Here we share seven of these generational businesses’ inspiring stories, showcasing their deep-rooted values and passion for the logging industry. Join us as we pay tribute to the significant contributions and remarkable legacies logging business from Washington state to Florida bring.

• Levanen Inc., Battle Ground, Washington
• Sevier Logging, LLC, Olympia, Washington
• Triple J Logging, Palatka, Florida
• Allen Brothers Forest Management, Arlington, Washington
• DM Stratton and 3D Trucking, LLC, Jacksonville, Florida
• Dilley & Soloman, Forks, Washington
• R.L. Smith Logging, Inc., Elma, Washington

Levanen Inc., Battle Ground, Washington

From a young age, Scott Levanen aspired to follow in his father’s footsteps as a professional in the logging industry. While working alongside his father, Scott gained valuable skills and logging experience. He later recognized a need for a local full-service logging company that could assist private landowners in maximizing the potential of their tree farms. In 1989, he partnered with his cousin Mark to establish Levanen Inc., which is dedicated to fulfilling this purpose.

Word spread quickly among landowners about the quality of Levanen Inc.’s services. The growing demand the company was experiencing resulted in a need for expansion of its workforce and equipment. This enabled them to take on larger logging projects. To sustain such growth, Levanen Inc. diversified their services, offering logging operations to both public and private timberlands.

Over time, Levanen Inc. has evolved into a well-rounded organization through partnerships with large landowners such as New England Forestry. These partners share a commitment to safer, more efficient, and technologically-advanced harvesting timber methods via cable assist and hydraulic grapple logging systems.

Scott’s father once advised him, saying, “Surround yourself with great people, and things will go well.” Thanks to this advice, Scott attributes his success to the partnerships, employees, vendors, and clients he has worked with over the years.

Currently, Levanen Inc. is owned and operated by Scott with the help of his two sons, Dale and Loren. In the future, Dale and Loren hope to purchase the company, carrying on the family legacy.

Sevier Logging, LLC, Olympia, Washington

Sevier Logging, LLC, is owned and operated by Jeff Sevier and his son, Justin. This well-established, third-generation company holds a rich logging history dating back over 70 years in the Pacific Northwest. Known for its sustainable forestry practices and excellent logging services, the company has built a strong reputation as a contractor for various timber companies. Partnerships have included Weyerhaeuser Company, New England Forestry Forest Resources, Green Diamond Resource Company, Harbor Timber/Quinault Partners for the Quinault Indian Tribe, Olympic Resource Management, and government sales at Fort Lewis.

Jeff inherited the business from his father Paul in 2000, continuing the family legacy. Justin, Jeff’s son, has been actively involved in the company for the past decade, working alongside his father and preparing to take ownership in the near future. “Working alongside my dad has been invaluable as I learn the ropes,” says Justin, prompting a smile from Jeff. “I’m so proud of Justin,” says Jeff, “He has embraced a leadership role and makes good, solid decisions. I couldn’t be any prouder of him!”

Sevier Logging, LLC, is rooted in responsible land stewardship and is dedicated to protecting the environment through sustainable forestry practices. Employee safety is also a priority for the company. Remarkably, Sevier Logging, LLC, has managed to avoid any serious accidents in its 70-year logging history.

Triple J Logging, Palatka, Florida

For JJ Sweat, it was important to create a logging business that would not only provide for his family today, but could become a legacy that would one day also provide for his son’s family.

He founded Triple J Logging Inc. in Palatka, Florida, in 2005.

Now a co-owner who works alongside his dad, JJ’s son Jess is learning firsthand how to operate the company.

Over the years, Triple J Logging has grown significantly, employing a dedicated team of 8 employees. The company has partnered with New England Forestry’s Florida Resource Unit as a logging contractor since about 2019.

Allen Brothers Forest Management, Arlington, Washington

Les and Rob Allen represent the second and third generations of their family’s logging legacy at the Hood Canal Tree Farm in East Jefferson County, Washington. In 1976, Les, with his two brothers Craig and Larry, founded Allen Brothers Logging on the Olympic Peninsula. Initially, the company focused on serving the Quilcene and Chimacum areas.

