Member Weekly Update - October 4, 2024

Welcome to this week’s update from the Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast! As we head into fall, we have important news and events to share that are vital for your business and the logging community. Let’s dive into what’s happening this week:

✔ PLC Meet the Reps – RSVP today!
✔ PLC Safety Committee Meeting – Wednesday, Oct. 9 – RSVP by Oct.4!
✔ Acadia Insurance Equipment Fire Prevention Bulletin
✔ Future of Brown Ash Event Oct. 8-9
✔ Do You Qualify for Maine’s Direct Link Loan Program?
✔ Maine News Clips
✔ Vermont Forest Future Strategic Roadmap Legislative Tour
✔ Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program – VT
✔ Vermont Low-Interest Loan Opportunity
✔ Vermont Commercial Vehicle Enforcement
✔ Vermont News Clips

✔ VT First Aid/CPR & Logger Rescue Class Oct. 18
✔ Maine DOL – SafetyWorks! October Classes
✔ Cross Insurance – Loss Control Services – SIG Safety Training
✔ Small First Aid Pack
✔ Crew First Aid Pack
✔ Northeast Safe Logger

✔ Cost Calculators
✔ PLC Store
✔ New Member Discount Available

PLC News and Events

Meet the Reps

Fort Kent – October 10

Fort Kent Event Details:
Date: October 10th
Time: 5pm-7pm
Location: The Swamp Buck Restaurant and Lounge, 250 W Main St
Fort Kent, ME

Lincoln – October 11

Lincoln Event Details:
Date: October 11th
Time: 7am – 9am
Location: Gather Brunch and Bar, 1 Fleming St.
Lincoln, ME

RSVP by Oct 4

Safety Committee Meeting

Location:
Cross Insurance Center
515 Main Street
Bangor, ME 04401

RSVP by Oct 4 Meeting Agenda

Acadia Insurance Equipment Fire Prevention Bulletin

*Members, the extremely dry conditions of the last few weeks have led to a significant increase in logging equipment fires, and we urge all of you to read the safety bulletin on preventing such incidents provided by Acadia Insurance below. Members who are part of the PLC Safety Group Dividend Program, let’s keep our focus on safety going forward to ensure we keep a positive loss ratio for 2024!

As the summer comes to a close, we have noticed a significant up-tick in the number of fires on forestry equipment in the Northeast. With winter rapidly approaching, it is critical to take time to prepare your machinery for the challenges that freezing temperatures bring. This PSA is a reminder to PLC membership about the key role that operators and contractors can play in the prevention and loss mitigation of machine fires.

Frequent and thorough cleaning reduces the debris and oil buildup in the machine. Debris and oil are a common ignition source and fuel for fires on forestry equipment. Operators should spend time daily cleaning the machines, and leading into winter, should plan to thoroughly clean out the entire machine.
Preventative maintenance is a critical component to preventing equipment fires. Fixing and repairing exhaust systems, replacing chafed hydraulic lines, fixing chafed electrical wires, etc. can go a long way to reducing the chance of a fire occurring on your machine. Encourage operators and mechanics to identify potential maintenance concerns and address them immediately.
Training operators in the use of the fire suppression system and portable fire extinguishers is critical to reducing damage caused by a fire. Fire investigations continuously prove that a well-trained operator has a significantly better chance of extinguishing a fire on their machine than an operator who relies solely on the suppression system’s automatic discharge feature.

While not all encompassing, the three points discussed above, when practiced, will reduce the chance of a fire on your machinery and increase the odds of extinguishing a fire in the event one occurs on your machine.

Acadia is pleased to share this material for the benefit of its customers. Please note, however, that nothing herein should be construed as either legal advice or the provision of professional consulting services. This material is for informational purposes only, and while reasonable care has been utilized in compiling this information, no warranty or representation is made as to accuracy or completeness.

Future of Brown Ash Meeting

A two-day gathering at University of Maine, Orono, to inform people about current research about brown ash forests and reconvene the community of people who care for brown ash.

Date: October 8-9, 2024
Location: UMaine Orono, Wells Conference Center and live streamed on Zoom.
Zoom link: https://maine.zoom.us/j/85113734242

Who’s invited: Basketmakers, Tribal Nation members and employees, APCAW participants, private forest landowners, researchers, state and federal employees, nonprofit partners, foresters, loggers, and Canadian partners.

