PLC Member Weekly Update March 22, 2024

Registration Now Open!

Register for the PLC’s Biggest Event of the Year!

The Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast (PLC) is excited to invite you to participate in our 29th Annual Membership Meeting and Log A Load for Kids Auction on May 9th – 10th, 2024, presented by Acadia Insurance, Cross Insurance, and United Construction and Forestry. This year’s meeting, which we believe is the PLC’s biggest in history, is being held at a new exciting location, The Samoset Resort in Rockport, Maine.

In 2023, we raised over $127,723 for Log A Load for Kids & Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, through our dinner and auction.  Our goal in 2024 is to exceed that total, and we hope that you can help us make miracles happen!  This year, we are also excited to announce a new partnership with the University of Vermont Children’s Hospital in Burlington as we expand our Log A Load reach and look forward to sharing our generosity with children in Vermont.

Registration is now open for the 2024 PLC 29th Annual Membership Meeting, Dinner and Log A Load Auction! Don’t delay, register now by clicking the link below!

May 9th

Splinters and Spirits Tour – Robbins Lumber and Local Brewery, Winery, & Distillery Tours

Evening Social Gathering – The Samoset Clubhouse

May 10th

Full PLC Board Meeting and Elections

Equipment Innovation Panel

Log A Load Auction with NASCAR Driver Ricky Craven

PBS America’s Forests TV Show Premiere Featuring The Mallett Brothers Band

Book Your Room Now!

Hotel discounts available through 04/08/24 while space lasts

Samoset Resort – $169 – $239 (Meeting location, rate for 5/9 & 5/10)

220 Warrenton St, Rockport, ME 04856

(Group Code)—051024plcm

(866) 258-7247 –The resort fee will be waived at checkout.

***If you only plan to stay 1 night, be sure to adjust the dates accordingly***

 Questions? Email office@plcloggers.org 

The Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast (PLC) is pleased to offer Logger, Fleet and CPR Safety Training to all PLC Members and Master Loggers March 28-May 17 in 2024!

You may still register online if you have not already done so. Please review our Logger and Fleet offerings and return registration forms as soon as possible to ensure there is room for your employees at the chosen location/s. Don’t delay! Register now! 

***The April 4^th training in Passadumkeag, April 18^th training in Avon, ME and April 26^th training in Lincoln are full. CPR classes in Mexico on April 10 and Strong on April 19 still have openings. 

Register now!

FOR SCHEDULE AND ONLINE REGISTRATION CLICK HERE

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 the Northeast.

Nominations should be received no later than March 29, 2024.

Awards will be presented at the PLC Annual Meeting on May 10 at the Samoset Resort in Rockport, ME.

A list of previous winners is available HERE

NOMINATION FORM HERE

Blanket work search waiver began Sunday March 17

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.

Effective March 17, 2024, workers impacted will be granted a work search waiver approved by the Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Bureau Director of Unemployment Compensation for 5 weeks (Week ending April 20, 2024). The weeks covered by the waiver are determined by environmental impact such as the water tables and DOT road postings. Prior to the end of the waiver period, the Department will assess the road conditions and take appropriate actions.

The most important steps for logging contractors and employees to follow in order to apply for Unemployment Benefits:

File an unemployment claim by phone or online. DO NOT enter a return to work date when applying. 

Call to File: The employee contacts the Bureau at 1-800-593-7660 selects option 2 between 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM Monday through Friday. The department is manually putting in a “Director Approved Waiver” for impacted loggers.

Note: Mondays 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.

File Online: 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 “Director Approved Waiver” for impacted loggers.

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

Warm, muddy winter wreaks havoc on logging industry – WCAX

The PLC is proud to report that the Vermont House Ag. Committee took a unanimous vote on Friday to endorse H. 624, An Act Relating to Providing Assistance to the Forest Economy. The bill, which includes $1 million to assist Vermont logging contractors with climate resilience measures and $45,000 for Master Logger scholarships, will now go the House Appropriations Committee this week for deliberations.

