Fall 2016 VOLUME 18, NO. 4 WINTER 2015 VOLUME 17, NO. 1

FOREST RESOURCES ASSOCIATION INC. www.forestresources.org

BIOMASS101: CONFRONTING MEDIA BIAS

PLUS: WEIGHT-SCALE CLEANING LOG BRIDGES KEYS TO TRUCKING FLEET SAFETY Strengthen your business by advertising in FRA’s official information source, Forest Operations Review

FRA members are involved with more than 40% of all the U.S. lumber and 75% of U.S. pulp and paper. (877) 234-1863 ext. 6717 [email protected] Strengthen your business by advertising in FRA’s official information source, Forest Operations Review

FRA members are involved with more than 40% of all the U.S. lumber and 75% of U.S. pulp and paper. (877) 234-1863 ext. 6717 [email protected]

FALL 2016 3 Fall 2016 • Volume 18, No. 4

Forest Operations Review is published for the Forest Resources Association Inc. 1901 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 303 Washington, DC 20006 Tel: 202-296-3937 • Fax: 202-296-0562 President Deb Hawkinson Director of Administration Sylviene Mason Operations Coordinator Claire Gedde Vice President, Public Affairs Editor, Forest Operations Review Neil A. Ward Director of Public Relations and Government Affairs Chris Hess APPALACHIAN REGION 2129 Electric Rd SW, Suite 205, Roanoke, VA 24018 Tel: 540-989-4171 E-mail: [email protected] Rick Meyer, Region Manager LAKE STATES REGION 4321 Ridgeview Lane, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494 Tel: 715-213-4833 E-mail: [email protected] Fred Souba, Lake States Coordinator E-mail: [email protected] Steve Kariainen, Lake States Coordinator NORTHEAST REGION FEATURES 107 Elm Street, Suite 100E, Portland, ME 04101 Tel: 207-772-5440 E-mail: [email protected] Biomass101: Confronting Media Bias Eric Kingsley, Northeast Coordinator about the Carbon Neutrality of SOUTHCENTRAL REGION 8 2129 Electric Rd SW, Suite 205, Roanoke, VA 24018 Tel: 540-989-4171 Forest Biomass E-mail: [email protected] Rick Meyer, Region Manager SOUTHEASTERN REGION 2129 Electric Rd SW, Suite 205, Roanoke, VA 24018 Tel: 540-989-4171 E-mail: [email protected] DEPARTMENTS Rick Meyer, Region Manager WESTERN REGION A Word From FRA Chairman Bill Johnson 725 N Center Parkway #E104, Kennewick, WA 99336 6 Tel: 509-396-7117 E-mail: [email protected] Vickie Hoffart, Region Manager A Message from FRA President Deb Hawkinson 7 Published by: Wood Supply Research Institute Update 10 MediaEDGE Communications, LLC 3951 NW 48th Ter Suite 219, Gainesville, FL 32606 Toll Free: 877-234-1863 • Fax: 877-584-2176 Forestry School Profile 11 Publisher Michael Brown ® Senior Sales Director Log A Load For Kids Update 12 Maureen Hays 877-234-1863 ext. 6717 Account Executives THATS: Safety in Focus 21 Walt Daniels, Alex Wilson and Alex Cunningham Creative Director Tim Sost Index to Advertisers 27

In no event shall Publisher or the [magazine, directory, e-news, website] be liable to anyone for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions with respect to the Information or the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof, for any damage arising therefrom or occasioned thereby, or for the results obtained from the use of the Information. Publisher will not be responsible if any Information infects or contaminates a User’s system or information. The entire risks as to the quality and performance of the [magazine, directory, e-news, website] and the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, currentness, validity, and quality of any Information is with the User. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the association.

4 Forest Operations Review CONTENTS

Serial Publications

Technical Releases

16-R-20: Portable Plastic Truck Roads 13 Plastic 4x8 sheets can be an inexpensive, easy-to-install alternative to wooden log mats, in appropriate conditions, especially when working with family forest owners. 16-R-21: A New Angle on Truck 15 Weight-Scale Cleaning Angled shaft on cleaning tool helps access in cleaning under truck weight-scale. 16-R-22: Log Bridges Improve 16 Harvest Site Access in Appalachians Two case histories demonstrate how building temporary access bridges out of low-value trees harvested on the site can provide affordable access with little site disturbance. 16-R-23: Ten Keys to Trucking 18 Fleet Safety Insurance agency Alteris’s Risk Control Director lays out a detailed set of guidelines for improving a trucking fleet’s safety and loss exposure.

Safety Alerts

16-S-9: Feller-Buncher Door 22 Slammed on Co-Worker’s Finger Inadequate “all-clear” check at conclusion of maintenance operation results in severe hand damage.

FALL 2016 5 A Word from FRA Chairman Bill Johnson “FRA and the Workforce: Approaching Veterans”

Have you seen FRA’s “Veterans in the Workforce” page? Now live—including an orientation video—at www.veterans.forestresources.org.

Among national forestry associations, FRA is the one focused on forest operations—essentially, workforce issues—and that has been true since the early years.

Everyone knows about FRA’s longstanding work with operator training and safety. And now, in our current Strategic Plan, “Relieve Logging & Trucking Manpower Shortage” has emerged as a top priority.

We are concerned about where the next generation of logging, trucking, forestry, and mill workers is going to come from.

Reaching out to transitioning veterans, and bringing forest-related work opportunities to their attention, has much to offer our businesses—and, I think, much to offer veterans. And we’re getting positive signals from allied state associations about working with us and developing local liaisons with veterans and the organizations they look to for support.

