LATEST NEWS
McMorris Rodgers, Westerman Lead Legislation Banning Timber Imports From Russia
WASHINGTON - Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) introduced the No Timber From Tyrants Act with the support of more than 80 members and 35 industry groups. This legislation would prohibit imports of forest products from Russia and Belarus while ramping up responsible harvesting of American timber to create new jobs, produce more sustainable wood products and make U.S. federal lands more resilient to catastrophic wildfires.
"America should be pushing back on Putin's war of aggression from every possible angle, and there's no better way to do that than by cutting Russia's economy off at the knees. We imported hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of wood products from Russia last year alone, giving Russia the power to channel those funds directly into Putin's war. No more. By immediately banning the import of all Russian timber, we can not only deal a harsh blow to tyranny, but we can also simultaneously boost American industries. Enough rhetoric - it's time to show Putin we mean business and stop economically propping up his senseless violence. I'm proud to see so many of my colleagues joining me in this effort, and hope to see this bill passed quickly." - House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.)
"As long as Putin’s unhinged, evil genocide in Ukraine continues, we’ll use every tool at our disposal to isolate and weaken his regime and its financing. The No Timber From Tyrants Act is a just response to this dictatorial aggression and will simultaneously stimulate the American forestry industry and promote forest health." - House Committee on Agriculture Ranking Member GT Thompson (R-Pa.)
"The timber industry helped build the Pacific Northwest, and with more than 6.5 million acres of forestland, Eastern Washington is in a position to lead and deliver results. By proactively managing these forests and responsibly harvesting more timber, we can increase exports to support our allies, decrease the world’s dangerous dependence on Russia, and make our lands more resilient to catastrophic wildfires. The No Timber From Tyrants Act is a win-win for Eastern Washington and the United States. Just like the American Energy Independence from Russia Act, this legislation will help us expand our energy dominance on the world stage and fight back against Putin, and I’m proud to help introduce it today- House Committee on Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.)
Background
In 2021, the U.S. imported more than half-a-billion dollars’ worth of wood products from Russia ($459 million) and Belarus ($52 million). Russia is the world’s fourth largest exporter of wood, and wood exports are a $12 billion industry for President Vladimir Putin. Since Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, global forest certification systems have begun classifying wood products from Russia and Belarus as "conflict lumber." As U.S. leadership looks for ways to cut off resources funding Putin’s war, wood products are an obvious way to further economically isolate Russia while simultaneously supporting American businesses.
To replace this conflict timber, the No Timber From Tyrants Act will increase responsible harvesting on federal lands in the amount necessary to make up for lost imports. Securing American independence from wood supplied from Russia and Belarus will greatly enhance American forest management and create vitally important economic opportunities for rural communities to produce more American wood products. Harvesting more wood products in the U.S. under rigorous environmental standards will also help address our nation's current wildfire crisis by supporting more active management to improve forest health and reduce the risk and severity of catastrophic wildfires.
What Type of Wood Are MLB Bats Made Of?
History of the MLB Baseball Bat
In the 1800’s baseball players traditionally made their own bats. Players could make bats however they wanted. This means that bats were often made of whatever scrap wood was lying around. Bats were often made from wagon tongues and included unique designs and materials specific to that player’s style.
In the mid-1800s players began seeking out the help of professional woodworkers to help them design and shape baseball bats. The first standard baseball bat was not mass-produced until 1884. Several different kinds of wood were tested including hickory, ash, and maple. Since then, rules and regulations have been put in place to limit the size, weight, and material of the bats used in MLB.
3 Type of Wood in MLB Bats:
The wooden baseball bats of modern Major League Baseball are made from several different types of woods. These are the most common types of wood in MLB bats and the advantages of each:
The 271 model is the most popular bat in the game.