Thank you, PLC Board Members, Sam Lincoln of Lincoln Farm Timber Harvesting and Jack Bell of Long View Forest Inc., for your hard work on this legislation and to the Vermont General Assembly for recognizing the challenging operating conditions that contractors are facing. We remain hopeful that some much needed assistance will soon be available to loggers in Vermont.

Maine’s Direct Link Loan Program

Are you a Master Logger® in Maine who is buying new equipment? Take advantage of the Direct Link Loan Program and get an interest rate reduction of up to 2% on qualifying equipment. Details of the program and how you can take advantage of it are below:

1. A Master Logger signs an Agreement with the Maine Forest Service (MFS), the bank submits Agreement to MFS, and it is approved by the MFS for the purchase of a new or new to them piece of qualifying equipment. (Cut to Length Harvesters and Forwarders, Tracked Feller Bunchers, Stroke Delimbers, Mulching Machines, Road Graders; also includes retrofitting of existing equipment like Flotation tires, Bogey wheels, harvester and processor heads; and Miscellaneous purchases like Metal and Wooden Bridges, Bottomless arches, and sediment and erosion control products) Purchases are considered on a case by case basis, with eligibility based on whether the equipment facilitates the implementation of Best Management Practices.

**Equipment that is NOT eligible: Grapple Skidders, Pull-Thru Delimbers, Tree-to-Tree Feller Bunchers. 

2. The Master Logger gets a loan from a participating bank. (See list below) Example: Loan is for $500,000 at current bank interest rate (ex. 7.00%). Contractor can have multiple loans but can’t exceed the $800,000 aggregate limit allowed by the program.

3. The Master Logger is given an interest rate subsidy (reduction) of 1.50% (up to 2%) – the same amount as the *CD rate for as long as they continue to qualify for the program.

Example: 7.00% loan interest rate less 1.50% rate subsidy = 5.50 effective rate.

The following banks participate in the direct link loan program.

• Katahdin Trust Company – David Cambridge
• Farm Credit East – Shannon Webber
• Machias Savings Bank – Anita Madden
• Acadia FCU

**Note: Maine Municipal Bond Bank buys a $500,000 CD for up to five years from bank for up to 2.00% less than the bank’s going CD rate matching the term of the loan. Ex. 1.50 % – (up to 2%)

Don’t see your bank on the list? Reach out and encourage them to get involved.

Not yet Master Logger® Certified? Email Sydney at sydney@tcnef.org, call (207)-688-8195, opt. 2 or visit masterloggercertification.com.

 For more information, click here for the Direct Link Loan Program.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) Benefits will be available to people who lost their job or business due to January 9 and 13 storms

Applications will be open March 25 through April 22 to assist business owners, regular workers, seasonal or migrant workers, and self-employed individuals who lost their job, job offer, or had their work hours reduced or interrupted due to the January 9 and 13 storms in Cumberland, Hancock, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Waldo, Washington, and York Counties.

AUGUSTA – On March 20, 2024, President Biden approved Governor Mills’ request for a major disaster declaration for Maine as it recovers from the storms on January 9 and 13, 2024. This declaration allows the Maine Department of Labor’s Bureau of Unemployment Compensation to provide temporary financial assistance to people whose employment or self-employment was impacted by the January 9 and 13 storms in the following counties:

• Cumberland
• Hancock
• Knox
• Lincoln
• Sagadahoc
• Waldo
• Washington
• York

Funding will be available for eligible applicants who apply within 30 days of the declaration of a major disaster, until April 22, 2024, to assist eligible workers, business owners, and self-employed individuals who lost their jobs, job offers, or businesses, or had their work hours reduced or interrupted due to impacts brought about by the January 9 and/or 13 storms.

Maine Employer Summit

What: A one-day event for employers looking for resources and solutions to workforce challenges hosted by the State of Maine in partnership with the Maine State Workforce Board.

