SKCI - Louisiana Forestry Association

Frank Bonner
Chose Career Early
VOLUME 20 • No. 2 • APRIL 2015
Frank and Angie Bonner a team . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . Page 4
Training classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 11
Paper for this publication produced in the U.S.A.
The Louisiana Logging Council
P.O. Box 5067 • Alexandria, LA 71307-5067
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Alexandria, LA 71307
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Someone may be watching you!
By C.A. “Buck” Vandersteen
A friend of forestry in the Louisiana
State Legislature called the other day and
talked about the improvements he has
seen in the logging industry. He complimented loggers for the professional
improvement he’s seen and complimented the Logging Council and Forestry
Association for what we have done to
educate lawmakers about our business.
He then went on to say that he knew
we were big on safety and that he didn’t
have to propose regulations in the
Legislature against our industry because
he knew we were able to police ourselves.
Then he asked what we were going to
do about those log trucks that had mud
covered flags on the back end of loads.
They are supposed to be red and clearly
visible to oncoming traffic. He said he
was driving in the early mornings to
Baton Rouge and wondered why overhanging logs did not have a red light on
the end of the loads.
He never threatened legislation but
we knew what he was saying, get it right
or he will!
Loggers are watched by everyone. We
mess up and we get hammered. We do
the right thing and we get no thanks or
appreciation because people expect us to
be professionals. We have to be at the
top of our game each and every day.
I had a logger friend who recently
passed away and he had an experience
worth sharing. He was a Master Logger
and in his spare time fooled around with
cattle. He wanted to expand his pasture
so he cut his timber and pushed the
debris into a creek bed running through
his property.
EPA officials were monitoring water
quality downstream and saw dirt and
debris in the water. Their curiosity lead
“We knew what he was saying,
get it right or he will.”
them upstream until they came to the
farm that our Master Logger cleared for
his cattle. An EPA call to Louisiana’s
Department of Environmental Quality
and then a call to our association
brought DEQ, logger, and our association together to the site.
The Master Logger knew and supported Best Management Practices
(BMPs) and knew about stream-side
management zones (SMZs). When
Louisiana Logger
President Buzz Jenkins
Robeline
318-472-6407
[email protected]
Gracee Malone-Texada,
Staff Assistant
318 443-2558
[email protected]
Published quarterly by the Louisiana Logging Council
P.O. Box 5067
Alexandria, LA 71307 318 - 443-2558
Chapter Chairmen
Chapter 6 - Malcolm
Chapter 1 - Lawrence Hill
Sibley
Spearsville • 318-778-9900
Walker • [email protected]
7935
Caskey Terrell
[email protected]
Farmerville • 318-368-8822 Chapter 7 - Ralph Roe Jr.
[email protected]
Robeline• 318-481-4781
Chapter 2 - John Keith and Skeet [email protected]
Hodgkins
For information about
Haughton • 318-949-3672
articles or advertising,
[email protected]
please call Janet
Chapter 3 - Jack McFarland
Tompkins at 318Winnfield • 318-727-9696
443-2558.
[email protected]
Joshue McAllister
For information on
Winnfield • 318- 729-1727
classes or training
[email protected]
records, consult the
Chapter 4 - Tommy Frazier
website:
Boyce
• 318-793-8659
www.laforestry.com
[email protected]
or call Gracee MaloneChapter 5 - Angie Bonner/Lisa
Texada at 318-443McCain • Evans •337-286-9837
2558.
[email protected]
asked if he knew
about them, why
did he ignore them
on his property? He
replied he thought
BMPs and SMZs
were only for loggers. BMPs and
SMZs are for every- Vandersteen
one and the story
ended well in that he agreed to clear the
debris from the creek and reseed the
banks. The best part is that DEQ did
not fine him because he was a Master
Logger and belonged to the Louisiana
Forestry Association and Logging
Council.
Even back in the woods where we
think no one is watching, someone has
an interest in what we are doing. We
have to be at the top of our game every
day.
The 2015 Legislative Session begins
April 13. It will be a tough budget year
with over a $1.6 billion deficit. Our
Office of Forestry will take a hit and will
focus almost entirely on fire protection
and enforcement of forest laws. Be vigilant and if someone is doing something
that gives loggers a bad name report it.
The legislature is looking at all tax
exemptions. Our exemption from state
sales tax on logging equipment and parts
will be reviewed. Stay tuned to our
Legislative Report and take action when
needed. You can request an email of the
report for your computer or phone by
emailing [email protected]. This is a
member service so if you are not a member of the Logging Council you will have
to make that small investment and
become one.
Loggers, industry, financial institutions, and economic development foundations recently met at the LFA office to
discuss impediments to improving logging capacity. Financing, trucking, labor,
and succession planning were identified
as areas for further discussion and recommendations. If you have any recommendations to share please drop us a
line.
