Simulator based on the needs of operators. Mississippi Loggers Association, the Mississippi Forestry Commission, and Stribling Equipment are the first group to adopt the technology to advance their training program. This will provide safe and advanced training solution for their operators.”
The Forestry Simulator offers training for a number of Deere machines including the 953M/959M Tracked Feller Buncher w/ FR22B head, 953MH/959MH Tracked Harvester w/ H480 head, 953ML/959ML Shovel Logger w/ Grapple and FL85 head, 843L-II Wheeled Feller Buncher w/ FD22B Head, and 848L-II Skidder.
This technological advancement is compatible with construction simulator controls and software, and is also available in desktop simulators.
To learn more about the Full Tree Forestry Simulator, customers can contact their local dealer. www.deere.com/en
Bipartisan, Bicameral Leaders Reintroduce Future Logging Careers Act
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Angus King (I-Maine) and U.S. Representatives Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-Pa.) reintroduced the Future Logging Careers Act for the 117 th Congress. This legislation would allow teenage members of logging families to gain experience in the logging trade under parental supervision so that they may carry on the family business.
Additional cosponsors of the legislation include Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and John Cornyn (R-Texas).
“One of the surest ways to learn a family trade is under the direction and supervision of a parent. However, young men and women in logging families are denied the opportunity to work and learn the timber trade until they are legal adults,” said Senator Risch. “The Future Logging Careers Act will extend existing exemptions for the agriculture industry to families who own and operate timber companies so these young loggers can gain the knowledge and experience needed to carry on the family trade.”
“Maine’s logging industry is part of the foundation of our state, passed down from generation to generation as a way to support rural Maine families and anchor the region’s economy,” said Senator King. “Many young people across our state are planning to enter this industry, and we should give them the opportunity to begin their training early in a safe, managed way. This legislation would allow young people to get hands-on experience in the logging field alongside their parents or grandparents, helping to train the next generation of loggers. This is a bill that supports Maine families, strengthens this fundamental Maine industry, and enhances the long-term skills of Maine’s forest products workforce.”
“Many Maine logging operations are small, family businesses that had a very tough year in 2020,” said Congressman Golden. “If we can help them carry on these important small businesses and provide good jobs in rural Maine at the same time, that’s good policy. Our bipartisan bill will allow young Mainers to start their careers as loggers earlier — as long as they’re under the supervision of family members — providing logging businesses with needed labor and young Mainers with a good start for a career in the woods.”
“I have the great privilege of representing numerous family-owned logging businesses, that operate on private lands, state forests and in Pennsylvania’s only National Forest, the Allegheny. For years, younger people have had the opportunity to learn the family agri-business through the comfort and guidance of their family members,” said Congressman GT Thompson. “This commonsense legislation brings the logging industry up to the same standard as other agri-businesses by allowing the next generation the ability to learn the trade and obtain vital knowledge. I am proud to support this bill.”
Bill text can be found here.
The Future Logging Careers Act would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 so that 16 and 17-year-olds would be allowed to work in mechanized logging operations under parental supervision.
Source Contacts:
Marty Cozza (Risch)
Matthew Felling (King)
Nick Zeller (Golden)
Maddison Stone (Thompson)