While it’s clear that many of the skills active military personnel train in during their service promise a good fit in our sector—operating trucks and heavy equipment, and skills as mechanics and electricians, to name a few—other qualities may be even more valuable: the focus on teamwork, problem-solving, and accountability. Think of the veterans you know from your workplace, and ask what they have brought to your organization.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be building out the site. We’ll be beefing up means for interested veterans to contact potential employers in their regions, and we’ll introduce more detailed information about specific job types.

Are you a veteran, or active with veterans groups? Be sure to contact FRA’s National Office, and let our President, Deb Hawkinson, know that you have something to contribute—insights, connections, advice—to move this initia- tive forward!

Bill Johnson FRA Chairman

6 Forest Operations Review A Message from FRA President Deb Hawkinson “Fall Board / Western Region Meeting – The Action Items!”

We had a great turnout for FRA’s Fall Board Meeting in projects about optimizing quality from suppliers of residuals late September, combined with our Western Region’s Fall and developing pointers on the types of quality incentive Meeting—155 individuals altogether at the Coeur d’Alene systems most likely to reward the investment. In addition, a Resort, in northern Idaho. revision and relaunch of FRA’s popular Chip Quality Manual seems called for. We structured Wednesday’s all-day Technical Session to include dialogue on building FRA programs and initiatives, Committee reports also pointed to significant action items: drawing on takeaways from presentations. Here are some building out FRA’s newly launched Veterans in the Forestry that surfaced, to be referred to appropriate FRA national Workforce site by drawing further on members’ and state committees for further development. associations’ commitment to this initiative’s potential and pushing the initiative more deeply into the Veterans commu- Transportation: Michelle Conville, of Independent Respira- nity. In addition—although trucking capacity continues tory Services, provided a presentation on how sleep disor- to face a long-term deficit—reports from most regions are ders—specifically sleep apnea—may affect workers’ long- showing a current excess of logging capacity, due both to term health, as well as job performance and public safety. market and weather constraints, with many loggers under This presentation was the impetus to launch an educational financial stress, with not enough demand for their production initiative through FRA’s own channels and through a recom- to utilize their new equipment investments fully. This situa- mendation for THATS to produce an educational video, tion received attention at the Executive Committee level, with directed to all supply chain segments but most particularly to the recommendation that both procurement and suppliers trucking. In addition, Vinnie Corrao, of Northwest Manage- revisit the recommendations of the late Don Taylor’s Suppli- ment, Inc., reviewed recent work on centralized dispatch er-Consumer Relations project report from 2012. logistics in roundwood hauling, suggesting a need for a new assessment of this approach to supply chain management in Members also appreciated observations from Ken Shields, all regions. of Canada’s Conifex Timber, outlining the factors that are encouraging Canadian lumber producers to build facilities Fiber Quality: Ketcham Forest Products’ Jeff Kaufman’s in the Southern U.S., as well as market insights from Todd account of his successful experience utilizing timber salvaged Morgan of the University of Montana and from Forest2Mar- from a USFS burn sale pointed toward the basis for devel- ket’s Pete Stewart. oping a “best practices” document with pointers for evalu- ating burned timber for salvage and preparing, debarking, This Meeting’s theme wasRegional Solutions, National and utilizing it. Both Larry Davis, with Cosmo Specialty Implications: Quality Connections. I think this Meeting Fibers, and consultant Murray Hall shared their insights on lived up to it. improving chip quality, opening up a lively dialogue during Deb Hawkinson the session and pointing to the need for communications FRA President

FALL 2016 7 BIOMASS101: CONFRONTING MEDIA BIAS ABOUT THE CARBON NEUTRALITY OF FOREST BIOMASS Dan Foster, Vice President, CounterPoint Strategies

