Visit LSJ’s website at www.forestnet.com!
May/June 2016
IT’S ALMOST HERE! An advance look at DEMO!
QUATSINO FIRST NATION and Western Forest Products: Logging partners in profit
WITH THIS ISSUE… The Edge!
EACOM PARTNERS with Autolog on two mill upgrades B.C. BEETLE ATTACK: But this time it’s the spruce beetle
FEATURES May/June 2016 Volume 47 • No. 3 Editor Paul MacDonald Contributing Editors Jim Stirling Tony Kryzanowski George Fullerton Tech Update Editor Tony Kryzanowski
Publisher Rob Stanhope E-mail: stanhope@forestnet.com Phone: (604) 990-9970 Fax: (604) 990-9971 Sales Associates James Booth (604) 990-9970 E-mail: jbooth@forestnet.com Perry Rosehill (604) 613-3001 E-mail: rosehill@forestnet.com
Circulation Manager Maureen Cole (905) 201-0853 Fax: (905) 294-8645 E-mail: mcole@idirect.com Design & Art Production Manager Sheila Ringdahl E-mail: artwork@forestnet.com Office Manager Betty Rosales E-mail: brosales@forestnet.com
Office PO Box 86670, 211 East 1st Street North Vancouver, BC V7L 4L2 Phone: (604) 990-9970 Fax: (604) 990-9971 Website: www.forestnet.com Subscriptions: Canada $58 a year; two years $70; three years, $85. Group accounts, six or more subscriptions, $25 per subscription per year. Outside Canada, $95 per year. Airmail $165. Single copy, Canada $6; elsewhere $10. Reproduction prohibited without permission of the publisher. ISSN 0226-7572. Indexed in the Canadian Magazine Index by Micromedia Ltd. Back copies from 1996 onward are available through our website www.forestnet.com and in microform from Micromedia Ltd., 416-362-5211. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064045 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to CIRCULATION DEPT. PO Box 86670 Stn Main North Vancouver BC V7L 4L2 e-mail: mcole@idirect.com POSTMASTER: Send US address changes to LSJ Publishing Group, PO Box 610, Edmonds, WA 98020-0610 Published May/June 2016 Printed in Canada on 20% recycled paper. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canadian Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage. Logging & Sawmilling Journal is a member/associate member of the following industry organizations:
On the Cover:
On the B.C. Coast, it’s about getting the wood to the water, but before it hits the water, it needs to be harvested in the woods. And this September will see the full range of harvesting equipment working at the DEMO 2016 show being held in Maple Ridge, B.C. Please see the preview story on DEMO, beginning on page 28 of this issue. (Photo of B.C. dryland sort by Paul MacDonald).
4
Spotlight—Beetle attack: but this time it’s the spruce beetle As if the B.C. Interior has not been hit hard enough by the mountain pine beetle, there have been recent increases in the spruce beetle population in the Central Interior of B.C. Details on what is being done to fight/contain the latest scourge in the forests.
10 Sawmill muscle
EACOM Timber partnered with equipment supplier Autolog to optimize the company’s Val D’Or and Timmins sawmills, achieving value uplift at both operations, strengthening them and giving them more market resilience.
16 Logging partners in profit
An award-winning logging partnership between the Quatsino First Nation and Western Forest Products on the B.C. Coast is delivering efficiencies—and profits—to the two partners.
22 A (sawmill) offer you can’t refuse
Weyerhaeuser Canada made Alberta sawmill owner Guido Unger a (good) offer he couldn’t refuse: the purchase of a used USNR line that will allow his sawmill to ramp up production considerably.
28
Coming in September: DEMO 2016
Full details on the upcoming largest logging equipment show in Canada this year: DEMO 2016, being held in Maple Ridge, B.C. from Sept. 22-24, with all of the major logging equipment manufacturers represented. Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
32 Hands-on harvesting approach
Nova Scotia logger John Dorey has been recognized by the Canadian Woodlands Forum for his hands-on approach to meeting the needs of woodlands clients, and excelling at partial harvesting.
36 Getting more control over log hauling
Weyerhaeuser’s Grande Prairie, Alberta timberlands operation is phasing in more tire pressure-controlled equipped log haul trucks, allowing them to increase their access on steep logging roads, even in bad weather.
44 Urban logging in Alberta
Alberta’s Shawn Moore has moved beyond the oil patch, and his tree removal business has now morphed into doing urban logging—and they’re diverting trees from the landfill.
58 The Edge
Included in this edition of The Edge, Canada’s leading publication on research in the forest industry, are stories from the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre and Alberta Innovates - Bio Solutions.
74 The Last Word
Winters aren’t what they used to be, and that simple fact is impacting the forest industry, says Jim Stirling.
DEPARTMENTS
Calendar.............................................. 8 Tech Update: Forwarders.................. 60 Suppliernewsline............................... 68 Classifieds / Ad Index........................ 73 Subscriptions..................................... 73 3
spotlight
ANOTHER beetle battle
The B.C. Interior is being hit by the beetle, but this time around it’s the spruce bark beetle, and there is already a co-ordinated battle plan— including targeted harvesting—swinging into action. By Jim Stirling
N
ot another beetle epidemic in the British Columbia Interior! Well no, not yet at least—and this time it’s a different beetle with different habits. But the consternation was heartfelt when confirmation filtered
4
through to the grocery store aisles and coffee shops in and around the town of Mackenzie that spruce bark beetle populations had surged in parts of the Omineca district. The memories of the devastation caused by the mountain pine beetle epidemic remains raw. The impacts are encountered daily as the salvage of marketable pine continues. The effects are also reflected in higher priced sawlogs across a landscape significantly changed by the pine beetle infestation. But there’s to be no sitting idly by this time, waiting for colder temperatures or serendipity to curtail beetle populations. This summer, a collaborative and coordinated battle plan is swinging into action with the timely targeting of key areas of the spruce beetles’ activities. The B.C. government has pledged a $1 million war chest to fight the beetle numbers during this fiscal year. “It’s going to be a very important year Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
for suppression,” declares Heather Wiebe, resource manager with the Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resource Operations, based in Mackenzie. Wiebe is also the Omineca Spruce Beetle project manager, which means she’s spearheading the collaborative and co-ordinated efforts being taken to quell the beetles’ population centres. The spruce beetles became an identifiable issue on the landscape during the 2014 forest fire season. Reconnaissance flights revealed heavy concentrations of the spruce beetle in areas along drainages primarily to the east of Mackenzie and the northern areas of the Prince George Timber Supply Area. “It was the first time we knew we had a problem,” says Wiebe. The forests ministry and its contractors reacted quickly to learn more about to page 6
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spotlight
The bitter experience with the mountain pine beetle infestation is undoubtedly a factor in mobilizing action against the spruce beetle. “It’s one of those issues that brings people together. It unifies.”
from page 4 the extent of the infestations and devise plans to best contain beetle populations. A program of susceptibility mapping and detailed surveying followed. It was a more difficult challenge to identify the green attack areas around the infestation hot spots. Those are the areas where harvesting areas are more likely to be directed. “Ground detection is so very important,” stresses Wiebe. The spruce beetles—like their mountain pine counterparts—are a natural part of the forest ecosystem, with populations rising and falling in cycles. It’s when those cycles are interrupted that natural balances change with far reaching consequences. The interconnected reactions to a warming climate, along with more extremes of weather types, takes a cumulative toll on how the forest functions. The spruce in the Omineca district don’t cover swathes of the entire forest landscape: they are typically found more in patches. The mountain pine, by contrast, had valley after valley of its favoured homogenous hosts. The spruce beetle
prefers large windblown spruce. It got its wish with severe blowdown in the region in 2010. Consistently warm winters have continued in the Omineca. An effect of those have been a compressing of the spruce beetle’s normal two year life cycle to one year, increasing their numbers proportionately. Long dry summers puts trees under stress, making them less able to resist beetle attacks. The ingredients of a perfect
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
spotlight
This summer, a collaborative and coordinated battle plan is swinging into action with the timely targeting of key areas of the spruce beetles’ activities. The B.C. government has pledged a $1 million war chest to fight the beetle numbers during this fiscal year. storm were assembled, notes Wiebe. She says better understanding how the spruce beetle infestation differs from its mountain pine counterpart has been part of the education component for the local working group of forest company licencees and the ministry in the Mackenzie region. From that understanding, it’s been better able to plot an effective control strategy. And that is twofold. “We’re placing concentrated trap trees
into shaded areas where they can be ten times more successful,” explains Wiebe. Timing is critical or the window closes for a season. The spruce beetles’ annual flight occurs when the temperature reaches about 16 degrees in the forest canopy, she says, and the beetles don’t usually fly further than about 800 metres.
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
7
to page 8
spotlight from page 7 The second phase, planned for later this summer, is a program of targeted harvesting. This is aimed at areas outside the core infection areas: “zigzagging outside the perimeter.” The objective is to harvest the green attack spruce, thereby helping control future spread. Throughout the planning stages for this summer’s on-ground assault, efforts have been made to involve and inform other groups. “We understand the forest values between licencees, contractors and us (the ministry),” points out Wiebe. “But we also have a public advisory group to guide us on other non-timber uses of forests in the Omineca.” Regional First Nations groups have also been actively involved in the beetle planning process and are continuing to be, she adds. “As stewards of the land, they understand the changes that are taking place.” The spruce beetle infestations throw a further spanner into the harvest planning works for regional licencees and their contractors. The logistics of moving harvesting equipment about in a large district
to access the concentrated areas of beetle attack are complicated and expensive. De-activated roads and bridges may in some cases have to be brought back into industrial standard service. “The licencees are being very pro-active in co-ordinating planning for where they’re going to be,” she credits. Wiebe believes in taking a holistic approach to the spruce beetle situation and encouraging an open dialogue between all involved parties from the beginning. And, she adds, other areas in the province with spruce beetle issues or potential issues are taking note of the Omineca approach. “Others across B.C. are looking at what we’re developing here to help them run faster.” The bitter experience with the mountain pine beetle infestation is undoubtedly a factor in mobilizing action. “It’s one of those issues that brings people together. It unifies,” believes Wiebe. “And that’s a reason why I’m very happy with how things have progressed so far.”
June 1-2
Private Forest Landowners of BC Assoc. AGM, Campbell River, BC 250-381-7565, www.pfla.bc.ca June 7-9
Maritime Lumber Bureau 77th AGM, Halifax, NS 902-667-3889, www.mlb.ca June 27-29
Forest Products Society 70th International Convention, Portland, OR 608-231-1361, www.forestprod.org September 19-21
108th Canadian Institute of Forestry AGM in conjunction with DEMO Conf, Vancouver, BC 705-744-1715, www.cif-ifc.org September 19-21
Council on Forest Engineering Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC 240-382-2633, www.cofe.org September 22-24
DEMO International Conference, Vancouver, BC 902-897-6961, cwf.org
Changes to the Workers Compensation Act (Bill 9 and Bill 35) New requirements to keep your workplace healthy and safe, and new enforcement methods and tools
Find out how these legislative changes affect you and your workplace at worksafebc.com.
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Sawmill MUSCLE millupgrades
EACOM Timber partnered with equipment supplier Autolog to optimize the company’s Val D’Or and Timmins sawmills, achieving value uplift at both operations, strengthening them and giving them more market resilience. By Tony Kryzanowski
O
n the heels of a $27 million investment to rebuild its highproduction dimension sawmill that was destroyed by fire in Timmins, Ontario, EACOM Timber Corporation continues to modernize its facilities, pursuing more value uplift, recovery and efficiency as part of an overall strategy to strengthen all its operations for better market resilience. In 2015, the company spent an additional $5.7 million on two projects at its Val D’Or, Quebec stud mill and Timmins, Ontario dimension lumber mill, working with Blainville, Quebec-based Autolog Sawmill Optimization. EACOM installed a new Autolog transverse scanner modular frame at its Val D’Or stud mill, bringing the company’s total investments at this facility alone up to $6 million since 2013. Working with both Finnish sawmill breakdown technology supplier HewSaw and Autolog, the project has resulted in better scanning and optimization at the stud mill’s trimmer and sorter. The mill produces lumber from 2” X 2” to 2” X 4” up to 10’ lengths. EACOM also installed a new Autolog ProGrader linear planer optimizer at its Timmins planer mill. The goal on this project was to work with Autolog to upgrade the entire planer mill control system, resulting in improved grade yields and higher lumber recovery. It features the latest computer technology to automatically grade the visual characteristics to page 12
Continuous improvement is an important part of EACOM Timber’s philosophy, and with the investments at Timmins and Val D’Or sawmills, the company was specifically looking to capture more value and to make sure they were making good decisions with their scanners. 10
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
millupgrades
In 2015, EACOM Timber spent $5.7 million on two projects at its Val D’Or, Quebec stud mill and Timmins, Ontario dimension lumber mill, working with Quebec-based Autolog Sawmill Optimization. The capital investment projects at the Timmins and Val D’Or sawmills build on EACOM’s previous investments in its Ontario and Quebec sawmills to increase its capacities in shifts, employment levels and production.
of finished lumber, and in addition to the Autolog ProGrader, EACOM also installed a new USNR fence and lug loader. This sawmill produces lumber from 2” X 4” to 2” X 10” up to 16’ lengths. “These capital investment projects at the Timmins and Val D’Or sawmills build on EACOM’s previous investments in its Ontario and Quebec sawmills to increase our capacities in shifts, employment levels and production,” says Kevin Edgson, EACOM’s CEO. He adds that they contribute to the company’s overall goal of developing strong assets and to position the company better for future stability. Headquartered in Montreal, privatelyowned EACOM became an instant big player in Eastern Canada’s forest industry with its acquisition of Domtar’s Forest Products Division in 2010. It operates seven sawmills in total—five in Ontario and two in Quebec, with annual production of about 900 million board feet and 1000 employees. Three are dimension lumber mills and four are stud mills.
“We are always looking for ways to improve with both capital and non-capital projects,” says Orrin Greene, Corporate Projects and Controls Manager at EACOM. “Continuous improvement is an important part of our company philosophy. With these investments, we were specifically looking to capture more value and to make sure we were making good decisions with our scanners.” By capturing more value, he says it follows automatically that you will also increase recovery and throughput, because better decisions are being made. EACOM had some very specific needs when it began shopping for a top-of-theline computerized replacement grading system for its Timmins planer mill. Greene says that what they wanted was a system that was very accurate on detection of such deficiencies as rot and white speck, adding that detecting rot seems to be a particular challenge with many systems currently available. They reviewed many systems for both the Timmins and Val D’Or sawmills, and also conducted board tests on each system.
