TimberWest | January/February 2026 | Oregon Logging Conference Show Guide
2026
January/February 2026
Show Guide
ON THE COVER
Brothers Mark (left) and Greg (right) Turner, shown with one of their company’s Tigercat 830 leveling harvesters with Waratah attachment. The Forest Resource Association recognized Turner Logging as Best Logger in the West.
Washington Timberland Owners File Suit Against State Agencies
Washington timberland owners are suing three state agencies to overturn a rule that will prohibit logging within 75 feet of streams without fish in Western Washington.
The rule will take 200,000 acres of timberland out of production, according to the Washington Forest Protection Association and Washington Farm Forestry Association.
The associations claim in a lawsuit filed in Thurston County Superior Court in November that the expanded riparian buffers are economically, scientifically and legally indefensible.
BLM Sells 20,873 Board Feet of Timber in Three States
The federal Bureau of Land Management sold 20,873 million board feet of timber across 1,242 public acres in Idaho, Montana, and Oregon, for a total of $5,283,736, exceeding appraised values by over $2.1 million. This timber will feed local mills and support jobs in local communities.
“Timber harvested from public lands improves forest health and reduces wildfire risk to protect communities and saves lives,” said BLM Acting Director Bill Groffy. “Timber production also provides essential benefits to our nation and supports rural economies and local jobs to ensure a strong domestic timber supply.”
Rayonier, PotlatchDeltic Announce Merger Plans
A merger was announced between Florida-based Rayonier and Washingtonbased PotlatchDeltic
Both are timberland real estate investment trusts (REIT). The merged $8.2 billion REIT becomes one of America’s largest publicly traded forest companies. The new company is to operate under a new name announced in 2026.
The combined company would have 4.2 million acres of timberland across 11 states: 0.94 million acres in the U.S. Northwest and 3.25 million in the U.S. South. Combined, its manufacturing includes one plywood mill and six sawmills producing 1.2 billion bf/year.
Forest Service Reports Flat Timber Sales for Fiscal Year
The U.S. Forest Service reported relatively flat timber harvests and sales for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, threequarters of which was covered by the Trump administration.
National forests cut 2.52 billion board feet of timber, down slightly from the 2.66 billion board feet cut during the last full fiscal year of the Biden administration. Sales volume totaled 2.95 billion board feet, a slight increase from the prior year but a drop from 3.08 billion board feet the year before that.
Results varied from region to region, with the Pacific Southwest — mainly California — registering a sharp decline in sales but the Pacific Northwest seeing increases in both harvests and timber sales. The top-producing tree for the timber program, by far, was Douglas fir, the Western species that’s a star for housing construction.
“Doing less is easy,” said Nick Smith, a spokesman for the American Forest Resource Council. “Rebuilding a program takes time.”
Stella-Jones Acquires Washington Business
Brooks Manufacturing, the 110-yearold family-owned wood crossarm company in Bellingham, Washington, has been acquired by the Canadian corporation StellaJones for $140 million.
Stella-Jones, based in Quebec, manufactures industrial and residential pressuretreated wood products including utility poles and railway ties across more than 40 plants in North America.
Brooks isn’t the company’s first Washington state acquisition — Stella-Jones also owns utility pole plants in Arlington and Tacoma.
Tests Show Not All Fire Retardants Are Equal
Despite claims to the contrary, fire testing revealed clear performance differences between pressure-treated fire-retardant wood products and wood products treated with non-pressure applied fire retardants
A testing program was commissioned by Western Wood Preservers Institute (WWPI) with support from the Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA). Results showed when it comes to meeting rigorous codes-specified fire testing requirements, wood products treated with non-pressure applied fire retardants are unreliable at best. In all 10 tests of pressure-treated FRTW, the products met the objective of the ASTM E2768 — the flame front did not progress beyond 10.5 feet at any point during the 30-minute test.
Editor: Tim Cox, tim@forestnet.com
Contributing Editors: Mary Bullwinkle, Paul MacDonald
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CitroTech Announces Partnership with Leading Lumber Distributor to Produce Class A Fire-Rated Product
General Enterprise Ventures, Inc. (CitroTech), developer of a family of fire protection and prevention products for manufactured wood and lumber, announced a commercial partnership with a leading national lumber distributor to produce Class A fire-rated lumber using CitroTech’s factory-applied, non-pressure impregnated chemistry
The partnership launched in December. It brings three of the lumber company’s facilities in the Western U.S. online to dip-treat dimensional lumber for commercial distribution, marking one of the first commercial-scale adoptions of non-pressure treated Class A fire-rated lumber in the U.S.
