PLC Member Weekly Update April 7, 2023

PLC Annual Meeting May 4-5 2023

Register, Sponsor, Donate Now!

Registration for the 2023 PLC Annual Meeting, Dinner and Log A Load for Maine Kids Auction May 4-5 is now underway! We have a full schedule of events and we hope to see you there! We also have numerous Sponsorship opportunities at every level, and we welcome donations of items and cash for the Log A Load Auction to benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in Maine!

Highlights of the event will include lunch guest speaker Scott Dane, Executive Director of the American Loggers Council, our evening dinner and awards ceremony, and, of course, our live Log A Load for Maine Kids Auction! A full board meeting for all Contractor Members will be held the morning of May 5.

NEW THIS YEAR – Log A Load & Lobster! Join us on Thursday, May 4th for an amazing opportunity to raise money for the kids and experience Downeast Maine’s most remark­able renewable energy and blue berry fields, owned by the PLC’s Duane Jordan of Elliott Jordan & Son! Travel by bus from Bar Harbor and learn about what Duane and his family have invested in. Your day will end with a private lakeside Lobster feed with all the fixings! There will be guests from the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital’s joining us for the day and all proceeds will be donated to Log A Load For Kids! LEARN MORE

For the second year in a row we will be holding the event at The Harborside Hotel, Spa and Marina in beautiful Bar Harbor! Come join us for this important day and evening! Rooms are already available to book so why not reserve a room now? *PLEASE NOTE, THE HOTEL DISCOUNT BELOW ENDS ON APRIL 11! BOOK NOW!

Click here to book a room or use: https://www.opalcollection.com/harborside/stay/

*Group Code: MEPL050423

REGISTER AND VIEW EVENT INFORMATION HERE

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES HERE

DONATE TO THE AUCTION HERE 

FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FOR FRIDAY MAY 5

If you have questions, please call or email Jessica Clark at (207) 688-8195 or Jessica@maineloggers.com

PLC 2023 Award Nominations Needed by April 14!

Do you know a person or business involved in the logging industry who ought to be recognized for service to the community, outstanding professionalism or service to the industry? If you do, please NOMINATE THEM for one of the PLC’s annual awards.

PLC Logging Contractor of the Year Award – The PLC Logging Contractor of the Year award recognizes a PLC Logging Contractor for their commitment to the sustainability of the industry and logging as a profession.

PLC Community Service Award – This Award is given annually to a PLC member, Supporting Member or affiliated organization that has demonstrated a significant commitment to giving back to their community.

PLC Supporting Member of the Year Award – The PLC Supporting Member of the Year Award is presented annually to a PLC Supporting Member who has demonstrated an unprecedented commitment to logging contractors in Maine.

Nominations should be received no later than April 14, 2023

*The list of previous award winners is available here: PLC Awards List 2015-2022.

NOMINATION FORM HERE

Logger’s Voice Spring 2023 Now Available!

The Sping edition of The Logger’s Voice is now available! Copies have mailed out.

READ THE VOICE

MLOFT Program Seeks Instructors and Students!

The PLC’s Mechanized Logging Operations and Forest Trucking Program, an expanded version of our highly successful logging operations certificate program that will now include Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training, is actively recruiting instructors and students for the 2023 class.

The program will run for 20 weeks, from June 26 to November 9. The majority of training will take place at an active timber harvest site northeast of Old Town. The opportunity to earn a CDL-A permit and receive preparation for the state driving exam is a significant addition to the program. Tuition is FREE.

Instructors for the program will work from mid-July to mid-October. These are ideal positions for experienced logging operators lookming for new opportunities, including retired loggers seeking seasonal employment. Anyone interested in an instructor position should contact Donald Burr at (207) 356-1541 or email dburr@nmcc.edu.

Potential students seeking more information should contact Holly Grant at Northern Maine Community College at 207-768-2856. Information may be also found online at www.bit.ly/2023MLOFT

PLC 2023 Logger and Fleet Safety Trainings 2023

Trainings are underway! Register Now!

*Members please note – The Passadumkeag training is already full!