12
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
from page 10
“We felt that Autolog had the best product of the ones that we looked at,” says Greene. “We felt that their product did a better job of identifying the defects of the board. Both systems have worked well and they are doing what we had hoped they would do.” He agreed that it can be difficult to make an apples to apples comparison from one computerized grading system to another because of how each system is configured. With a university degree in both logical engineering and electrical engineering, as well as a PhD in Engineering Management, and over a decade of experience in the wood industry, Greene brought considerable knowledge and experience to the challenge of evaluating different computerized grading systems. “It’s tough because there are a lot of different features and the set-ups take a while to do,” he says. “If you aren’t careful, you could end up without having a good apples to apples comparison.” to page 14
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millupgrades from page 12 Greene says when doing comparisons, the selection of material used to test each system is particularly important to reach an accurate comparison. Price was only one of the criteria EACOM used to make its comparisons and ultimate selection. Other considerations included the number of units each supplier had in service and the experiences of other users. Greene says they were not just looking for a supplier for these
important items, “but also a partner.” Autolog launched its new modular transverse scanner frame last fall to work in combination with its line of transverse scanners, promoting the concept of providing sawmills with the ability to easily and cost effectively replace an obsolete optimizer with a more current model. Greene says that EACOM is impressed with the performance of the Autolog transverse scanner modular frame, which is equipped with transverse optimizing scanners installed in front of their trimmer and
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
sorter in Val D’Or. They are also pleased with how the frame install went, given its location in a busy section of the production line. It was just a matter of cutting out the old scanner frame and installing each section of the Autolog frame on the same foundation mounts. In terms of performance, Greene adds that it is strong and not prone to vibration. “Sometimes you are tempted to leave the old frame in and do a retrofit just to save installation time,” he says. “Using the Autolog modular frame was a good alternative path forward for us.” Since it is a modular design, the EACOM construction crew was able to use its manpower to deliver the modular pieces to the install location without needing a crane or extra equipment to assemble the pieces. Staff were able to complete the installation over the Thanksgiving long weekend last October. Most of the work required on this project related to electrical contracting work, which was conducted by local electrical contractor, Moreau. In terms of the installation of the Autolog ProGrader at EACOM’s Timmins planer mill, this is a replacement and upgrade to an existing computerized grading system that Greene says was installed years ago. This installation did require quite a lot of machine centre relocation in the planer mill because the new grader was not the same footprint as the old one, and new USNR equipment was being added to optimize performance. USNR managed the entire rebuild of the Timmins sawmill that was destroyed by fire. This capital project in the planer mill was accomplished last year between the Christmas and New Year’s break, with ramp up to full production by the middle of January. Contractors working on this project included Timmins-based Accurate Electric and Steelworks Inc., a specialist in structural steel fabrication and installation. “The Timmins system provides us with more accurate grading, while the system in Val D’Or provides us with more trimming and sorting reliability,” says Greene. “They are new systems, so there are no obsolete parts. Everything is available. That wasn’t the case with our older systems. We had obsolete parts and if we had a failure, it was an issue for us to get up and running.” A fair amount of training to use each system to its capabilities and to ‘dial in’ each wood product specifications into the scanning systems was required, but Greene says that Autolog provided good after-sales support throughout this process.
BClogging
Partners in profit
An award-winning logging partnership between the Quatsino First Nation and Western Forest Products on the B.C. Coast is delivering efficiencies— and profits—to the two partners.
16
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
By Paul MacDonald
A
nnual general meetings for Canadian forest companies are usually held in swishy ballrooms in downtown Vancouver or Toronto, with solid attendance by the suits from the financial community. The annual update meeting for the Quatern Limited Partnership—a logging partnership between the Quatsino First Nation and Western Forest Products—is a bit different and more relaxed: one of the recent meetings was held over a roast beef dinner in the Quatsino Community Hall, near Coal Harbour, on the northwestern tip of Vancouver Island. And it was definitely a casual affair—no suits were in sight. The Quatern Joint Venture recently celebrated its fifth anniversary and, from the comments of the parties involved, the partnership is working out quite nicely. So much so that Quatern was awarded a B.C. Aboriginal Business award last fall. “Aboriginal entrepreneurship is key to B.C.’s growth and prosperity,” said B.C. Premier Christy Clark, in announcing the awards. Some 15 aboriginal businesses, entrepreneurs, joint ventures and community owned enterprises were recognized at the awards. The Quatern (the name being a combination of Quatsino and Western) partnership started in 2010, with the intent that the Quatsino First Nation could combine some of its logging operations on forestlands on northern Vancouver Island with Western Forest Products—so that both parties could make a profit and create a sustainable livelihood, while respecting First Nation culture. And so far, that has been the case. By combining forces, the two partners share the costs of planning, engineering, roads, facilities and logging—and both
BClogging parties bring local expertise and knowledge to the bush, and to the venture. Andy Steinke, Quatern’s General Manager, explains that the goal is to “collaboratively work together and achieve some economies of scale because the tenures sit side by side. In fact, one of the Quatsino First Nations’ tenures floats inside of one of Western’s tenures.” Steinke notes that Quatern is a true 50/50 partnership, with the Quatsino First Nation, through its forestry arm, the Quatsino Forestry Company, and Western contributing equal volumes from their respective tenures. Depending on the year, Quatern will harvest between 40,000 and 60,000 cubic metres, in blocks ranging in size from 20 to 25 hectares. “Essentially, we pool volumes from these tenures,” he says. “By sharing the volume in an area, we are not running up against each other. And since it is a 50/50 joint venture, everyone has the limited partnership’s interest in mind, rather than their own interests. Developing a mutually beneficial relationship is very important with the joint venture.” While Steinke is general manager and deals with day to day matters, Quatern has a board made up of two directors from the Quatsino First Nation, and two directors from Western, to provide longer term direction. Board meetings are held at least quarterly. “It’s been great,” says Steinke. “It’s good to have both company representatives and band members on the board, and to deal with the band on a business to business level. And it was an honour to receive the B.C. Aboriginal Business award—it’s taken a lot of work by everybody to get to where we are.” In the woods, Quatern works to compress, time-wise, the engineering, road building and harvesting activities. This works much better than spreading out
the work over the year—they get people and equipment into the site over a shorter time span. For example, they might start road building in January, with the harvesting wrapped up three months later in the second quarter of the year. Some years, says Steinke, they’ve started things later, with road building in May or June, and production done by the fourth quarter. “Usually, though, we have most of our wood out by the second quarter.”
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
17
to page 18
Template for joint venture deals varies
F
rom the existing joint ventures such as Quatern, Western Forest Products has made it clear that it is interested in establishing mutually beneficial relationships with coastal First Nations through further joint interests in sustainably harvesting timber. And, as noted, the template for that can vary. This past October, the B.C. government and the ‘Namgis First Nation on northern Vancouver Island announced a formal forestry funding agreement, which has led to a partnership between the ‘Namgis First Nation and Western about a collaborative effort to harvest timber in an area of Tree Farm Licence 37 that had been previously unavailable due to treaty negotiations. These relationships are expected to provide benefits to the ‘Namgis, greater timber access for Western, and improve future operating certainty, says Western. This year, 2016, will be the partnership’s first full year in operation.
BClogging from page 17 Steinke, as general manager, oversees the planning, engineering, logging, sorting scaling and sales. Western’s portion of Quatern is on Crown land, and comes from Tree Farm Licence 6, located in Quatsino Sound. Their portion of Quatern harvesting is done in part by Western crews who are members of the United Steelworkers (USW) union. Contracted equipment on the harvesting end has included a Tigercat 855 feller processor with a 24” Waratah head, a Cat 330 processor with a 24” Waratah head, and John Deere 959K and Madill 2250C feller bunchers. Hoechucker/loaders have included a John Deere 992, a Hitachi 450 and a Madill 3800. Off-highway logging trucks are Kenworth and Hayes. “It’s been mostly a program where we work with mechanical harvesters,” says Steinke. The Quatsino First Nations portion of the joint venture can be put out to tender, but Western USW crews have done much of this work to date as its crews offer competitive rates. Quatsino has its own yarding and loading operation, which does harvesting in other areas of TFL 6, and when the equipment owned by the band is suitable for the terrain Quatern is logging, there is the option to do harvesting for the venture as well. The band has two woodlots either side of Coal Harbour, and as Steinke noted, they have a floating licence in Western’s TFL 6, in their traditional territory.
The band has done an assessment of these areas, and has already done set-asides for any spots with cultural features. All of the log volume harvested in a given year is marketed to generate the highest return. Some of the wood is used domestically, and some is exported directly from Quatsino Sound for markets such as China and Korea. As the saying goes, this business arrangement with Quatsino First Nation is not the first rodeo for Western Forest Products, or the band. The two have what has been described as a respectful, long-standing relationship that includes a number of business agreements over the years. Quatsino has had a Bill 13 yarding and loading contract with Western Forest Products since 1994, a fixed term yarding and loading contract since 2008 and a salvage agreement since 2008, all of which are still active. It’s noted on Western Forest Product’s website that the company operates in
Depending on the year, Quatern will harvest between 40,000 and 60,000 cubic metres, in blocks ranging in size from 20 to 25 hectares. Some of the wood is used domestically, and some is exported directly from Quatsino Sound for markets such as China and Korea. 18
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
the traditional territories of over 45 First Nations. The company’s Chief Forester, Shannon Janzen, sits on the Quatern board and has been involved since the venture was established in 2010. Janzen’s’s involvement in Quatern reflects the company’s commitment, right to the top of the organization, to building mutually beneficial business partnerships with First Nations. On its part, Western says it respects the historical and cultural interests of First Nations people, and recognizes its responsibility to work with them to conserve and protect those interests. Janzen confirms that the company philosophy includes support for the need to resolve First Nations land claims and create a more certain future for all British Columbians, and of course, the forest industry. Western believes this can be accomplished in a manner that supports its business needs and continues to attract the capital investments that will make the company and those that rely on it stronger. “It’s our goal to increase the economic benefits from the forest sector to First Nations communities,” says Janzen. “We believe this is possible through a diversity of collaborative and mutually beneficial partnerships that reflect the economic interests of individual communities.” Like many forest companies, Western recognizes First Nations communities as potential sources of employees. “Increasing the number of First Nations people employed by the forest sector is good for the long-term success of our business. We are faced with an aging workforce and recognize the need to make a concerted effort to attract and train young workers from small communities.” While Quatern has been a success— and may be a good benchmark for other industry/First Nations joint ventures— Steinke said each partnership will likely
to page 20
BClogging from page 18 be unique. “You can’t really do a cookie cutter approach to joint ventures because each one is different, with different circumstances.” Western has three other ventures, and each one is different. “Quatern is a good template to use in terms of pooling volume to get economies of scale and for collaborating with First Nations on a business to business basis,” says Steinke. “It’s successful, and it works for this situation, and with the Quatsino First Nation. But we wouldn’t necessarily want to use it as a model for the whole coast because it may not work elsewhere. In a business venture, there is always the challenge of working with any partner and figuring out what each party needs from the venture.” In other words, each business venture, whether it involves First Nations or other parties, is unique. The other partnerships between Western and First Nations groups—and for that matter, other forest companies and First Nations groups—involve different harvesting volumes, different geographical areas, and may have a different management approach. The Quatern board has a varied make-up, since it has two Western representatives and two band representatives. Everyone brings something to the table in terms of their viewpoints and experience. “It’s a strong group that makes sound decisions on how business is conducted,” says Steinke. Steinke added that the Quatsino
First Nation has a history with the forest industry, and not just through the band’s involvement with Western on other projects, as mentioned. One of the founders of Quatern, Ralph Wallas, is a band member who came up through the forest industry, and was a hooktender. Wallas was the forestry co-ordinator for the band and was on the Quatern board, to start. And a current board member, Charles Sheard, also brings industry experience. Sheard, who is also a member of the band’s Economic Development Board, was a faller for 15 years. Sheard says the joint venture is beneficial in a number of ways, including being able to tap into the extensive expertise Western brings in building road, logging, and transporting and marketing the wood. “It’s a good joint venture between the two partners,” he said. Sheard noted there seems to be a lot of interest by
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forest companies in joint ventures, including Western and other forest companies that operate on the B.C. Coast. Further opportunities will likely be available in the future in B.C., as the provincial government settles more First Nations land claims. The success of Quatern proves that the joint venture is a solid, sustainable business model for both bands and forest companies, says Western. “One of the interesting things about Quatern is that we now have different people involved today than when it was set up five years ago,” says Steinke. “We have a different board and management, but the spirit and intent have remained the same. It’s been a solid business relationship, and it’s been successful every year. It’s been a good relationship for both Western and Quatsino First Nation.” As for others thinking about setting up joint partnerships with First Nations, Steinke said that it’s important to establish trust. “Trust building is an important aspect,” he says. Western and the Quatsino First Nation already had a long history of business relationships prior to setting up Quatern. “There was a very good relationship with the Quatsino First Nation to start. That trust was built up over years, and it helped the joint venture. It kind of built the foundation for Quatern. Forest companies can also benefit from getting involved with First Nations communities in general, and working with them on jobs and training,” he added. And he noted setting up joint ventures can take time. “It can’t happen overnight, that’s for sure. You bring your challenges and opportunities to the table, and the First Nations’ bands bring theirs, and you see what the opportunities can be together.”
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Albertasawmilling
A (sawmill) OFFER you can’t refuse Weyerhaeuser Canada made Alberta sawmill owner Guido Unger a (good) offer he couldn’t refuse: the purchase of a used USNR line that will allow his sawmill to ramp up production considerably. By Tony Kryzanowski
A
lberta sawmill owner Guido Unger is attempting to accomplish something extremely rare in the Canadian forest industry. He is taking the quantum leap from operating a fairly small, low-tech sawmill with essentially a headrig, carriage and board edger to a large, high production, high performance, USNR canter line. It’s a bit like driving a Volkswagen while rebuilding a Porsche in the garage. The opportunity to invest $1.5 million to both purchase and refurbish the 1993 vintage USNR line fell into Unger’s lap about two years ago when Weyerhaeuser Canada transported the line from its mothballed plant in Okanagan Falls, B.C. to Drayton Valley, Alberta. Its intention was to put the equipment to work at its Drayton Valley sawmill. However, Weyerhaeuser changed its plans and decided instead to spend $23 million on a new line, which made the USNR line surplus. It was sitting in pieces in Weyerhaeuser’s yard. It consisted of a double-length infeed, canter heads, a horizontal double arbor for pulling sideboards, a transfer for separating sideboards from the centre cant, and a vertical double arbor edger.
Guido Unger (above), owner of Unger’s Lumber & Posts. When Weyerhaeuser offered to sell Unger a used USNR canter line, it was an offer he couldn’t refuse. The refurbished USNR canter line (below), circa 1994, formerly worked at Weyerhaeuser’s sawmill in Okanagan Falls, B.C.
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Albertasawmilling from page 22
Among the biggest purchases made at Unger’s Lumber & Posts recently is this new Cat 938K wheel loader, with a custom built loader attachment made by Karlstrom Industrial in Drayton Valley.