Maple Wood Baseball Bats (70% USE MAPLE)
Maple bats are stiff and offer little flexibility when a ball is struck with them. Maple wood is hard and thick which allows for additional force behind the hit. It should come as no surprise that sluggers often choose to use maple bats. Because of the density of maple wood, bats made of maple are less likely to crack or break. The downside of maple bats is that they can retain moisture over time which adds weight to the bat and decreases swing speed.
Ash Wood Baseball Bats (25% USE ASH)
Ash was one of the initial species of wood that was first used in standard baseball bats. Many MLB players still use Ash bats because they offer more flexibility which increases bat speed. The downside of Ash baseball bats is that they are ring-porous and tend to dry out over time leading to breakage.
Birch Wood Baseball Bats (5% USE BIRCH)
Birch is another common wood that is used to make bats. Birch is soft but also naturally durable, it is the middle road between ash and maple. Birch bats often combine the durability of maple bats with the flexibility of ash bats. The downside of birch is its softness. Hitting often leaves dents on the shaft of the bat.
Bill to Establish Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area Introduced in the U.S. Senate
WASHINGTON, March 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On Wednesday, Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced the Shenandoah Mountain Act of 2022, which would designate more than 92,000 acres of the George Washington National Forest as the Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area. If enacted, the National Scenic Area will preserve majestic forests, spectacular vistas, and more than 150 miles of trails on the western edge of the Shenandoah Valley.
The new designation would allow forest visitors to continue enjoying these incredible lands – which are separate from and to the west of Shenandoah National Park – as they do today, while prohibiting logging and industrial development like gas drilling and pipeline construction.
“National Scenic Areas strike a great balance between recreation and preservation,” Friends of Shenandoah Mountain Co-Chair Lynn Cameron said. “This unique designation ensures that hunters, hikers, anglers, mountain bikers, and many others will be able to continue to enjoy the exceptional landscapes for generations to come.”
The proposal has the support of more than 400 local businesses, organizations, and faith groups who recognize the immense benefits the new designation will have on nearby communities. Rockingham and Augusta Counties, as well as the nearby cities of Staunton and Harrisonburg, have also endorsed the proposal. The U.S. Forest Service – which recommended designation of a national scenic area and wilderness areas on Shenandoah Mountain in 2014 – estimates that visitors to national forests in Virginia generate $1.4 billion a year. The Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area will attract even more visitors and provide a boost to the region’s growing tourism industry.
“This bill is the product of 18 years of collaborative work from an incredibly diverse group of local conservationists, recreation groups, timber industry representatives, hunters, and anglers. Over that time, people with different outlooks on forest management came together and agreed that this exceptional place deserves the permanent protection that a National Scenic Area will provide,” Friends of Shenandoah Mountain Co-Chair Thomas Jenkins said.
“The Shenandoah Mountain area is one of the largest stretches of undeveloped land east of the Mississippi River, and boasts some of the most spectacular, uninterrupted views in the Southern Appalachians,” Southern Environmental Law Center Senior Attorney Kristin Davis said. “Designating this as a National Scenic Area will protect these special public lands and all they have to offer.”
The Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area would also include four Wilderness Areas, totaling around 28,000 acres of new Wilderness, which would have the highest level of protection public lands can receive. Wilderness Areas are popular among people in the South, and a recent study showed 88 percent of Southerners surveyed said they support more Wilderness designations.
“Wilderness Areas are some of the nation’s least developed lands and offer a one-of-a-kind experience to visitors looking for solitude. These protections are becoming increasingly important as more and more areas – especially in the Eastern US – are being rapidly developed, leaving fewer pristine and untouched landscapes,” Mark Miller, Executive Director of the Virginia Wilderness Committee, said.
Important natural resources would also be protected by Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area, which lies within a biodiversity hotspot. The area is home to black bear, wild turkey, more than 250 species of birds, and many other species, including rare or endangered species that only live in the Shenandoah Mountain area. Creating this designation would help preserve these wildlife and plant habitats, allowing visitors to continue to enjoy the plants and animals that make this area unique. The National Scenic Area designation will also protect important water sources for people living in Harrisonburg, Staunton, and many other towns and communities downstream.