(Buck Vandersteen is the executive
director of the Louisiana Forestry
Association and Louisiana Logging
Council.)
Second Quarter 2015
3
Bonner Logging
Frank & Angie
Bonner
By Elona Weston
Frank and Angie Bonner of Evans work together as a team along with their
crew of three. Frank started logging when he was 18 and eventually started his own job. (Photo by Elona Weston)
Bonner Logging has husband and wife duo
When Frank Bonner was 12 years
At 18, he began driving skidders,
Bonners’ trucking.
old and planting trees by hand on his
loaders and trucks.
“He does a great job for us,” said
home place in Evans, he knew what he
Thirty-four years later, at 52, Frank
Bennett. “A point a lot of people miss
wanted to be.
owns his own logging business and
is in this work, you have to do a great
“My Daddy got me interested in it
works alongside his wife Angie, who he
job for a very long time and Frank has
and he asked me what I wanted to be
married 26 years ago.
done that," he said.
when I grew up and I said, ‘a logger’,”
The two are a team. When Frank
Frank logs primarily in Beauregard
Frank recalled.
can’t do something, Angie steps in.
and Vernon parishes. He uses a
Frank’s father, Johnny, who
TigerCat 234 loader, TigerCat
was killed in a car accident 25
630C skidder and TigerCat 718
years ago, worked for the
“As long as there’s a tree, somebody E shear.
Louisiana
Department
of
is also extra equipment
is going to cut it because there is if There
Agriculture and raised cattle on
something breaks down,
his 150-acre farm.
including a TigerCat 230B
money in trees.”
“The stock law passed and we
loader, TigerCat 620C skidder
didn’t have money to build
and TigerCat 720D shear.
fences on the 150 acres to keep the
“She’s a master logger and she’s a goA Chambers delimbinator and a
farm going. We sold cows and we
getter,” Frank said. “She’s my partner. 460J John Deere bull dozer complete
planted trees by hand,” Frank
Without her, I couldn’t do it.”
the Bonner inventory.
explained.
“He taught me everything I know,”
Frank said his employees, John
Frank watched the trees grow and
Angie said. “I started coming out here
Brittain, Charles Brittain and Paul
helped his father care for them. At with him and I haven’t left.”
Medley, are invaluable.
Evans High School, he became
Angie is a co-chair on the Chapter 5
John Brittain and Charles Brittain
involved in Future Farmers of America, Louisiana Logging Council, along with
have been with him for 12 years, and
under then-instructors W.F. Dowden Lisa McCain, the office manager for
Medley has been a crew member for
and William Carver.
Bennett Timber Company.
over a year.
For 12 years, Frank has worked for
“I can leave and go somewhere, and
Bennett Timber, owned by Robert
they work the same as they would if I
COVER PHOTO: Frank Bonner worked
alongside his father at an early age planting
Bennett, a wood dealer out of
was standing right here,” Frank said.
trees. Today he makes his living cutting them
DeRidder.
The Bonners have seen ups and
down.
Bennett Timber also handles the
downs in the industry.
4
Managing operations closely, Frank
said, is what has seen them through.
“I pay myself a salary and I don’t
mess with my other money. I leave it
alone for breakdowns,” he said.
Roads, wet weather and fuel costs
are always challenges.
Faith is also important to the
Bonners.
“It’s God first, family and then job,”
Frank said. “I went to the altar and
prayed for the good Lord to help me
and the next thing I know, here I was
and I had this,” he said.
Frank said he wishes more young
people would consider logging as a
career. Though it’s hard work, it’s fulfilling, he said.
“It’s a $3 billion a year industry and
you can’t find a young person who
wants to do it anymore. They want to
go make the big bucks at the mills and
the shutdowns and stuff like that. I
drove my own skidder for five or six
years before I even hired anyone to
keep my cost down, and when you
start looking for one, you can’t find
Frank Bonner’s crew is shown at a logging work site in the Plainview Community near
Florien. From left to right are: Paul Medley, John Brittain, Charles Brittain, Bonner and
his wife, Angie. anybody that’s qualified for the job,”
he said.
But despite this, Frank believes there
will always be a future in trees.
“As long as there’s a tree, somebody
is going to cut it because there is
money in trees. There’s money to be
made,” he said.
Frank said he knows it may seem
strange to some to hear that logging is
his passion.
“Been doing it all my life. I love it. It
has its ups and downs, but this is what
I love doing,” he said.
Bonner is seeking a seat on the
Alexandria and
Baton Rouge
Alexandria • 318- 448-6211
Baton Rouge • 225-923-3450
Vernon Parish Police Jury this fall. He
said if elected, he hopes he can use his
experience to represent his constituents
well.
(Elona Weston is a reporter for a radio
station in Leesville.)