Unger, owner of Unger’s Lumber & Posts, is a regular customer for Weyerhaeuser’s oversized logs. During one visit, they made him an offer he couldn’t refuse—to purchase the old USNR line. It was the chance of a lifetime for a sawmill owner with enough guts to take on such a project. Since then, it’s been two years of sweat and working with a group of dedicated trades people, but Unger hopes to run his first log through his refurbished USNR line by August. Unger says what made the plan feasible was that Weyerhaeuser had already shipped the USNR line to Drayton Valley, and that they were willing to work with him to make the deal a reality. So it was just a matter of building proper concrete pilings and transporting the pieces to his business, located about 15 minutes southwest of Drayton Valley, and reassembling the components. Luckily, he has found the right technical people familiar with the technology to help him bring this monster USNR line back to life. With a little help from his friends, the puzzle is slowly coming together. Other components such as transfer decks and incline conveyors have been purchased from bone yards and auction sales to make the sawmill completely functional. Helping him are: Scott Hudson from Hudson Holdings in Lillooet, B.C. with PLC, machine centre control, and humanmachine interface set up; Malcolm Cameron, also from Lillooet, for electrical engineering assistance; Surrey, B.C.-based, MPM Engineering, which provided the original programming for the sawmill line; fabricator and assembly lead Ben Karlstrom, owner of Karlstrom Industrial in Drayton Valley; Stan Hood from Wel-Mil Industries in Wainwright, Alberta; Bob Patterson with BOS Energy Management from Drayton Valley; and Tim Pollard from TJP Welding in Drayton Valley. Crane services were provided by TBWL and Hayduk Picker Service, both from Drayton Valley. “If it wasn’t for people like Ben and Stan, there is no way that I could have taken on this project,” says Unger, adding that he wanted to hire as many local contractors as possible since they support his business. Karlstrom says he has been working many long hours over the past two years so that Unger can put the new line into production by August. Production from Unger’s current sawmill line is between 15,000 and 18,000 board feet per shift. The goal is to ramp up production to about 50,000 board feet per shift with the refurbished USNR line. The son of German immigrants, 39-year-old Guido Unger took over ownership of the sawmill from his father, John. The business began as a post manufacturer, in 1975. As farmers and ranchers purchased posts from John, they wanted to know if he could also provide them with corral and fencing material. Given the demand, he found a partner with a portable sawmill and they expanded their product line. Eventually, John became sole owner of the business, with his son, Guido, taking over the helm nine years ago. As he grew up, Guido worked a lot with his dad in the business. “I was kind of my dad’s swamper, so wherever he went, I went,” says Guido. “I was riding in the loader at three years old. I started working at the sawmill when I was 11-years-old, piling posts and tying lumber.” When he finished high school, he began working at the sawmill full time. Today, the sawmill operates a modified headrig, that John installed in 1994, as the main breakdown unit and the business to page 26
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Machinist Ben Karlstrom (above), owner of Karlstrom Industrial in Drayton Valley, has been working long hours to bring the USNR canter at Unger’s Lumber & Posts back to life over the past two years.
from page 24 has evolved into making specialty wood products anywhere from 1” X 4” to 12” X 12”, primarily for the agriculture and oil and gas industries. They manufacture products based on customer orders, and they get calls almost every day for smaller orders—specialty items that local lumber yards don’t stock. “Whatever we are selling that day, that’s
what we are making that day,” says Guido, although they do stockpile some popular items to ensure they can fill orders when they come in. Although relatively quiet these days, the oil industry is a big part of the Drayton Valley and area economy, and Unger’s Lumber & Posts is a major supplier of 3” X 12” timbers to the industry. “They use them in this area by laying them underneath production vessels and shacks to keep the steel out of the mud, so
that if they have to move them, they aren’t frozen into the ground,” says Guido. As the oil industry in the area grew over the past 30 years, so did the Unger operation, starting out sawmilling a couple hundred thousand board feet annually to about 2.5 million board feet last year. In fact, business has grown to such an extent that by the mid-1980s, the Ungers shut down their cattle business to focus exclusively on their sawmill. “You were up all night calving and then up all day sawing,” says Guido. “So one of them had to give.” The wood species that the sawmill processes are spruce, pine, aspen and black poplar, with about 60 per cent conifer and 40 per cent deciduous. The deciduous wood is processed primarily to timber dimensions from 4” X 4” to 6” X 6”, and used as pallet stock and dunnage. In ad-
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Production at Unger’s Lumber & Posts is expected to jump from about 15,000 board feet per shift to 50,000 board feet per shift when the refurbished USNR line is fired up this August.
dition to purchasing oversize logs from Weyerhaeuser, Unger also harvests logs from a provincial Community Coniferous Timber Permit (CCTP) that provides him with 1,400 cubic metres, or a month of production at the sawmill. Other sources are industrial salvage from oilfield work and private timber purchases. In terms of the average diameter of the logs and given the company’s current headrig set up, “it’s the bigger the better,” says Guido. For example, the logs he purchases from Weyerhaeuser are 24” diameter and larger, but Guido adds that once the new USNR sawmill is up and running, they will be able to process a wider variety of log diameters. The company’s highest volume products are industrial timbers. Unger’s Lumber & Posts markets its products through both wholesalers and directly to customers, with 70 per cent sold into the wholesale market. All their wood products are sold green and generally picked up by customers in the yard. They currently employ four workers. In terms of current production, a log loader loads logs onto the infeed deck and individual logs are fed by the sawyer through their hydraulically-controlled carriage, first using a Helle vertical edger to remove slabs. Then the sawyer uses both the vertical edger and custom-built headrig to manufacture whatever wood product is on order that day. After the headrig, the timbers proceed to a custom-built, manually-operated, trim saw, or if smaller dimensions are required, the cants are processed through a Coutts bull edger. Transfer of the cant to the bull edger conveyor is controlled on the fly by the sawyer, and then through the trim saw. Two manual lumber pilers stack the timbers and lumber according to their dimensions. The sawmill has two wheel loaders, a 2001 Cat IT28G which Guido describes as “bulletproof” and a 2015 Cat 938K. Karlstrom manufactured the grapple for the newer loader. Production is steady at the sawmill, taking place four days a week on 10 hour shifts, and then a five hour maintenance shift on Friday. Guido won’t operate the USNR line anywhere near the speed typically used by high production dimension sawmills,
and intends to maintain the same product line. There is no plan to compete with commodity-driven and high production dimension lumber mills. “Our main goal is just to increase production and keep up because the last couple of years we have been turning away more work than we have been able to produce,” says Guido. “The opportunity arose to buy this mill at a reasonable price, so I thought it would be a good fit, especially with the components already in town.” In addition to volume, he expects that they will be able to produce more accurate wood products, as the tolerances on the canter line will be a lot tighter than on their current headrig set up. One issue will be increased power consumption, as Unger’s current line works at 500 horsepower. The new line is capable of running at about 2000 horsepower.
With a planned start up in August, Guido says there will definitely be a steep learning curve for staff since the current line has no PLCs and all sawing decisions are made by the sawyer. However, he says it appears that the USNR canter line is not too complicated and he hopes staff can have a good understanding of its operation fairly quickly. The line has no optimization except scanning for diameter, but the sky is the limit. “It was a good entry level model,” says Guido. “We’re starting with baby steps and as we learn and have money to pay for it, then we can update the line.” The next priority is to house the new sawmill, and possibly consider a dry kiln, debarker, and planer mill.
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
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industryshows
It’s almost here: DEMO coming in September! The final touches are being put in place for the largest live logging equipment show in North America this year—DEMO 2016, to be held at the UBC Research Forest near Vancouver from September 22-24— and the package is impressive. By Paul MacDonald t’s only a couple of months away now, and the planning and logistics for the massive DEMO logging equipment show—which is returning to British Columbia—is now in high gear and those looking to attend should have the dates marked on their calendar: September 2224, in Maple Ridge, B.C. The Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia will host the event at the Malcolm Knapp Research Forest in Maple Ridge, located within an hour’s drive of downtown Vancouver. Owned by the Canadian Woodlands Forum (CWF) and produced by Master Promotions Ltd., this world-class event is unlike any other in Canada. A show this big only happens every four years, so it is definitely seen as a “must-attend” for those in the industry. “It’s the place for the industry to be in September,” says Peter Robichaud, Executive Director of the CWF. “We’ve always considered DEMO to be the forestry
event of the year, since it is such a major live equipment show, and only held every four years.” DEMO will provide logging equipment manufacturers with a prime opportunity to showcase and demonstrate their equipment live—in-woods and in action—for the thousands of visitors who will descend upon the research forest for the show. The show site consists of a 3.2 kilometre road loop, around which exhibitors and live demos will be set up, so attendees can easily walk around and view equipment at the show, in September. “The countdown is on,” says Robichaud. “It’s been three years in the planning with the show and conference, lining up participants and partners, and keeping everything moving forward. It’s going to be a busy time between now and the show in September—but we’re ready for that.” And there will be a lot of loggers and forest company representatives ready for the show and conference. Robichaud noted that both past attendees—and those
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I
who might be new to the industry—are seeing the value, and payback, on attending the show and conference. “When you combine DEMO with a top notch conference program leading to the show itself, and the partners that are engaged in that conference, it is getting a lot of attention. A lot of the general theme topics at the conference will be seen ‘in action’, so to speak, on the site during the show.” Robichaud noted that all of the major logging equipment manufacturers will be present at DEMO, giving attendees the opportunity to see a lot of iron, first-hand at one site—and to see it working in the woods. “That really is a unique feature of the DEMO show,” says Robichaud. Loggers can see equipment harvesting trees, or hauling timber or processing wood. “You can see all this at one show, in a great outdoor atmosphere.” The key industry equipment companies will be exhibiting, reinforcing their support of DEMO, and the industry. “There is definitely a lot of industry
industryshows
buzz to DEMO, and people know that they need to be part of a big event that only happens every four years. “It provides the opportunity to bring together the people who are selling logging equipment with the people who are buying the equipment—the companies and contractors can see equipment demonstrations, and shop for what is the best piece of equipment for them, and their operation.” There has been a great deal of interest in exhibiting at the show. “The interest in DEMO has been consistently strong— we’ve had to expand the original site plan twice to accommodate the demand,” said Mark Cusack, National Show Manager with Master Promotions Ltd, which is producing the show. “Excitement is really starting to build now that the show is getting closer. The fact that DEMO only happens every four years truly makes it an event,” says Cusack. “With advertising starting to run, audience interest is picking up as well and we’ve heard that area hotels are already getting booked. We’re expecting a huge audience to be in attendance in September.” Robichaud reports that the last DEMO planning meeting went very well. “We had some new exhibitors come and check out their site for the first time, and a lot of the already-booked exhibitors were there to take another look at their sites and start finalizing their design and operational plans. “A lot of the companies who are putting on the demonstrations, and their staff who are doing the planning and design, were at the meeting. They are now putting the finishing touches on how they are going to organize their site.”
With 2016 DEMO, the CWF and Master Promotions have set the bar high— they are designing a show site that meets the highest of standards and expectations, and they will be following a tradition of serving the industry—and presenting the latest and greatest, in terms of logging equipment, products and services. This will mark the 13th edition of DEMO International. During the course of its 49-year history, DEMO has evolved into one of North America’s largest and unique outdoor equipment shows. It attracts more than 110 exhibitors and thousands of attendees from around the world, with products and services covering all aspects of woodlands operations. Past shows have attracted up to 16,000 attendees interested in forestry from around the world. At this point, Robichaud says, the only spaces left at DEMO are for static booths. “Typically, that’s the way it works—the static booths are the last remaining spaces to go.” But he added they will be doing all they can to accommodate late exhibitors. The March DEMO planning meeting also saw a lot of interest from steep slope equipment manufacturers, noted Robichaud. The meeting followed the Steep Slope Logging Conference, put on by Logging and Sawmilling Journal, which saw presentations from a number of these companies. to page 30
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industryshows
from page 29 “There is a priority being placed on steep slope harvesting in B.C. and it is rightfully getting a lot of attention from a safety perspective,” said Robichaud. “That in itself is a great component for DEMO— and we’re able to offer that unique feature because the show is in B.C.” Robichaud said that DEMO is more relevant than ever before, considering the cost pressures the logging sector continues to deal with, and the need for modern, efficient logging equipment. Contractors, and forest companies, are continually looking for ways to improve their operations, he said. “You have to be on top of your game in logging and have the latest equipment and technology. A show like DEMO provides the opportunity to really shop around—all the major logging equipment manufacturers will be there.” This marks the first DEMO show in B.C. in 16 years, with the last DEMO being held near Kelowna, in the B.C. Interior, in 2000. “The fact that it is in B.C. is creating a lot of interest in the rest of the country in attending,” he said, with some attendees looking to add on some holiday time to explore B.C. Organizers are working on all the details that surround such a large show, such as lining up blocks of rooms at local hotels and motels, and on-site services. A list of accommodations, and other show related
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The DEMO 2016 show site consists of a 3.2 kilometre road loop, around which exhibitors and live demos will be set up, so attendees can easily walk around and view equipment at the show, being held in Maple Ridge, B.C. in September. information is on the show’s website at www.demointernational.com. Show organizers suggest that anyone interested in attending DEMO register and book their rooms early, as September can be a busy time for tourists around Vancouver. Robichaud noted the UBC Research Forest is an excellent location for DEMO, because of the features of the research forest itself, and also since it is so close to Vancouver. The show is getting complete buy-in and support from the Malcolm Knapp Research Forest staff, led by Paul Lawson, Director of UBC Research Forests and Anthony Robinson. The Knapp Forest is truly a multiple use research forest, providing an ideal location and forested venue for an event of the scope of DEMO. Robichaud said that DEMO, once again, will have an education component, both through UBC and local public schools, with students visiting the show. Robichaud said the UBC Research people have been “phenomenal” to work with. “They’ve been great to work with on the design and layout of the site, and working with the contractors to prep the site to develop it into what we need for DEMO.” As part of DEMO Week, there will also be a pre-show conference—Canada’s Forest Sector: Adapting to a New Reality, “TechLogging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
nology and Innovations as a Catalyst for Success”, being held September 19 to 21 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver. The conference is being co-hosted by the Faculty of Forestry, UBC and the Canadian Woodlands Forum in association with the 108th Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Institute of Forestry, FPInnovations, and the Council on Forest Engineering 2016 Annual General Meeting. The conference and DEMO show make for a powerful information package for attendees, combining presentations at the conference, and actual demonstrations at the show. “At the conference, there will be speakers talking about operational aspects, whether it is harvesting biomass or silviculture—and all of those elements will be covered at DEMO with equipment that will be on site and demonstrated.” With a great DEMO and conference team, the excitement is clearly building as the last months are marked off on the calendar. That team includes Logging and Sawmilling Journal, which will producing an Official Show guide for DEMO—further information is available on LSJ’s website at www.forestnet.com. Further information and updates on DEMO are available at www.demointernational.com.
ONLINE VISITOR REGISTRATION COMING SOON! Check the show website for the latest updates.
LIVE EQUIPMENT DEMOS, IN-WOODS
& IN ACTION!