With crucial legislative action on deck in the coming weeks that will influence the decision on the carbon neutrality of forest biomass, we invited Dan Foster, who leads Biomass101, a media education collaborative project on behalf of FRA and other national forestry associations, to outline how our effort influences the mainstream media to report objectively on this topic. To view recent “redliners” and other samples of Biomass101 media engagement, please visit www.biomass101.org/media-accountability. Here’s an anecdote, usually attributed to the late, great novelist I help steer a coalition of forest products trade associations and screenwriter Michael Crichton. It’s about the acclaimed and advocates of biomass energy—FRA, along with the physicist Murray Gell-Mann, and his complaint on the sorry American Forest & Paper Association, the American Wood state of science reporting in the mainstream press. Crichton Council, and the National Alliance of Forest Owners—and draws an absolutely critical insight from Gell-Mann’s lament, in a very real way, recognizing and counteracting Gell-Mann an effect he calls “Gell-Mann Amnesia.” amnesia is our reason for being. “Briefly stated, the Gell-Mann Amnesia effect is as follows. Think of it this way: If you work in the forest products value You open the newspaper to an article on some subject you chain, the logic of biomass energy probably seems intuitive. know well. In Murray’s case, physics. In mine, show business. Even with decades of innovation fueling an ongoing, high- You read the article and see the journalist has absolutely no tech revolution in the industry, you know that the milling and understanding of either the facts or the issues. Often, the manufacturing processes are energy intensive. And you know article is so wrong it actually presents the story backward— that manufacturing residuals and other sources of biomass reversing cause and effect. I call these the “wet streets cause are excellent, cost-effective, and ready-at-hand fuel sources. rain” stories. Paper’s full of them. If someone asked you if biomass was carbon friendly, you’d “In any case, you read with exasperation or amusement the say heck yes. You’ve been around working forests and know a multiple errors in a story, and then turn the page to national thing or two about responsible forest management. You know or international affairs, and read as if the rest of the newspaper that for every tree’s worth of woody biomass the industry was somehow more accurate about Palestine than the baloney burns, it’s planting two new ones that will pull that carbon you just read. You turn the page, and forget what you know.” back out of the atmosphere, or manufacturing durable forest products that will sequester carbon over the long term. “These are laymen, not And perhaps most critically, you know that markets for biomass work just like markets for other forest products—or foresters or forest scientists. markets for anything, really. That means that, far from imper- iling American forests, a healthy market for biomass incentiv- They don’t know—and all izes their preservation. But you know who doesn’t know this? The press. And that’s why when you read coverage of biomass issues, it’s so often too often aren’t particularly uninformed, confused, and one sided. interested in—the nuances Why do they get it so wrong? There are a lot of answers. At the top of the list is exactly that dynamic Gell-Mann iden- tified. These are laymen, not foresters or forest scientists. of your business models or They don’t know—and all too often aren’t particularly inter- ested in—the nuances of your business models or your policy your policy advocacy.” advocacy. And they are reflexively suspicious of anything that 8 Forest Operations Review comes out of your mouth, because you’ve offered insight into the field in which you also happen to earn your paycheck. “In measuring the That ingrained suspicion, not just of the forest products industry, but of industry in general, makes these reporters effectiveness of our particularly receptive to adversarial activist groups, whose own business model is to propagandize against industry in order to scare up donations. And so we see time and again response to a recent activists and press colluding—either wittingly or unwit- tingly—in coverage of biomass issues. The activist groups adversarial column in the provide reporters with readymade storylines, narrative framing, “dial-a-quote” sources, and quasi-scientific “studies” with neat conclusions all but wrapped in a bow. In exchange New York Times, the reporters give these groups free publicity, and better yet, bestow on them a patina of credibility, quoting them as if they were disinterested experts and champions of empiricism. we looked . . . at positive So how does Biomass101 disrupt this collusion and correct, or at least counteract, distorted or inaccurate coverage? trends in the sentiment of The overarching strategy is to hold the press accountable on objective journalism standards. Telling the press that you’re merely unhappy with their coverage, or that you’d appreciate internet discussions around it if they’d also point all the good works your industry does, is very unlikely to move them. Requiring them to meet ethical the story.” standards of accuracy, objectivity, transparency, balance, and sourcing—by counteracting their points with facts—raises institutions of this size and stature simply don’t feel the need the question of media credibility. to respond to our good-faith critiques, even when those We have found trade publications in forestry and related spaces critiques are leveled in the public discourse and amplified via to be the most fertile ground for a more diplomatic approach. social media. But increasingly, coverage of biomass issues is coming out of The game then becomes about identifying the subsection of the growing constellation of activist blogs, newsletters, and their readership that has encountered the offending coverage, digital magazines that represent themselves as straight news, and putting countering evidence in front of them. This method policy analysis, or investigative reporting. These journalists necessarily relies on a mix of art and science, smart messaging often have direct personal and professional relationships and high-tech digital targeting. And the results usually aren’t with adversarial activist groups, and accordingly write from going to come in the form of direct responses to our criticisms. skewed perspectives. The key to the Biomass101 strategy is to But there are other ways to measure success, both quantitative show our work. If the public identifies the debate primarily as and qualitative. For instance, in measuring the effectiveness one between for-profit industry and non-profit activists, it is of our response to a recent adversarial column in the New unlikely to cut our way. The activists and the adversarial press York Times, we looked not just at the number of Times readers know this, and rely on it to get away with scientifically shoddy who have clicked through to Biomass101, but also at posi- work. Our goal at Biomass101 is instead to provide readers tive trends in the sentiment of internet discussions around with all the relevant information and perspectives, and trust the story. And perhaps most critically of all, we looked at the them to arrive at their own conclusions. extent to which our prompt, principled pushback prevented In this realm, too, Biomass101 has had success. We point the flawed coverage from spreading to other publications. out the blogger’s failure to include any industry perspectives, Over the long term, this mix of tactical approaches—united or indeed, any peer-reviewed science that contradicted his under a common strategy of principled pushback according preferred conclusions. Critically, we conducted this media to objective journalism standards—can lead to a change criticism “in public”, as it were, sending it over social media in the overall tone and accuracy of biomass coverage. For to the blogger’s readers, peers, and credible third parties, and almost two years we’ve been systematically holding inaccu- inviting all to weigh-in on the matter. rate reporting to account, and as regulators prepare to make There are special challenges when Biomass101 faces off momentous decisions on biomass policy that will affect not against irresponsible coverage at massive scale—for instance just our industries, but all Americans, we’re confident that our repeat biomass offenders the New York Times and the Wash- efforts have helped nudge that conversation in the direction ington Post. Despite demonstrable flaws in their reporting, of truth.

FALL 2016 9 WOOD SUPPLY RESEARCH INSTITUTE UPDATE “Projects Underway, Projects Under Review, and WSRI in Transition”

