Missouri Forest Products Association Logging School Author: Mark McCarthy, Certification & Education Manager, Missouri Forest Products Assn. 505 East State Street, Jefferson City, MO, 65101, 573-634-3252, [email protected] Reviewed by: Rick Meyer, Appalachian Region Manager TECHNICAL RELEASE • MARCH 2020 20-R-2 INTRODUCTION: Field Instruction: The Missouri Forest Products Assn. (MFPA) Logging School is • Logging Equipment Use and Maintenance: Chain Saw, designed to develop the skills students need to succeed in the Wheeled Skidder, Wheeled Loader, Log Truck, Truck logging industry in the following areas: Timber Harvesting Mounted Loader, Bulldozer and Marketing, Forest Management, and the Sustainable • Timber Sale Lay-out and Close-out Best Management Utilization of Forest Resources. Practices (BMP) Log Bucking for Value and Volume Log GENERAL FEATURES: Merchandising for Value Timber Marking (includes ID) Students learn the logging profession in a mix of classroom • Practical Field Exercises and Experience Related to all and field activities from industry experts. The goal of Classroom Subjects Skid Trail and Log Landing Location the Logging School is to graduate students capable of • Professional Timber Harvester (PTH) Training Safety joining an existing logging company as a productive team member. Graduates will learn the business side of the timber and logging industry as well as learn how to operate and maintain machinery utilized in modern logging operations. Importantly, each student will graduate with MFPA Professional Timber Harvester credentials which is the prerequisite for their Master Logger certification if they choose to pursue this in their career. OPERATION: The MFPA Logging School is a 10-week program held near Salem, Missouri this year. Classes will be held Monday through Friday with students staying onsite in provided APPLICATION/SPECIFICATIONS AND COST: housing. Logging School tuition covers lodging, meals, all The Logging School first started in 2017. About half of the class and field instruction, and the required PPE (Personal graduates have ended up working professionally in logging Protective Equipment). This is a hands-on class with the size operations. limited to 12 students to maximize the course material and the student to instructor interaction. We will emphasize the The Logging School became a reality because of the importance of safely harvesting timber while implementing commitment that MFPA members had to the concept. sustainable management practices to ensure the long-term Throughout the 10-week session, we constantly asked for health of our forests. help and assistance from the industry. Logging and industry members graciously allowed the students to visit their Curriculum Components operations to better understand “real world” applications Classroom: of what they were learning at school. Associate members • Dendrology (Tree Identification) provided equipment so that students could learn to operate • Log Specification and Grading for all logging equipment and gain actual field experience during Major Products their 10-week tenure. • Forest Management Financial aid is available to help with tuition cost ($5,000 tuition covers lodging, meals, all class and field instruction, • Chain Saw Use, Safety and and the required PPE). Maintenance Land Survey System For more information on the MFPA Logging School, including • Map Reading Communication Skills Personal Finance two videos, flyer, and school application, go to this link: https://moforest.org/logging-school/index.php or contact • Business Management and Contracts Mark McCarthy. • Federal, State and Local Regulations related to the Timber Industry • Safety and First Aid.