For more information and to secure your exhibit space at this premier event, please contact: MARK CUSACK, National Show Manager mcusack@mpltd.ca Toll Free: 1.888.454.7469
Plan your Trip to DEMO International® Early!
eastcoastlogging
HANDS-O Nova Scotia logger John Dorey has been recognized by the Canadian Woodlands Forum for his hands-on approach to meeting the needs of woodlands clients, and excelling at partial harvesting. By George Fullerton he Canadian Woodlands Forum recognizes and celebrates the forest industry by selecting the Outstanding Logging Contractor of the Year, and at last year’s spring meeting, held in Moncton, New Brunswick, John Dorey was presented with the award, along with a coveted ceremonial log peavey. Dorey is manager of Kim Construction Ltd., operating from headquarters in Pugwash, Nova Scotia. The business is the prime contractor for North Nova Forest Owners Co-Operative Ltd, which represents some 280 woodlot owners, controlling more than 61,000 acres of private woodland in the northern corner of Nova Scotia. “There is definite value and benefit to
recognizing logging contractors who do an exceptional job,” said Peter Robichaud, executive director of the Canadian Woodlands Forum. “They are the backbone of the industry—and John Dorey is certainly a prime example of a young businessman who is willing to embrace innovation.” Robichaud went on to recognize that Dorey is a hands-on manager, willing to try different things, and excels at partial harvesting—and who sees a positive future in the logging business. Dorey’s harvesting team includes two Ponsse Ergo machines, a Ponsse Buffalo forwarder and a John Deere 1110D forwarder. The harvesting team is supported by two dedicated service trucks, a 2015 Hyundai excavator and a Cat D5 dozer for road building and maintenance. Dorey enjoyed a modest introduction
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T
eastcoastlogging to forestry, initially helping out family bringing in firewood from their woodlot. At about the age of 20, he stepped out and began testing harvest contracting with a chainsaw, a model 48 Massey Harris tractor and a farm wagon. With a chuckle, Dorey reminisced: “Yes, I put a lot of energy rolling logs up on that wagon and getting it out to roadside.” Dorey upgraded to a more modern farm tractor and forestry winch, and then advanced to an articulated Ford Versatile tractor which hosted a variety of small scale harvesting and processing heads. The Versatile harvester was joined by a boggie forestry trailer equipped with a log loader. Dorey expanded his logging enterprise, taking on stumpage contracts with private woodlot owners around Pugwash and along the Northumberland Strait coast. His clients included a few woodlot owners
ON
who were members of the North Nova Co-op and the quality of his harvest work also drew the attention of North Nova forestry staff and other co-op members. Around 2008, Dorey began working pretty much exclusively for North Nova, and a good portion of that work was partial cut harvests and silviculture. JoAnne Craib, manager of North Nova, estimated that in the past year, more than 80 per cent of Dorey’s work was in partial cut. “To me, partial cut just seems like the best way to manage a forest,” comments Dorey. “We take out the low quality timber and leave the best quality to add volume. There is always natural regeneration. “The woodlot owners absolutely see the benefit of partial cut,” he added. “Of course, sometimes the stand type will not benefit from a partial cut or thinning, so we have to do some clearcut. But where it will be effective, woodlot owners generally have a long range view and they see
HARVESTING APPROACH
that partial cut harvest will give them the best end result.” In 2009, Dorey invested in a 2004 Ponsse Ergo six-wheel harvester with a H73 head, which he bought through auction. The harvester went to work, initially with the forwarder capacity handled by a farm tractor pulling a bogie forestry trailer. Late in 2009, Dorey made a deal on an 1110D John Deere forwarder. As the business relationship with North Nova grew and demand for high quality partial cut increased, Dorey purchased a double bogie Ergo from ALPA Equipment, and later on teamed it with a new Ponsse Buffalo forwarder. “The Buffalo is a bigger machine than the John Deere, and it has fold-in stakes and a double extend boom which makes it a good fit for working in thinnings,” he explained. Dorey related that his business relationship with North Nova is very positive and allows him to give more of his attention to managing his operators and getting the best possible harvest work done. He explained that as an independent logging contractor working on private woodlots, a lot of time and energy is invested in finding woodlot owners, looking over their woodlots and drafting a harvest plan and stumpage deal. Even after a deal is inked, the contractor may face additional effort to trace boundaries, laying out cut blocks and roads. On the other hand, working with North Nova, a technician has already discussed the management plan and harvest plan with the woodlot owner, and mapped the harvest areas and roads, removing those details from the contractor’s plate. North Nova Forest Owners Co-op Ltd. was established in 1976 by group of woodlot owners who thought they could achieve a higher degree of forest management and more effective marketing if they worked co-operatively. Woodlot owners apply and pay for membership, and in turn get a management plan, which represents the woodlot to page 34 John Dorey (right, in photo) with Ponsse Ergo harvester operator Brad Yantzi. Dorey was recognized by the Canadian Woodlands Forum as Outstanding Logging Contractor of the Year. He’s described as a prime example of a young businessman who is willing to embrace innovation, willing to try different things—and who sees a positive future in the logging business.
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eastcoastlogging
A Ponsse Buffalo forwarder brings out a of load balsam fir (above). Contractor John Dorey switches Olofsfors tracks on the forwarder, to match ground conditions. Once snow accumulates, tracks are removed to avoid damage from snow build-up.
owner’s objectives. The plan outlines recommended actions and arrangements are made to proceed with the work. North Nova makes application on behalf of the woodlot owner for whatever funding support might be available through mill or government programs for forest management. North Nova puts marketing wood products as one of their top member priorities. They make sure they get the best deal possible when marketing wood, and that includes the optimum silviculture support, which all wood product buyers in Nova Scotia are required to subscribe to in some manner. While several mills directly support planting and pre-commercial thinning silviculture, one of the highest subscribed forestry support programs for North Nova members in recent years has been the category 7 silviculture program managed by the Association for Sustainable Forestry. Category 7 silviculture is structured to promote tree quality and multiple age classes. The treatments include crop tree release, crop tree pruning and selection management. Crop tree release and crop tree pruning improve the quality and value of individual trees, while selection management either creates or maintains uneven-aged stand conditions, enhances growth, and encourages natural regeneration of shade-tolerant species. Category 7 has been available over the past five years, and currently about 80 per cent of North Nova’s harvests fit category 7 criteria. In years prior to the availability of category 7, North Nova members engaged in a higher degree of clearcut harvesting. North Nova manager JoAnne Craib explained that John Dorey has embraced category 7 work, saying this type of harvest
work fits his commitment to forestry and customer service. “John wants to be part of good forestry and providing quality service to woodlot owner clients.” Greg Watson, forest technician with North Nova, commented: “John is very conscientious, and does very good work. He is an excellent communicator. He listens to and works well with our staff and the woodlot owners. He is definitely a hands-on guy. John is on the operation every day, and he is in an operator’s seat anytime one needs filling.” As an example of going the extra mile to do good job, Dorey actually switches between Olofsfors Baltic and Olofsfors Magnum tracks on his Ponsse forwarder to better match ground conditions and terrain, which provides better root protection to trees along the harvest trails. Dorey explained that his new Hyundai excavator and Cat dozer are a good fit for his contracting operation. Owning the equipment means he can offer fast and dedicated service for woodlot owner clients. Having the equipment available means he can plan road building well ahead of beginning the harvesting, and it also allows him to make repairs while the trucking is underway, so things go smoothly for truckers and the environment. On the logging side, rookie operators are typically trained on a forwarder and if they show initiative, Dorey will offer a tryout operating a harvester. Dorey exercises a good deal of caution when starting out new operators, starting them off in less challenging terrain before sending them into very steep ground with big timber. “Putting a new operator in an unfamiliar machine in challenging conditions is not fair to the new operator and it could very easily lead to damage to a machine,” he says. “Once the operator gets familiar
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
from page 33
with the equipment and our operating system, we can move them on to more challenging sites.” Dorey related that the North Nova woodlot owners are very dedicated forest managers. “They take a long range view of forest management, and they are enthused about partial cut harvesting. They also see the economic and environmental benefit of natural regeneration.” Woodlot owners who have had Dorey operating on their woodland have much to be pleased about, by all reports. The partial cuts are impressive, with scar-free, well spaced, high quality trees. The trails and yards are litter free, and there is a minimum of soil disturbance. On a recent operation at Collingwood on rather hilly ground, the harvest operations maintained a mix strong on tolerant hardwood and softwood species, along with some intolerant species, including aspen, mixed in to maintain spacing. Dorey’s nomination for logging contractor of the year was made by ALPA Equipment, an associate member of CWF. “John is very worthy of the honour of Outstanding Logging Contractor,” commented Jim Buntain, manager of ALPA’s Truro facility. “He operates his business very professionally, with a lot of attention to detail. John understands the business, from detailed monthly statements all the way through to working with technicians to figure out mechanical issues on his equipment.” John credits his wife, Kim, for business management skills, bookkeeping as well as general support for the business. John related that Kim recently commented to him that she no longer panics when she enters six digit figures into the company books.
loggingtrucks
GETTING MORE CONTROL OVER LOG HAULING
Weyerhaeuser’s Grande Prairie, Alberta timberlands operation is phasing in more tire pressure-controlled equipped log haul trucks, allowing them to increase their access on steep logging roads, even in bad weather. By Tony Kryzanowski
“W
e have no control over our weather. But what we can control is the tire pressure on our log haul trucks.” That statement by Joe Henry, one of two harvest and log haul managers at Weyerhaeuser’s Grande Prairie, Alberta, timberlands division summarizes why—after abandoning the concept of asking their log haul contractors to install Tire Pressure Control (TPC) systems in the early 1990s— they are once again encouraging their use. Weyerhaeuser operates both a sawmill and a pulp mill in Grande Prairie. “We wanted to increase our haul days and we also realized that we were going into some marginal blocks. So we wanted to increase our access into those blocks,” says Tony Dozorec, the second manager with Henry in the harvest and haul division. Block roads can be steep and the weather unpredictable where Weyerhaeuser sources its wood on the eastern shoulders of the Rocky Mountains for its Grande Prairie operations. While road integrity has been okay this year, Dozorec says, “the weather kicked our butts last year,” with warm winter weather and no frost in the ground in some cases. That encouraged Weyerhaeuser to augment its TPC fleet for this season, with both its existing log haul contractors and a new contractor. Henry adds that there have been a number of improvements to TPC systems since its early days. For example, losing pressure from a broken valve or line to one tire now does not cause a pressure loss throughout the entire system. It is locked out and isolated with a check valve, making it easier to continue operating and to repair the problem. to page 38
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
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loggingtrucks from page 36 “When it was tested roughly 15 to 20 years ago, there were some issues with it,” says Henry. “In my opinion, those have been rectified. Even on the maintenance side now, we are hearing about the maintenance being extraordinarily low.” The re-introduction of TPC systems at Weyerhaeuser Grande Prairie has been a phased in program. Two of their main contractors, D & J Isley & Sons and Cutbank Trucking, have partially converted their fleets. A new contractor, J. E. Sellors Services, has the majority of its fleet equipped with Tireboss TPC systems. Weyerhaeuser hired the company last year on condition that its fleet was equipped with this system. Dozorec says that Weyerhaeuser realizes that there are added costs to installing these systems that must be accounted for in the hauling rate. Although veteran log haul contractor and J. E. Sellors Services owner Jeremy Sellors says he had heard about variable tire pressure control technology, this is the first time he has installed it in his fleet. While he is a new contractor with Weyerhaeuser in Grande Prairie, he worked
for over 20 years as a log haul contractor for Slocan and Canfor in Fort Nelson, B.C. He operates seven Tireboss-equipped trucks for Weyerhaeuser and has two subcontractors also using the system. Sellors describes his experience working with the system as “early days”, but adds that there is no doubt about its traction properties when hauling on dirt and muddy roads. “It’s mostly a traction aid,” he says of the Tireboss-equipped systems installed on his trucks. “It’s not a magic cure-all, but it’s definitely an advantage to have it on the trucks when they are hauling on a soft road.” When the systems were installed last fall, he says that TPC International provided some initial training for his truck drivers. He described the control system as fairly easy for the average driver to sort out. “Basically, it has what terrain you are driving on and you set the tire pressure to that,” he says. In terms of use, Sellors says the Tireboss system is essentially engaged full time, adding that, “if it is being used properly, it is in use whenever the truck is moving.” And in terms of maintenance, he says
there is definitely more maintenance with trucks equipped with tire pressure controls systems vs. a conventional truck, “but regular maintenance isn’t huge.” There were no adjustments in tire brands or sizes required when the systems were installed on the J. E. Sellors Services trucks. The tires being used by Sellors are the same tires that came with the trucks and trailers. His sub-contractors are using different tire brands, and Sellors says he is aware of no difference in the system operating from one brand to another. “Given the right field conditions, it is definitely going to work better than a conventional truck would,” he concludes. D & J Isley & Sons has been using the Tireboss TPC system extensively over the past four years. Henry says that along with stockpiling some of Weyerhaeuser’s logs in satellite yards for easier access when block roads are inaccessible, the log haul contractor has been able to deliver logs to the forest company’s yards almost year ‘round. Typically there would be considerable downtime during spring break up, to page 40
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
loggingtrucks from page 38 anywhere from one to three months each year. Henry is aware of at least one situation where a contractor typically needed to tow fully loaded log haul trucks up a steep haul road in wet conditions. However, Tirebossequipped log haul trucks were able to make it up the slope under their own power, without reducing the size of their load.
In terms of block roads, Weyerhaeuser has built them a bit wider to accommodate the TPC-equipped trucks, because when the trucks move, they don’t follow in the same track as other trucks. This requires a wider road, but on the upside, a larger tire footprint has a healing effect on the road, meaning it requires less road maintenance. Weyerhaeuser has witnessed this effect. Staff from TPC International, the
manufacturers of the Tireboss system, have been spending time with drivers to help them understand and operate the system and Henry says the service has been excellent. Both Dozorec and Henry say they would definitely recommend TPC systems to other forest companies based on their positive experiences.
Commercial use of variable tire pressure control technology started in Canadian forestry
I
t’s been about 25 years since variable tire pressure control technology became available commercially to Canadian log haul contractors. Over that time, it has undergone several key improvements and has found a global market. One Canadian company, Edmonton, Alberta-based TPC International, has installed thousands of systems over that time in 15 countries. The technology was first applied in amphibious landing craft developed by General Motors during World War II. Initial research was conducted for commercial log haul applications in both Canada and the United States. Further research and development by companies like TPC International was instrumental in advancing the technology to its current state. As is often the case, system costs tend to become more affordable as demand increases. Brian Spreen, president of TPC International, says the cost for one of the company’s Tireboss systems now is probably about two-thirds of the cost of the original systems put in place in the early 1990s. With advances in computer technology and continuing research over the past quarter century to fine tune system operations, log haul contractors can now purchase more durable, user-friendly, and reliable systems for less money. Alberta Pacific Forest Industries (ALPAC) and Riverside Forest Products (now part of Tolko Industries) in Canada, as well as Weyerhaeuser in the U.S., were among the first forestry companies to embrace the technology. In the early 1990s, the Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada (FERIC), which is now part of FPInnovations, developed a prototype system for forestry application in partnership with a company called Eltek Inc. It was installed on a 7-axle B-train used to transport chips
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With advances in computer technology and continuing research over the past quarter century to fine tune system operations, log haul contractors can now purchase more durable, user-friendly, and reliable tire pressure control systems for less money. from an in-woods chipper. The system trials proved successful, and in 1992, an Athabasca, Alberta-based company called Redline Equipment began manufacturing, servicing and refining the system based on the prototype design. TPC International was established in 1996 by the principal developers of the product, and it continues to successfully market its Tireboss tire pressure control system around the world. ALPAC was so impressed with the benefits delivered by variable tire pressure control technology used on its log haul trucks and other heavy trucks in its contractor fleet that it mandated the use of this technology during its summer logging operations, and continues to require it of its contractors today. Throughout the past two decades, TPC International has been working hard to extend acceptance and market reach of its technology throughout North America and Europe. Major breakthroughs occurred when the Tire & Rim Association Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
(TRA) published its tire pressure control system load inflation table as a standard in 1999, which provided more confidence to tire manufacturers that use of variable tire pressure control technology according to these standards was safe. In 2006, Michelin announced that it endorsed the use of tire pressure control systems and would honor warranties on tires operated with these systems. TPC International says that in general, tire companies have been honoring warranties on tires equipped with variable tire pressure systems on a case-by-case basis. All require that the pressures used match TRA recommendations. In addition to forestry applications, variable tire pressure technology is now being used in agriculture, construction, bulk transport, fire fighting, concrete mix, power utility, oilfield and exploration vehicles.