The October issue of SAF’sForestry Source includes an interview with me, describing WSRI’s purpose, structure, and recent and current research projects. Read it at this link: http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/saf/forestrysource_201610/index.php The WSRI Technical Team has recommended a new project to the WSRI Board of Directors for approval and funding: A Lean Logistical Framework: Applications in the Wood Fiber Supply Process, submitted by Dr. Henry Quesada-Pineda and Dr. Brian Bond of Virginia Tech. This project seeks to use “Lean” principles to review typical wood fiber supply processes in the U.S. South and map them with an eye for docu- menting both waste and potential efficiency. “Lean Thinking” is a business philosophy that has been heavily embraced within many manufacturing facilities, including ones in the wood products industry. However there is no documentation of it having been officially applied to wood supply. This project will review previous WSRI projects and evaluate some existing wood supply streams with the intent of capturing and building on findings that mesh with “Lean” concepts. The WSRI Technical Team spent a lot of time considering the potential merits of this study, with multiple conference calls and a trip to Blacksburg, Virginia in late August to meet with Henry and Brian to clarify and modify the proposed study plan. Pending Board approval, this project will kick off in November and be completed within one year. In addition, following review by the Technical Team, WSRI recently released the final report of Compensation Indices for Logging and Trucking Occupations. This report used both publicly available and direct survey data to compare and contrast the salary and benefits of logging equipment operators and logging truck drivers to those of employees who work for businesses that typically compete for the same labor skills. There is plenty of information in this report to spur conversation and suggest actions that can be taken to address manpower issues in the logging and trucking business. The Auburn University team led by Dr. Tom Gallagher continues to test and modify its cell phone App that allows log truck drivers to record delays in their total turn cycle. The Technical Team should be able to review a progress report by the end of this year. Have you visited the WSRI web site—www.wsri.org—recently? We have been combing over it to bring it up to date—and we’ll update it further as projects now pending release their reports. WSRI’s leadership and I welcome your comments on the information posted there, as well as what we should do to make it even better. Just send me a message at the e-mail below if you have a suggestion. Steve Carruth Executive Director, WSRI [email protected] 843-209-0765

10 Forest Operations Review forestry school profile: WARNELL SCHOOL OF FORESTRY & NATURAL RESOURCES UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

The year 2016 has been an eventful year for the Warnell School The Harley Langdale, Jr. Center for Forest Business will once of Forestry & Natural Resources at the University of Georgia. again conduct its well respected Timberland Investment While our school includes a wide range of natural resource Conference March 1-3, 2017 at the Ritz Carlton on Amelia majors, FRA members are most interested in our forestry Island, Florida. The theme is “Growing Value,” and presen- programs. This update focuses on our efforts to continue to tations will focus on the underlying importance of manufac- support private forest landowners and the forest industry. We turing markets for forest products and international trade. have long benefited from a close working relationship with Attendance is expected to exceed 600, including international FRA. Our collaborative research with industry partners has investors, public and private fund managers, TIMOs, REITs, helped inform issues around timber harvesting, wood supply, family offices, funds of funds, banks, lenders, consultants, and trucking efficiency, and the effects of changes in industrial the forest industry. Details are available at www.ugacfb.com forestland ownership and finance. In Fall 2016 we count 32 graduate students from six countries Over the past two years, we’ve hired six faculty members studying forest business management and forest investment in forestry, including Cristian Montes in forest biometrics, science at the Harley Langdale Jr. Center for Forest Business. Jon Caulfield in forest finance, Joe Conrad in forest opera- Four are PhD students, with the remainder pursuing the tions, Caterina Villari in forest pathology, Elizabeth Benton popular Master of Forest Resources in forest business manage- in extension forest health, and Yanshu Li in extension forest ment. In early 2016, the Society of American Foresters fully economics/taxation. Four of these hires have international accredited the MFR degree in both forestry and forest business. work experience. The extension positions are new, the others About half of our MFR students have an undergraduate degree replace faculty who retired or changed roles. With our forest in an area other than forestry; thus, SAF accreditation helps pathology and health hires, we now have three forest health those graduates who seek registration in states and/or applica- positions within our school focused on insects and diseases tion for the SAF Certified Forester program. that put our working forests at risk. Few forestry programs Job placement remains strong for summer interns and perma- today have that advantage. Our hire in forest biometrics brings nent positions for both BSFR and MFR graduates. We again that highly respected program back to full strength. Our forest add new employers this fall to our list of those who interview. operations hire reaffirms our commitment to collaborate with Our advice to all employers in this job market is to come early FRA there going forward. The hires in forest finance and exten- and plan to attend our jobs fair in February, known as Round- sion forest economics/taxation further strengthen our unique table. program in forest business, where we continue to receive very strong industry support. W. Dale Greene, Dean [email protected] warnell.uga.edu

FALL 2016 11 UPDATE 2016 A Word from National Log A Load® Foundation Chair, Sherri Hansen

It’s hard to believe that fall is here already! Log-Truck Box and STIHL Inc. generously donated a STIHL It has been a very busy year for all of our volunteers with their MS 271 Farm Boss Chain Saw, which we live auctioned off at fundraising efforts. We are looking forward to another great the evening dinner. The Southern Loggers Council submitted fundraising total for the year. the winning bid—and they donated back the saw to auction off again! Thanks to Lowell & Debra Hubbard with Hubbard That will be made possible by fundraisers like dinners, dessert Logging in Louisiana, who purchased the saw in round two! auctions, live and silent auctions, raffles, fish fries, skeet shoots, golf tournaments, rose raffles, logging tracts of timber, Total raised for the local children’s hospital: $3,954.25. Thank bury-the-log-truck boxes—and the list goes on. you to all of the donors for your generosity and support for children, and for children’s hospitals, across the country. Thanks to all of you for your contributions and for volun- teering and to all of our sponsors and vendors for helping One of the most rewarding experiences in which we can make miracles happen for our children. engage is assisting children with their health challenges. Due to injury or illness, hospitalized children are in the toughest Speaking of volunteers, it is the time of year that we ask you to battle of their young lives. With the continued support of submit to us applications for the Log A Load For Kids “Volun- wonderful sponsors and Log A Load for Kids volunteers, teer Of The Year” award. We’ll recognize the winner at FRA’s CMN hospitals can improve the lives of kids and their fami- Annual Meeting this coming May in Charleston, and also at lies. the Children’s Miracle Network Momentum Celebration this March in Orlando. You’ll find the nomination application and We have heard from numerous Log A Load volunteers that instructions at www.logaload.org. investing their energies as CMN supporters, has given them incredible satisfaction. Thank you for your generous and In September Kelley Mitchell, our Log A Load Children’s heartfelt efforts on behalf of children’s hospitals. Miracle Network Hospital Partner Representative, and I attended the American Loggers Council Annual Meeting in I wish all of you a wonderful Holiday Season! Panama City Beach, Florida. We set up a Log A Load For Kids Sherri Hansen, Chair display and raised money for the local Studer Family Children’s Log A Load For Kids® Foundation Hospital at Sacred Heart in Pensacola. We had the Bury-The- [email protected]