When: Tuesday, May 14, 2024

Where: Cross Insurance Center, Bangor

Who should attend: Employers looking for resources and solutions to workforce challenges.

Why attend: 

• Connect with other employers, government agencies and State of Maine resourcesto help with workforce opportunities
• Discuss how to break down barriers to attracting & hiring specific communities
• Share best practices, challenges, and innovationsin creating a more inclusive, sustainable workforce

Northeastern Loggers’ Association Expo 2024

Are your logging employees CPR/First Aid/Bloodborne Pathogen certified?  Did you know that evidence of training is required every two years for OSHA and Master Logger compliance?

This spring, the PLC currently has four classes scheduled that are FREE to members and their employees.

To date, we have scheduled training for: 

March 29^th – Porter, ME

April 5^th – Milford, ME

April 10^th – Mexico, ME

April 19^th – Strong, ME

Wait, there’s more…..

If these locations don’t work for your company or you have more than 15 employees and would like to schedule a company specific training, we can work with you and companies in your area to schedule an alternative date for free training.

Again, if your employees need this training in 2024, the PLC is offering the course, and it is free to members and their employees.  If you would like to schedule or sign up for an existing training, contact Jessica at Jessica@plcloggers.org or 207-688-8195.

Workplace safety and labor law requirements can seem complex – join the Maine Department of Labor for no-cost upcoming trainings!

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

If you have questions about safety or upcoming classes, reach out to SafetyWorks! at 1-877-SAFE-345 or general.bls-safetyworks@maine.gov.

If you have questions about Wage and Hour compliance, please reach out to the Wage and Hour Division at 207-623-7900 or bls.mdol@maine.gov, or visit www.maine.gov/labor/bls/

PLC Crew First Aid Backpack

PLC First Aid Pack: In response to widespread interest from members, we have created a PLC First Aid Pack that has everything you need for emergencies in the woods. This Military Elite Tactical Trauma First Aid Backpack was designed for the PLC by Paul Stewart – EMT Houlton, ME. 

To order Click HERE

Now FREE to Maine Loggers! A $300 value!

LEARN MORE

St. John Valley tech center acquires new forestry equipment to train students

Driver killed when logging truck crashes into pond in The Forks – Bangor Daily News

Governor Mills Announces Plans for Construction of Manufacturing Facility at Former Jay Mill Site

Hundreds of trees to be removed in Portland to help protect others – WMTW

Using fire to manage forests in Maine | newscentermaine.com

TimberHP’s TimberBatt Helps Answer National Shortage of Construction Insulation – Morningstar

Portland will remove hundreds of trees to manage spread of invasive beetle | newscentermaine.com

Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast, NMCC announce recruiting is underway for Mechanized Logging Operations and Forest Trucking Program – The County

This forestry practice makes ugly scenery on Maine hiking trails – Bangor Daily News

Timber company reopens shuttered Aroostook County mill – Bangor Daily News

Vermont loggers looking for financial relief from wetter weather patterns – Rutland Herald

SHC awarded nearly $1 million NBRC grant | Vermont Business Magazine

Community Tree Planting Grants – Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Program

Telephone Gap project second comment period opens | Local News | rutlandherald.com

Danielle Fitzko: Striking the balance, managing Vermont’s state lands – Brattleboro Reformer

GMALL: Vermont Forest Bird Stewardship 101 | Community News | benningtonbanner.com

2024 NORTHEASTERN FOREST PRODUCTS EQUIPMENT EXPO RETURNS TO ESSEX … – Timberline Magazine

New grant funding to lead to thousands of trees being planted in Vermont – WPTZ

Maine Trailer – Member Discount

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

ALC Member Discounts

PLC Members, because the PLC is a member of the American Loggers Council YOU are entitled to special discounts! CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

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Fabian Oil Discount

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!

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Cross Arena Discounts for PLC! 

PLC Classified Section