Introducing the Shenandoah Mountain Act of 2022 in the United States Senate is just the first step in establishing these much-needed protections for this extraordinary area. In order to permanently protect Shenandoah Mountain, Congress must pass this important bill, and send it to the President for his signature.
Wilderness and National Scenic Area FAQs:
Some of our most spectacular federal lands are designated as National Scenic Areas and Wilderness areas. While there are some key differences between them, there are many similarities:
Only Congress has the power to designate portions of national forests or other federal lands as National Scenic Areas or Wilderness Areas, and only federal land can be designated. Private lands near or within the proposed National Scenic Area are not included, and there are no private inholdings within the proposed Wilderness areas. Since this land is already federally owned and part of the George Washington National Forest, no land acquisition is required.
Hiking, camping, backpacking, horseback riding, paddling, birdwatching, and many other forms recreation are allowed in both the National Scenic Area and Wilderness areas. Hunting and fishing are also allowed in both the National Scenic Area and Wilderness areas. This designation does not affect hunting or fishing rules, which are determined by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
The Forest Service can continue to fight fires and damaging outbreaks of insects and disease in both the National Scenic Area and Wilderness areas.
Most timber harvest and industrial development, such as gas drilling, would be off-limits in both the National Scenic Area and Wilderness areas.
The proposed Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area and Wilderness areas were both developed by and brought to Congress by local citizens, as most successful proposals are.
Wilderness is the highest level of protection available for public land. Wilderness areas are some of the nation’s most remote and least developed places. They have a natural character, and the imprint of any prior land uses is substantially unnoticeable.
To preserve the wild character of Wilderness areas, timber harvest, permanent roads, drilling, and other development are not allowed. The use of motorized equipment, motor vehicles, or other mechanical transport is normally not allowed, except when necessary for control of fire, insects, diseases, and for search and rescue operations. There are no existing roads in the proposed Wilderness areas.
Designated Wilderness offers outstanding opportunities for people to enjoy solitude and backcountry recreation, and also protect forested refuges for wildlife and fish, clean water and air, and other natural values.
National Scenic Areas are more flexible, protecting the exceptional scenic and natural value of an area while allowing compatible uses to continue. Certain activities that are not allowed in Wilderness areas may be allowed in National Scenic Areas.
Mountain biking is allowed on trails within the National Scenic Area.
No existing roads within the National Scenic area will be closed, and visitors can continue to use them, including for scenic drives and to access campsites and trailheads.
Virginia is already home to three popular National Scenic Areas. The Mount Pleasant, Seng Mountain, and Bear Creek National Scenic Areas contain some of Virginia’s most popular trails, and are popular destinations for camping, fishing, and other recreation.
The Southern Environmental Law Center is one of the nation’s most powerful defenders of the environment, rooted in the South. With a long track record, SELC takes on the toughest environmental challenges in court, in government, and in our communities to protect our region’s air, water, climate, wildlife, lands, and people. Nonprofit and nonpartisan, the organization has a staff of 170, including 90 attorneys, and is headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., with offices in Asheville, Atlanta, Birmingham, Chapel Hill, Charleston, Nashville, Richmond, and Washington, D.C. southernenvironment.org
View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bill-to-establish-shenandoah-mountain-national-scenic-area-introduced-in-the-us-senate-301509328.html
SOURCE: Southern Environmental Law Center
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.
SURGING FUEL PRICES! Who is it hurting? Why is it hurting? Where is it going?