Support your state’s Log A Load For Kids® campaign! To find your state’s Log A Load organization and contact person, visit www.logaload.org/contacts-hospitals/

12 Forest Operations Review PORTABLE PLASTIC TRUCK ROADS

TECHNICAL RELEASE 16-R-20 Roads: logging mats November 2016

INTRODUCTION: Woodyard access associated with small family forest owners can often be challenging and necessitate creative approaches. Often access is available only across lawns, fields, paved drive- ways, private rights-of-way, camp roads, and seasonally sensi- tive town roads. Ignoring the potential impacts of running heavy forest prod- ucts trucks on these access lanes can potentially result in expensive remediation—and in unhappy landowners, neigh- bors, and members of the general public if ruts are created and if resulting mud makes its way into public thoroughfares. One way to mitigate this potential is to spread the weight over a wider area with a temporary and portable plastic road. OPERATION: Temporary plastic roads come in 4-foot by 8-foot sections, each weighing approximately 70 pounds, that two men can easily handle. Thus, one may haul several hundred feet of temporary road in a vehicle such as a one-ton truck. These Fig. 1: Several hundred feet of road may be transported in small 4x8 sheets can be assembled in several configurations to trucks.. achieve the desired width, with hardware provided to secure them into a single unit maximizing the bearing surface. Typi- cally they are assembled to form either an 8- or a 12-foot- wide road. In some cases, they have been assembled into two parallel 4-foot runners to set in the wheel tracks, sometimes up to several hundred feet in length. The benefit of these mats is that they can be used to protect a surface from the impacts of trucking. Although the prem- ises are the same as wooden mats, these plastic mats should be limited to surfaces that have not yet been rutted. They do not have the same weight-bearing capacity as wooden timber mats but, when used on a flat surface, have performed extremely well to prevent rutting for the duration of harvests generating several hundred loads. Fig. 2: Panels weigh 70 pounds each and may be easily assembled by two workers.

FALL 2016 13 PORTABLE PLASTIC TRUCK ROADS

SPECIFICATIONS AND COST: Mats cost around $200 apiece, or about $40,000 for 800 feet of road 8 feet wide. These particular mats have a seven-year warranty and have proven to be extremely durable. There are several vendors of these types of products that can be accessed on-line, and prices may vary. The cost of shipping is also an important consideration. CONCLUSION: These lightweight panels are able to be trucked in and handled without heavy equipment on-site. Two men could assemble several hundred feet of road in a matter of hours. Trees LTD has tested these plastic road mats over the past two years on Fig. 3: Plastic mat disperses load on a soft lawn. timber harvests in central Maine. They have been very effec- tive in reducing remedial cost by serving as protection to the lawns, fields, and camp roads during access.

Pat Sirois Willie Cole Maine SFI Implementation Committee Trees, LTD Augusta, Maine Sidney, Maine [email protected] [email protected]

Reviewed by: Eric Kingsley Northeast Region Coordinator

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14 Forest Operations Review A NEW ANGLE ON TRUCK WEIGHT-SCALE CLEANING TECHNICAL RELEASE 16-R-21 Woodyards: maintenance November 2016 INTRODUCTION: Keweenaw Land Association, LTD owns nearly 170,000 acres of timberland in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin. Keweenaw has a log and pulpwood storage yard adjacent to its Ironwood, Michigan office to facilitate log and pulpwood grading, sorting, and storage. The yard features a platform-style truck weight-scale for measuring incoming and outgoing log products. Platform-style truck weight-scales work well, but the area under the scale platform must be kept open and free to move in order for the scale to function properly. The Ironwood area is especially prone to heavy winter snows, so cleaning out snow from under the scale deck can be almost a daily chore in the winter. Mud, bark, and other debris can also necessitate cleaning out the area under the scale platform during the rest Fig. 1: Scale-cleaning tool. of the year. GENERAL FEATURES: Art Norden, Keweenaw’s Log Yard Manager, developed a simple tool for personnel to use in cleaning out the area under the weight-scale deck. The angle of the handle is what makes this tool especially effective and easy to use. APPLICATION: The angled shaft of the cleaning tool reduces the need for personnel to get down on their hands and knees when cleaning under the scale platform. The angle also reduces the likelihood of back strain for the user. SPECIFICATIONS & COST: Art Norden constructed the scale cleaning tool from scrap materials found in Keweenaw’s mobile equipment shop. Fig. 2: Tool in use. More information is available from the author.