The PLC is pleased to offer Logger, Fleet and CPR Training for its members’ employees in person for 2023, March 30-May 24!

Dues Waived for 2024: If your company attends PLC Spring Training with at least 50% of its employees you will not have to pay PLC dues for 2024!

Please review our Logger and Fleet offerings and return registration forms IMMEDIATELY to ensure there is room for your employees at the chosen location/s. For schedule and registration info CLICK HERE.

IF YOU PREFER TO REGISTER ON PAPER CLICK HERE

Don’t delay! Register now!

PLC Mud Season Reminder 2023

Mud season is now upon us, and that means many of you are facing the annual challenges of temporarily laying off employees or being laid off yourself.

Following extensive efforts by the PLC in 2018, laid off loggers will once again be granted up to a 6 week work search waiver while on unemployment, as long as they are able to provide a definite recall date to Maine’s Bureau of Unemployment Compensation.

The most important steps for logging contractors and employees to follow in order to take advantage of the waiver are the following:

1. A company provides an employee with a recall date.

2. The employee contacts the Bureau at 1-800-593-7660 selects option 2 and tells them the name of the company employing them and the recall date the company has given them. The employment representative will provide the necessary information needed for your work search waiver period and any guidance needed for future weekly claims for benefits.

3. The Bureau sends separation paperwork to the Company, at which point the Company will verify the recall date on the paperwork. 

4.  Phone lines are open from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM Monday through Friday. Monday’s are busiest at the unemployment office and tend to slow down each day following. Currently, the average wait times for phone calls are below 3 minutes, so please be patient and a representative will help you.

5.  For online self-service, click HERE. There are zero wait times and this option is available 7 days a week. Select “Create ReEmployME Account” if you do not already have an account created from prior years, or “Claimant Login” if you have filed through the ReEmployME system sometime within the last three years. Then select the “Unemployment Claim” tab at the top of your screen and go to “File Unemployment Claim.” Follow the prompts on the screen to file a new claim, or reopen an existing claim. The department is manually putting in a waiver through that date and will consider an extension as needed at that time.

Any questions may be directed to the Bureau at 1-800-593-7660.

Click here for more unemployment information and guidance

NMCC Seeks Proposals for 2 Semi Trucks

Deadline April 18

Northern Maine Community College is seeking proposals from dealers for two tandem axle semi-trucks.  The trucks must be a 2017 or newer models.  For full information/RFP CLICK HERE

ALC Annual Meeting 2023 in Maine!

Reserve Rooms Now!

Save the Date for the 2023 American Loggers Council Conference and Membership Meeting at the Sunday River Resort in Newry, Maine October 3-6!

American Loggers Council President and long-time PLC Board Member Andy Irish and his wife Kathy look forward to hosting timber industry representatives for the peak “Leaf Peeping” season. More details will be coming soon!

For guests who would like to reserve a room online CLICK HERE

For guests who would like to call to book their reservation lease call 800-207-2365 and refer to Group Code 86B5IN

PLC Members Only!

Equipment Cost Calculators Available

Members,

With expenses rising rapidly in the industry we know you are struggling to get a handle on your costs. This is a great time to utilize the cost calculators created in 2021 for PLC Members.

These new, easy to use, logging equipment and log trucking cost calculators are available on the PLC Members Only section of our web site You may access this private section of the web site with your member login or set up a login HERE.

These calculators allow you to quickly estimate the hourly cost of operation for any piece of your equipment.

DISCLAIMER: These calculators are being made available for your business use as a member benefit. They produce equipment estimates and are not official products of the PLC nor should they be used for negotiation purposes.

PLC Online Store

PLC Upcoming Meetings

PLC Annual Meeting/Full Board Meeting

May 4-5

Bar Harbor, ME

Upcoming classes:

Fire Extinguisher/Emergency Action Plans/Workplace Violence: April 10, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta. In this class, you will learn about Emergency Action Plans, including the use of fire extinguishers and how to maintain them. In addition, this class tackles the emerging concern for workplace violence and how to prepare your organization for this hazard. This is a one-day hands-on class. Those attending this class should come prepared to discharge a fire extinguisher.