I was honored when Clay Altizer and FRA asked me to weigh in on the surging fuel prices and the impacts on logging and forest products transportation sectors. Why? Well, it is not because I feel that we are the experts. I readily admit that prior to taking this position with the Southern Loggers Cooperative (SLC) in 2012, I did not know much about the “fuel” business other than the fact that I had purchased many thousands of dollars worth of fuel in my 23-year career in logging, forest products trucking and chip milling leading up to that point. However, during the last ten years, I have learned much about the business side of the fuel industry. That still does not make me an expert. However, with the SLC’s 32 fueling locations across seven states, just a little under 4,700 members, and approximate 55 million gallons of fuel pumped or dropped into member’s bulk tanks predicted for this year, I certainly believe that we have a good feel for what the fuel business is doing, or at minimum, we have a good feel for how prices move. We literally track it daily, and our fuel brokers track it hourly.
As a point of reference, let’s look back in time for just a moment. In April of 2018, I was honored to speak at the FRA’s Annual Meeting in New Orleans. On the day I gave my presentation at that meeting, SLC’s average fuel prices for On-Road and Off-Road fuel were $2.70/gallon and $2.22/gallon, respectively. Just a couple of days before the 2020 Presidential Election (a very significant date in time), the SLC average fuel prices for On-Road and Off-Road fuel were $1.79/gallon and $1.44/gallon. Fast forward to the day that I researched our past pricing for this article (3/14/22), and the SLC average prices for On-Road and Off-Road fuel were $4.72/gallon and $4.11/gallon, respectively. In just a short 16-month period, the SLC average fuel prices increased by $2.93/gallon for On-Road (164% increase) and $2.67/gallon for Off-Road (185% increase).
So, with that being said, let’s jump into the three questions in the title of this article.
Who is hurting from the surging fuel prices?
Obviously, the answer to that question is EVERYONE. That certainly works its way right down to the consumer, regardless of whether they are buying lumber, paper, or a box of cereal at the grocery store. However, for the purpose of this article, it is the logger and those that transport forest products. They are the ones that we have first-hand knowledge of how much it is hurting. At least 90% of our SLC members are loggers and/or forest products truckers. Why is that important? In a recent Woods to Mill article by FRA’s Northeast Region Coordinator Eric Kingsley, he said,
“As is obvious to anyone in the forest industry, loggers and truckers are the supply chain links that connect the woods to the mill. In FRA’s supply chain schematic, there are a lot of arrows connecting lots of products, but for anything to get from the woods to the consumer, the industry relies on loggers and truckers. If loggers aren’t healthy, it’s hard for any other sector to be healthy for very long.”
Why is it hurting?
Aside from the changes over time that I mentioned above, the upward movement that we have witnessed since 1/1/22 has been at a rate that added efficiencies and fuel adjustments (if actually received) can’t keep up with. Over the past two weeks alone (2/27/22 – 3/12/22), SLC average prices have increased $1.23/gallon for On-Road and $1.09/gallon for Off-Road. Around 50 cents of that increase for our prices took place in 1 single day. According to a recent survey by the American Loggers Council, Scott Dane, Executive Director, indicates that just under 50% of those responding to the survey were showing an increase at or above 50% in their fuel costs in the first two months of the year. Keep in mind that this was before the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Obviously, the rapid rise in fuel cost doesn’t stop with “just” the fuel. It increases every other item associated with operating their business. I encourage you to visit the American Loggers Council website and view the rest of the survey to see how all operating costs have changed since the first of the year.
Additionally, we see other issues in our business that only add to the topic at hand with the surging fuel prices. In a conversation with our Executive V.P. & COO Jason Slatten, he said:
Jason Slatten, COO Southern Loggers Cooperative
“When fuel markets go haywire, one of the most common things we see at Southern Loggers stations is the “panic buy” or stockpiling. Because of the lag in our pump prices due to our pricing structure (our direct invoice cost plus a very small markup), we’ll see a few members start showing up with piggyback tanks, drums, buckets, and any other container they can get a drop of that cheap fuel in. Owners send every truck they have, their buddies, cousins, and in-laws to fill up. That reaction to a rising market may seem like a wise one but is actually quite detrimental. Those guys got that cheap fuel stockpiled, but our tank is now empty. The next guy to come in who needs 100 gallons today to run his job is left standing there with nothing and now must find fuel somewhere else, paying Lord only knows what. Naturally, this leads to additional unproductive time chasing fuel and fewer loads to the set and to the mill. On those days when the fuel market is higher than a giraffe’s butt, we’re now left with no option but to purchase whatever we can just to wet the tank. The rub is now members will have to pay for that high day, instead of SLC being able to “sit out” on buying fuel that day and ride our inventory until tomorrow when the market may not be crazy. That’s not always an option, as we have some stations that get a transport load (or two!) five days a week just to stay going. The big takeaway here is that you WILL NOT avoid fuel price increases in an economic and geopolitical climate like we currently have. “You may sidestep it for a few days, but not for long.”