Tom Moon Log Sales Representative Keweenaw Land Association, LTD. 1801 E. Cloverland Drive TimberMart-South Ironwood, Michigan 49938 Timber Mart- 906-932-3410 • HardwoodSouth & Pine Prices Reviewed by: • •Hardwood Stumpage & & Pine Delivered Prices Steve Kariainen. • •Stumpage Quarterly & Reports Delivered www.TimberMart-South.com Lake Sates Coordinator www.TimberMart-South.com • •Quarterly Historical Reports Data Email:Email: [email protected] [email protected] Phone:Phone: 706-542-4756 706-542-4756 • Historical Data Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources TheWarnell University School of GeorgiaForestry •& Athens Natural GA Resources 30602 USA The University of Georgia • Athens GA 30602 USA

FALL 2016 15 LOG BRIDGES IMPROVE HARVEST SITE ACCESS IN APPALACHIANS TECHNICAL RELEASE 16-R-22 Bridges: wood November 2016 INTRODUCTION: Constructing temporary stream crossings using low-value trees on the timber sale area can be a lower-cost alternative to extensive road-building, while still meeting state Best Management Practice guidelines in the Appalachians. The small amount of time spent on the construction of a log bridge will pay for itself in convenience, if done properly. Construc- tion of such bridges can keep site preparation to a minimum. All construction materials can usually be found on-site, and the work can be accomplished with the equipment found on most logging jobs. OPERATION: Consider the following two harvest site case studies, from eastern Kentucky and from southeastern Ohio: Case Study #1: Harvesting ahead of wet weather. A 110-acre logging job included topographic features that allowed the logger to harvest a half-side of the sale area without crossing the intermittent stream in the bottom of Fig. 1: Using a knuckleboom loader to place logs across culvert the hollow. The contractor working this acreage left enough pipes over an intermittent stream (Case Study #1). lower-quality stringers and pulpwood standing on the first side of the sale to construct the crossing for the second side. The log-size trees and pulpwood trees were skidded a short (approximately 30 tons) was then strategically placed with distance to the stream and were cut to length (approximately a knuckleboom loader opposite the culverts and built up in 20 feet long) in order to cross the streambed effectively. Two a way to fill the gap between the two banks, thus providing large metal culverts, approximately 24 inches in diameter for a level skidding surface. Once construction was done, the and 40 feet in length, were then placed in the bottom of the bridge was capped with on-site woody materials to fill the streambed facing parallel with the water flow. The cut wood gaps of the remaining joints of the wood pieces and to prevent materials and sediment from reaching the stream below. Case Study #2: Using a treelength bridge to winter log a tough sale. Access to this tract would typically have required extensive road building due to its many small, ephemeral streams and two intermittent streams. Two other loggers had previously refused to cut the sale because of its many obstacles, even though the ground itself would hold up to winter logging. In the end, the buyers laid two steel bridges across the creek close to a county road to back the trucks onto the area and then used culvert pipes, covered over by trees and corduroy approach roads, to enable skidders to cross the other (ephem- eral and intermittent) streams without causing any soil move- ment or water-quality problems. First, the ephemeral streams, which were not running at the time, were filled with trees without removing duff and leaf cover. Second, a larger crossing included a tree bridge. This approximately 14-foot-wide bridge was built with 50-foot Fig. 2: Finished crossing over the intermittent stream, with the pile logs, using the biggest logs on the outside and binding the of logs preventing any erosion or sedimentation (Case Study #1). outside two logs together to keep the skidder in place while

16 Forest Operations Review LOG BRIDGES IMPROVE HARVEST SITE ACCESS IN APPALACHIANS

Fig. 3: (Reclaimed) major winter crossing Fig. 4: Building the treelength bridge (Case Fig. 5: . . . and view of the log bridge with that used steel bridges for trucks to cross Study #2) across a low area . . . corduroy skid road during use. (Case Study #2).

crossing. High stumps (as seen in Fig. 4) were also used on For the winter logging harvest (Case Study #2), the following the lower side to help hold the bridge. A large poplar tree equipment and costs applied: was placed at the end of the logs lying parallel to a 40-foot • One grapple skidder, one medium-sized dozer, a chain by 30-inch pipe in the creek bed. As trees were placed across saw, and one 40-foot by 30-inch steel pipe. It took roughly the poplar and pipe by the grapple skidder, the timber cutter 3.5 hours and approximately $700 of machine-hour cost would top the trees even with the poplar, so they dropped to construct the treelength log bridge. flush to keep the logs tight against the poplar log and in place. A few pine logs were placed on the opposite side of the pipe • A total of 1,503 tons crossed this tree bridge, or 55% of the to help “corduroy” the approach/exit onto the bridge. (This sale; 823 tons were pulpwood 680 tons were logs, equal to crossing was seen as a major obstacle before the sale was roughly 430 skids across the bridge. started.) Approximately 3 hours on the ground were spent to • At basically $1,300 expense ($600 for an excavator to lay out a plan of when and how this site was to be crossed. prepare the road entry area for steel bridge placement At sale completion, all trees were removed from crossings plus $700 for log bridge work), this sale was converted and utilized, and stream channels were reopened. Even with to a winter logging site which allowed another sale to be heavy rainfall and snow, this sale had zero to minimal soil logged during more favorable weather and kept the logger movement. working. SPECIFICATIONS AND COSTS: • There were 2,717 total tons on this sale, which equated to The cost for the installation of the log bridge in the dry-weather 48 cents per ton of expense for stream crossing construc- situation (Case Study #1) was minimal for a variety of reasons. tion. • All materials and equipment used were found on site COMMENT: (other than the culverts). Since state BMPs can vary somewhat, it is advisable to involve • The cost of using the loader to place the culverts and wood the state agency responsible for forestry and water quality at the creek crossing was approximately $150/hour for the inspections to be sure they accept any proposed log bridge loader for 4 hours, or a total cost of $600. stream crossing plan. • The skidding cost was minimal, since the skidders would Kyle Bush and Shawn Gragg bring the wood and logs to the landing area to be loaded Glatfelter on the trucks anyway. Chillicothe, Ohio [email protected] • At the end of the job the loader was used to remove the [email protected] wood and close-out the crossing. This close-out took about 3 machine-hours, for a total cost of $450. Reviewed by: Rick Meyer In this case, the culverts belonged to the logger and were Appalachian/Southwide Region Manager borrowed for no cost. Overall, a very substantial crossing was built from trees that were harvested on the sale area at a total cost of $1,050. The wood used for construction was pulled out once the sale was closed and was delivered to a mill.