Host: John Daigle, Ash Protection Across Wabanakik Lab and Professor of Forest Resources

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.

Direct Link Loan Program

Maine News Clips

📌Maine land bank’s first test will be redeveloping East Millinocket site | Mainebiz.biz
📌FRA Forestry Forum – Meeting Announcement – Thursday, October 10, 2024
📌Hancock Lumber Signs Letter of Intent to Acquire Tiny Homes of Main e
📌Driver killed in logging truck crash in Maine
📌Maine agriculture commissioner named vice president of national association – Yahoo News
📌The Microcredential Generation – Inside Higher E d
📌The Northern Logg er Newsletter Sept. 30, 2024

Vermont PLC Members Invited to attend Vermont Forest Future Strategic Roadmap Legislative Tour

Vermont Members, you are invited to attend an upcoming Legislative Tour designed to support the implementation of the Vermont Forest Future Strategic Roadmap. This tour will offer legislators a firsthand look at the importance of Vermont’s forests and the strategies to manage them in a way that benefits the environment, communities, and the economy. A registration link is below, as well as details on the tour.

Tour – October 18, 2024

Tour Stops:
9:30 – 11:30 AM – Bomoseen State Park, Castleton, VT
1:30 – 3:30 PM – Lawrence Pyne, Hubbardton, VT
Details about exact location and talking points to follow as we get closer to the date
Lunch: We’ll provide some options to have lunch together between the morning and afternoon tours.

Please fill out the registration form using the link below if you plan to attend any of the tour stops, and we’ll send more details as the date approaches.

Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program

Vermont Members,

The application portal for the Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program (BEGAP) is now open. Businesses and nonprofit organizations, including landlords and farms, with property damaged by the 2023 and/or 2024 floods are encouraged to visit the BEGAP webpage to learn how the program works and what they need to have on hand before beginning the online application process. A pre-recorded webinar walks applicants through the application process and answers some frequently asked questions. The webinar slides are available on the BEGAP webpage.

The Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation (CVEDC) is the statewide technical assistance provider for BEGAP. All applicants seeking assistance in preparing to submit a grant application should submit a BEGAP Support Request Form.

Businesses can also attend walk-in clinics hosted by their local Regional Development Corporation. Clinics will be open from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Do North Coworking in Lyndonville; on Tuesday, September 17^th at the Mad River Planning District Offices in Waitsfield; and on Wednesday, September 17^th at the Green Mountain Career and Technology Center in Hyde Park.

BEGAP ELIGIBILITY AND IMPORTANT DATES

2024 BEGAP grants are available for properties affected by the 2024 flood(s). Grants will cover 30% of the net uncovered damages up to $100,000. Preference will be given to Vermont-based operations. 10% of funds have been set aside for Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color applicants. Applications are due by November 15, 2024.
2023 BEGAP grants are available for properties affected by the 2023 flood(s) that have not yet already received 2023 BEGAP funding. Grants will cover 30% of the net uncovered damages up to $50,000. 20% of funds have been set aside for Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color applicants. Applications are due by September 30, 2024.
Supplemental 2023 BEGAP grants are available to businesses and nonprofit organizations with 50 or fewer employees that received a 2023 BEGAP grant and have ongoing unmet needs. Initial inquiries can be made using the application form. If the inquiry meets the eligibility requirements, applicants will receive an application via email. Inquiries are due by September 30, 2024.

Non-English speakers needing translation assistance can email ACCD.BizFloodGrant@vermont.gov to be connected with state-contracted translation and interpretation services. For additional questions about the Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program, please email ACCD.BizFloodGrant@vermont.gov.

Visit the FPR Forest Flood Resources page for additional flood recovery information and resources for forest landowners and forest economy businesses.

BEGAP Portal Link

Vermont Low-Interest Loan Opportunity

As a result of legislation that the PLC helped get passed this past legislative session in Vermont, we are pleased to announce that the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) is now offering low-interest financing opportunities for forest products industries in the state, which will benefit our Vermont Member companies and Master Loggers in Vermont.