Where is it going?
This is a question that is often posed to our primary fuel broker, Jamie Landers of F.M. Fuel and Resources. His answer is the same every single time,
“If I could tell you that, I would have an entirely different set of friends!”
While that is comical, it is very true. Yes, there are speculators that speculate, and predictions made by everyone. However, nobody really knows! Sometimes we all like to pretend that we do, but we do not! In the political climate that we live in, one move by a person or one word by another can change the whole course of how fuel prices are moving. I mentioned our COO Jason Slatten above. He and I have these conversations daily. We wholeheartedly agree that from what we’ve heard and read from folks in the fuel industry, we should expect elevated prices for the near future. While we have witnessed some sizable drops in the past five days (3/10 – 3/15), domestic inventory for crude and products is down, as is production. Demand has ramped up now that the country has opened back up and will likely increase even more once summer comes. Personally, I’m hoping that we/they are all wrong and domestic production goes full steam ahead tomorrow, and friendly foreign countries want to sell us some cheap crude to help us out in the meantime. The question is, in this political climate, will our government allow that to happen? We speculate but do not know that for sure!
I read a quote from a Minnesota trucker in an “As We See It” article by Scott Dane, stating, “The prices being paid to loggers and truckers are not keeping up to the increased cost of doing business.” In the past few days, we have started to see and hear that some consuming mills are providing some flat-rate increases and fuel adjustments. While those increases are certainly appreciated, is it enough? Has it been timely? Here at the Southern Loggers Cooperative, we truly hope to see consuming mills and other raw materials buyers adjusting rates closer to real-time. Our professional loggers and truckers need to be compensated for the increased costs they’re incurring, rather than a bump for what’s already past. A financially healthy raw materials supply chain can only be a good thing for the forest industry.
Things are tough! Doing business is tough! I would certainly rather write an article that is much more positive. However, I can always count on one of my board members and former Chairman of the board of the SLC Greg Williams to remind me of this…“It’s A Fine Day for Logging!”
By: Todd Martin, Southern Loggers Cooperative President & CEO
Source: Forest Resources Association
New PONSSE H8 Harvester Head
The launch of the completely upgraded PONSSE H8 harvester head will strengthen Ponsse’s position as one of the world’s leading suppliers of harvesting solutions. A powerful feed, firm grip and solid yet agile frame are characteristics of the H8 harvester head. Active Speed is available for the harvester head as a new feature, giving the harvester head a superior performance.
With Active Speed, the harvester head’s operating speed can be adjusted based on the tree species and stem diameter. Equipped with this new function, working with the H8 harvester head is smooth and productive, no matter what the tree diameter is.
“We have developed our product range of harvester heads actively with our customers. Many of our customers work in challenging conditions, which is why their development ideas give us the best possible feedback for product development. With its completely new structure, the new H8 harvester head is ideal for processing large trees,” says Janne Loponen, Product Manager for harvester heads.
Completely upgraded new structure
The new harvester head can be mounted on PONSSE Ergo and Bear, the strongest harvesters in our product range. The saw box area is even wider, making the harvester head an excellent choice for trees with a high butt diameter. The harvester head’s structure has been designed for easy maintenance, and the frame has been built to be even more durable. A powerful feed, combined with a geometry that firmly supports larger stems on feed rollers, guarantees high productivity and fuel economy. The automatic features of the Opti control system, developed and built by Ponsse, control the feed speed and saw movement, according to the tree diameter, and ensure fast and precise sawing.