FALL 2016 17 TEN KEYS TO TRUCKING FLEET SAFETY TECHNICAL RELEASE 16-R-23 Trucks/Trucking: safety November 2016

INTRODUCTION: If log trucking is to remain safe and insurable, trucking businesses (and logging businesses with trucks) must develop and implement an effective fleet safety program. Listed below are the keys to fleet safety that Alteris Insurance Services has noted in excellent, well-run, safe trucking businesses. While most or all of these keys apply to large trucking businesses, many are also advisable for businesses with just a few trucks (five or fewer, for example). OPERATION: 1. Management Commitment to Safety (Fleet Safety Program)  Top Management is Committed to the Principles of Safety • The safety of the lives of the employees and the lives of the general public are above all else (production, sales, etc.) • Has the attitude that ALL accidents are preventable • Makes safety everyone’s responsibility • Believes that safety can be managed like any other business function (when managed correctly can have a positive impact on the bottom line)  Top Management Shares their Vision of and Commitment to Safety with the Rest of the Organization via a Written Safety Policy Statement  Written Safety Policies and Rules, which are ENFORCED Including but not limited to: Vehicle usage policy, drug & alcohol policy, following distance policy, behind the wheel distractions policy, backing policy, route deviation policy, reporting of accidents policy.  The Performance Reviews and Bonuses/Pay of Middle Management, Supervisors, and Workers is Tied to Safety Perfor- mance  Involves Everyone in the Organization in Doing “Safety Things” (rotating membership on the safety committee and acci- dent review committee, safety suggestions encouraged and taken seriously, etc.) 2. Initial Driver Screening Procedures  Has Written Hiring Standards and Procedures  Mandatory Prior Experience (in similar size vehicle) Requirement  Minimum Age Requirement  Driving Record (MVR) Assessment for Moving Violations  Driving Record Assessment (MVR) for Chargeable Accidents  Pre-Employment Drug Testing  Driving Skills Assessment (Documented Road Test)  Previous Employer/Reference Checks & Criminal Background Check 3. Ongoing Driver Screening Procedures  Annual Review of Driving Record by Management  Random Drug and Alcohol Testing 4. Initial Driver Training and Education Programs  Use of Probationary Period after Hiring or Promotion to Driver  Documented Training on Essential Job Functions, Equipment, and Safety Rules  Supervised On-the-job Training Period

18 Forest Operations Review TEN KEYS TO TRUCKING FLEET SAFETY

 Documentation of Feedback from On-the-job Trainers (strengths and deficiencies noted)  Counseling and Retraining on Deficient Areas and Skills  Final Documented Driving Skills/Essential Job Functions Assessment Before New Driver Goes Out on Own 5. Ongoing Driver Training and Education Programs  Defensive Driving Training  Regular Documented Fleet Safety Meetings  Fleet Safety Meetings Address Identifiable Accident Trends  Regular Safety Reminders (posters, paycheck stuffers, dispatch safety announcements)  Special Refresher Training for Drivers Involved in Accidents or Observed Unsafe Driving Behavior 6. Regular Driver Supervision  Regular Clandestine Observations of Drivers (documented and reviewed with the driver)  Documentation of Feedback from a Reporting Service, Customers, or General Public (reviewed with driver)  Use of Engine Monitoring Devices  Use of GPS Tracking Devices  Use of DriveCam or SmartDrive 7. Driver Recognition/Safety Incentives  Individual Safety Performance Recognition and/or Bonuses  Group/Team Safety Performance Recognition, Bonuses, or Competitions

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FALL 2016 19 TEN KEYS TO TRUCKING FLEET SAFETY

8. Active Safety Committee  All Levels of the Organization Are Represented  Has a Defined Purpose and Agenda  Has the Ability to Identify and Resolve Problems  All Efforts are Documented  All Efforts are Communicated to the Rest of the Organization 9. In-Depth Accident Investigation and Review  Detailed Information Gathering and Investigation of All Accidents  Management and/or Accident Review Committee Review All Accidents  Documented Disciplinary Action and Retraining for Drivers Involved in Chargeable Accidents  Losses are Analyzed for Trends and Problem Areas  Loss Trend Analysis Results are Communicated Throughout the Organization and Problem Areas are Addressed in Ongoing Safety Education and Training 10. Vehicle/Equipment Maintenance Program  Documented Pre/Post-Trip Inspections  Competent and Certified Maintenance Staff or Vendors  Documented Preventive Maintenance Inspections and Service at Regular Intervals  Complete Maintenance Records Kept  Maintenance and Repair Trend Analysis  Additional Safety Equipment (convex fender spot mirrors, reflective tape, grill guards, etc.) Added When Appropriate