While Rob was growing up, he and his brother worked for their father periodically throughout their high school and young adult years. Although Rob pursued other career paths, he later returned to Allen Brothers Forest Management as a full-time logger in 2004. In response to their father’s dedication to the logging company, Rob’s sons later worked for him during their high school summer breaks. This allowed them the opportunity to gain valuable experience in operations and logging equipment maintenance. As potential fourth-generation loggers, they have a promising future ahead should they choose to continue with Allen Brothers Forest Management.

Both Les and Rob share many positive outlooks when it comes to working alongside family members. They both emphasize the deep familiarity and trust between family, noting that each member treats the company as their own. As they look to the future, Les and Rob are hopeful that the younger generation will decide to return and continue the family logging legacy.

DM Stratton and 3D Trucking, LLC, Jacksonville, Florida

For the Stratton family in Jacksonville, Florida, the common name between Dillon Stratton I, Dillon Stratton II and Dillon Stratton III is only one of the similarities the three generations share. They’re also all three passionate about logging and have worked together in their family businesses.

The youngest of the three, Dillon Stratton III, is the owner and operator of DM Stratton and 3D Trucking, LLC. Founded by his grandfather, Dillon Stratton I, both businesses have a strong family lineage. Together, the two companies employ a total of 18 employees. In addition to running the business, Dillon III holds the position of Vice President at the Southeastern Wood Producers Association. His father, Dillion II, received the distinguished Florida Logger of the Year award in 1995. Following in his father’s footsteps, Dillion III was also recognized, receiving the same honor in 2022.

Over the years, DM Stratton has developed an extensive partnership with New England Forestry, effectively managing multiple logging crews at the same time in our forests.

Dilley & Soloman, Forks, Washington

Dave Dilley began his logging journey while pursuing his high school education. At the time, he realized this particular career path was his true calling. Growing up in Forks, Washington, an area known for its beautiful outdoor landscape and the Olympic Peninsula, it seemed like a natural fit. Following his graduation, Dave spent 10 years logging alongside his uncle, a contractor working for New England Forestry. In 1987, he partnered with Lyn Soloman to establish Dilley & Soloman Logging. Together, they experienced substantial business growth.

Dave’s son, Mike, joined the company while still in high school, dedicating his summer breaks to working in the family business. After graduating in 2000 and pursuing a college degree for 2 years at Washington State University, he decided to forego his education and work at the business instead. Over the years, Mike has gradually worked his way through every aspect of logging operations, watching the industry shift and change. Notable changes included tower and shovel logging with grapple cars, tilting shovels, and tethering bunchers. The company has encouraged and embraced innovation, attributing to its great success.

Dave is confident that when he retires, Mike will carry on the family legacy and achieve great success.

R.L. Smith Logging, Inc., Elma, Washington

R.L. Smith Logging, Inc. has been in business now for 32 years, but its logging legacy dates back further than that. In 1932, Roger Smith’s paternal grandfather tragically died in a logging accident, leaving his wife and five young sons behind. Due to the accident, the family decided to set the logging industry aside for a while. But in 1980, Roger joined his uncle’s company, Grandorff Bros Logging, a small business of four brothers offering logging services to the high country of Grisdale.

In 1991, an economic downturn left Roger unemployed. Thankfully, an uncle offered to sell his portion of the business, leading to the establishment of Tagman-Smith Logging, Inc. With the help and support of Dick Tagman, R.L. Smith Logging, Inc. is still thriving to this day.

Because of Roger’s success and dedication to the family legacy, he was able to offer his nephew, Nate Murray, an opportunity to start his own venture: Roosevelt Logging Inc. In addition, Roger has worked alongside his brothers and brother-in-law for over 20 years. Roger values the teamwork, comradery, and accomplishments he and his family have achieved over the years. Now, R.L. Smith Logging Inc. is harvesting ground they logged in their early years.

“It is hard to imagine that our family history in the logging industry goes back almost 100 years,” says Roger.