This follows the publication of a new Technical Evaluation Report by DrJ Engineering that formally authorizes CitroTech-treated lumber to carry the Class A designation, providing validation for both factory-treated and field-applied applications.
Timber Advocate Urges Reforms To Streamline Forest Management
American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) president Travis Joseph testified before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the House Natural Resources Committee, calling on Congress to modernize the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA).
Joseph said EAJA has strayed far from its
original purpose and now subsidizes litigation that delays essential forest management, wildfire reduction work, and public safety projects on federal lands.
Joseph explained that EAJA was enacted in 1980 to help individuals, small businesses, and veterans challenge federal overreach by allowing them to recover attorney fees when they prevailed in court.
Today, he said, large tax-exempt advocacy groups routinely use the law to fund serial litigation against forest health projects even when they lose most of their claims. The lawsuits often delay projects for years while taxpayers pay the legal bills
Western Local Officials Decry Wildfire Preparedness Efforts
Local elected officials across the West are worried that changes in federal policy are putting their communities at risk from wildfire. Public land agencies say some of the concerns are overstated
About 160 officials from 11 Western states recently signed a letter that criticized declining wildfire preparedness efforts and what it described as “reckless and potentially illegal cuts to federal public land management agencies and hazardous fuels reduction efforts.”
“Since the beginning of the year, we have seen substantial reductions in staffing at federal public land management agencies,” the letter continued. “Layoffs, voluntary deferred resignations, and early retirements of land management professionals… have severely hampered the federal wildland firefighting force.”
Local Washington Officials Hit New No-Logging Zones
Officials in timber-dependent counties around southwest Washington say the state Forest Practices Board’s new rule expanding no-logging zones around some streams amounts to an economic siege
“We’re under attack in the rural communities,” said Dan Cothren, a longtime Wahkiakum County commissioner. “We always get the short end of the stick.”
Commissioners in Cowlitz, Skamania and Pacific counties echoed that frustration with big-city policymakers.
“They just want us to be able to make their beds and flip their burgers when they come down to look at how beautiful everything is,” said Lisa Olsen, a Pacific County commissioner.
The rule will result in a decrease of $2.8 billion in harvestable timber value on private lands around the state, according to a May report from the University of Washington’s Natural Resources Spatial Informatics Group. The study found Southwest Washington counties are hit hardest by the timber inventory loss, with Lewis losing $398 million, Pacific losing $274 million, Cowlitz losing $258 million, Wahkiakum losing $70 million, Clark losing $41 million and Skamania losing $36 million. State research placed the losses lower: $320 million to $1 billion for the state at large.
Welcome from OLC President
Welcome to the 88th annual Oregon Logging Conference and Equipment Show!
As we come together for this great event, I am reminded of the enduring strength and unity within our industry. Each year, the Oregon Logging Conference serves not only as a place for learning and growth, but also as a celebration of our shared commitment to the forest product industry that we all serve.
Our conference offers a unique opportunity to explore the latest advancements in logging technology, safety standards, and environmental stewardship. Attendees can participate in hands-on demonstrations, attend informative workshops, and network with industry leaders from across the region. I hope you take full advantage of the knowledge and resources available during these sessions, and that you leave inspired to further strengthen your operations and this great industry that we all get to work in.
This year’s theme, ‘Responsible Forestry Today, Healthy Forests Tomorrow,’ is more than a theme. It is a call to action about how we manage our forests in Oregon. Executive orders signed last year by President Trump call for the immediate expansion of domestic
Sponsor: Wilcox + Flegel
Date: Wed, Feb. 18
4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Location: Graduate by Hilton, main level, Convention Center
timber production from our public lands. This action will not only make our forests healthier but also will provide more raw material for an industry that desperately needs it. This work can only be completed by loggers like you, the backbone of our industry.
Our keynote speaker this year is Jacque Buchanan, Regional Forester for the U.S Forest Service’s (USFS) Pacific Northwest Region (Region 6). Jacque is responsible for providing oversight on 24.9 million acres of land managed by the USFS in Oregon and Washington and will provide us with an update on recent changes and how they will impact our industry.