NFPA #1401 Recommended Practices for Fire Service Training Reports and Records: April 18, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta. This half-day course provides training to fire fighters and emergency response personnel on the proper approach for conducting safe and efficient, live, fire-training evaluations for both acquired structures and static-burn facilities. Discussion will also include legal ramifications in the event of a negative outcome.

Trenching and Excavation: April 19, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at Sanford Community Adult Education, 668 Main Street, Sanford. This course explains the dangers to employees from trenching and excavation operations, soil classifications, OSHA requirements, and the types of protective systems to prevent cave-ins.

Respiratory Protection: April 20, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta. Where workers are required to wear respirators to do their jobs, employers need a respiratory protection program. This course helps you determine your respiratory protection needs and covers all the elements of a written respiratory protection program.

Impairment Detection Training for Employers: April 21, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Tri-County CareerCenter, 45 Oak Street, Suite 3, Bangor. This one-day training session is designed to help owners, managers, and supervisors recognize and respond appropriately to employee-impairment in the workplace in order to reduce worker accidents and injuries. Participants will be taught procedures to detect impairment regardless of the substance or cause. This class is designed to fulfill the federal DOT requirements for reasonable suspicion training of supervisors. In addition, participants will learn how to develop and implement policies that address impairment in the workplace and are in compliance with Maine’s Substance Use Testing Law.

Trenching and Excavation: April 26, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the Presque Isle CareerCenter, 66 Spruce Street, Suite 1, Presque Isle. This course explains the dangers to employees from trenching and excavation operations, soil classifications, OSHA requirements, and the types of protective systems to prevent cave-ins.

A Practical Approach to Electrical Safety: April 28, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta. In this half-day class, you will learn how to protect workers from electrical hazards. NFPA 70E requirements will be discussed in layman’s terms.

Register and browse more classes here: https://www.safetyworksmaine.gov/training/scheduled_classes/register.shtml

NEW Featured HumpDay Safety Video – Ergonomics

CPR/First Aid/Bloodborne Pathogens certification: Did you know your employees are required to have this training every two years? If your employees need this training in 2023, contact Jessica at Jessica@maineloggers.com or 207-688-8195 and the PLC will schedule training in your area. THIS TRAINING IS FREE TO MEMBERS!

Now FREE to Maine Loggers! A $300 value!

LEARN MORE

Gallagher, Golden Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Support Logging Industry

Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Jared Golden (D-ME) today introduced the Safe Routes Act of 2023, a bipartisan bill that would allow logging trucks that meet state-determined legal requirements to travel up to 150 air miles on the Federal Interstate Highway System. Current law prohibits trucks that meet these requirements from using the federal interstate, forcing them to use state and local roads that increase the risks associated with their trips.

House Lawmakers Unveil Trucking Workforce Bill

Drivers With Class A CDL Could Receive Refundable Tax Credit Up to $7,500

The PLC is relaying the following information from the Maine Forest Service regarding an immediate expansion of emergency efforts to contain the spread of the invasive Emerald Ash Borer and listening sessions that have been scheduled in April to gather input on regulations regarding the insect in Maine. 

New Emergency Order Area Announced as Invasive Emerald Ash Borer Continues Spread into Central Maine

AUGUSTA, Maine – Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s (DACF) Maine Forest Service (MFS) has announced the expansion of its Emergency Order restricting the movement of ash trees, green ash waste, ash firewood, and any other materials that may be a means of emerald ash border (EAB) transportation. The expansion follows the discovery of EAB infestations in Corinna and Newport in Penobscot County and Andover and Woodstock in Oxford County. The infestations are suspected to be the direct result of human movement of EAB. 

The expanded Emergency Order covers Androscoggin, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, and Waldo Counties and parts of Aroostook, Franklin, Oxford, Penobscot Piscataquis, and Somerset Counties. The expansion is in addition to areas described in the existing state quarantine, Maine DACF, Agriculture Rules, Chapter 275, which includes regions of Maine and other states and Canada. 