New England Forestry’s Dedication to Supporting Local Family-Owned Logging Businesses

New England Forestry is proud to partner with these family-owned logging businesses. Founded on shared values and a deep appreciation for the forests, their knowledge of the industry and logging operations are critical to New England Forestry’s mission of sustainable forest management. With logging running through their blood, each company contributes its rooted and local expertise, specialized equipment, and talented workforce.

We value and express gratitude to each family-owned logging business represented at New England Forestry. Our work is only made possible with partnerships such as these. New England Forestry’s goal is to continue to support the ongoing success and resilience of these generational logging companies for years to come.

The post Celebrating Family Legacies: New England Forestry Pays Tribute to Generations of Loggers appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Sustainable forestry companies like New England Forestry only log a small fraction of the trees we own every year. We typically replant baby seedlings within one to two years of a harvest, ensuring we will continuously have a supply of wood to meet the world’s needs.

With millions of acres of forests in our care, even a small fraction of our property requires a lot of logging support. In fact, we measure our annual yield of logs by the millions of tons!

Instead of having our own loggers within the New England Forestry team, we primarily work with small, locally-owned logging businesses across the U.S. and New Zealand to harvest the timber and deliver it to mills. The mills then process the logs into everyday products like lumber, paper goods and cellulose pulp, which is in 1000s of everyday products such as medicines, paints and even touchscreens.

What types of careers are there in the logging industry?

What is a typical day like for a logger? It sounds like a simple enough question, but there are many different types of loggers. Some work all day on heavy equipment while others work on foot. Some work for themselves driving a log truck while others manage a whole team of employees.

Here’s an overview of some of the key careers available in the logging industry:

Heavy equipment operators in logging

Heavy equipment operators spend most of their time operating the machinery they work best with in the forest. These days, most cabs are air conditioned and the majority of tasks can be done with joysticks and levers.

Feller Buncher Operator

On a harvest operation, a feller buncher operator uses his machine to fell the trees. 

“The feller buncher has got a big wheel on it with teeth on it, and it’s spinning at like 3,500 RPMs,” explains Chuck Owens, an operator with Wiliston Timber out of Wiliston, Florida. “When you go up to the tree, it just cuts it off basically like a big chainsaw. And you grab a hold of it and walk wherever you want to put it and throw it down.”

When it comes to smaller trees, the buncher can actually hold several trees at once, moving with them still vertical until several are “bunched” together, then dropping them in a pile.

A feller buncher operator is an especially important decision-maker on a thinning operation, in which only smaller and less desirable trees are cut down. The operator will decide which trees to take, and which to leave — it’s important he or she chooses the right logs. Leaving behind sickly trees will only hurt the growing ability of the best-growing, healthy trees around them. And taking away a healthy tree too soon would be a major loss in income for the landowner that would like to grow it to its full potential.

The feller buncher operator fells the trees in piles and leaves them behind for a skidder operator to attend to next. As with all logging careers, safety is most important. The feller buncher operator must look out for the safety of everyone else on the site when deciding where to fell trees that may be well over 100 feet tall.

On steep slopes, a winch assist machine may also be used to allow a feller buncher to safely operate, as explained in our article, Winch-assisted Logging boosts safety on steep terrain.

Skidder Operator

A skidder operator plays many roles throughout the lifecycle of the forest. In fact, we use a skidder with a different attachment in our site prep operations as we prepare to replant. They can also be used in road building. During a logging operation, a skidder is able to move between rows of trees and move one or more logs at a time, bringing them to an open area where a loader operator will sort and prep them for log trucks.

Skidders come with many different types of attachments used in logging. A log grapple, cable winch, crane boom and other accessories may be used to grasp and hold on to logs as the skidder drags them out of the forest. Different types of skidders are designed to handle different terrain: some have rubber tires, while others operate on tracks that can handle slopes and looser soils.

“We purchased a six-wheel-drive skidder from Tigercat years ago and I brought that to the attention of a couple landowners,” says Roger Smith, who owns R.L. Smith Logging in Elma, Washington. “The skidder, outfitted with tracks, can cover a larger area of land without damaging the soil bed and causing erosion the way a more traditional skidder would.”