My wife, Angela, and I have selected Compassion Tillamook as the beneficiary of the annual Dessert for Dreams fundraiser in 2026. Compassion Tillamook operates a free health clinic every year for the citizens of Tillamook County facing under-insurance and pressing health needs. By focusing on holistic well-being, Compassion Tillamook aims to address immediate health concerns, inspire hope, promote healing, and foster a
sense of unity within the community. For tickets to this event, please visit our website at www.oregonloggingconference.com.
I would also like to thank our wonderful Board of Directors. Our industry is uniquely full of good people who show up every day to help each other out and lend a helping hand wherever necessary. This is especially true of the ladies and gentlemen on our Board. Thank you for what you do.
Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t give a special ‘thank you’ to Rikki Wellman, our conference manager, who has put her heart and soul into the OLC each year since 1973. Thank you, Rikki, for all that you do and helping to make OLC what it is!
OLC Meet-and-Greet
Social and
Pre-Registration
Ready to get this party started? Get the 88th Annual Oregon Logging Conference off to a great start by attending the Wednesday night meet-and-greet social gathering. For those pre-registered for the OLC, it is quick and easy to pick up your packet here and enjoy a libation at the same time. Enjoy a beverage as you say hello to old friends and meet new ones.
If you have not pre-registered, there is an opportunity to do so at this event. Friendly OLC staff will be standing by, ready to help with any registration needs.
It all takes place at the Graduate by Hilton in the area just outside where the Oregon Women in Timber Talk About Trees dinner and auction will take place.
Mike McKibbin President, Oregon Logging Conference
Earn Professional Logger Credits
One of the many benefits of attending the Oregon Logging Conference, including the seminars, panel discussions, and other activities, is the ability to earn Oregon Professional Logger – Continuing Education (OPL-CE) credits.
As in prior years, for earning credits a punch card system will be used to document attendance at seminars and panel discussions. The card is included in the OLC registration packet and will be punched at the end of each session a person attends.
Oregon Professional Logger is a voluntary professional standard that qualifies logging companies and individual loggers
Location: Playwrights Hall, Graduate by Hilton
Cost: $65 per person
for continuing education in forest practices, safety, business, and sustainable forestry. It is the ‘Qualified Logging Professional’ train ing program recognized by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) in Oregon.
There are two levels of qualifica tions. Credits are CORE and Continuing Education. CORE credits are required to qualify. Continuing Education credits are required to retain qualifications. Continuing Education credits are available from many types of activities that benefit a company. CORE OPL credits are only available through Associated Oregon Loggers (AOL).
submit proof of completion to the state organization that manages the Professional Logger program. For Oregon loggers, use the AOL proof of completion form, which can be found on the AOL website.
To receive OPL–CE credits, you must
Friday Night
Dinner-Dance Party
This dinner-dance party is an annual Friday night celebration at the Oregon Logging Conference. It is the perfect way to celebrate the 88th Annual OLC with family and friends.
The night begins with a hosted beer and wine social, starting at 7 p.m. This is the same start time for the hearty and delicious buffet dinner, which is served until 9 p.m.
Live music by Bump in the Road, a local
band that returns this year, starts at 9 p.m. Enjoy some toe-tapping country music favorites and high-energy country/pop songs from the 1980s and 1990s.
There also will be a brief ceremony for passing the scepter from the outgoing OLC President to the incoming OLC President.
The OLC dinner-dance party is sponsored by General Trailer Parts.
Oregon Women in Timber Dinner and Auction Raises Money for Education
Date: Wed, Feb. 18
Doors open at 4:00 p.m.
Location: Playwrights Hall, Graduate by Hilton
Cost: $75 per person, $600 reserved table of 8
Eat, drink, and be merry for a good cause by attending and supporting the annual Oregon Women in Timber (OWIT) dinner and silent and live auctions. This event is held at the same time as the Oregon Logging Conference Wednesday night meet and greet and pre-registration activities.
Doors open and the silent auction gets underway at 4:00 p.m. The buffet dinner is available at 6:30 p.m., and the live auction begins at 8:00 p.m.