Office of Forestry
will close nurseries
The latest casualty of the dwindling
state budget is the state tree nursery program under the Office of Forestry. The
state nursery produces about 16 million
pine seedlings and 3 million hardwoods
in an average year.
State Forester Wade Dubea said the
growing stock was all consolidated at the
Columbia nursery in recent years and
the two other facilities in Beauregard and
Ouachita parishes were used for shipping purposes. All three locations will be
offered for lease through a public
announcement.
“The Columbia facility is probably
one of the best sites for tree seedlings,”
Dubea said. “It’s a prime location.”
The reduction also included the 12
full time employees of the nursery and
the 18 seasonal employees.
5
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6
OSHA Alliance with loggers works to improve safety
For 14 years, the Louisiana Forestry
Association (LFA) and Louisiana
Logging Council (LLC) have worked
with OSHA’s Baton Rouge office to
reduce fatalities and injuries in the logging profession. With fatalities now rare
in the woods, the group has formed an
alliance to work with logging businesses
to provide guidance and training to further improve health and safety in the
industry.
“When this partnership was formed
in 2000, it was the first in the nation,”
said C.A. “Buck” Vandersteen, executive
director of both the forest and logging
groups. “There had been eight fatalities
in the woods in a 16 month time. In the
ensuing 14 years there has fewer fatalities
than that in Louisiana’s forests.”
Wilfred J. Hebert, compliance assistance specialist with the Baton Rouge
OSHA office, said the group will now go
to business owners in the logging community to see what they need to improve
the health and safety of their workers.
“The LFA and the LLC along with
OSHA and our forestry partners at LSU
have worked to improve the health and
safety of workers in logging,” said
Hebert. “We will meet with our logging
partners throughout the year to enhance
the safe working environments.”
The award-winning safety program to
date has provided annual safety training
Signing the Alliance between the Louisiana Forestry Association, the Louisiana Logging
Council and OSHA are C.A. “Buck” Vandersteen, executive director of both the LFA and
LLC, Dorinda Folse and Buzz Jenkins, LLC president.
programs and each year the business
partners have provided a confidential list
of injuries that have occurred on the job.
Dr. Niels deHoop at LSU-Baton
Rouge compiles the list to show what
job-related activities are most hazardous
to workers. The results of the survey are
published in the Louisiana Logger, a free
quarterly publication sent to the logging
community.
“The focus of the last few years has
shifted to accidents and injuries affecting
Workers at the Rapides ARC--the sheltered workshop in Alexandria--bag trees for the
Louisiana Forestry Association seedling giveaway for Arbor Day in January.
truck drivers,” Vandersteen said.
Deaths in the logging
community
Former Louisiana Logging Council
President Travis Taylor died Dec. 27,
2014 after a long battle with cancer.
“He had an unflagging interest in
logging and forestry even while fighting
this illness,” said C.A. “Buck”
Vandersteen, executive director of the
LLC and the Louisiana Forestry
Association.
He was awarded the first Lifetime
Achievement Award last August by the
LLC and was instrumental in the development of the program at the technical
school for the timber equipment operators.
Other notable deaths in logging are:
* Charles E. Lasiter of Kelly, was a
logging contractor for 44 years. He was
an Army Veteran and forest landowner.
He died Feb. 23 at the medical center in
Columbia.
• David Edwards, 53, of Pineville,
died Nov. 5 at Rapides Regional
Hospital in Alexandria.. He was a selfemployed logger by trade.
7
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It’s wild turkey season in the woods of Louisiana
leapt into Marshall’s lap, its front paws
By Don Reed
Mid-March in Louisiana is once again the time of year for striking the startled hunter squarely in
turkey hunters to engage in the annual ritual (or madness) that the chest. The coyote realized the misruns for about 30 days. In recent years I’ve gotten greater enjoy- taken identity of his planned meal and
ment by calling in gobblers for younger hunters who have never quickly bounced off a kicking and
harvested a bird rather than tagging one myself. Regardless of screaming Marshall. All escaped the
how you approach the sport, once you become involved with encounter without a scratch and,
hunting our wild turkey, it’s hard to think about doing anything although no turkey was bagged that
Don Reed
morning, both boys had something to
else in March and April.
remember.
The two aspects of the sport that really seem to either make or
So much has been written and stated concerning all the
break a successfully turkey hunt are the calling that is involved
techniques for turkey calling that sometimes you can feel overalong with the location where it is done.
When to call, how aggressive to call, and what call to use are whelmed when trying to decide what to do when it comes
some of the most intriguing parts of turkey hunting. I’ve hunted time to coax a gobbler within range.
Practice and experience are the best ways to learn, but
with some really great callers that were able to do some amazing
things in making a gobbler think he was headed for the real thing always remember–– it’s turkeys that you’re dealing with, and
just when you think you have them figured out, they send you
instead of a load of #5 heavy shot.
back to the drawing board.