Loader Operator

During a harvest operation, the loader operator may process more than 1000 trees in a single day. A skilled loader operator is incredibly important, as this individual will make decisions about how to cut and market a log in a matter of seconds. Large, high quality logs will be prepared to be delivered to mills that make large items like lumber and utility poles. Lower quality logs will be prepared for mills that will process them into mulch or pulp.

Loader operator Leroy Frazier, also of Williston Timber, explains: “They can pick up the log, swing it round. If there are vines, you can twist the vines out, throw them away.”

Leroy also operates a saw from the cab of the loader. Through a series of buttons, he can place the log where he wants to cut it, then use another button to lower the saw onto the log. Loader operators may have other tools at their disposal, such as a “delimber,” which removes the branches from a log, or a “debarker,” which clears off some of the bark.

He sorts the prepared logs by product type because different products will be delivered to different customers. Finally, he loads the logs onto log trucks, ensuring they are securely in place and ready for transport to the mills.

How do you become a heavy equipment operator in logging?

To become a heavy equipment operator, you will typically need to be 18 or older, have a high school diploma and sometimes a commercial driver’s license (CDL). Many logging contractors offer on-the-job training to potential equipment operators. Some vocational schools also offer training to become a heavy equipment operator in the logging industry.

Skills needed to operate logging machinery include an acute level of care when it comes to the safety of yourself and others on the job site, attention to detail and flexibility. For example, you may be asked to work on a different machine or to assist with fixing equipment depending on what happens during the course of the day. It’s also important to be able to make decisions quickly and have the physical stamina and strength to operate large machines on often rough terrain.

Steep Slope Logging Careers

Chainsaw Operator

There are different challenges when it comes to logging on steep slopes. As explained above, a winch assist machine can sometimes be used to allow a logger to work from the safety of the cab of a feller buncher. Other times, loggers have to work on foot, using chainsaws to fell trees. Chainsaw operators must go through thorough training in using, safely operating and maintaining their chainsaws. This training may be provided on the job.

Yarder Operator

If the ground is too steep for a skidder, a cable system is used to move the logs uphill to a landing area, also called a “yarding” area. This technique has improved logger safety and prevents erosion and sedimentation into waterways.

This popular method for moving logs off steep slopes has many names: tower logging, skyline logging, cable logging and cable yarding are among the most-used, as we explain in our article, How tower logging works. 

A yarder operator runs the cable system, also known as a yarder, through hand and foot controls. This operator works within the cab of the yarder at the landing above the logging operation. Safety again is the priority: lifting massive logs off the ground and transporting them in the air above a mountain is no small undertaking!

In addition to having the skills to communicate with the crew on the ground throughout the day, a yarder operator may need to know how to troubleshoot if the machinery breaks down.

Choker Setter

How do the logs get attached to the cable? Loggers called “choker setters” attach the logs to a choker (or babbitt), which is a separate, vertical cable that hangs from the carriage that moves up and down the horizontal cable. It secures the logs with an interlocking mechanism called a bell and knob. (The bell-shaped side is like a keyhole, while the knob is like a key).

Ed Bryant, owner of ENB Logging in Chehalis, Washingtron, refers to choker setters as “the guys out in the brush who make things happen.” In addition to choker setter, they have also traditionally been called rigging slingers and rigging men

Hook Tender

A hook tender is the person in charge on a steep slope logging operation. This position supervises and coordinates the work on the site, including overseeing the setup and management of the cable system and the work done on the ground by the crew. A hook tender must have a thorough understanding of all that goes on in a logging operation and be able to communicate safely guidelines as well as expectations with the crew.

How do you become a steep slope logger?

Steep slope loggers typically need a high school degree or equivalent. Sometimes CDLs are also needed. On-the-job training is typically offered, and at times training courses are also available through local logging and forestry organizations. Some vocational schools also offer training relating to the logging industry.

Skills needed to be a steep slope logger mirror those listed above for heavy equipment operators: a deep sense of dedication to safety for yourself and others, attention to detail, flexibility, physical stamina and the ability to make decisions quickly.

