PLC Mission:
Promote logging as a profession, advocate for logging professionals, cultivate responsible forest management, promote safe working practices and sustain a strong forest products industry. Innovative and creative, and are always developing new ways to overcome obstacles.
PLC Vision:
The Northeast’s loggers are well qualified to meet future challenges. They have a tremendous work ethic, a diverse set of skills, many years of experience, exceptional problem-solving abilities, perseverance; are innovative and creative, and are always developing new ways to overcome obstacles. Although many challenges lie ahead, the future is bright for the Northeast’s highly adaptive, talented and evolving logging industry. A unified PLC will work to sustain timber, wood, and fiber production as a core of the region’s economy; promote safe working conditions; provide stable, well-paying forest products employment; supports recreation and tourism; protects air and water quality; and maintains wildlife and plant habitats within its forest.
PLC Story:
Since 1995 the PLC has been the voice of the logging industry. The PLC is the region’s only trade organization which exists to give independent logging contractors and sole proprietors a voice in the rapidly changing forest industry. Our Board is made up entirely of loggers, making us a logging organization that is run by loggers for loggers.
From the outset, PLC has focused on logger advocacy, safety, quality operations and business innovation. Our members realize that harvesting is more than just cutting trees. They are highly skilled, business professionals and are an integral part of the region’s economic engine. Our members do their best in the woods and are committed to excellence in the logging industry, “Professional Loggers”.
The PLC of the Northeast partners with the American Loggers Council and numerous state and regional organizations to ADVOCATE for loggers in Augusta, ME and Montpelier, VT and Washington D.C. COMMUNICATE the message that logging is good for everyone. Harvesting trees provides jobs for millions of Americans and working forests are essential for a healthy environment, providing clean air, clean water, and wildlife habitat. CULTIVATE relationships in the business community to provide members with a competitive edge. INNOVATE by helping our members create opportunities to position them competitively in the marketplace and COLLABORATE to work with other forest industry groups on issues where we agree but standing strong for loggers when we don’t.
In 2000, the PLC created the world’s first 3rd party certification program, Northeast Master Logger Certification. Today, the Northeast Master Logger program is represented in 20 states and 3 countries. The PLC is also a founding member of the American Loggers Council (ALC) and works with the ALC to influence federal legislation. This includes increasing the weight limit on I-95 north of Augusta to 100,000 pounds. In Maine the PLC has been responsible for giving loggers tax exempt status for parts & equipment and for securing funding for the state’s first post-secondary mechanized harvest operator training program.