I’m sure most all turkey hunters
They say real estate is all about
have heard stories of callers bringing
“I’ve
hunted
with
some
great
callers
location;
well, the same can be
in bobcats, coyotes or other predawho
could
make
a
gobbler
think
he
said for turkey hunting. When a
tors, but my son Matt and his huntgobbler tips his hand early in the
ing partner Marshall Varnado came
was headed for the real thing instead
morning while still on the roost,
back with a tale that might prove to
of a load of #5 heavy shot.”
there is essentially a 360 degree
anyone how convincing a good
area from which he can hit the
turkey caller can sound.
When the two boys returned from their morning hunt a few ground to begin his day. Your set up and location in regard to
years back, Matt had a big grin on his face and Marshall was as the terrain is often the key to success at this early junction in
white as a ghost. Matt couldn’t wait to tell of the mornings events. the hunt.
Gobblers will often pitch down from the roost in the
Marshall, who was doing the calling, had set up near a small clearwrong
direction from the hunter but the right direction for
ing next to some over-hanging branches that hid him from view.
Matt was about 10 yards away facing the clearing where they what the gobbler has in mind. Chances are, especially early
thought the bird would come. After a few short calls, Matt in the season, that he has one or several hens nearby, and it’s
watched as a fully grown coyote ran through the clearing and hard for the best caller in the woods to compete with the real
thing.
The nature of the mating ritual in wild turkeys dictates
that the hens travel to meet up with the gobblers. By this procedure, trying to bring a gobbler into one’s location is going
against the bird’s basic breeding instincts. When headed away
from your location, I’ve learned the best move is not necessarily to try and turn him around but to make a flanking move
and get out in front of where he is going in an attempt to duel
at another location.
Finally, when things aren’t going my way in the woods during our short turkey season, I like to remember what my
friend and retired AgCenter forester Barry Crain told me
many years ago when he first got me hooked on the sport.
“Patience and persistence bring home more turkeys than anything else!”
Once you become involved in trukey season, it’s hard to think about doing
anything else in March and April. (Photo courtesy Don Reed)
(Dr. Don Reed is a forestry and wildlife specialist with the
LSU AgCenter. Email him at [email protected].)
9
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NOTHING TAMES THE FOREST
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CONTINUING EDUCATION
A new Continuing Ed class will be available in July and
again in the fall. Check back at our website
www.laforestry.com for sign-up information or call Gracee
Malone-Texada at (318) 443-2558.
Other opportunities:
April 2: Chapter 7 meeting, at Trailco of I-49, 16 Chad St.,
Mansfield , 6 p.m. Topic will be a Haldex Brake Class. 2 CLEs.
RSVP required to Gary Philibert at 318-455-1973.
April 20-24: Rapides Forest Awareness, Indian Creek. Call
Janet Tompkins at (318) 443-2558 to volunteer for a day. 6 hrs.
CLE.
May 1: Forestry BMPs, Winn Parish Library, Winnfield, 8 a.m.
-2:30 p.m. includes field tour and lunch. 6 CLE. Contack Olivia
Ward at 318-255-2554 or email [email protected].
June 18-20: In-Woods Expo, Hot Springs. sponsored by the
Arkansas Timber Producers and Hatton-Brown Publishing. See
details at www.arkloggers.com or call (501) 224-2232. 6 hrs.
CLE.
Aug. 25-27: Louisiana Forestry Association Annual
Convention, Golden Nugget in Lake Charles, 6 hrs. CLE.
Registration available in June.
Pipeline Safety Classes will be offered in August and
September around the state. Each class is worth 2 hrs CLE.
See our website under the Training Page for a link.
Register at the new LFA website
The Louisiana Forestry Association website was redesigned in
February and requires new registration for those viewing the
training records.
Just click the “Register” button in the top left corner and fill it
out with your user name and a password in order to access the
training records.
The website has information about the harvest season permit,
the sales tax exemption on equipment, links to chapter chairman
for the LLC and other forestry facts pertinent to Louisiana.
www.laforestry.com
MASTER LOGGER CLASS
Classes will be held at the Country Inn & Suites, 2727
Monroe Hwy, Pineville, LA 71360 For overnight guests, you
can call (318) 641-8332, ask for Sarah Atwood and tell them you
are with the LFA group.
There will be Master Logger classes Sept. 30, Oct. 1, and
Oct. 7-8 in Pineville as well as the May class below. Another
round will be held at the Sabine Valley Technical School in
Many on Sept. 8-11 in conjunction with the THEO program.
Pre-registration and payment required! Pre-register or pay double at the door.
*Reduced to $20 for La. Logging Council members if
pre-registered.
___ Best Management Practices
Wednesday, May 6
8 a.m.