Proceeds from the OWIT dinner and auctions support the organization’s awardwinning education program, Talk About Trees. Since its inception in 1991, Talk About Trees has provided free, hands-on education to 4 million children from preschool age to 8th grade.
Oregon Women in Timber is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, and all donations, purchases, and sponsorships are
tax-deductible. Last year’s sold-out event raised $150,000 for the Talk About Trees program.
This event includes hosted beer and wine (enjoyed at the OLC meet and greet, just outside Playwrights Hall at the Graduate by Hilton), a hearty buffet dinner, games, and silent and live auctions.
There are plenty of table displays of must-have silent auction items, such as artwork, local products, and baskets of goodies, and live auctions items, including travel trips and much more. This is one of the biggest fundraisers for Oregon Women in Timber.
More information can be found at the OWIT dinner auction website, www.owit. org/auction.
Oregon Women in Timber is also involved in several other educational activities at the Oregon Logging Conference. The organization partners with Forests Today
and Forever and the Oregon Logging
ementary school tours at the OLC so stu dents can get a first-hand look at the logging industry. Oregon Women in Timber also participates in the Future Forestry Workers Career Day, helping to encourage high school age students to consider careers in logging and related industries, and it joins in the activities at the OLC Family Day on Saturday of the conference.
Founded in 1978, Oregon Women in Timber has a membership of 200 who belong to eight active chapters: Clatsop, CoosCurry, Douglas, Landing (Polk, Marion and Yamhill Counties), Lane, Portland/Metro, Union, and Sweet Home. Up to date activities with each chapter are included in the OWIT newsletter, emailed to those who sign up for the newsletter on the OWIT website.
Two Hearty Loggers Breakfasts at OLC
Thursday
Date: Thurs, Feb. 19
7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.
Location: Wheeler Pavilion
Cost: Included in OLC registration
Date: Fri, Feb. 20
7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.
Location: Wheeler Pavilion
Cost: Included in OLC registration
A hearty hot breakfast will help you start the day on both Thursday and Friday at the Oregon Logging Conference. Enjoy an eye-opening meal of eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, potatoes, fruit and juice.
This is the OLC opening session breakfast, which also includes a welcome from 2026 OLC President Mike McKibbin and the keynote speech from Jacque Buchanan, Regional Forester for the U.S Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Region 6, whose address is sponsored by Stimson Lumber Company. It is also day one of the Oregon Logging Conference Foundation auction.
This breakfast is sponsored by Tigercat. Be sure to visit Tigercat at Triad Machinery’s outside display to see the newest and most technologically advanced forest equipment and chat with knowledgeable company representatives.
Friday
A hearty hot breakfast on Friday will give you just what you need to spend the day learning about important industry issues, included in the seminars and panel discussions scheduled to take place in various locations at the Lane Events Center and Fairgrounds.
The Friday morning breakfast includes day two of the Oregon Logging Conference Foundation auction, an opportunity to bid on a variety of items from truck tires to wooden sculptures, with all proceeds to support college and trade school scholarships given by the foundation.
This breakfast is sponsored by Papé Machinery. Be sure to check out the equipment on display in its outdoor exhibit area and see how Papé Machinery earned its reputation of excellence with more than 85 years of meeting the needs of the forestry and construction industries in Oregon, Washington, California, Arizona, and Nevada.
Guess the Net Scale
Sponsors: Swanson Brothers Lumber Co. and Southport Lumber Co.
Date: Thurs, Feb. 19 –Sat, Feb. 21
Location: Outside display area
Cost: Free
Again, this year, there will be two loads of logs for you to guess the net scale and have an opportunity to win a prize. During the Oregon Logging Conference, two truckloads of logs will be on display near the Wheeler Pavilion at the Lane Event Center and Fairgrounds.
One is a regular load of logs, and the other is a load of chip and saw logs.
Swanson Bros. Lumber Co. in Noti, Oregon has donated the regular load of logs and has done so since the first Guess the Net Scale activity was held at the OLC. The log truck for this load of logs is again provided by Leonard Masser Trucking, out of Springfield, Oregon.
Gene Whitaker Inc., a well-known logging company who does trucking for various companies in the Willamette Valley and Southern Oregon area will provide the load of chip and saw logs. Gene Whitaker Inc. is
based in Roseburg and Eugene, OR.