Log Truck Driving Careers

Log truck drivers may either own their own truck and operate their own business out of that truck, they may work for a mill, or they may work for a company that owns multiple log trucks. A business may specialize solely in log trucks, or it may do logging operations across the board.

A log truck driver will drive to a forest site to pick up a load of logs. This may involve driving into the woods to the area where the loader has loaded the log trailer. In other cases, the trailer may be driven to a pickup site closer to the road, where the log truck driver will then pick it up and transport it to the mill.

A log truck driver always inspects the trailer to ensure all logs are secure and that the trailer will be safe on roadways before getting on the road. Some loose branches may need to be trimmed, and flags may need to be added to some of the logs at the back of the trailer to ensure other drivers don’t get too close.

A log truck driver will need to be knowledgeable about driving regulations for log trucks. Certain roads may not be accessible to log trucks, such as busy streets or major highways. 

Once the log truck driver travels to the mill or other customer, he or she will wait in a line of other log trucks to be weighed on the mill’s scale. Many loggers start their day very early to reduce the amount of time they will have to wait at the mill. Once the logs are weighed, the driver will receive a ticket confirming the weight of the logs, which will determine what will be paid for them. Then the logs are removed from the trailer.

How do you become a log truck driver?

A log truck driver needs to have a high school diploma or equivalent as well as a CDL. Typically, drivers will need to have several years of experience driving heavy trucks before they can qualify to drive a log truck. After that, many companies will provide additional on-the-job training if they hire you to drive a log truck for them.  Some vocational schools also offer log truck driving programs.

Skills a log truck driver needs to have include an ability to map and plan routes as well as logistics in picking up and delivering logs. A log truck driver will have to be aware of road closures, weather hazards and other conditions that could impact a day’s work. A log truck driver needs to have a good understanding of driving safety including defensive driving and must have the stamina for what are sometimes long waits in the vehicle at the mill.

Logging Company Owner Careers

Logging company owners may have just a few employees or a large team with a fleet of trucks and equipment. They may operate equipment themselves, or they may strictly manage their company. Many logging company owners inherit their business after first working in lower level positions within the company. These businesses often pass through families for generations.

While not required, it is helpful to take at least some business courses in order to start and manage a logging company. In addition, a vast knowledge of logging laws and regulations, safety guidelines, and general best practices is critical.

It’s also important to know how to find and hire good employees.

“I think a lot of the older guys have a lot of pride in what they do, myself included,” says Roger of R.L. Smith Logging. “When we’re hiring younger guys,what we try to instill in them is have pride in your job. Also, I like to hire guys that have a smile on their face and they enjoy their job. That means all the difference in the world on good production.”

The post What does a logger do? appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

GRAYS RIVER, Washington—Have you ever wondered how terrain that’s hard to even walk on could be used in forestry operations?

A technique that has vastly improved logger safety—and prevents erosion and sedimentation into waterways—uses a cable system to hoist logs high into the air to move them to flatter ground.

This popular method for moving logs off steep slopes has many names: tower logging, skyline logging, cable logging and cable yarding are among the most-used. 

This overview will help you understand how we use this type of logging in the Pacific Northwest:

Beginning with An Organized Cutting Operation

Before a tower is even brought to the site, a logging crew will begin by cutting the trees and placing them on the ground in a neat, organized layout that will make them easier to move when the time comes.

While some slopes have to be logged on foot with chainsaws, many steep slope logging jobs are now being done with a winch assist system, which anchors into flat ground above and supports vehicles on the slope with a cable. The driver of a machine that cuts the trees on the slope uses a remote to control how strongly the winch assist system supports his vehicle.  

Further Reading: You can learn more about winch-assisted logging and see a video of it in action in our story, Winch-Assisted Logging Boosts Safety on Steep Terrain.

Setting Up the Tower and Skyline

Once the trees are cut, it’s time to get them off the steep slope and onto a flat “yarding area” above the slope. In order to safely move them without damaging the ground, causing erosion or damaging the logs, we lift the logs high into the air.