Regulated ash items include:  

• All life stages of the EAB
• Rooted ash (Fraxinus spp.) for planting (excluding mountain ash)
• Hardwood firewood that has not been certified heat treated
• Ash logs (i.e., roundwood and pulpwood) and green lumber from ash

Emerald Ash Borer Listening Sessions

The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry is holding three listening sessions in April to gather input on emerald ash borer regulations in Maine. The sessions will be hybrid, allowing for in-person and online participation. Meetings will be held in Augusta on April 12, Houlton on April 13, and Old Town on April 20. Interested parties should subscribe to receive EAB-related news.

• Wednesday, April 12 6-7 PM, Augusta, ME
• Thursday, April 13 6 PM to 7 PM, Houlton, ME
• Thursday, April 20 6 PM to 7 PM, Old Town, ME

ALC Opinion: Family loggers are not putting their children in danger

Helaine Olen’s reference in her March 23 op-ed, “We should not be putting children to work,” to the bipartisan Future Logging Careers Act seemed to imply the bill would expose young adults to life-threatening risks. The legislation simply mirrors the same fair labor laws that already apply to farming families. The legislation allows for family businesses to train the next generation so they can carry on the proud tradition and heritage.

PLC Exec. Director Dana Doran on the Old Town Mill Announcement

N.B. companies with forest properties on both sides of U.S. border paying higher taxes in Maine

Tax assessments, bills in New Brunswick are up, but not on timberland for the 30th year in a row

Introducing NEFF’s Climate-Smart Forestry Partnership: A Win for the Forests, Climate, and Communities of New England

 Wednesday, April 26 | 1—2:30 p.m. | Register Now

*Featuring panelist Ted Wright, Executive Director of the Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands

Over the next five years, New England Forestry Foundation will anchor a regional incentive program to build New England’s climate-smart, forest-based economy while protecting ecosystem health and biodiversity. The transformational scale of this pilot project is made possible by a $30 million investment awarded by the USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program.

NEFF welcomes you to join them and their USDA partners for an informational webinar and panel discussion detailing our plans for:

• Implementing forest management practices that store more carbon in the forest and in wood products substituted for fossil fuel-based materials,
• Quantifying the resulting carbon gains, and
• Building markets for climate-smart forest products

Panelists will include Richard Campbell of the American Forest Foundation’s Family Forest Carbon Program, Ted Wright of the Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands, Jeff Spiritos of Spiritos Properties, and Dan Hudnut of Wagner Forest Management, Ltd.

Please register in advance: bit.ly/Climate-Smart-Zoom

Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands April 2023 Newsletter

Haix is looking for 100 wear testers!

Lexington, Kentucky, March 3, 2023: HAIX^® will be conducting a weartest giveaway to select 100 participants to test their choice of cut protective boots. HAIX will give chosen participants the choice between three models of HAIX^® Protector boots. HAIX^® wants tree care workers to feel the HAIX^® quality difference. That’s it. And what better way to do that than by giving 100 tree care workers the chance to get a free pair of HAIX^® boots on their feet. HAIX^® wants each chosen participant to put our shoes through their paces. And then, after wearing them on the job for 4 weeks, give us their feedback.

       Commentary: With federal opinion in hand, it’s time to relicense Shawmut dam, protect central Maine economy

TRUCKING DISCOUNTS THROUGH THE ALC!

PLC Members, because the PLC is a member of the American Loggers Council YOU are entitled to special discounts on truck purchases! Click on the brand names below to learn more!

PETERBILT

WESTERN STAR

INTERNATIONAL

—

Fabian Oil Discount

Traction Heavy Duty Special

Wallingford’s Discounts

Maine Trailer Discounts

PLC Members get a 5% discount on culverts purchased at Treeline and Frank Martin & Sons

Hale Trailer discounts for PLC Members on new trailer purchases! Call Neal at 207-232-7969 for details!

Cross Arena Discounts for PLC! 

PLC Classified Section

Check out the equipment and job opportunities our members have listed at the LOGGING ZONE! If you have equipment for sale, are looking to buy, are looking for employees, or