___ Safety (TH/TS & OSHA Regulations)
Thursday, May 7
8 a.m.
___ Forestry Aesthetics/Erosion Control
Wednesday, May 13
8 a.m.
___ Business Management
Thursday, May 14
8 a.m.
$40*
$40*
$40
$40*
You must register for all the classes to get your
Master Logger certificate. For 6 hrs CLE, only the
Business Management class is available.
Name: ____________________________________
Company: _________________________________
Address: _________________________________
City, State Zip: _____________________________
Phone: ____________________________________
Cell phone: _________________________________
❑ Check here if La. Logging Council member company
Make check payable to LA Forestry Association and mail to:
LA Forestry Association
PO Box 5067
Alexandria, LA 71307
Or charge to credit card: AmEx ❑ MasterCard ❑ Visa ❑
Discover ❑
Card Number ______________________________________
Expiration ______________________
Name on Card _______________________
Signature ______________________________
If paying by credit card, fax registration to 318-443-1713.
Make a copy of this schedule for your records!
If paying by credit card, fax registration to 318-443-1713 or scan
and email to [email protected].
11
Kisatchie Quarter to be issued
April 22 in Alexandria
Among the 56 new quarters being issued by the U.S. Mint
in its “America the Beautiful” series is the Kisatchie National
Forest coin. The official ceremony for the quarter will be April
22 at 10 a.m. at the Alexandria Riverfront Center. The public
is invited to attend.
The 2015 Kisatchie quarter has the wild turkey in flight
over blue stem grass with long leaf pine in the background.
Kisatchie National Forest is spread across seven parishes in
Louisiana and is divided into five managed ranger districts. It
was first established as a national site on June 3, 1936.
U.S. Mint officials will deliver the uncirculated quarters and
Red River Bank will serve as the teller exchange for those wishing to purchase quarters in commemorative packs. Minimum
purchase is $10 and maximum purchase is $100.
Children under the age of 18 will receive a free quarter in a
U.S. plastic case.
Coin collectors flock to these U.S. Mint events to secure
uncirculated quarters. Tom Tidwell, chief of the U.S. Forest
Service, and Kisatchie Forest Supervisor Ed Taylor will preside
over the Kisatchie Quarter unveiling along with U.S. Mint
officials.
The ceremony will include live music and singing from local
school groups.
The Kisatchie is Louisiana’s only national forest.
We’ve got your number
— LOGGING —
— C R O S S I N G A P I P E L I N E R I G H T O F WAY —
— IMPROVING DRAINAGE —
— LEVELING LAND —
Please call 811 first.
That’s all it takes to notify LA One Call members
so that they can mark their nearby cables and pipelines.
If you’re moving dirt, it’s the law.
And it’s free.
12
W W W. L A O N E C A L L . C O M
Join the Louisiana
Logging Council today!
The Louisiana Logging Council works for you – lobbying our
legislature and working with regulatory agencies. Do you have
time to make your voice count? All you have to do is join the
council today. Membership in the LLC also automatically
makes you a member in the Louisiana Forestry Association.
The LLC is an affiliate of the American Loggers’ Council, the
national voice for logging.
Annual membership
❑ Logging Contractors
$250
❑ Wood Dealers
$250
❑ Trucking contractors
$250
Associate membership
❑ Equipment Dealers
$300
❑ Insurance & Banks
$300
❑ Service and Supplies
$150
Name ______________________________________
Address ____________________________________
City ________________________State ___________
Zip _____________ Phone _____________________
E-mail ______________________________________
Make checks payable to the
Louisiana Logging Council. Mail to
LLC, PO Boc 5067, Alexandria LA
71307
As I See It: Are our national forests better off today?
By Myles Anderson
Have you ever thought what it would
be like to wake up one morning to the
reality of having lost your job, lost all the
infrastructure that once supported your
job and wonder how your community
and your family would survive? Fast forward to the reality of today, the living
wage jobs are long gone and your community is dependent on government aid
rather than the vibrant economy that
once flourished there.
Rural families throughout the United
States living adjacent to nationally owned
forests, where once a thriving industry
harvested and manufactured renewable
resources have been forced into living this
reality for the last 15 years.
The forest that was once managed to
minimize fuel loading, create jobs and
provide revenue for the local communities is now an overstocked and tinder dry
fuel source or worse, a sea of blackened
snags.
This government aid that communities
have come to rely is known as the Secure
Rural School Act (SRS). The SRS Act
monetarily supports communities and is
meant to substitute for all the jobs that
were lost as a result of our government’s
decision to stop managing the lands surrounding these communities.
Historically these rural communities
received a portion of the receipts from
Forest Service timber sales and more
importantly the jobs and lifestyle that
went along with living in a vibrant community. The SRS is critical for many rural
communities. This act funds over 775
rural counties and 4,400 schools.