Both loads of logs will be scaled in advance by a third-party independent scaler, using the official log scaling guidelines of the Northwest Log Rules Advisory Group. Net board feet will be determined using a Scribner West Side Scale.
One guess per person is allowed, and there is no climbing on the truck or logs allowed.
The person closest to the official scaled board feet volume of each load will win a $250 Cabela’s gift card. In the case of a tie, winners will be selected from a pool of tied entries.
Winners will be determined on Saturday,
Feb. 21 and will be notified on Monday, Feb. 23.
This is the 12th annual Guess the Net Scale contest at the Oregon Logging Conference.
U.S. Forest Service Regional Forester Jacque Buchanan Is OLC Keynote Speaker
Jacque Buchanan, Regional Forester for the U.S Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Region (Region 6), will be the keynote speaker for this year’s Oregon Logging Conference.
Buchanan is responsible for providing oversight on 24.9 million acres of land managed by the Forest Service in Oregon and Washington, including 16 National Forests, two Scenic Areas, a National Grassland, and two National Volcanic Monuments.
Also, as of November 2025, Buchanan is serving as Acting Regional Forester for the Pacific Southwest Region (Region 5), overseeing national forests and grasslands in California. She also has supervisory responsibility for the Acting Regional Forester of the Alaska Region (Region 10). In addition, Buchanan serves as the Forest Service Executive with oversight of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Planning, and Tribal Relations programs.
Buchanan will give her keynote speech on Friday, Feb. 20, at approximately 10:00 a.m. in the Wheeler Pavilion at the Lane Events Center and Fairgrounds. Her remarks will
cover recent U.S. Forest Service changes affecting logging, noting that new goals to boost harvests and reduce fuel loads support the conference theme, “Responsible Forestry Today, Healthy Forests Tomorrow.”
Buchanan’s career with the Forest Service has provided her with significant experience in resource management areas such as forest health, fire and range management, wildlife, wilderness, and responding to wildfire crises. She has also contributed to international forestry, traveling to Brazil, Guyana, and India to teach fire leadership courses and assist those nations in developing fire and wilderness management programs.
Before becoming Region 6 Regional Forester in January 2024, Buchanan spent eight years as Deputy Regional Forester for the Rocky Mountain Region in Lakewood, Colorado. She served as Director for Renewable Resources in the Rocky Mountain region, Forest Supervisor for the Bridge-Teton National Forest in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Deputy then Forest Supervisor for the Lincoln National Forest in southern New Mexico.
Socialize and Network
the always popular Sawdust Bowl, which takes place on both Thursday and Friday afternoons during the Oregon Logging Conference. This OLC tradition is open to those registered to attend the conference and exhibitors.
This happy hour-and-a-half offers hosted beverages including beer, wine, hard cider, and non-alcoholic drinks. Visit with old
friends and make new ones and share stories about what’s going on in the logging and related industries. It is also an opportunity to share some of the information presented at the OLC seminars and panel discussions on both Thursday and Friday and connect with many of the exhibitors.
Both the Thursday and Friday Sawdust Bowls take place in the Performance Hall at the Lane Events Center.
The Thursday Sawdust Bowl is sponsored
Buchanan has served with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the USDA Forest Service for more than 30 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resources from Pennsylvania State University.
Sponsor: Ecoforst T-Winch
Date: Thurs, Feb. 19 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Location: Performance Hall
Cost: Included in OLC registration
Sponsor: TimberWest/ Forestnet Media
Date: Fri, Feb. 20 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Location: Performance Hall
Cost: Included in OLC registration
by Ecoforst T-Winch, and the Friday Sawdust bowl is sponsored by TimberWest/ Forestnet Media
Jacque Buchanan
Auction Benefits Scholarship Program
Bid on a variety of items at the Thursday and Friday auctions, which take place after the morning breakfasts at the Oregon Logging Conference. One hundred percent of the proceeds will benefit the Oregon Logging Conference Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable foundation. All donations and purchases are tax-deductible.
February 19 & 20 are the dates for the auctions, which take place in the Wheeler Pavilion at the Lane Events Center and Fairgrounds.
Each day, auctioneer Jaime Yraguen of Basco Logging will bring in the bids on items including wood carvings, paintings, a safari trip, chainsaws, truck tires, and much more.