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loggingtrucks
Variable Tire Pressure Control 101: What are its benefits? By Tony Kryzanowski
V
ariable tire pressure control is the ability to change a vehicle’s tire pressure for changing road conditions. Tire Pressure Control (TPC) systems installed on vehicles like log haul trucks provide a way to change tire pressures on the move, according to road conditions and the load being carried. Tire pressure control systems—available commercially for about the past 25 years—have been refined and deliver multiple benefits to drivers, log haul contractors, forestry companies, and municipalities. For log haul contractors, the use of TPC can extend the log haul season, in some cases almost to year-round operation, making it easier to keep good drivers. This also creates the potential of needing fewer drivers and trucks to haul the same volume. Shane Thorlakson owns and drives a truck for Timber Service, a log haul company with 10 haul trucks in Quesnel, B.C. All are equipped with Tireboss TPC systems, marketed by Edmonton, Albertabased TPC International. The system is also installed on one of the company’s low-bed trucks. They deliver logs to Tolko’s operations in Quesnel. Their trucks are tri-drive quads and their trailers are Super-B tandems. Their first TPC system was installed 20 years ago in 1995, so Thorlakson has extensive experience with the technology. He says use of their TPC systems has allowed them to obtain permits from the Ministry of Highways to extend their log haul season—and to start earlier when road bans are in place. They have extended their haul season to almost the entire year, compared to when they hauled logs using trucks without TPC systems. Operating TPC-equipped log haul trucks—particularly on block roads at lower tire pressure—delivers better
42
traction, less road damage, and trucks can often climb slick and steep grades without assistance. Thorlakson has witnessed TPC’s traction capabilities himself: the first time he tried to climb a steep grade with a TPC equipped truck, he was the only truck delivering logs that day since he was the only one able to climb the hill.
Operating tire pressure control-equipped log haul trucks— particularly on block roads at lower tire pressure—results in better traction and less road damage. The Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada (which is now part of FPInnovations) and USDA Forest Service have reported that traction increases by up to 42 percent for TPC-equipped logging trucks, depending on road surfaces. On roads with steep grade and switchbacks, contractors have reported there is no longer a need for dozers and other equipment to help trucks up steep slopes. “TPC-equipped trucks have better traction, a smoother ride, and there are benefits to the truck with less vibration,” says Thorlakson. Timber Service is authorized by TPC Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
International to install their own Tireboss systems and they have re-used systems on multiple trucks over the years. They carry out regular maintenance on their systems and have gotten good longevity from them, said Thorlakson. For forest companies, an extended log haul season results in more consistent log delivery to mill sites. In terms of road maintenance, test results have found a 25 to 33 percent reduction in surface material depth—to support the same type and weight of heavy haul vehicles—using high tire pressure. Road grading could be reduced in some cases by 75 to 80 per cent. In some field demonstrations, moderately rutted roads caused by operating vehicles at high tire pressure were actually “healed” through using lower tire pressures—and forest companies have confirmed this to be the case in commercial application. For drivers, when tire pressure is reduced and trucks are operated empty, there is a smoother ride, particularly on resource roads with potholes and washboards. Drivers have reported less fatigue, which translates into safer operation. Drivers have also reported decreased stopping distances during emergency braking of loaded vehicles and less chance of jackknifing with empty vehicles. There is also better steering control in snow and ice conditions when using the optimum recommended tire pressure for load and speed. For municipalities, they have fewer maintenance costs on municipally maintained roads when log trucks operate with reduced tire pressure. Variable tire pressure technology also reduces wear on road surfaces, decreasing the rate of surface material breakdown, resulting in a decreased need for dust control. Given greater driver control and alertness when operating at lower tire pressure, log trucks are also operated more safely on municipal roads.
Urban smallsawmilling
LOGGING IN ALBERTA
Alberta’s Shawn Moore has moved beyond the oil patch, and his tree removal business has now morphed into doing urban logging— and they’re diverting trees from the landfill.
At the Trimmed-Line Tree Services operation, green slabs are cut from a salvaged tree using a Wood-Mizer LT50 portable bandsaw.
By Tony Kryzanowski
T
here is only one word to describe Shawn Moore’s successful venture into specialty wood products: evolution. Tired of the feast and famine business cycle that is common in the oil patch, he now finds himself in partnership with his wife, Natalie, in Trimmed-Line Tree Services Ltd. The company is a purveyor of finely appointed, sawn and kiln-dried— and sometimes rare—wood products destined for anything from countertops and coat racks to slabs of live-edge wood and handcrafted furniture. The business—located in Red Deer,
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
Alberta—diversified seriously into production of wood products from salvaged trees only a couple of years ago, but they are already looking for more land to expand. “We’ve gone from a small crawl to the steps being almost leaps now,” says Moore. Moore’s career in the wood industry started fresh out of high school, at the end of a chainsaw in 1991 working for a land clearing business. It progressed to seismic line clearing work for the oil and gas industry in 2005, with most business activity taking place in the winter. Along with this to page 46
smallsawmilling
Trimmed-Line Tree Services owner Shawn Moore (above, right), inspects the attractive wood grain on a log salvaged from a tree removal job, which will be converted into slabs destined for custom wood work or furniture. In the photo below, Moore closes the door on his custom-designed, wood heated, dry kiln. from page 44 was a ‘full circle’ residential tree service, which included dangerous tree removal, stump grinding, salvage wood recycling, kiln drying, and tree planting , when the seismic line work dropped off in summer. Moore, who is a qualified level four tree faller tutor, says that a lot of the wood he was falling and chipping for private landowners and municipalities was ending up in landfills, and it seemed like a huge waste of a valuable resource. “I was sitting there one day watching as 20” logs went into our large capacity, whole tree chipper, thinking how other people were talking about biomass and greening up the world, and here I am shredding 20” marketable material,” says Moore. “I just made a conscious choice that I should look into other opportunities for that wood.” There were pressures from his seismic line clearing business that pointed him into more diversification. A constant challenge was keeping good employees. Depending on the time of year and the amount of seismic work that was available, the company would employ anywhere from two to 15 workers. During the slow season in summer, workers often 46
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
found jobs elsewhere to pay the bills— and didn’t return. Recently, Moore began to notice that the number of seismic line clearing jobs was becoming fewer and fewer, “and the ups and downs of the economic crash really hit home.” By mid-2015, with oil prices dropping to less than half of what they were a year earlier, thousands of people employed in the oilpatch were being laid off. Suffice to say that seismic jobs had become very scarce and this was having a significant impact on Trimmed-Line’s cash flow. “Everybody seemed to be holding onto their dollars,” he explained, “and we made a conscious decision—when the oilpatch was looking very grim—that we were going to go to this bare bones crew and get our kiln and added value project off the ground.” The income potential of diversifying into a supplier of kiln-dried wood or handcrafted wood products was just too good to ignore. Whether it was for private landowners or the oilpatch, he essentially was being paid to remove the wood fibre. Moore to page 48
smallsawmilling
A Wood-Mizer EG200 twin blade edger helps Trimmed-Line Tree Services maximize the value recovery from each board cut on their Wood-Mizer LT50 portable bandsaw. from page 46 calculated that instead of paying the $67 per tonne to deliver wood chips to the landfill, he could divert the merchantable salvaged wood fibre he had acquired for free to his business—and pay an employee what he was saving in landfill disposal fees to produce a valuable and saleable solid wood product. Also, diversification made Trimmed-Line Tree Services less dependent on business from the oilpatch and also provided year round employment for key staff members. When the company won the award for best Small Booth at the Red Deer 2015 Home Show—the first year they participated in the event—Moore knew that their products had plenty of public appeal, and that the business had a strong chance for success. Today, Moore describes himself as an urban logger. Unlike high volume, commodity-driven lumber producers where most of their lumber is used in structural applications, Trimmed-Line Tree Services is focused primarily on lower volumes of sawn and kiln-dried wood products used mostly in appearance applications. “We’re selling live edge slabs into a fairly consistent market at $14 per board foot versus 75 cents per board foot for 2” X 4”s,” says 48
Moore. “It was a no brainer for us.” That said, they do produce some dimension lumber for non-building construction uses and for custom orders in an effort to find a market for as much of their salvaged wood fibre as possible. They saw various log diameters depending on the species of wood, the
Unlike high volume, commodity-driven lumber producers where most of their lumber is used in structural applications, Trimmed-Line Tree Services is focused primarily on lower volumes of sawn and kiln-dried wood products used mostly in appearance applications. Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
wood grain it presents, and the market demand for the product. “With even a small chunk of two inch lilac, we’ve been selling it to wood turners for pen blanks and toothpick holders,” says Moore. The logs salvaged from Trimmed-Line’s tree removal jobs come from about a 150 kilometre radius of Red Deer, representing more than 10 tree species. “We have just about everything that is planted or native to central Alberta,” says Moore. This includes: mountain, green and black ash; black poplar; aspen; spruce; mayday; schubert chokecherry; apple; elm; Manitoba maple; oak; and various willows, including their favorite, laurel leaf willow. The on-site process starts with chainsaw operators taking down trees. Other equipment will accompany the takedown crew as needed. This includes a Rayco RC20XP whole tree chipper, Bandit 3500 forestry mower, Rayco C140 forestry mower, a Takeuchi TB180 mini-excavator to load trucks and remove trunks, and a Kubota SVL90 tracked loader. Some of the salvaged wood is still chipped on-site and delivered to the City to page 50
smallsawmilling
A Takeuchi TB 180FR mini-excavator helps to move and load logs in the TrimmedLine Tree Services tree removal and sawmilling operation.
of Red Deer for use in their landscaping projects. None is landfilled. Merchantable logs are transported by truck to the Trimmed-Line Tree Services yard, sawn on a new Wood-Mizer LT50 portable bandsaw, and if necessary, edged on a Wood-Mizer EG200 twin blade edger. “The Wood-Mizer product had a lot of accessories to grow my system, and I thought it had good trade-in value,” said Moore. “It’s a really simple and strong machine.” He adds that the edger is a good asset to have when making dimensional lumber, and allows a three-man crew to work very efficiently. The goal is to discover and preserve the unique wood grain of each merchantable log. After careful inspection, the saleable
slabs produced from the bandsaw are dried in a custom-built wood dry kiln, with heat provided by a wood waste-fired boiler. The fuel is wood waste collected from the bandsaw and edger. The heat from the wood boiler also heats TrimmedLine’s shop and warehouse. After drying, each slab from each tree from each species is ‘laid down’ like an expensive vintage of wine in various corners of the warehouse, waiting for calls from customers. Sometimes it is partially prepared in their woodshop for customers. To accomplish this task, they use a 20” Laguna planer, Laguna bandsaw or one of several tablesaws, bandsaws or chop saws to fulfill customer requirements. Sometimes, Moore’s business partner, custom wood worker Chad Yanulik, converts wood slabs into attractive,
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
from page 48
handcrafted wood products in-house. Their list of customers grows almost daily—artists, woodworkers, cabinet makers, builders, designers, and businesses like restaurants looking for that special slice of wood or slabs from the same tree with the same grain characteristics for their special woodworking project. The company finds that once they supply one or two pieces to a project, they are asked to supply a lot more product for customers’ future projects, because they are so enamored by the wood’s appearance. The entire business concept came together rather quickly, stemming from a bid to salvage trees from a local school project and a promise to use the wood to build park benches. This helped the builder achieve LEED certification. After the purchase of the Wood-Mizer bandsaw and edger, the final piece of the puzzle clicked into place with the help of veteran specialty wood manufacturer Peter Schmutz, owner of Solar-Dri Timber Specialties near Rocky Mountain House, Alberta. Schmutz advised Moore on the construction of a dry kiln, using a 40’ shipping container. The wood-fired boiler takes up 20’ and the kiln takes up the remaining 20’, with fans installed inside to circulate the air. The internal temperature and humidity can be monitored externally. The temperature will be ramped up to as high as 60 degrees Celsius for a specified period of time for phytosanitation. Depending on the species, it can take three to six weeks in the kiln to achieve their optimum moisture content. Wood destined for woodworking projects are dried to below 10 per cent. They have two more 40’ shipping containers on site to accommodate expansion. Once the City of Red Deer approved the kiln installation, the company hasn’t looked back. The City is also helping to support the business. “We have a pilot project starting up with the City parks department to start rescuing park tree waste,” says Moore. At present, he says that the business is undergoing a complete switch in focus. “This business (wood products) used to be our summer business, which was a back-up to keep us going until the winter,” Moore says. “But we’re doing a complete switch. Our summer is becoming our main core business, and if we get anything in the winter, that will be a bonus.”
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woodchipping
More chips to go...
New Brunswick’s Billy and Ronnie Gillespie are innovators when it comes to their chipping operation, always on the lookout for technology that will make their operation more efficient, such as a new chute loading system that results in delivering more payload to the mills.
A truck driver (left) monitors loading and operates the deflector remote control to better distribute chips across the trailer. 52 52
Logging & & Sawmilling Sawmilling Journal Journal -- May/June May/June 2016 2016 Logging
woodchipping
Billy Gillespie (above, right) with chipper operator Kevin Palmer. Billy focuses on the harvest and chipping side of the business, while brother Ronnie manages the trucking department. Currently, W&R Gillespie Ltd. Operates five Morbark chippers, mostly 2755 machines. W&R Gillespie operates 15 tractor trailers on their chipper operations and hires additional trucking capacity to take the fleet up to around fifty tractor trailer units.
By George Fullerton
B
illy and Ronnie Gillespie are no strangers to harvest contracting— chipping and trucking operations in particular. The two brothers began their careers as weekend harvesters in the late1970s, while they were still in high school. Out of high school, they worked with cable skidders, then expanded their operations to mechanized harvesting, adding trucking and then full tree and flail chippers. Currently, W&R Gillespie Ltd. operates with five Morbark chippers, mostly 2755 machines. The chippers supply the Flakeboard MDF mill in St. Stephen, AV Nackawic in central New Brunswick, there is one on a JD Irving operation and one chipper works on privately owned woodland operations. The fifth, a Morbark 2455, is the current spare that goes to work when one of the other chippers goes down for major repairs or overhauls. Most of their chipping operations are in the woods, but they also do contract work in yards where wood has been piled down. The chipper operations generally run on a single day shift, but they will switch to double shift if contracted as such, or if weather or delivery situations require more production.