All PONSSE harvester heads have been designed to withstand the toughest conditions. They are characterised by a simple and solid structure which is why they can be used in various harvesting applications. All PONSSE harvester heads are manufactured and designed at the Ponsse factory in Vieremä, Finland. Comprehensive design applies to both mechanical components and the electronic control system, controls and software. The manufacturing process is highly automated, guaranteeing a high level of quality and measuring accuracy.
Janne Loponen, Product Manager, Harvester Heads
USDA: Science Says Thinned Forests Are Healthy Forests
Overgrown forests are one of the key contributing factors to the current wildfire crisis in the West. The new Forest Service strategy on Confronting the Wildfire Crisis outlines the agency’s plan for increasing fuels and forest health treatments to create healthier forests and reduce the risk to communities.
Overgrown forests like the that on the left are a key contributor to the current wildfire crisis in the West. Such forests experienced extensive tree mortality during a recent drought. The thinned forest to the right, with gaps between pockets of trees, mimics historical forest conditions and experienced far less tree mortality during the same drought. USDA Forest Service photos by Adam Watts.
Forest Service science shows that thinning and fuels treatments work. Historically, many western forests were far less dense and extremely variable. Trees often grew in clusters of two to 20, interspersed with several small gaps. Pacific Southwest Research Station Research Ecologist Eric Knapp studies the ecology of western forests in relation to disturbance, particularly fire. He’s especially interested in landscape changes that have occurred in the absence of fire, including how resilient these forests are to drought or wildfire later. As part of this research, he evaluates the results of forest management alternatives designed to reverse some of these changes, including mechanical thinning and prescribed fire.
Ten years ago, Knapp and his colleagues began a study on the Stanislaus-Tuolumne Experimental Forest in California. They thinned some areas in the standard way, with trees spaced relatively evenly. They also thinned other areas with a new prescription designed to restore variability, mimicking historical forest conditions. Finally, they left other units unthinned. Half of all the units were later treated with prescribed fire. Since then, he and his team have been measuring the trees, understory vegetation, and small mammal populations to evaluate how the different treatments perform over time.
What they found was that during a recent severe drought that killed over 147 million trees statewide, the two thinned treatments came through relatively unscathed, experiencing far less tree mortality than the adjacent unthinned areas. By reducing competition, the remaining trees had greater access to sunlight, water and the nutrients found in soils. They also found that the addition of prescribed fire is key to a more vibrant and diverse understory plant community, similar to what these forests once contained.
Knapp and his colleagues have shared these findings through field tours for land managers and other stakeholders representing a diversity of interests.
“It has been gratifying to see that many have found the ‘high variability’ thinning idea with prescribed fire to be an example worthy of scaling up to improve forest resilience and habitat value,” he said.
Knapp is convinced that there are few better ways to improve understanding and acceptance of forest management than experiencing the various treatment options in person, but he believes that a virtual tour might be the next best thing. He’s now collaborating with Penn State University to develop a virtual reality field tour of the study area. Linking high resolution 360-degree imagery with audio commentary, the virtual tour allows users to explore the stands with a computer mouse.
The increased number of trees and accumulated fuels makes the forest shown in the left photo more vulnerable to drought and wildfire. The photo to the right shows the same forest after thinning and prescribed fire. This forest is more resilient to drought, wildfire and other disturbances. Left photo: USDA Forest Service photos by Adam Watts. Right photo: Courtesy photo from University of Nevada Reno.
“While there’s no substitute for actually being there, we’re hoping this virtual tour will make the forest more accessible to audiences that wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity,” he said. An updated virtual tour should be available in a few months.