The OLC Foundation scholarship program provides financial assistance to deserving students, many who have and do go on to play vital roles in the timber industry.
Auction items are listed below. When additional auction items are donated, an updated list will be available on the OLC website.
• $1,000 gift card toward purchase of pickup tires, donated by Superior Tire Service
• Icebox radiator package, donated by Radiator Supply House
• Oregon Women in Timber Champion Table for 10 for Feb. 25, 2027, Auction/ Dinner, donated by OWIT
• Custom hand-made Prison Blues electric guitar with guitar stand, donated by Prison Blues
Description: The body is made from Birdseye maple, and the back is sapele wood (south African mahogany). The neck is hard rock maple with sapele stripes, and the fretboard is Indian rosewood. It has custom Prison Blues button caps on the knobs. Folding guitar stand included. The guitar was made at Two Rivers Correctional Institution in Umatilla, Oregon.
Oregon Logging Conference Foundation Thank You to Our Generous donors
• Wood carving, donated by Jay Peppard, Chainsaw Buzz
• Stihl 500i with bar and chain, donated by Precision Timber
• Wood Carving, donated by Wayne Lyon, Bears Bears Bears
• Camp Chef Griddle, donated by Lifestyle Propane
• ILIWA Picture & Hunt Safari, donated by ILIWA Safaris & Radiator Supply House
Description: The package is a five-day, all-inclusive safari hunt for two people, including all meals, soft drinks, lodging, professional guides, and 4x4 vehicle usage for the full five days. Also provided is round-trip transportation from the local Port Elizabeth airport. Please note that the package does not include any animals. Hunters may purchase animals of their choice separately from the extensive trophy list. This allows the winning bidders to fully customize their experience. They also have the option to add extra days, additional hunters or non-hunting observers, and sightseeing tours.
• Spill kit, donated by First Strike Environmental
• American Flag deluxe three-compartment gun concealment case, donated by First Strike Environmental Co.
Description: This case can be mounted on a wall as a decorative piece while also storing your item of choice and comes with RFID locking technology. It contains Kaizen closed cell foam for easy customization to fit any item. This wooden U.S. flag gun concealment case features soft open lower door dampener and a hydraulic lift strut on the top compartment.
• Traeger Ranger Grill, donated by Western Trailers Company
• Stihl 462 with bar and chain, donated by Hofenbredl Timber
• $2,000 gift card towards goods & services, donated by O & M Point S Tire & Auto Service
• Customized Oregon Logging
Conference drum smoker, donated by Sweet Home Smoker Co.
• Comfort Gear Heater, donated by Lifestyle Propane
• ATF Package: Box of 25 Steadfast Cigars, Glock 19X 9mm pistol optic ready, and a bottle of Woodinville rye whiskey, donated by Steadfast Cigars and L & L Inc. Bidders must be 21 and have valid ID in their possession at the time of bidding; must pass background check in order for dealer to transfer firearm.
• Enjoy 3 days/2 nights in Nauti Mermaid Beach House. (Two master suites plus loft, sleeps 10). Enjoy great views of the bay and ocean in Tillamook, Oregon. Donated by Oceanside Beach Rentals. Certificate expires April 30, 2026. Valid for off-season dates from Monday to Thursday.
• Truck seats, donated by TEC Equipment.
• Beautiful hand-crafted steel roses, 18X4” in diameter, donated by Van Raden Industries. Six steel roses to be donated, auctioned separately.
• 100 percent genuine solid teak wood door by Eco Forestry Products, donated by KMC Max
Description: Crafted entirely from authentic solid teak wood. Because of its high oil content, Teak wood is naturally moisture free, repels water, insects, and mold growth and resists rot. Teak wood’s natural insulating properties protect against extreme temperatures, reducing heat transfer in both hot summers and cold winters and ensuring year-round comfort. Glass is solid color (not painted) Italian glass with insulated Low-E double-paned tempered glass, offering exceptional energy efficiency and performance. Eco certified by: FSC-Forests For All Forever, Preferred by Nature and USAID.
Forging Forestry’s Future for 95 Years
• Ten (10) 100 percent teak wood tiles (32x32” tile) by Eco Forestry Products, donated by KMC Max
Description: 100 percent genuine teak wood from Eco Forestry Products - sourced from hand-picked trees. Each tile is 32 inches square, lightweight, and naturally water, insect, and rot resistant. Ideal for indoor or outdoor use. Eco certified by: FSC-Forests For All Forever, Preferred by Nature and USAID.