W&R Gillespie operates 15 tractor trailers on their chipper operations and hires additional trucking capacity to take the fleet up to around fifty tractor trailer units. They own 30 to 35 chip trailers and hire the balance of the contingent as owner operator truckers. W&R Gillespie typically have between seven and nine trucks working on round wood hauling. On the harvesting side, they own three bunchers, and contract one additional buncher, in addition to four to six owned skidders and contracting additional skidder power as required. They have their own dedicated float service using a triaxle
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
tractor, which also moves chippers. They also operate a TimberPro harvester with a Keto head. The Gillespies also operate a Bandit grinder/chipper, which works throughout the Maritime Provinces, primarily on millyard and woodyard cleanups, generating biomass feeds, ranging from chips to different consistencies of ground materials. For road and chipper pad construction, they have a couple of excavators and several bulldozers. Their headquarters to page 54
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woodchipping from page 53 near Harvey in southwest New Brunswick includes offices and a substantial shop, with three truck-trailer service bays and additional room to slide in a flail chipper, not to mention a large parts inventory. A good deal of W&R Gillespie’s round wood harvest is subcontracted to Ronnie’s son Joel; the name of Joel’s business is Greenridge Skog. The operation has run a buncher, an in woods processor and a forwarder bringing wood to roadside. Very recently, Joel sold his buncher and installed a new head on the processor, aiming to use it as a harvester. Billy’s son, Daniel, operates his own company with nine tractor trailers hauling round wood and sometimes filling in hauling chips. Both of the younger Gillespies contract with W&R Gillespie Ltd., as well as other private and industry forestry operations. The Gillespie brothers began chipping in 1991. More than two decades of experience have seen them surmount innumerable challenges with equipment, political issues, logistics and environment. Their success has come about through
focused investment in equipment and operators—and astute business management skills in an extremely competitive and challenging business environment. Billy Gillespie focuses on the harvest and chipping side of the business, while Ronnie manages the trucking department. Billy’s knowledge of chipper technol-
ogy and operations is extensive, and his observation skills on a chipping operation are encyclopedic. Experience and problem solving around chipper operations has naturally led to ideas to make chipping more productive and efficient, and to experimenting with innovative concepts. Take for example the
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
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A John Deere skidder (above) delivering twitch to the chipper. In addition to their owned skidders, W&R Gillespie contracts additional skidder power as required. They own three bunchers and contract an additional buncher, and have their own dedicated float service using a triaxle tractor, which also moves the chippers. requirement of four flail chips to meet certain mill requirements for clean (no bark/ debris) chips. The Gillespies grafted a twin flail onto a tandem axle-tag along, which they position on the infeed end of one of their twin flail chippers, allowing them to generate four flail chips. Other modifications include installing remote controls of chipper functions on older models and installing automatic greasing systems, which Billy says gives better lubrication and greater reliability to chipper components. “One of the major challenges we have struggled with over the years with our chipper operations is with conventional loading from the back of the trailer—and the difficulty in getting the load to scale properly and meet the allowable axle weight limits,” says Billy. “Generally, loading from the rear we can get the gross weight correct, but there is almost always too much weight on the drive axles and not enough weight on the trailer axle cluster. In order to get the truck to scale for legal road weight limits, we generally lowered the gross weight, and that has been highly inefficient for the overall operation.” For years, he has been trying to imagine a system that would allow them to make their maximum gross weight and have chips in the right place, so they are operating in compliance with axle weight limits. “I became aware that Bandit had developed a chute discharge on some of their chipper and grinder products, and I imagined that concept along with a deflector on the end of the chute for our Morbark chippers. I figured if we could load our chip trailers from the top, the drivers could monitor their air suspension gauges as a guide to hit the optimum weight on the axles. “Our first shot at building a discharge chute came when we had a chipper in the shop for repairs. We fabricated the chute using the same exit that Mobark
used for their rear of the trailer loading system. We tried that out, but found there was not enough velocity to move the chips up and along the chute.” Essentially, using the original discharge opening, the chips had to make a sharp angle toward the chute, before following the (opposite) curve of the chute which was intended to funnel the chips up over the front of the chipper and into the top of the trailer. Too many turns simply pulled the velocity out of the chip flow and the experiment was a failure. Billy was not entirely deterred by the initial failure, and kept thinking about the top loading concept. His solution came through observation of chip movement systems from chippers and blowers in sawmills. His next attempt at the top loading chute was to cover the Morbark discharge hole and make a new one higher on the chipper cover, eliminating that ‘first turn’, before the chute. “With the exit hole higher, the chips exit with enough energy to follow the arch of the chute and deflect into the top of the trailers,” said Billy. The chute is hydraulically controlled to rotate 270 degrees and extends over the engine on the front of the chipper. The rotation allows a good degree of flexibility in regards to orientation of the chipper and the trucks. The hydraulically controlled deflector is operated by the truck driver with a remote control, to get even distribution across the trailer “The chute system brought us some additional truck loading advantages that have made our operations a lot more efficient,” said Billy. “The chute gives us more options for situating the chipper in relation to the trucks, which park on the road. The chipper can be situated perpendicular or at an
to page 56 Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
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woodchipping from page 55
At the W&R Gillespie operation, they are truly resourceful. Case in point, a clip board equipped with a baby nursery video display (above) is used to view chips dropping in the trailer. The remote camera for the baby nursery video is mounted on the chip deflector.
angle to the road, if the terrain requires the chipper pad to be constructed that way. “With the conventional Morbark end loading system, the trucks had to be specifically oriented to the discharge spout, and that was often difficult to accomplish—especially if conditions became wet, or when twitches were moved through ditches, or across the road to get to the infeed of the chipper.” With the chute system, the trucks sit on the haul road headed out of the woods and the wood is at the far end of the chipper, and there is a lot less possibility of messing up the ditches and creating difficult operating and trucking conditions. Billy says the new loading system had its challenges, but the drivers soon caught on to observing the suspension gauge, and stepping their truck ahead as their loads built. While the chute has revolutionized chip loading on a particular chipper, there has been additional innovation applied at the chipper infeed as well. “Our Morbark flail chippers have a loader on the infeed end to feed trees
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
into the flail. During road transport, the cab folds down to give proper transport height to the unit. All the hydraulics for the loader, as well as some hydraulics and all the electric controls for the flail and chipping systems are routed through the loader turntable and into the cab,” described Billy. As the chippers age, there seems to be an overabundance of problems with electrics every time a chipper is set up, he says. Often it would take half-a-day on older chippers to trace and fix problems before they began making chips. Billy added that the loader cab necessitates a significant climb for the operator and the cab witnesses a lot of vibration; it is a very noisy working environment. The Gillespies’ solution to the technical issues was to cut the loader off, and feed the flail chipper with a standalone, grapple-equipped excavator. Flail and chipper remote control panels were installed in the excavator cab. “Cutting the loader off reduced the weight of the chipper by about 15,000 pounds which helps with the oversize and weight permitting when we move the chipper on roads and highways,” says Billy. “The excavator is a Case 160 with a Meductic Welding heel boom assembly and a bar saw on the grapple.” Excavator feeding the flail chipper provides a good deal of versatility to chipper pad construction and orientation, and the excavator can change position to accommodate how skidders deliver wood. The chute loading system is showing two significant pay-offs for the Gillespies. First, the top loaded trucks are getting their axle weights on target. And second, the trucks are delivering more payload to the mills. “We are seeing trucks that work on the chute loading chipper delivering one tonne more per load. That doesn’t sound like much, but when you consider five trucks making two loads per day to the mill, that’s ten tonnes per day and fifty tonnes over the week. If we maintain that over forty weeks in the year, that’s an extra 2,000 tonnes chips delivered and more revenue, higher profitability.” Like all businesses, the Gillespies look toward technology advances to make their operations more efficient. Some businesses wait for the salesman to announce the technology. The Gillespies, on the other hand, have identified a technological need for chipping and innovated their own solution, constructing their own road to success.
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May/June 2016
The Edge CNC combo with expanded polystyrene foam on cusp of commercialization with AI Bio support BY TONY KRYZANOWSKI our interest in searching and researching bio-solutions has made it a great year for AI Bio,” announced Steve Price, CEO of Alberta Innovates Bio-Solutions (AI Bio) at this year’s 6th Annual Impact Innovation event held recently in Edmonton. Emceed by former Discovery Channel personality and Calgary resident Jay Ingram, Impact Innovation provides AI Bio with an opportunity to showcase some of its supported projects. Many projects aim to provide the forest industry with opportunities to diversify its markets with novel building and biomaterials extracted from wood fibre. Promising commercial application of one wood-based biomaterial—cellulose nanocrystals (CNC)—was featured prominently at this year’s Impact Innovation event. CNC is 10,000 times smaller than a human hair with unique mechanical properties. This lightweight biomaterial that looks like cotton candy in dry form can provide two times the stiffness of aluminum and 10 times the strength of stainless steel when dispersed into another material. Alberta Innovates operates one of the few pilot-scale CNC production facilities in the world, giving Alberta researchers the benefit of easy access to this novel biomaterial. Through research supported by AI Bio, researchers have been working to find the best ways to combine CNC with expanded polystyrene (EPS) foams and in an electrospun adhesive layer in CNC-reinforced foam-core sandwich composite structures. These foams are commonly used as protective packaging material around televisions and computers. Preliminary results show that with just a one per cent CNC application, researchers can improve the foam’s strength by 60 per cent. University of Alberta Project Lead, Dr. Cagri Ayranci, said that this application
provides “a great benefit to industry”. By increasing the mechanical properties of this foam material with CNC, the same performance can be achieved with less material volume in such applications as roof, floor and wall insulation. One of North America’s largest EPS foam producers is located in Calgary. “They are already very interested in the product and we will be talking to them in terms of commercialization,” said Ayranci. He noted that this is only one potential commercial use for CNC, with other potential applications in biomedical devices, ropes, textiles, filtration, and pharmaceutical applications. Another speaker at Impact Innovation showcased ongoing research supported by AI Bio related to the impact of disturbances such as wildfires and salvage logging on water quality and forest ecology. Dr. Uldis Silins, Professor of Renewable Resources at the Faculty of Agricultural Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Alberta, said that that the province has a long history of conducting research related to the impact of wildfires in areas where Albertans access clean water. “The lion’s share of the water on which we depend in our economy and society really originates in the forested region of our province,” said Dr. Silins. So the impact of climate change on the occurrence, severity, and size of wildfires, their impact on localized and downstream water resources in forested landscapes, as well as the common practice of salvage logging, have been studied extensively as part of a wide ranging project called the Southern Rockies Watershed Project. The first phase of this project discovered that it can take considerable time to recover— decades in some instances—for such important ecological elements in stream water as nitrogen and phosphorus, and their contribution to sediment production and organics.
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“Y
Steve Price, CEO of Alberta Innovates Bio-Solutions, at this year's Impact Innovation event. “This idea that we have disturbance and that things then return to an undisturbed state is something that we are really starting to rethink,” Dr. Silins said. The project is now entering Phase II. As part of this phase, researchers will study how forestry practices and alternative harvesting methods also impact water quality downstream. AI Bio CEO Price described the past year as “extremely busy” for the corporation. It was therefore particularly timely to inform those present what the future holds for AI Bio. The province has embarked on a more consolidated management structure for its Alberta Innovates family of research corporations. Pamela Valentine, transitional CEO of the new Alberta Innovates Corporation, says the management board’s goal is to create “one-door access to supports, expert advice and services,” to those seeking financial support for research and development that will contribute to the province’s economic diversification. The consolidation of four current Alberta Innovates Corporations into a single, integrated agency will focus on the key sectors of food, fibre, energy, environment and health. The agenda and online presentations made at AI Bio’s Impact Innovation event are available for viewing at http://bio.albertainnovates.ca/about/ corpevents/impactinnovation2016/.
The Edge
Large stakeholder group tours CWFC beetle-affected site rehab project BY TONY KRYZANOWSKI
T
he 2016 Mountain Pine Beetle and Stand Rehabilitation Research Forum and Tour, co-hosted by the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre (CWFC) and fRI Research, took place in Grande Prairie recently, an area coping with one of the largest infestations of the mountain pine beetle in Alberta. Forum and field tour participants included representatives from industry, academia and government who benefited from this knowledge exchange event. It featured current information on the beetle status in Alberta, B.C., and Saskatchewan, as well as updates on above and below ground beetle-related research, industry reports on ongoing salvage operations, and an overview on CWFC’s project related to beetle-affected site mitigation. This two-day event in Grande Prairie was particularly timely, as the province of Alberta has recognized the need for mitigation on some beetle-affected sites, according to Brooks Horne, Senior Forester in Forest Rehabilitation with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. The province is concerned how taking no action on grey stage, beetle-affected sites deemed unmerchantable by industry could impact the province’s mid-term timber supply. Over the past two years, Horne said that the province has established parameters and a decision support tool to identify potential sites for possible mitigation measures. Horne’s announcement provided the perfect backdrop for CWFC to share information and provide a field tour of an operational site that it has established north of Grande Prairie. It demonstrates innovative partial harvest and regeneration systems that could be applied on beetle-attacked sites that have been bypassed by industry. With so many “orphan” beetle sites in the province currently not being rehabilitated, CWFC shares Alberta’s concern that losing the productive forest within these sites could lead to mid-term supply challenges for industry down the road. It supports mitigative measures on these sites. In partnership with forest company Canfor, the University of Alberta and Spectrum Resources Group Inc—and with funding
A large and diverse group from a variety of stakeholders participated in CWFC’s tour of its beetle-affected site mitigation project north of Grande Prairie. provided by the Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta (FRIAA) through its Mountain Pine Beetle Forest Rehabilitation Program—CWFC is leading a project that shows how to apply innovative partial harvest systems it has developed to rehabilitate beetle-affected orphan sites. As an operational site, the goal was not only to show how CWFC’s partial harvest system could be applied economically by using sale of the salvaged timber to mitigate the cost of applying this harvest method, but also to train commercial loggers on how to apply this system. CWFC is also demonstrating several of its regeneration systems in this project, using conventional prime movers to develop micro-sites with innovative site-prep tools like the Mericrusher, conventional mounder, and scalp bucket. The overall goal is to demonstrate options for industry on how to economically capture the remaining timber value within these stands, while re-establishing them and putting them back on a positive growth trajectory. This effort also helps to mitigate the risk of future beetle attacks. “This is industry’s future wood supply, and there may be shortages because of the loss of these lands unless a rehabilitation strategy like the one we have demonstrated are deployed,” says Derek Sidders, CWFC Regional Coordinator and Program Manager. “We’ve put infrastructure on the ground to show by example how an application can benefit an unmerchantable beetleaffected site,” he adds. “We can show the cost, the application, the operations and
the practices. It is up to the regulator and the industry to commercialize these forest stands, while also taking all the inherent values within each site into consideration. We have established a platform to inform, based on the guidance given to us by government and industry.” CWFC’s project involved 310 hectares of mixed beetle-affected stands that had greater than 50 per cent lodgepole pine crown composition. Trees were greater than 15 metres in height. The stands were comprised of a mixture of healthy green and attacked green lodgepole pine, red and grey stage beetle-attacked lodgepole pine, white spruce and aspen. CWFC’s innovative partial harvest system selectively removed active attack trees, green lodgepole pine greater than 20 centimeters DBH, and spaced small, dense, and green lodgepole pine within the stand. After harvest, selective site preparation techniques were deployed to establish both lodgepole pine and white spruce seedlings in the harvested stands.
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
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For more information about the mountain pine beetle forum and field tour, as well as CWFC’s rehabilitation project north of Grande Prairie, contact Tim Keddy, CWFC Wood Fibre Development Specialist, at tim.keddy@ canada.ca, or Derek Sidders, CWFC Regional Coordinator and Program Manager at the Northern Forestry Centre in Edmonton, at derek.sidders@ canada.ca.