The Secure Rural Schools Act was first
passed in 2000 and since then every year
these counties have come to rely on this
funding for their very existence. The sad
truth is there is no certainty from year to
year associated with the funding.
Each year families in these communities wait on Congress to decide whether
or not their basic needs will be funded
through a bill or resolution. Usually these
funds are held hostage by one party or
another because of unrelated issues. A
commonsense
approach to this
issue would be to
put this effort
into restoring the
economic viability of these communities through
increased forest
management.
Anderson
Perhaps this is
too simplistic an approach to solving this
problem; however, I believe that a majority of people in this country are beginning
to realize our federally owned forests are
in a state of declining health. Most are
very supportive of green fire breaks,
removing the dead and dying trees and
managing the fuel load. Our federal
forests could and should be managed in a
sustainable way creating jobs and strong
communities rather than waiting for the
inevitable fire.
The best measure of the cost of these
(318) 445-4561
(318) 872-1477
(318) 742-9888
(318) 356-8811
(318) 925-8811
(318) 687-1112
(Continued on page 14)
13
As I See It
(Continued from page 13)
catastrophic fires is in air quality impacts,
the destruction of critical habitat, the
deterioration of water quality and the
numerous animal welfare (habitat) issues.
According to the USDA in regards to
the Forest Service, “Our mission, as set
forth by law, is to achieve quality land
management under the sustainable multiple-use management concept to meet the
diverse needs of people”.
I propose this question: Do you feel
the national forests and in turn our rural
communities are in a better position environmentally and socially now then we
were 20 years ago when the Forest Service
was actually managing our forests? There
is a difference between conservation and
preservation, and the fact that managed
timberland has many benefits both environmentally and socially should not be
overlooked when describing the difference.
Many ideas are floating around
Washington D.C. on how best to facilitate a new direction within the U.S.
Forest Service. Perhaps it will require leg-
14
islation that charts a new course, or a
change in leadership to get the agency
back on track or even a return to common sense that places management back
into the hands of the professionals who
are trained to manage the forests, not the
liberal courtrooms with their own agendas who opt to side with radical environmental organizations who continue to
thrive off of the settlements and awards
offered through the Equal Access to
Justice Act.
What is important is that Washington
hears from constituents on how important it is to utilize our natural resources
for both the environmental benefits and
the social benefits. I for one would like to
go to work each day and support my family in an industry that relies on a renewable resource, rather than reliving the
nightmare of Congressional consent every
year. When deciding as to what should
benefit from federal forests I would ask
that human beings be a prime consideration as we deliberate.
(Myles Anderson is the current president
of the American Loggers Council and he
and his father Mike own and operate
Anderson Logging, Inc. based out of Fort
Bragg, Calif.)
(The American Loggers Council is a nonprofit 501(c) (6) corporation representing
professional timber harvesters in 30 states.)
Annual meeting in
L.C. Aug. 25-27
The Louisiana Forestry Association
annual meeting will be Aug. 25-27 at the
the Golden Nugget resort in Lake
Charles.
Part of the agenda is a logger seminar
on Wednesday, Aug. 26 and the special
presentation of the Logger of the Year
that evening.
Those who register for the meeting
will also earn 6 hours Continuing Logger
Education credit.
The Golden Nugget just opened in
January and the convention room rate
will be $119 per night. There is free parking at the resort.
The facility has 740 luxury rooms and
suites all with private balconies. There is a
marina, pools and a number of restaurants under the Landry’s brand.
Keep your safety program up-to-date
By Niels de Hoop
First, let’s remember that a couple of changes in OSHA regulations went into effect back at the beginning of this year:
All work-related inpatient hospitalizations must be reported
to OSHA within 24 hours (the old standard was an accident in
which 3 or more people were injured). All amputations and loss
of eye must be reported, too. Fatalities must still be reported
within 8 hours. The number is 1-800-321-OSHA (6742).
The Hazard Communication (HazCom) Standard is now
aligned with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification
and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). For the moment, this means
that, as a leader in your company, you need to get your hands on
OSHA’s 2-page Fact Sheet 3642 (which can be downloaded
from https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3642.pdf ),
hold a safety meeting, tell the employees that changes are coming in the Hazard Communication Standard (specifically, new
label elements and a new MSDS format (henceforth to be called
simply Safety Data Sheets (SDS), using the above Fact Sheet as
your guide, and have everyone sign a sheet of paper to document the meeting.
See my article in the last issue of The Louisiana Logger for
details, or search the OSHA website (www.osha.gov).
Many companies are getting fined for not holding the simple
meeting on HazCom changes. Don’t be one of them, unless you
really enjoy supporting the government financially!
