PLC Member Weekly Update Sept. 1, 2023

 Southern Maine Log A Load Golf Tournament

New record set!

MLOFT Student Job Shadowing Opportunities Needed

PLC Members,

Students in this year’s Mechanized Logging Operations and Forest Trucking Program (MLOFT) are seeking opportunities to job shadow with contractors on Fridays this summer and early fall. This is not only a great learning opportunity for them, but also a chance for you to meet and evaluate potential future employees for your business.

You may view information on each student below. If you are interested in having one or more students job shadow with you on a Friday, please contact Vanessa Tillson at 207-688-8195 or email office@maineloggers.com.

Contractors are also welcome to visit the MLOFT program to meet students and see the program in action. If you are interested in visiting, please contact Donald Burr directly at (207) 356-1541 or email safety@maineloggers.com

PLC Member Alert – Adaptive BMP Cooperative (ABC)

PLC Members,

If any of you are contacted and asked to participate in the Maine Forest Service Adaptive BMP Cooperative (ABC), we ask that you please contact PLC Exec. Director Dana Doran first to discuss this before agreeing to do so. 

The ABC’s predecessor, the Forest Access Institute, was initially developed without the input or knowledge of the PLC, despite requests over a three year timeframe from the PLC to learn more and participate. The ABC was then created to replace the Forest Access Institute due in part to the objections of the PLC due to the lack of sufficient representation for loggers in the process. 

The PLÇ is concerned with this initiative and has respectfully declined participation as we believe this will not benefit contractors, nor their employees, and might be an attempt to use taxpayer dollars to track contractors for the benefit of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).

Please call or text Dana at (207)-441-3621 or email executivedirector@maineloggers.com if you are approached to join this group. Thank you.

ALC 2023 Annual Meeting October 4-6 in Maine!

Register Now!

Registration is now open for the 2023 American Loggers Council Conference and Membership Meeting at the Sunday River Resort in Newry, Maine October 4-6!

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. Rooms are available to book and the preliminary agenda is now available. More information will be coming soon, meanwhile the event packet is available HERE and links for registration and rooms are available below! *Please note, most of the rooms at the resort are reserved, a handful remain. There is another resort hotel, the Jordan (855-516-1090) that is a few miles from the main resort as an additional lodging option.  Jordan Hotel – ReservationDesk.com

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 Full Board Meeting

Sept. 14

Location TBD, Bangor ME

Acadia Logging Meeting Sept. 14!

The PLC encourages all Member contractors who are Acadia clients or who might be interested in learning more about Acadia to attend this meeting from 3-6 p.m. Thursday Sept. 14 at the Cross Insurance Center. RSVP to laurie.palow@acadia-ins.com

PLC Safety Posters! Are yours up yet?

Posters don’t work until they’re up on a wall, like these at Pope Woods Forestry or the one below at Elliot Jordan and Son! Send pictures of yours to office@maineloggers.com

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

Dear Employer,

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

Upcoming classes:

• 10-Hour Construction Standards: September 7, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and September 8, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta

• This one-and-a-half-day course offers basic information on a variety of construction industry safety/health standards (29 CFR 1926). Attendees who complete the course will receive an OSHA 10-hour course completion certificate. 

•  Work Zone Safety: September 11, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta
• Private companies and public agencies that work on public roads must follow the traffic control standards of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). This hands-on, half-day workshop covers the MUTCD standards and use of cones, signs, flags, and paddles.

• How to Conduct a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Assessment: September 12, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the Presque Isle CareerCenter, 66 Spruce Street, Suite 1, Presque Isle
• This half-day course is designed to assist you in developing a PPE assessment 1910.132(d). Employers must conduct a hazard assessment prior to requiring employees to use PPE. The assessment provides information needed to select the appropriate PPE for the hazards at the workplace. Learn how to conduct a hazard assessment in this hands-on class.

• Lockout/Tagout – Control of Hazardous Energy: September 15, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta

• This half-day training session covers the OSHA requirements and procedures to be used in the Lockout/Tagout process to ensure safety during the repair and maintenance of equipment. 

• Monitoring and Evaluating for Air and Noise Hazards: September 19, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. -4 p.m., at the SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta
• If you are new to industrial hygiene, this beginner course explains the terminology, explores the equipment, and dives into the standards to ensure the health of your employees.