TECHUPDATE
Forwarders Tigercat
Tigercat’s new 1055C, 1075C and 1085C forwarders are powered by Tigercat FPT N67 engines which are fully supported by Tigercat, including all parts, service, warranty and technical support. With a simple and effective Selective Catalyst Reduction (SCR) system, the N67 Tier 4 final engine meets the latest emissions standards in North America and Europe.
Tigercat’s exclusive Low-Wide bunk system, combined with the new hooked crane, improves visibility and decreases load/ unload cycles while reducing the chance of the crane contacting the gate. Productivity is further enhanced by Tigercat’s high capacity grapples and ergonomic, quiet cab. The 1085C is equipped with Tigercat’s WideRange drive system. Unlike two-speed forwarder transmissions, WideRange is infinitely variable, providing extremely high tractive effort and a working speed of 7 km/h—much higher than the maximum speed in low range of conventional forwarders. The 1085C can carry a 20-tonne load up a 60 per cent slope, making it an ultimate steep slope forwarder, says the company. www.tigercat.com
Eco Log
Eco Log D series forwarders range in size from 10, 12, 14 and 19.5 tonne load capacity. Due to its narrow stance, the mid-size 574D forwarder can be utilized in thinnings or with the bunks widened to the maximum position, used for final harvest blocks.
By Tony Kryzanowski
All models are equipped with the latest technology which provides each unit with maximum power and high performance while maintaining low fuel consumption. www.eco-log.com
John Deere
The John Deere E-Series forwarders, available in six different models with load capacities from 9 to 19 tonnes, offer a wide range of solutions for any application. The 290-degree rotating cab provides an all-around view of the surroundings, and the auto-leveling capability keeps the operator balanced and comfortable, no matter how steep or uneven the terrain. Fatigue-beating enhancements, like ergonomic armrest-mounted controls, increase operator comfort and productivity. The TimberMatic F-12 control system provides reliable, efficient control of all forwarder functions. New user-friendly software offers
easy-to-learn patterns and operator-specific settings, enabling operators to get the most out of the machine. Additionally, the John Deere PowerTech Plus Tier 3 diesel engines offer uncompromised power and fuel efficiency, says the company. Optional Intelligent Boom Control enables faster cycle times and more precise operation, as well as accelerating the learning curve for operators. www.johndeere.com
Caterpillar
Cat forwarders load logs and transport them from the forest quickly with high hydraulic flow, state-of-the-art controls, and fast travel speeds. The Cat 584HD forwarder is the most powerful machine in the family and meets the demanding requirements of forest harvesting. It provides comfort, controllability, and serviceability. The Cat 584HD forwarder has a payload capacity of 20 metric tons, and its structures are designed for extended hours of use with the capability to be rebuilt for a second life. The keys to productivity are a fast loader and tractive power to transport heavy loads quickly uphill, cycle after cycle. The Cat 584HD forwarder has both. It features one of the fastest,
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
techupdate Tanguay
The Tanguay TG88E track forwarder is available as a clambunk or “L Boom” grapple configuration with a huge payload capacity of 35 tons. Powered by a 400 hp engine, the eight-wheel-drive TG88E comes with a choice of track width up to 60” wide for low ground pressure. The reliable and proven 100 per cent hydrostatic drive provides incredible manoeuvrability and perfect traction for minimum ground disturbance, says the company.
from page 60 strongest, and most reliable cranes on the market. The Cat C7 274 hp engine with ACERT technology is paired with a hydrostatic propel system for maximum power on grade through wide engine rpm and ground speed range. www.cat.com
Barko
Equipped with intuitive controls for smooth operation, the Barko 612 forwarder provides ample load capacity with excellent stability and maneuverability. The forwarder is powered by a fuel-efficient 200-hp Volvo diesel engine and offers gross load capacity of 24,000 lbs. A joystick-controlled Kesla crane with extendable boom and bypass grapple makes loading simple. Excellent weight distribution assists with tackling steep grades, while low ground pressure minimizes ground disturbance. The unit features a Dana 32,000 Series six-speed powershift transmission, rather than hydrostatic, to produce generally higher
transport speeds and faster cycles. Other upgrades include increased cooling capacity, updated torque converters, and improved cab mounts and frame. The forwarder is equipped with a responsive Danfoss Plus+1 hydraulic control system. Power-demand joystick-controlled steering includes full oscillation lock and 40 degrees of sideto-side articulation. The spacious tilting cab offers heat and air conditioning. www.barko.com
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The TG88 clambunk and its powerful loader with a swing planetary is the machine of choice for economically loading and skidding tree length to roadside on long distances. The “L Boom” grapple skidder version is also very productive over shorter distances. It is an effective and safe alternative to challenging steep slopes, and wet and deep snow logging conditions where conventional ground base skidding is not even possible to consider. Designed and manufactured in Canada, the TG88E is by far the world’s largest forwarder. www.tanguay.cc
TimberPro
TimberPro’s newly-released C-series forwarders add to the company’s already powerful, efficient and user-friendly line of equipment. The famous TimberPro continuous rotation upper turntable is a unique design that offers real advantages over Scandinavian-style forwarders, says the company. Being able to work over all sides of the machine and having the operator swing with the boom allows
for increased efficiency. TimberPro wheeled machines can be configured as forwarders, harvesters, skidders or as a combo, allowing the machine to be converted from a harvester to a forwarder in under 15 minutes, all without losing any machine efficiency. The new C-series features a larger cab, an energy recovering hydrostatic swing system for smooth and powerful operation, standard high output LED light package, standard Bluetooth-enabled stereo, an IQAN MD4 control system, and increased serviceability. www.timberpro.com
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
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techupdate from page 62
Komatsu
Komatsu’s 855.1 forwarder with 14-tonne capacity, 865 forwarder with 15-tonne capacity, and 895 forwarder with 20-tonne capacity provide greater productivity, operator comfort, and fuel economy than prior models. All Komatsu forwarders feature powerful, fuel efficient Tier 4 Interim engines, HST transmissions, “Comfort Bogie” axle systems, spacious cabs and other technological advances. The robust chassis designs have rugged bunks and adjustable wideners providing high capacity bunk space. The HST transmission automatically responds to increased tractive effort in every
driving situation. This HST in combination with Komatsu Comfort Bogie portal axles creates an ideal combination of traction, speed, and comfort in rough terrain. The spacious cab offers excellent visibility in all directions, multiple storage areas and exceptional fit and finish to create an ideal ergonomic work environment, says Komatsu. The 855.1 offers the revolutionary Komatsu Comfort Ride hydraulic cab suspension option providing superior operator driving comfort in the most difficult terrain. The user-friendly MaxiXplorer machine control system integrates and monitors all machine systems and functions. www.KomatsuForest.ca
Rottne
The Rottne F18 forwarder is described as safe, stable and powerful. It is a large forwarder with a load capacity of 18 tonnes, providing more efficient transport for long forwarding distances. Adjustable load area is also available as an optional extra. The portal bogies, with large wide wheels, provide excellent bearing capacity and smooth and gentle travel.
The wagon is available in two frame lengths and the load area has a very low centre of gravity. It comes equipped with a JD 6090 HFC 09 Power Tech PSS, Final Tier 4 (FT4) engine, with output of 278 hp at 1700 rpm. The transmission is a D5-controlled, hydrostatic/mechanical system with full capacity control and automatic gearbox. The chassis has an articulated joint with slew bearing and frame lock. It comes with bolted welded load bunks. www.rottnecanada.com
PONSSE
PONSSE ActiveFrame is a new cabin suspension system for forwarder 8-wheelers. It has a simple and functional structure, suspending any sideways movement directed at the driver effectively and unnoticeably. As a result, driving is very comfortable and any stress on the body is much reduced. Productivity increases as the cabin suspension system helps the driver keep going even after a long shift. Comfort in driving allows the driver to use higher speeds, particularly when driving an empty load, and working with the crane is more efficient as the system keeps the cabin horizontal even in rough terrain.
The solution is technologically close to the Scorpion leveling system, in which separate sensors have been replaced by reliable components built in the control module. Thanks to the dual frame structure, the pivot point of the ActiveFrame suspension system is very low at the level of the bogie axle. This eliminates any swinging directed at the driver as efficiently as possible. PONSSE ActiveFrame is available for the PONSSE Buffalo, Elephant and ElephantKing. Maximum angle of leveling in ElephantKing and Elephant is 6 degrees and in Buffalo 7 degrees. www.ponsse.com
Logset
Logset GT forwarders have been developed with the customer in mind, says the company. For Logset, that means providing the best quality to maximize durability and minimize maintenance costs. High quality components from leading suppliers prolong the lifespan of the GT forwarders and reduce maintenance costs. The latest technical solutions bring durability and economy, and also diminish the need for service. Research and development of more than 20 years has made Logset GT forwarders’ chassis sturdy, but with optimal weight distribution for smooth movement in the roughest terrains. Logset GT forwarders have spacious and modern cabins, with well-placed controls that eliminate any unnecessary reaching or straining. The air suspension seat can be equipped with automatic leveling and an effective ventilation system. The visibility from the to page 66
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
Rule the Forest
Forest King TRS 2
The new Nokian Forest King TRS 2’s Super Shovel lug improves traction and the shoulder design is optimized for lateral grip. The straight sidewalls improve puncture resistance.
Forest King F2
The new Nokian Forest King F2 is designed especially for use with tracks. The tire features an increased straight section of the tread and a new shoulder shape to improve track fit and support.
Forest King Skidder
Nokian’s skidder tire features a wide lug for excellent traction and a strong shoulder to prevent punctures and optimize lateral grip. Extra wide breakers and steel fortification extend the life of the tire.
Find out more about Nokian Heavy Tyres and find a dealer near you at nokianheavytyres.com or by calling 800-565-2525
techupdate
from page 64 cabin offers an unobstructed view, both for driving and loading. The cabin has excellent sound insulation, says the company. Automatic air conditioning provides cabin comfort all year round. The air-intake filter ensures that the air is pure and fresh. www.logset.com
HSM
German manufacturer HSM is now offering a wide range of forwarders in Canada. With a 238 hp FPT engine, it has no problem carrying loads from 11 tons to 20 tons, says the company. HSM’s Bigfoot forwarder, with its 940 mm wide tire, is the best solution for wet terrain. For 10 years, HSM has been a forerunner in steep slope technology. HSM says that the Force Synchro-Drive with the powerful HSM winch makes it the ultimate choice for slope
Legendary Performance
specialists. It is available with a cable length capacity up to 500 m and a pulling force up to 15 tons. The heavyduty construction and the Rexroth hydraulic drive components offer a reliable and powerful solution for loggers. HSM offers a wide range of cranes that deliver 102 kNm to 173 kNm of lift. The HSM high speed drive offers a smooth transmission at a low speed of the diesel engine, which provides outstanding fuel consumption, says the company. The Ecommand control system is user-friendly and offers extended settings and diagnostic possibilities to the owner’s service team and drivers. The Econnect remote diagnostic system is available to support customers and maximizes uptime. The Canadian HSM forwarder importer InovForest is now building service in B.C. www.InovForest.com
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
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P 418.275.5041 | info@gilbert-tech.com
www.gilbert-tech.com
SUPPLIERNEWSLINE MillTech Inventory ManWaratah FL-95 head delivers productivity boost agement Solutions, Inc. Purpose built for being tethered on new name of ISIS Wood steep slopes, the new Waratah FL-95 fellProduct Solutions Inc ing head delivers a productivity boost unrivaled in the industry, says the company. Innovative application solutions make the new FL-95 best in class, it says.
Designed for the most extreme applications, the FL-95 features a steep slope specific tilt design for increased chassis rotation which allows effective felling on 65 degree slopes without hitting the attachment stops. A 62 inch grapple opening with the industry’s first fully retractable saw box will maximize capacity while increasing productivity by reducing turns to roadside when shovel logging, saving fuel and, most importantly, improving the bottom line. www.waratah.com
ISIS Wood Product Solutions, Inc. has officially changed its name to MillTech Inventory Management Solutions, Inc., due to world events beyond the company’s control. MillTech—a leading supplier of wood products inventory software—changed its name from ISIS Wood Product Solutions to distance itself from any connotations associated with the Islamic State of Iraq, sometimes referred to as ISIS. The name MillTech itself was chosen to better align the company’s name with MillTech’s long time focus on and success in supplying inventory software to lumber mills and other companies of the wood products producing or manufacturing segment of the forest industry. MillTech is a Vancouver-based company that for 12 years as ISIS—and now as MillTech—has been developing and implementing inventory management systems at wood products companies throughout North America and New Zealand. These companies include sawmills, remanufacturers, engineered wood companies, flooring manufacturers and moulding and millwork companies, both hardwood and softwood. www.milltechims.com
Tractionline appoints B.C. dealers for winch assist Integrated Environmental system Solutions changes name Frank Chandler, President of Technical to SonicAire Forest Solutions, has announced that their New Zealand-developed winch assist harvesting system will be handled in B.C.
by Woodland Equipment in the Interior and Coastal Heavy Repair on Vancouver Island. This excavator-based, twin cable system incorporates a tension monitoring system and multiple redundancies. www.woodlandequip.com www.coastalheavyrepair.com 68
Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES) has changed its name to SonicAire as part of a re-branding initiative designed to clarify the company’s commitment to producing an engineered solution to fugitive combustible dust through their line of SonicAire fans. “Our fans have strong reputations in the marketplace for keeping plants continually compliant with OSHA standards by eliminating overhead fugitive combustible dust buildup,” says SonicAire president Brad Carr. “Ensuring that SonicAire fans are at the core of our corporate identity is important to us as our company continues to expand. We like to keep it simple, and let our SonicAire fans speak for themselves.” The comprehensive re-branding efforts reach across all aspects of the company and include a new logo. www.SonicAire.com
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
By Tony Kryzanowski New PT-175 forestry mulcher from PrimeTech
PrimeTech recently introduced the latest version of its 160 HP tracked, selfpropelled carrier (prime mover) for vegetation management and land clearing: the PT-175. PrimeTech says it has changed the game once again with this new improved tracked carrier. The redesign was made keeping in mind input and feedback from customers, who mulch every day and who know what works best. In its new form, the PT-175 preserves the features of the previous model, but also introduces improvements.
The PT-175 is now available with remote control. Remote control technology enables the PT-175 to operate in dangerous conditions and on very steep slopes. It is able to perform uphill, downhill and sideways, without putting the operator into risky and unsafe situations and avoiding an uncomfortable seating position for the operator due to continuous driving sideways on slopes and ditches. An innovative remote control ensures accurate guidance of the vehicle at a range of up to 1000 meters. All of the controls and displays the operator would normally see in the cab are on the remote-control unit, too. The runtime of the batteries reaches up to 10 hours. Moreover, the tilting remote control unit can be opened by a manual pump, which allows easy access and inspecting of all components located underneath. The frame redesign looked at making the PT-175 leaner, with the result that the engine compartment is now more accessible. www.prime-tech.com
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suppliernewsline from page 68
Sellick breaks ground on new manufacturing plant
At the young age of 97 years, Walter Sellick along with sons, Howard Sellick President, David Sellick - Vice President, and grandson, Colin Sellick - Systems Manager, recently broke ground on a new multi-million dollar, 120,000 square feet facility in Harrow, Ontario.