To set the system up, first a large tower is put into place with the support of several cables called “guylines.” They connect to the tower and then anchor into place in various directions to ensure the tower remains steady against the weight of the logs.

The part of the tower that gives it height, referred to as a “tube,” can be 100 or more feet tall. Years ago, loggers used strong trees to serve as towers. But using man made, movable towers gives loggers a much more reliable option, with the added safety benefit of not having to climb a tree with heavy rigging.

Replacing Synthetic Haywire with Skyline Cable

Once the tower is anchored, it’s time to put the skyline cable in place. The strong cable, typically 1.25” thick, would be too heavy to carry across mountains. Instead, a lighter, synthetic cable called haywire or strawline is used first.

Getting this line into place can be dangerous: imagine how hard it is to walk up or down a mountainside, and now imagine doing it while carrying and unwinding 50 to 80 pounds of cable. The cable is usually 250 feet long, meaning it will take several trips to gather more cable to cover the thousands of feet between the slopes.

While it is still done on foot in many cases, large drones are becoming an increasingly popular, safer alternative. Rather than losing a day’s work or more having several people carry and disperse the cable, a drone can carry it through the sky. It travels from the tower to the “tailhold” the cable will attach to across from the slope the logs are on.

A tailhold can be a strong tree or stump that will hold steady under the weight of the cable and the logs it carries. If there isn’t anything strong enough, a heavy vehicle can also be used.

Further Reading: To learn more about how drones are now being used to put skylines into place, check out our article and video, High Power Drones Are A Safety Game-Changer in Tower Logging.

Once the synthetic line connects the tower and tailhold, a stronger cable is then led through a spool, followed by the thick, heavy skyline that will be used in the next step. (Depending on who you ask, a spool can also be referred to as a pulley, sheave or block).

Moving Trees to the Sorting Yard

With the skyline cable in place, a motorized “carriage” can be placed on the cable to carry the logs up the skyline.

How do the logs get attached to the cable? Loggers called “choker setters” attach the logs to a choker (or babbitt), which is a separate cable that hangs from the carriage. It secures the logs with an interlocking mechanism called a bell and knob. (The bell-shaped side is like a keyhole, while the knob is like a key).

Ed Bryant, owner of ENB Logging, refers to choker setters as “the guys out in the brush who make things happen.” In addition to choker setter, they have also traditionally been called rigging slingers and rigging men.

This method is preferred over using on-the-ground equipment or people to move the trees on the dangerous slopes. And while it might be easier to drag logs on the ground, that would create deep ruts in the soils and send sediment into nearby waterways. In order to protect the water and the ecosystems that depend on it, loggers use the airborne option. 

Further Reading: You can read more about how we protect waterways in forestry by checking out our video and article, How Foresters Restore Salmon Habitat in the Pacific Northwest. 

Preparing the Logs for their Buyers

Once the logs have made their journey off the slope and into a flat area called a yard, it’s time to prepare them for transport. This could mean removing their bark and branches with an aptly-named debarker machine. The logs also might be cut to fit into the trucks they will be loaded onto.

The logs also will be sorted by size, quality and species in order to best determine which mill each group of logs will be delivered to. The highest quality logs will be used for products like flooring and lumber. Lesser quality logs can be processed into pulp, which is used in thousands of everyday products.

Further Reading: You can learn more about the products that are made from logs by reading our #ItStartsWithTrees series. Here’s a link to the first article in the series.

The post How Tower Logging Works appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

FORKS, Washington—After more than 40 years of using chainsaws to cut trees on steep slopes, Dave Dilley remembers the first time he watched a winch-assist machine in action.

He stood in the forest, unable to take his eyes off a feller buncher as it eased up and down the mountain. Without the winch-assist machine, the buncher—a machine that efficiently cuts down trees and “bunches” them together—would be at risk of toppling, sliding or at least digging deep ruts into the soil. 

But the winch, a machine that anchors into place and supports the buncher with a powerful cable, enabled the buncher operator to move across the terrain easily, using a simple device to operate the winch-assist machine from within the cab of the buncher.