• Wage and Hour Compliance Assistance: September 20, 2023 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Rockland CareerCenter, 91 Camden Street, Suite 201, Rockland

• This course is designed for human resource or benefits professionals, accountants, business owners, managers, or payroll supervisors. Labor laws can be complex. This seminar covers wage and hour laws, including minimum wage, overtime, youth employment, severance pay, equal pay, rest breaks, leave requirements (earned paid leave, family medical leave, family sick leave and leave for victims of violence). This class addresses commonly asked labor-related questions.

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/.  

Thank you,

     The Maine Department of Labor

FMCSA has removed four ELDs from the list of registered Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs)

Motor carriers and drivers using ALL TRUCKERS ELD, GOLDEN ELD, PRIMELD, and SECURE ELD devices have 60 days to replace the revoked devices with compliant ELDs.

On July 25, 2023, FMCSA removed the four ELDs from the list of registered ELDs due to the companies’ failure to meet the minimum requirements established in 49 CFR part 395, subpart B, appendix A.

Motor carriers and drivers who use the ELDs must take the following actions:

Discontinue using the revoked ELDs and revert to paper logs or logging software to record required hours of service data.

Replace the revoked ELDs with compliant ELDs from the Registered Devices list before September 23, 2023.

Motor carriers and drivers who continue to use the revoked ELDs listed above on or after September 23, 2023, will be in violation of 49 CFR 395.8(a)(1)—“No record of duty status” and drivers will be placed out-of-service in accordance with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) OOS Criteria.

If the ELD providers correct all identified deficiencies, FMCSA will place the ELDs back on the Registered Devices list and inform the industry and the field. However, FMCSA strongly encourages motor carriers to take the actions listed above now to avoid compliance issues in the event that these deficiencies are not addressed in time.

Questions?

Contact ELD@dot.gov.

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FMCSA has reinstated GOLDEN ELD to the list of registered Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs).

As of July 25, 2023, the following device is now listed on the list of registered ELDs. The ELD was previously revoked but has been reinstated.

ELD Name: GOLDEN ELD
ELD Model number: GRS
ELD Identifier: GRS199
ELD Provider: GOLDEN ELD

The Golf Column – Lake Kezar – Professional Logging Contractor’s Tourney

It was a wet day for the annual Professional Logging Contractor’s 2023 Log A Load for Maine Kids Southern Maine Golf Tournament at Kezar Lake Country Club in Lovell, Maine last Friday, but worth it. The tourney raised an amazing $47,011.

New Energy Works Receives the First Shipment of Wood Fiber Insulation Made in the United States

TimberHP launches North American sales of TimberFill, a loose-fill wood fiber insulation that can be blown in or dense-packed for high-performing, affordable, safe, and carbon-negative coverage in attics, wall cavities, floors, and ceilings with first shipment to New Energy Works.

Maine’s most expensive land for sale is in tiny Aroostook town

A 3,900-acre parcel in the Aroostook County town of Crystal is the largest and most expensive piece of land for sale in Maine at $3.4 million.

DACF Proposes Expansion of Quarantines to Slow the Spread of Three Tree Killing Invasive Species

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry proposes expanding three forest protection quarantines to slow the spread of emerald ash borer, hemlock woolly adelgid, and European larch canker. Opportunities for public comment include public hearings at two sites and through a virtual option on September 6, 2023, at 10:00 AM, at the Maine Forest Service, Bolton Hill Regional Office, 2870 N Belfast Ave, Augusta, ME, and at the same time at the Maine Forest Service Regional Office, 87 Airport Rd, Old Town, ME. A virtual option using the Microsoft Teams platform will be available during those hearings. Commenters can join using this link, join the meeting on Microsoft Teams or by calling 207-209-4724 and the Conference ID of 429646377#. LEARN MORE

Woods Wise Wire – August 29, 2023

Insect & Disease Conditions for Maine August 30, 2023

Company Logging Crews Make a Comeback

Seedlings – August 2023

FRYEBURG FAIR 2023 – OCTOBER 1-8

Woodsmen’s Field Day Info

       Why the Internet Didn’t Shred the Paper Business

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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!

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