Speaking of OSHA regulations, OSHA standards require that
loggers hold safety meetings at least monthly. This means that in
each logging crew or company, someone must ask, “What will
be the topic of this month’s safety meeting?” While the list of
possible topics is long, sooner or later we seriously ask ourselves
this question, especially if we feel like doing something different
for a change.
The folks at the Southwest Center for Agricultural Health,
Injury Prevention and Education (SWAG, University of Texas
Health Science Center at Tyler) are making a strong effort to
help with this very issue. They are developing materials that can
be used for tailgate safety meeting topics.
Right now, they are taking 21 real accidents from around the
South and developing one-page stories with discussion-generating questions that can make anyone an expert discussion leader
in safety meetings.
They are also seeking ideas on how to develop videos. These
videos may go along with these stories or they may be something
different. The “idea book” is still open. If you have any thoughts
on how to improve safety training to the logging crews, contact
me (see below) and I can pass it along – I serve on the advisory
board of SWAG.
The folks at SWAG are also considering ways safety training
or issues can be promoted using smart phones or tablets. Here
again, we welcome your thoughts and ideas.
Mechanization has really helped reduce the number of accidents in logging, but the fact remains that when we have a logging accident, it tends to be a bad one. Thus, the need for safety
training, safety improvements and sharing ideas remains as
strong as ever. With logging operations being
conducted by small, scattered crews, we need
to be ever-innovative in how to improve safety.
(C.F. “Niels” de Hoop is an associate professor
at the Louisiana Forest Products Development
Center, School of Renewable Natural Resources,
Niels deHoop
Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, LSU
AgCenter. Contact: [email protected]; 225-578-4242. This work
is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and
Agriculture, McIntire Stennis project 227333.)
LSU Forestry students discuss a map of the worksite with Dennis Aucoin, of
Slaughter Logging LLC, before doing anything else on the worksite. A safety orientation like this is important for all workers, subcontractors, salesmen
and visitors on any worksite. Likewise, logging crews should discuss the
work plan every day. Also, OSHA regulations require safety meetings to be
held at least monthly.
Who will be our 2015 Outstanding Logger?
Nominate someone today!
I want to nominate:
Name: ______________________________
Mailing address: ______________________
____________________________________
Mobile phone: ________________________
Nominated by: ________________________
Mobile phone: ________________________
Deadline May 1, 2015. Mail to La. Logging
Council, PO Box 5067, Alexandria, LA 71307
or email to [email protected].
Award will be presented Aug. 26 at the
Golden Nugget in Lake Charles.
15
2015 THEO class to be held at technical school in Many
Louisiana’s Timber Harvesting
Equipment Operator (THEO) training,
which has been held in Winnfield the
past two years, will hold a class in Many,
beginning May 26.
Members of the THEO Advisory
Committee have met with Dean Laurie
Morrow of the Sabine Valley campus of
the Northwest Louisiana Technical
College, and firmed up the plans to offer
the training in Sabine Parish.
“This should give companies in the
western portion of the state a chance to
hire trained personnel sometime in
September when the students will
receive a Technical Certificate,” said
Holly Morgan, forester who has been
working with the group.
Helping support the THEO training
this year is the Natchitoches
Community Alliance Foundation, Inc.
(NCA). The NCA is a qualified 501(c)
organization focused on economic development and workforce solutions in the
region and throughout Louisiana.
16
“The NCA is charged with working
with the THEO Council and the
forestry community to help coordinate
and market this course,” said Mike
Wolff, vice president for economic development with the NCA. He added “ We
are pleased to support the landowner, the
logger and the forest products manufacturers through these efforts”.
The THEO program was developed
in 2013 in response to the decline in the
number of experienced operators of timber harvesting equipment. The average
age of the logging employee is around 45
years old, and there are very few young
people with the experience to get into
the business. The THEO Advisory
Committee hopes that offering training
will encourage more young people to
consider a career in logging.
Students are CPR/First Aid and
OSHA 10-Hour certified when they
receive their certificates. They also take
the Master Logger core courses and
receive a Master Logger certification.
Much of the training is hands-on, operating the three common pieces of logging equipment: skidder, loader, and
feller-buncher.
Each student that graduates will
receive 15 hours of community college
credit, the Timber Harvesting
Equipment operator certification, the
10-hour OSHA certification and the
Master Logger certification. Instructors
are retired logging contractors, who
teach the students to operate the equipment, and show them how to work as a
team.
The curriculum was recently accepted
by the Technical College Board of
Directors as a credit program, so students will now be eligible for financial
assistance through the LCTCS system.
In addition, there are a number of
sponsorships offered to interested students by the local industry.
For more information about this
training program call (318)609-1230 or
e-mail
to
louisianaloggingschool
Look out for possible swarming
emerald ash borers in April
In late January the first confirmed finding of the emerald ash
borer (EAB) in the state occurred when Wood Johnson, U.S.