Forest thinning is seen by some as incompatible with healthy forests, but the forests of the past prove thinned forests can be both biodiverse and resilient in the face of drought and wildfire. Soon we’ll all be able to see the proof for ourselves.
Joyce El Kouarti, Office of Communication, USDA
Source: Science says thinned forests are healthy forests | US Forest Service (usda.gov)
LOGGER INFLATION SURVEY (3 MINS)
To help you inform your clients and customers of what you are up against right now, we are surveying the membership to gauge price inflation in labor, fuel, parts, and equipment in the American logging industry.
Please let us know what percentage increases you have experienced over the last two years by comparing what you paid in January 2020 to January 2022.
We understand not all these costs may apply to your business so please answer the ones that do. Once we have the data collected, we will share it with you so you can provide this information to your clients and customers for information purposes.
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
Inflation Threatens to Undermine Timber Industry Post-Pandemic Economic Recovery
With pandemic illnesses and hospitalizations falling, and restrictions being lifted, it appeared that the worst might just be behind us. The timber industry was deemed essential and worked through the COVID crisis providing the resources to support the production of forest-based products. Most survived, both literally, and businesswise.
However, after over two years of pandemic economic impacts to the U.S. economy, studies concluded that over $1 billion in negative economic impact occurred within the timber industry, due to some mills closing and others taking downtime. Now hyper-inflation has reared its ugly head.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that inflation was 7.5% compared to a year ago, the highest in 40 years. I do not know what type of “new math” or formula they are using, but it doesn’t take a convoluted calculation to feel the “real” inflationary impacts. Just fill up the tank of your logging truck, buy consumables or parts – they’ve all increased by at least 3-4 times the 7.5% rate being reported (this assumes the products are even available due to the breakdown in the supply chain). Additionally, labor costs are increasing as the logging industry competes to attract and retain workers.
The Department of Energy (DOE) documents fuel prices. These are the average diesel prices reported by the DOE across the country:
February 2020: $2.71/Gallon
February 2021: $2.95/Gallon
February 2022: $3.95/Gallon
**With California reporting $4.94/Gallon
“The cost of fuel has now risen to $4.30/gallon in northern Wisconsin.” -Wisconsin Logger
“I have been in the trucking business for over 40 years. The availability of parts, tires, filters are at a level not seen in the past.” -Minnesota Trucker
“A set of four tires for a F-350 pickup cost $2,012 two weeks ago, $400 more than at this time last year.” -Idaho Trucker
“A pallet of bar and chain oil last year was $1,300, today it is $2,000.” -Missouri Logger
“Slasher saw blade was $1,888, now it’s $2,958. Tracks and chains for six-wheel skidder were $20,300, now they are $27,300. Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) was 95 cents per gallon, now it is $2.64 per gallon.” -Maine Logger
“The prices being paid to loggers and truckers are not keeping up to the increased cost of doing business.” -Minnesota Trucker
The numbers don’t add up. At this point, the timber industry would embrace a 7.5% inflationary increase compared to what we are really paying! Unlike other industries that can pass on the additional costs to the consumers, the timber industry does not have that option in most cases. In an industry where half operate at a breakeven or loss and the largest percentage of profitable companies (24%) operate on a 1%-3% profit margin, absorbing these additional costs is not sustainable.
Everybody likes to talk about sustainability within the forest industry, except when it comes to the logger.
The Professional Logging Contractors of Maine has conducted a survey comparing the cost of specific industry items between 2020 and 2022. That data will be available on their website. The American Loggers Council is going to utilize that survey, with a couple of additions, and distribute it nationwide through our databases and state associations. It is imperative that the real inflationary numbers be documented and verifiable to provide credibility when demonstrating the impact to operational and production costs. When the survey is released, please take a moment to complete and submit it. Your participation will assist in developing quantifiable proof of the level and impact that inflation and supply chain interruptions are having on the U.S. timber industry.
Scott Dane, Executive Director – American Loggers Council
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