In 2000, the PLC created the world’s first 3rd party certification program, the Northeast Master Logger Certification Program®. Today, the certification is represented in 20 states and 3 countries. The Northeast Master Logger Certification Program® offers third-party independent certification of logging companies’ harvesting practices. The certification system is built around standards that have been cross-referenced to all of the world’s major green certification systems.
About Northeast Master Logger Certification Program®
This stewardship program operates under the Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands. The Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands (TCNEF or ‘The Trust’) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization formed by the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine (today of the Northeast) in 2003 to administer the Northeast Master Logger Certification Program® with the broader goal of “enhancing the health of working forest ecosystems through exceptional accountability” throughout the Northern Forest region.
The Trust supports exemplary forest professionals, landowners, and wood product manufacturing companies who are committed to responsible and accountable management of forest ecosystems by providing low-cost access to forest certification and building the region’s capacity to produce third party certified forest products and ecosystem services.
Who? Maine was the first place in the world with a point-of-harvest Master Logger Certification program, offering third party independent certification of logging companies’ harvesting practices. The certification system is built around performance standard that has been cross-referenced to all of the world’s major green certification systems and has been adopted by several other North American states and Canadian provinces. In 2007 the Maine MLC program became the Northeast Master Logger Certification Program® to include loggers in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York. While companies range in size from large contractors to small, independent sole proprietors, together they represent all areas of the northeast.
What? The content of NEMLC is based on a common vision for communities and forest resources of the northeast. The nine goals guide loggers in their work: Document Harvest Planning, Protect Water Quality, Maintain Soil Productivity, Sustain Forest Ecosystems, Manage Forest Aesthetics, Ensure Workplace Safety, Demonstrate Continuous Improvement, Ensure Business Viability and Uphold Certificate Integrity. These are detailed more with harvest responsibilities and explicit performance standards under each goal. Field verifiers visit actual harvest sites to determine whether candidates for NEMLC are meeting and exceeding the required performance standard. Their findings are submitted to an independent board that makes the final decision. To remain, certified, each company must be recertified after two years and every 4 years if without incident. Random audits are performed between recertifications, encouraging the upgrading of skills within the company, continuous improvement, and an attitude of partnership with other forest professionals and their associations. In 2005, the NEMLC program was recognized by the Rainforest Alliance’s SmartWood program with the first ever SmartLogging certificate. This certificate represents an independent, global recognition of the integrity of the Master Logger standard. If a Master Logger wishes to continue to obtain certification for Chain of Custody they may apply to do so.
Where? As of 2024, the New England states, New York, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Missouri, Estonia, Sweden and Japan have Master Logger programs based on this model.
When? Rather than be swept along by the changes occurring in the global marketplace, the PLC decided in 2000 to reinvent their profession and hold it to a world-leading standard of excellence. Their success has attracted national and international attention. In 2002, this pioneering effort in designing and implementing the Northeast Master Logger Certification Program® program was unanimously adopted as the national model for logger certification by the 27 state associations in the American Loggers Council.
Why? To compete successfully in a global marketplace, we believe that Northeastern harvesting companies and other forest professionals must demonstrate that they set a world standard for economic AND environmental performance. To do this, a profession’s essential practices must be defined, and each company must be certified to an exemplary standard. The performance standard must be based on performance in the forest and through business practices. Once that performance is recognized, harvesting companies can move forward as an equal partner with others to ensure economic viability for all rural communities.
For more information contact Sydney Andersen – sydney@tcnef.org or call 207-688-8195 opt. 2.
“If you are a Master Logger, you are definitely doing what you are supposed to be doing out here; so when things are tight, we are able to get work and we are able to move our wood.”
“What made me decide to get Master Logger Certified was that I felt like loggers were not getting the recognition they deserve, and I really wanted that stamp of approval. The Master Logger program gives you the tools to really do nice work in the woods and create a sustainable, healthy forest.”
“I’m proud to be certified by a program that promotes continuous improvement in the logging profession. The Master Logger program recognizes that we are the boots on the ground professionals that put best practices into place and provides responsive support and programming for our businesses.”
– Sam Lincoln, Lincoln Farm Timber Harvesting, Master Logger in VT