Bruce Hooker Risk Control Director Your best Alteris Insurance Services, Inc. North American Timber Program source for: San Antonio, Texas • Forest and Land [email protected] Management • Environmental Services • Wood Flow Services FRA STAFF COMMENT: • Wildlife Services This Technical Release is adapted • Real Estate Services from Mr. Hooker’s excellent • Investment Services presentation at the TEAM • Technical and Data Services Safe Trucking Meeting held • Appraisal Services in Raleigh, North Carolina on September 20, 2016. TEAM Safe Offices in: Trucking is a coalition of forest AL, FL, GA, ME, MI, MS, NC OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV products industry insurance companies, wood suppliers, wood consumers, associations, and others. TEAM’s goal is to reduce accidents through effective fleet management, increasing the number of safe, qualified drivers in order to deliver a sustain- able and profitable supply chain. 2401 Whitehall Park Drive, Suite 1100 Charlotte, North Carolina 28273 704-527-6780

www.afmrealestate.com www.americanforestmanagement.com Reviewed by: Rick Meyer Appalachian/Southwide Region Manager

20 Forest Operations Review THATS: SAFETY IN FOCUS The National Timber Harvesting and Transportation Safety Foundation “Health and Wellness for a Safer Forest Industry”

Recently the FRA Board of Directors held their Fall Meeting in combination with the FRA Western Region. This Coeur d’Alene-based meeting featured numerous speakers who presented on a variety of subjects. One speaker in particular, Michelle Conville of Independent Respiratory Services, presented on a subject that significantly impressed the group, stimulating lots of discussion and resulting in some strong action items. What subject was that? SLEEP DEPRIVATION! The human body, she explained, deprived of the necessary hours of rejuvenating sleep, will not perform properly during daytime hours. She then presented information on sleep apnea and the various factors contributing to sleep disorders—such as stress, obesity, and after-work life- styles. There was strong consensus in the room that “Health and Wellness” needs to be made a prime action item for forestry and logging work. There is a tremendous amount of research demonstrating how fatigue contributes to our ability to be alert and how chronic fatigue undermines a worker’s ability to perform. One type of worker, in particular, has been significantly impacted—the commercial truck driver. The average life span of today’s trucker is 62 years! Clearly, “Health and Wellness” for this group needs atten- tion badly. The matter has the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s attention—today’s controversy about the details of drivers’ allowable Hours of Service is FMCSA’s attempt to get a grip on this exposure, and some “over the road” motor carriers have already taken a proactive approach to their employees’ wellbeing. Companies such as Melton and Schneider have created health and wellness programs focused specifically on their drivers. ”Health and Wellness” is certainly garnering serious attention—in itself, and as it influences safety and performance. There was consensus in the room for FRA to take the following actions: • To cover sleep deprivation, and the importance of a proper restful sleep to ensure safe and productive job performance, in a Technical Release. • For THATS to send out a Request For Proposals to develop relevant “Health and Well- ness”-related training materials. A training module derived from Michelle’s presentation addressing sleep apnea will, I think, be first on the list. • To ask FRA members to forward copies of their companies’ Health and Wellness programs or policies to FRA’s National Office, as resources. Healthy employees are safe and productive employees. These words are my “Call to Action”!

Kent Hall Chairman National Timber Harvesting & Transportation Safety Foundation

FALL 2016 21 FELLER-BUNCHER DOOR SLAMMED ON CO-WORKER’S FINGER SAFETY ALERT 16-S-9 November 2016 http://loggingsafety.com/safety_alerts

BACKGROUND: At the beginning of a work shift on a summer morning in the Appalachians, a logging business owner and a co-worker were removing a stick that had lodged between the feller-buncher window and the window guard. PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: The 42-year-old feller-buncher operator was the owner of the logging business and had 24 years of logging experience. The 58-year-old co-worker had many years of expe- rience, but he had been working for this company for approximately two years. His regular job was limbing and topping trees at the log deck. Both individuals were considered

fully trained and qualified for the work they were doing. Neither of them was Comments / Recommendations: Meeting Conducted by: signature wearing a hard hat or other personal protective equipment while undertaking this pre-shift work on the equipment. UNSAFE ACTS: The owner/operator was sitting inside the feller-buncher’s cab, and the co-worker was standing on the ground, with his hand holding onto the door jamb of the fell- er-buncher. After they dislodged the stick, the owner asked the co-worker if every- thing was okay. The co-worker replied affirmatively, and the owner/operator imme- diately closed the door of the feller-buncher. INCIDENT: The co-worker’s hand was still in the door jamb. The door slammed shut and caught one of his fingers. INJURY: The co-worker’s thumb was bluntly severed at about the point of the base of the thumbnail. The hospital emergency room team was not able to reattach the finger. The co-worker lost about three weeks of work during the recovery period.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CORRECTION: Discussed: Topic(s) • Clear communication between co-workers, including “all clear” messages, should be implemented. Remember that many injuries occur when the operator is in too much of a hurry.

• Workers should be aware of and avoid contact with machine pinch points, door worldwide. a graphic sense of how injuries can be avoided. Their methodology has been accepted by safety professionals developed this accident analysis system to provide This Safety Alert analyzes an injury in accordance with the chain of events represented by the five dominoes above. Pioneer industry safety experts H.W. Heinrich and Alfred Lateiner Heinrich and Alfred Pioneer industry safety experts H.W. by the five dominoes above. with the chain of events represented This Safety Alert analyzes an injury in accordance hinges, hydraulically-controlled attachments, etc. Brace or otherwise immobi- lize doors if they need to be kept open during maintenance. • Wear personal protective equipment when on the job and out of the machine cab. In this incident, the co-worker might have significantly reduced his injury if he had been wearing gloves. Reviewed by: Southwide Safety Committee; Rick Meyer Safety Meeting Report Date: Company: Names of Employees Attending: procedures. maintenance and operation safe for recommendations manufacturers’ equipment follow Please Appalachian/Southwide Region Manager 22 Forest Operations Review INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

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