“I just saw where it would work here,” says Dave, owner of Dilley & Soloman Logging Company and a lifelong resident of this small town on the Olympic Peninsula in northwest Washington. It wasn’t long before Dave had two winch assist machines of his own.

The Logging System is Safer for Loggers

“The most important thing with this procedure is safety. It’s always our first concern,” says New England Forestry Timber Production Forester Dennis Cox, who encouraged Dave to make the change.

The logger agrees.

“You need less people on the ground, so there’s less danger. That’s the big reason we got into this type of logging,” he says.

Slopes that are too steep for a buncher have to be cut on foot. Loggers walk down the steep terrain and cut trees by hand with chainsaws. It’s one of the most dangerous jobs in the industry. 

There are still some slopes that are too steep to operate a buncher on, even with a winch-assist machine, but the machine has enabled many sites to be logged in a safer, more efficient and eco-friendly manner than ever before. 

Helps Lighten Environmental Impact

“Logging operations on any slope steeper than 30 percent need some form of support,” says New England Forestry’s Senior Timber Marketing Manager Dan Stransky. That guideline, set by the Department of Natural Resources, helps ensure a harvest that’s safe for workers and the environment.

“They don’t want us putting big ruts up and down the hillside because, when the rains come later, all that water runs down those gullies and it delivers sediment to those streams,” he explains, “so it’s just something we work hard at avoiding.”

Seeing the Environmental Benefits of Using the Winch Assist Machine

Dave says the winch assist machine allows him to do his work with a lighter impact on the soils.

“There are certain spots where you have to be pulled” by the winch-assist machine, he says. “There are others I could probably log unassisted, but I’d be turning up my tracks and making ruts. 

“If I just push [the winch assist controls] to, say, a four, it just pulls me right up and doesn’t create any tracks.”

Up against the heavy rains this region is known for, the winch-assisted logging system is one of many ways New England Forestry works with contractors to keep sediment from reaching waterways. 

Why? Sediment would interfere with precious habitats in and around the water. It would also be harmful to our work, washing away the rich soils we’ve developed over decades of forestry. As we explain in the article Forest Engineers Build 100s of Eco-Friendly Roads and Bridges, we adjust all projects and operations to have the lightest possible impact on the environment.

How a Winch Assist Logging System Works

So how does a winch assist logging system keep a feller buncher from slipping on a steep slope? The base machine anchors into place on flat ground above the slope.

Dave explains: “You just dig, point the bucket all the way forward, and get it down.”

He double-checks that it’s secure by ensuring the boom doesn’t move. Then he connects the cable from the winch to his buncher and gets to work, using a remote to control the strength of the winch’s pull on the buncher.

As an extra security measure, if the winch assist base machine moves at any point after it is set, an anchor switch immediately sounds a blaring alarm and applies brakes to the winch drums.

Dave says the trickiest part is the logistics of figuring out how best to position it on each site, “but the machine itself is very user-friendly.”

An Organized Harvest

At ground-level, the results of a harvest operation may look messy. But the view from above shows how carefully-planned each step of the harvest is. The trees lay in neat, straight rows.

“When we log with this system, we get a lot less breakage. It’s very organized,” says Dennis, New England Forestry Timber Production Forester. “With a drone, when you look down on it, it should look like combed hair. And it does.”

After cutting finishes, a second operation involving a cable yarding system, also known as tower logging, is used to bring trees up the slope (again without damaging the soiles). At the top of the landing, they’re sorted and loaded onto trucks.

Harvesting in a Responsible Way

Dave has been in the logging industry for four decades, starting out with his uncle when he was a young man. He’s seen a number of changes over the years, and he’s proud of the strides the industry has made to protect loggers’ safety—as well as the environment.

Despite the stereotype that loggers “pillage” the land, he says, “we may be the best environmentalists out there. Yes, we do want to harvest, but we want to do it in a responsible way. We’re very conscious of streams and wildlife.”

The post Winch-Assisted Logging Boosts Safety on Steep Terrain appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.