If you are interested in donating an auction item for the scholarship program, please contact the Oregon Logging Conference Foundation office at (541) 686-9191 or email events@oregonloggingconference. com.
Pierce has proudly powered forestry progress for 95 years through innovation, design, engineering, manufacturing, and supporting our finest forestry products since 1931.
And unlike others who manufacture their attachments outside the U.S., Pierce products are 100% designed and built in Portland, Oregon.
Come see us at the 2026 Sierra Cascade and Oregon Logging Conferences and enter to win a custom metal equipment sculpture, hand crafted by Blundell Metal Works to commemorate our 95th year Anniversary. Or, simply scan the QR code to register to win!
F O O D L O C A T I O N S
Satisfy those hunger pangs and enjoy mouth-watering menu items from a variety of food vendors at the Oregon Logging Conference. Several food trucks from last year will be returning again, and you will want to check out the new Chapala Mexican Restaurant Loggers Cookhouse, which will be located in the Convention Center Atrium.
Delicious menu items at the OLC food locations include smash burgers, hot dogs, pulled pork macaroni and cheese, brisket, loaded nachos, brats, and tri-tip and chicken sandwiches.
Smok’N Gingers BBQ
Location: Outside in front of Expo Hall, with seating available inside.
Hours: Tuesday – Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Offering: Tri-tip sandwich, macaroni & cheese, pulled pork macaroni & cheese, loaded nachos, and more.
Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee Truck
Location: Outside the main doors of the Lane Event Center Exhibit Hall
Hours: Thursday – Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Offering: Hot and cold coffee and smoothie drinks!
LEC Grill and Concessions
Smok’N Gingers 2
Location: In the vicinity of General Trailer’s outside exhibit area.
Hours: Thursday – Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Offering: Smoked brisket and chicken sandwiches, mac n’ cheese, baked beans, and more!
Locations (2): Lane Event Center Exhibit Hall and Performance Hall
Hours: Wednesday – Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Offering: Offering wieners that are steamed before being grilled so they are a full 100 percent beef flavor of a classic American hot dog, hot link and polish sausage, bratwurst, and more.
FlameCrave - Smash Burgers
Location: Outside demonstration area.
Hours: Tuesday – Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Offering: Breakfast items until 10 a.m. and smash burgers with all the fixings.
Chapala Mexican Restaurant Loggers Cookhouse
Location: Atrium inside the convention center
Hours: Wednesday-Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Offering: Mexican and American cuisine, including burritos, biscuits and gravy, sandwiches, and more. Breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and lunch from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Atrium Beverage and Bar service
Location: Atrium inside the convention center
Hours: Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Alcohol will not be allowed outside the Atrium.
Log Loader Competition Always a Favorite
Sponsor: Triad Machinery and Link-Belt
Date: Fri, Feb. 20, 11:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (times may vary) Sat, Feb. 21, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon (times may vary)
Location: Outside Display Area
Cost: Free
This will be the 16th annual Log Loader Competition, testing skills for operating a Link-Belt log loader. Making it look easier than it is, competitors are timed in the precise stacking of nine log sections. Each contestant has seven minutes to pick up the randomly scattered log sections and place them in three stacks of three log sections in marked locations. The stacks must match the color and the number that is marked on the pavement for where each is placed.
When completed, each stack must remain standing for at least five seconds –after the heel boom rack of the log loader is lowered back to the starting point.
This is always a popular event at the Oregon Logging Conference. A crowd is there to cheer on contestants as they demonstrate speed, skill and efficiency operating the log loader and compete for the top three spots, which include monetary prizes.
Since the competition began, the fastest record time belongs to Zane Bryant of Bryant Logging, who won the event in 2020
with a time of 2:35.56. Bryant is a regular winner of the log loader competition, consistently placing in the top three spots in previous years, including first place in 2024.
The 2025 Log Loader Competition winners were:
• Jeremy Staats, Bryant Logging, time: 3:24:44
• Bryan Chipps, Green Diamond Resource Company, time: 3:35:91
• Layne Walker, Emerald Valley Thinning, time 3:43:16
Luncheon to Benefit Compassion Tillamook
Compassion Tillamook, a non-profit organization providing services for those in need, will be receiving the proceeds from this year’s delicious luncheon fundraiser. OLC First Lady Angela McKibbin selected the organization saying, “I was born and raised in Tillamook, and I want to give back to my community.”