VEDA, which is Vermont’s economic development finance authority, is now offering loans that will provide a 2% reduction from prime commercial rates for equipment, trucks and other business investments.

The PLC encourages you to click the links below to learn more about this opportunity and other VEDA resources, and/or apply for a loan. You may alsoreach out to VEDA directly with questions. Our contact is Sarah Isham, Director of Agricultural Lending, sisham@veda.org or (802) 828-5463 and tell her the PLC sent you!!

VEDA Loan Options
Forestry Loan Fact Sheet
VEDA Agricultural and Forestry Loan Application

Vermont Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Report Sept. 23-27

Click the button below for the full Vermont Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Report from the Vermont Motor Vehicle Police

Read the Report

Vermont News Clips

📌Final Worcester Range plan includes much of the timber harvests in original controversial proposal
📌Changing landscape: New ownership underlies concerns over liquidation logging
📌CEAP Fun ding Available for Equipment to Improve Water Quality | Vermont Business Magazine
📌The Northern Logger Newsletter Sept. 30, 20 24

Safety & Educational Resources

Vermont First Aid/CPR & Logger Rescue Class

Vermont Members,
Please, join the PLC Northeast and Northeast Master Logger Certification for a great First Aid/CPR & Logger Rescue Class which ensures you and your employees comply with state and federal regulations and will help save lives in the future.

COST: $50
October 18th, 2024, Jacksonville, VT

Topics Include:

First Aid & CPR
Bloodborne Pathogens
Logger Rescue
Emergency Plans
Extraction
What to have in a first aid kit

Instruction by licensed EMT, Paul Stewart. All attendees will receive an American Safety and Health Institute First Aid/CPR completion card (valid for two years).

For questions, contact sydney@tcnef.org or 207-688-8195 ext. 2

Maine DOL – SafetyWorks! October Classes

Emergency Scene Traffic Control
October 4, 2024 l 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta

Performing duties while working in the roadway is extremely dangerous for emergency responders. This half-day class covers requirements for training, personal protective equipment (PPE) for firefighters and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) providers who will be controlling traffic at unplanned motor vehicle accidents. This program will also include setting up a safe work-zone, equipment needed, guidance for day and nighttime operations, blocking to protect the scene, apparatus parking, incident types, signs, communication regulatory text, liability and much more.

OSHA Recordkeeping
October 24, 2024 l 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Joseph Ferris Community Center, 318 Wilson Street, Brewer

This class provides thorough and comprehensive six-hour training for both new and experienced safety and human resources personnel. You will learn the OSHA rule (29 CFR 1904) regarding recording and reporting work-related injuries and illnesses as it applies to your organization, including COVID-19 recordability guidance. This class includes several hands-on activities on how to correctly fill out the required injury reporting forms. An additional 30 to 45 minutes will be available for businesses providing healthcare services or healthcare support services who are required by 1910.502(q) to keep a supplemental Covid-19 illness log.

Welding/Compressed Gas
October 28, 2024 l 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta

This class covers the requirements of the welding standard, in addition to the storage and proper use of compressed gas. Proper inspection techniques of hoses, torches, and regulators will be demonstrated.

Impairment Detection Training for Employers
October 31, 2024 l 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta

This one-day training session is designed to help owners, managers, and supervisors recognize and respond appropriately to employee-impairment in the workplace to reduce worker accidents and injuries. Participants will be taught procedures to detect impairment regardless of the substance or cause. This class is designed to fulfill the federal DOT requirements for reasonable suspicion training of supervisors. In addition, participants will learn how to develop and implement policies that address impairment in the workplace and are in compliance with Maine’s Substance Use Testing Law.

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/.

New Small PLC Operator/Driver First Aid Pack!

In response to demand for a smaller/”must have in an emergency” first aid pack to be stored in a machine or pickup, the PLC has created a new Operator/Driver First Aid Pack.

Contains “must have in an emergency” bleeding control items
One pack is recommended per machine/truck
Detachable velcro panel ideal for mounting in a machine or truck
Meets OSHA requirements for a logging first aid kit
Supplements PLC’s larger first aid back pack but is not a replacement

More information on the pack and its contents is available HERE.

Purchase

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.

Purchase

Now FREE to Maine Loggers! A $300 value!

Member Benefits

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.