Forest Service entomologist, identified the pest beneath the
bark of ash trees growing about 175 yards south of the Arkansas
border in Webster Parish. Samples were sent through Forest
Service channels and were confirmed to be the pest.
Those working in the woods should be aware of any signs of
the beetle who swarm during April. Anyone who detects a possible infestation should call in the location to the Louisiana
Office of Forestry at (225) 925-4500, according to state forester
Wade Dubea.
It is expected that Webster Parish will be put under a quarantine order soon which would prohibit moving any ash out of
the parish.
Ash makes up only 5% of the forests of Louisiana but in the
most suitable habitat in the Delta it can be a larger percentage.
It is also a valuable wood prized by several manufacturers from
baseball bats to guitar makers.
Louisiana is the 25th state to have the beetle pest. The larvae
(the immature stage) feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients. The
emerald ash borer has killed millions of trees from Michigan to
Virginia. Arkansas had quarantined the movement of ash and
firewood out of their infected counties hoping to stop the
spread.
Researchers believe that most of the spread comes from the
movement of firewood.
The emerald ash borer puts at risk the $557.5 million ash
sawtimber growing in our Louisiana forests. If ash disappears
from our forests, landowners will lose the annual harvest values
at about $12.6 million, according to figures from the LSU
AgCenter and the U.S. Forest Service.
Mortality of the tree from the EAB is high--as much as 99
percent. A new Forest SEevice paper on the beetle said the EAB
“is poised to wipe out native ash in North America with expected catastrophic losses to ash tree forestry.”
The beetle has hit urban areas as well wiping out tree canopies
in many cities. There is an insecticide for use on valuable trees in
an urban setting but it has to be repeated over time.
The destructive emerald ash borer has been found in Webster Parish.
Loggers are asked to be on the lookout for the swarming insects this
month.
Subscribe to the
Louisiana Logger
Only Active Master Loggers have free
subscriptions, but you can order one for
your crew members for $12 per year.
(4 issues per year)
Name: ___________________________________
Mailing address: ___________________________
City, State, Zip: ___________________________
Phone: ___________________________________
Mobile phone: _____________________________
Make checks payable to:
Louisiana Logging Council
Mail to : PO Box 5067
Alexandria LA 71307
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17
Crimes and convictions
An Allen Parish couple is charged with six counts each of
forestry equipment theft and one count each of simple criminal
damage to property.
Investigators say Joey Ganson, 34, was already in jail on
unrelated charges. He was booked Jan. 15. Jamie CokerBrown, 34, was arrested and booked on Feb. 12, 2015. Last
September, the Allen Parish Sheriff’s Office (APSO) started
receiving complaints that hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel,
radios and other equipment were missing from a logging operation in the Westbay Wildlife Management area.
APSO detectives contacted investigators with the Louisiana
Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) and a three
month joint investigation began.
Investigators say Coker-Brown admitted that she and
Ganson committed the thefts which occurred during the
months of September and October.
Investigators and the APSO were able to locate and recover
much of the stolen equipment.
Ganson and Coker-Brown also face multiple charges from
the APSO in connection to thefts from area businesses. Both
have been placed on probation hold by the State Department of
Corrections.
If convicted of theft of more than $25,000, the suspects face
a minimum of five years hard labor and a fine not to exceed
$50,000 or both. If convicted of criminal property damage, the
suspects face imprisonment with or without hard labor for at
least two years and a fine not to exceed $1,000 or both.
A Dry Prong man is accused of burning a debris pile and
intentionally allowing the fire to spread to adjacent lands where
a residence was burned. The incident happened Feb. 14, on
Gator Hole Rd.
Investigators with LDAF arrested 50-year-old Ronald
Bonicard on Feb. 27 and charged him with simple arson.
“A pilot in our forestry division was patrolling the area and
witnessed someone setting the fire. Our pilots patrol the state
daily looking for suspicious activity. Using the information provided by the pilot, the State Fire Marshal’s Office assisted us in
identifying Bonicard,” said LDAF Commissioner Mike Strain.
Bonicard was booked into the Grant Parish Jail and was
released on $7,500 bond. Investigators say while Bonicard was
in custody, he admitted starting the fire and watching without
taking any action as the fire spread and consumed a nearby residence. No word yet on the estimated cost of the damage to the
home.
According to Louisiana law whoever commits the crime of
simple arson, where the damage done amounts to $500 dollars
or more, shall be fined not more than $15,000 and imprisoned
at hard labor for not less than two years nor more than 15 years.
www.laforestry.com
18
Casualty at the Red River papermill
A Campti man died March 2 after his safety harness became
entangled in machinery at the International Paper-Red River
Mill, and he fell, according to a release.
David Scott Long, 42, was pronounced dead at the mill,
which is near Campti, according to the Natchitoches Parish
Sheriff’s Office.
The incident remains under investigation by IP.
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