“In order to compete on a global scale, we needed to expand and build a stateof-the-art plant,” said Howard Sellick. Sellick Equipment has been manufacturing rough terrain and truck mounted forklifts for over 47 years to a variety of industries including building supply yards and engineered wood products, automotive recycling, oil field services, mining and military applications. In recent years, a new generation of forklifts was introduced featuring enhanced ergonomics, environmentally-friendly diesel engines and increased lift capacities. www.sellickequipment.com
Fredriksson appointed business development director at Wallingford’s
Wallingford’s Inc, a manufacturer and international wholesaler of tire chains, saw bars, tracks, as well as logging and industrial supplies, has announced the appointment of Urban Fredriksson of TroisRivieres, Quebec, as the company’s director of international business development. Urban was born in Stockholm, and later moved to Canada, where he has now lived for more than 35 years. Urban has been a part of the North American as well as the global logging industry for the past 20 years with manufacturers such as GB Harvester Bars, HSP Grapples and Envirosys Chain Grease system. He provides his customers with superior customer service and expertise, says the company. Urban will be serving dealers across Canada with proven brands such as GB Bars, BABAC, and Clark Tracks. He will also be supporting dealer needs across 70
Europe for BABAC Traction Products. Wallingford’s has been serving the logging industry since 1975. International headquarters are in Oakland, Maine. It also has a European Union distribution facility in Holland and a Canadian distribution center in Edmonton. www.wallingfords.com
New skidder tires from Nokian
Nokian Logger King LS-2 is the ultimate workhorse for full-tree forestry work, says Nokian Tires. The completely new design provides features in a very robust form. Logger King is targeted for use on skidders and it comes in five sizes of 23.1-26, 28L-26, 24.5-32, 30.5L-32 and 35.5L-32. The two largest sizes also have an extreme version available for the most demanding forestry work.
With this product, Nokian Tires wanted to focus on durability and long service life without compromising traction capabilities. The new product comes in two versions: Logger King LS-2 and Logger King LS-2 Extreme. The standard version is suitable for the majority of environments and machines starting from small to medium sized skidders. Both versions feature a new rubber compound resulting from many years of testing in the most demanding conditions all over the world. Logger King LS-2 Extreme has a more robust carcass structure and extra steel layers giving it a high ply rating and ultimate protection against punctures. The extreme version is for the most severe environments and the strongest and heaviest machines. The biggest size in the range, 35.5L-32, is available only in the extreme version. www.nokiantyres.com
Tigercat S855D and LS855D shovel loggers now available in Canada
Tigercat has released its D-series shovel loggers in North America. Operating at 282 hp, the Tigercat FPT powered S855D and LS855D meet Tier Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
4 emission requirements. Tigercat FPT engines offer improved reliability and lower long-term maintenance costs, says the company, and are fully supported by Tigercat and the Tigercat dealer network. The S855D series shovel loggers are a uniquely versatile solution for steep slope and sensitive site logging applications. The LS855D is a quick, nimble and powerful carrier—well suited to felling, pre-bunching and shovel logging on steep terrain. The LS855D is commonly equipped with a feller director boom and the Tigercat 5195 directional felling head for felling and shovel logging. Alternatively, the carriers can be equipped with a live heel boom system and grapple for pure shovel logging. Unlike excavator-based shovel loggers with add-on forestry packages, the S855D and LS855D are purpose-built for heavy duty forestry applications. The efficient hydraulic system is optimized for shovel logging and felling with a directional felling head. The LS855D is equipped with Tigercat’s patented leveling system, providing exceptional stability in steep slope applications, says the company. www.tigercat.com
Forest Products Association of Canada has new CEO
Derek Nighbor is the new CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC). Nighbor had been senior vicepresident of Food & Consumer Products of Canada where he oversaw federal, provincial and territorial government relations, community and corporate partnerships and membership development. Before this, he was senior vice-president with the Retail Council of Canada, and served as chief of staff to the Ontario’s
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InterSaw – the International Sawmilling Expo – returns to Montreal’s renowned Olympic Stadium November 2-3, 2016. This major event attracts sawmill owners, mill workers, and other industry stakeholders. As an exhibitor, InterSaw is an ideal opportunity to build contacts, find new business, stand out from your competition, increase brand awareness and, most importantly, make sales – there is no better opportunity to showcase your products and services to all the major players in the industry! Reserve your space today. For more information, contact: Shawn Murphy, Show Manager • smurphy@mpltd.ca TOLL FREE: 1.888.454.7469
OLYMPIC STADIUM • NOVEMBER 2-3, 2016 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
www.InterSawScie.ca
suppliernewsline from page 70 Consumer and Business Services Minister. “From coast-to-coast, the forestry industry is quintessentially Canadian. As a native of the Ottawa Valley, I have seen first-hand how important the sector is to local communities,” Nighbor says. “It’s about sustainable growth, good jobs, thoughtful partnerships and expanding export markets. I am proud to join FPAC and look forward to working with its members and many partners along the value chain so the industry can reach its full potential.” www.fpac.ca
Caterpillar unveils new seat suspension technology for wheel skidders
Caterpillar Forest Products has introduced what it calls a revolutionary seat suspension technology for D Series wheel skidders that will provide unmatched comfort for machine operators, and help improve the bottom line for logging contractors. The Cat Advanced Ride Management (Cat ARM) seat suspension system is a
semi-active suspension that dampens vibration and minimizes end stop events, significantly improving operator comfort. Semi-active means the suspension can adjust the rate of damping in real time, a breakthrough technology. The suspension senses the suspension motion and adjusts its rate of damping in response to changing ground conditions. Cat ARM automatically applies higher damping in rough ground conditions like those found in clearcut applications and applies lower damping under smoother conditions, such as well-kept skid trails. The benefits of Cat ARM include a stabilized operator who experiences a smoother ride, reducing fatigue as well as virtual elimination of end stop events, reducing accelerations that the operator may be exposed to by up to 80 per cent. www.cat.com
Carbotech wins Arbec Forest Products contract
Carbotech is the chosen supplier to Arbec Forest Products in Quebec of major modifications to its sawmill stacking line in Parent, Quebec. The modifications will consist of installing Carbotech’s cuttingedge, high-speed, dual-forked stacker and its row preparation. Carbotech will also be installing their fully automated stick placer system to optimize stacking efficiency. The equipment installation will be completed by Carbotech later this year. Under new ownership and boasting a new management team, Carbotech says its main goal is to be attentive to clients’ needs by offering highly efficient solutions for sawmill and planer mill lumber handling. Carbotech specializes in maximizing production operations and efficiency for high-speed sawmill and planer mill lumber handling. www.carbotech-intl.com
John Deere G-Series wheeled harvesters make North American debut
The John Deere G-Series harvesters are now available to loggers in North America. Said to be perfect for final felling and late thinning, the John Deere 1270G and 1470G harvesters combine high productivity with excellent fuel economy. “The new machines boast increased power, torque and tractive force, as well as upgrades to the controls, improving efficiency,” said Keith Berger, wheeled cut-to-length forestry instructor. “When utilizing the ForestSight suite of offerings 72
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
and partnering with a John Deere dealer for support, the G-Series machines help customers optimize their job site with a productive and reliable logging solution.” As a key feature of the G-Series, Standard Processing Power Control (PPC) optimizes fuel efficiency by matching the appropriate processing level to the work conditions and size of the tree. The G-Series machines feature the new TimberMatic H-16 control system, providing increased processing capacity. The new user-friendly system, control modules and wiring harnesses enhance machine performance and precision. The TimberMatic H-16 control system is a comprehensive package for basic machine control, measuring and bucking, allowing the operator to work faster and easier. Another key feature of the G-Series machines is the redesigned cab. www.johndeere.com
BGR Saws offers control package
BGR Saws describes its SawControl 800V2 as an all inclusive, carefree package, ready to connect and measure.
With its quad view technology, the saw blade rotates automatically and every tooth is controlled by cameras with different views, using patent pending camera movement technology. It allows for measuring of such features as hook angle, top clearance angle, tangential clearance angle, radial clearance angle, tooth geometry, shaft angle, hollow-face radius, kerf, body thickness, number of teeth, tooth length, tool width, position of the tooth, and solder strength. www.sciesbgr.com
classified
INDEX
# MAY/JUNE 2016
NAME:________________________________ TITLE/POSITION:__________________ COMPANY NAME:_______________________________________________________ ADDRESS:____________________________________________________________ PHONE: ______________________________
FAX:___________________________
EMAIL:______________________________________________________________ WEBSITE:____________________________________________________________
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
#
ADVERTISER PAGE Autolog.............................................. 11 Bandit Industries................................ 51 Bell's Machining................................... 8 Brandt Tractor.................................... 41 Caterpillar.......................................... 21 Cloverdale Industrial............................ 7 Coastline Heavy Repair / Tractionline.. 47 DEMO International 2016.................. 31 DK Spec............................................. 45 Dodge Ram.......................................... 9 Elkay Equipment................................. 24 Gator Grapples.................................. 20 Gilbert Products........................... 54, 67 Globalstar............................................ 5 HSM.................................................. 63 Hultdins Inc....................................... 66 InterSaw............................................ 71 Island Pacific Equipment..................... 19 Jet Label............................................. 38 John Deere........................................ 25 L-M Equipment................................... 69 Liebherr............................................. 23 Morbark............................................. 57 MPM Engineering............................... 27 Nokian Tyres...................................... 65 Olofsfors............................................ 61 Peterson............................................. 39 Ponsse............................................... 37 Prolenc Manufacturing........................ 55 Quadco............................................... 2 Southstar Equipment.......................... 49 Springer Microtec............................... 14 Terex Fuchs.......................................... 6 Tigercat.............................................. 76 TimberPro.......................................... 43 Tireboss............................................. 38 Tsubaki.............................................. 13 USNR................................................. 15 Valutec Wood Dryers.......................... 26 Waratah............................................. 75 Wood-Mizer....................................... 56 Woodland Equipment / Hyundai......... 35 Woodland Equipment / Tractionline.... 47 WorkSafe BC........................................ 8
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thelastword
Winters aren't what they used to be—a simple fact that is impacting the forest industry By Jim Stirling
T
he editorial focus of Logging and Sawmilling Journal is change. Some stories relate how new forest machines are working out in the bush for logging contractors. Others might inform readers how a new generation of log breakdown equipment is contributing to a sawmill’s production, quality of product and bottom line. But another and fundamental kind of change has gradually become apparent and inserted its influence in central regions of British Columbia…It’s called winter. Regional winters aren’t what they used to be. They’re generally not as long nor as cold, for a range of debatable reasons. But what winters have become— their prime characteristic, if you will—is unpredictable. And it’s throwing forest activity planning for a loop, with all kinds of complicating implications. A forest industry year in Prince George, for example, once followed a predictable pattern. There was comfort in that despite each season delivering its share of quirks to complicate the harvesting and delivery of timber, the sawmills could maintain steady production year ‘round and meet customer demands. The annual cycle was unofficially structured around spring break-up. That was the time of year when most harvesting and log hauling stopped while the strengthening sun sucked frost from the ground. It was time for loggers’ to catch their collective breaths. It was time when they could finally get around to postponed equipment repairs and replacement. Break-up afforded the opportunity to meet the kids again, placate the bankers and negotiate with licencees. And maybe go somewhere warm for a while. The summer logging season followed as the bush dried out, hopefully before the forest fire season ramped up. Then after freeze-up in the mid-late fall, it was back into high gear for the winter season and
getting in the wood for another year. That’s the way it was. But no more. Break-up has become an unreliable casualty. It no longer adheres to the calendar. What was once an April-May fixture may now occur in February. And when breakup does happen, it’s usually much shorter. The unpredictability presents logistical challenges in the bush and mill in everything from fibre flow to forest pest insurgence. But the change does have an upside. They may be unpredictable, but the logging seasons are blurring closer to year ‘round operation, which means steadier work for loggers each calendar year. This is proving an influential factor in recruiting ‘new’ skilled workers. When the oil patch in Alberta and northeastern B.C. was booming, it seduced significant numbers of forest workers to their camps, according to considerable if anecdotal evidence. The energy sector, through its various facets, offered top money and benefits year ‘round, beyond the competitive ability of the forest industry to match or even get close. For forest workers with financial obligations, necessity became the mother of migration. Now, though, the energy industry is on its knees and the big money’s gone. All of a sudden, the bush and the mill don’t look so bad: a longer working year AND home cooking every night proves very persuasive. A generally warming climate is changing other aspects of how the forest industry goes about its work. The warmer, shorter winters are often coupled with low snowpacks. Then add in at least 10 million hectares of land in the B.C. Interior covered in dead pine trees left by the beetle epidemic. For good measure, supplement the extremes of weather that are becoming the norm. Wilder storms with stronger and more erratic winds are more frequent.
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2016
Many observers are surprised the region hasn’t already experienced more catastrophic wildfires. Forest fires in Slave Lake and Fort McMurray this spring provide graphic examples of what surely awaits the B.C. Interior. Like a massive earthquake off the B.C. coast, it’s when—not if. Efforts have been made in some interior locations to ‘fireproof’ communities by removing flammable materials between the last subdivision and the forest. It’s expensive work and the task’s difficulty is amplified when the direction of attack is unknown. The doctrine according to the wisdom of traditional prevailing winds is becoming suspect. When fire risk is high in an area, log harvesting is restricted or curtailed, affecting wood deliveries to the mills. When forest fires are burning, the forest industry, its equipment and local knowledge are co-opted to become invaluable tools for the fire boss trying to contain the blaze. Wildfire is indiscriminate. It might remove swathes of dead pine trees, which some observers consider the only practical method to rehabilitate a changed landscape. But fires will also take out the spruce, fir, young pine that escaped the beetle and the deciduous species. And that will only exacerbate a timber supply crunch for the interior forest industry and the communities dependent upon it. The first European immigrants here figured the forests were inexhaustible. We now know better, especially in the context of legitimate uses aside from the forest industry’s. One of the biggest changes may yet become how effective the forest industry becomes in protecting and enhancing what remaining lands it can access. It’s stating the obvious, but without sufficient marketable-sized trees in the region to sustain a forest industry, new machine and equipment developments aren’t as interesting.
WaratahMate
TM
One-Touch Data Transfer. Seamless Productivity.
Boost productivity and efficiency with the new WaratahMate smartphone app. This new app makes it faster, easier and more reliable than ever to send measuring system data to your forestry company. Developed exclusively for Waratah customers, the WaratahMate app transfers data directly from the TimberRite™ measuring and control system via WiFi to your phone. The app then reliably sends the data files through the cellular network to assigned email accounts. The WaratahMate app is available for free on the App Store (iOS) –download it today for one-touch data transfer and seamless productivity.
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Waratah Canada 800-959-3799
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STEEP SLOPE HARVESTING. THE PERFECT COMBINATION.
Don’t settle for anything less than the perfect combination for steep slopes. The robust Tigercat 5195 directional felling saw is a perfect match for the quick, agile and powerful LS855D shovel logger. This versatile carrier-head combo is much more than a shovel logger. It can fell and pre-bunch oversize timber in steep terrain and can shovel log the most challenging parts of the cut block — forwarding wood to easier ground at the lowest cost per tonne. Contact your Tigercat dealer today to learn more about the benefits of owning a 5195 equipped LS855D shovel logger.
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