Compassion Tillamook is planning to hold its third annual Compassion Clinic on Sunday, Feb. 22, at the Tillamook Fairgrounds. A variety of free services will be available, provided on a first-come, firstserved basis. Services will include medical, dental, and vision care, a hot meal, vaccines, haircuts, showers, early childhood screenings, clothing, and toiletries.
McKibbin is asking those who attend the Desserts for Dreams luncheon fundraiser to bring and donate toiletries that will be given out at the Compassion Clinic. Donations requested include laundry and hand soaps, shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste and toothbrushes, hand warmers, and socks.
This is the 22nd Annual Desserts for Dreams luncheon and again this year will include delicious salads and other luncheon items as well as a variety of decadent desserts, all donated by local restaurants and bakeries. Attendees can also enjoy a glass of wine, sparkling wine, or a non-alcoholic beverage.
Some of the many local businesses and individuals that have donated are Sarasota’s Cakes, Espresso and Gifts, Mike and Angela McKibbin, Cinnabon, the Graduate by Hilton, Gordon’s Tavern, Jazzy Ladies Café and Club, 6th Street Restaurant and Grill, Campbell House, Hot Mama’s Wings, Nothing Bundt Cakes, SweetWaters Bakery and Restaurant, Big Foot Fudge Factory, The Point Restaurant, Olive Garden Italian Restaurant, and Angela Tack Food Services.
Since the first Desserts for Dreams event was held in 2004, more than $120,000 has been raised for various non-profit organizations, including the Susan B. Komen Foundation, Hospice Care, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), In Your Back Yard – Human Trafficking Prevention, and many other worthwhile causes.
If you have not bought pre-sale tickets, they may be purchased at the OLC registration desk at the Lane Events Center or at the door of the event.
Date: Fri, Feb. 20 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: Playwrights Hall, Graduate by Hilton
Cost: $35 per person
Two Dozen 2025-26 Scholarships Awarded By Oregon Logging Conference Foundation
Thirteen four-year college and 11 twoyear college/technical school scholarships, with a value of $72,000, have been awarded by the Oregon Logging Conference Foundation. The 2025/2026 scholarship recipients are the next generation of workers who have decided to pursue careers in the logging and forestry-related industries.
Ten of the scholarship recipients have previously received financial assistance from the foundation and are continuing their education needed to pursue a career in the natural resources industry. ‘
Four-year scholarship recipients will be attending Oregon State University, University of Idaho, Montana State
Thank you for your Generous Donation to the 2025 – 2026 Oregon Logging Conference Foundation Scholarship Fund
Bell Pole & Lumber
Carl Welle Memorial Scholarship
Dave & Rikki Wellman
Douglas County Forest Products
Giustina Resources
Hart Custom Cutting
Jack T. Makinson Memorial Scholarship
Jeremy Norby Memorial Scholarship
John Hadaller Memorial Scholarship
JWN Trucking
Olin & Olin Memorial Scholarship Award
Oregon State Implementation Committee
Oregon Women in Timber Papé Machinery
Rikki Wellman Scholarship Award
ShaneCo Logging
Stuntzner Engineering
Swanson Group Thompson Foundation
University, and Utah State University.
Two-year community college and technical school scholarships were awarded to students attending Linn-Benton, Lane, Portland, Tillamook Bay, Southwestern, and Umpqua Community Colleges, and VOLTA line school.
Attending Oregon State University
- Luke Donaldson has earned a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources from OSU and is now pursuing a Master of Science in Geography and Geospatial Science with a focus on forestry applications.
- Lily Hull is a senior at OSU studying Forest Management with a minor in Business. She is also planning to complete the 28-credit Geographic Information Systems (GIS) undergraduate certificate.
- Elle Hanson is pursuing a degree in Forest Operations with a double minor in Fire Ecology and Business Management.
- Dean Burwash is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources. He has been admitted to the OSU Honors College and hopes to complete an accelerated master’s program, earning both degrees within five years.
- Savannah White is a Forest Engineering student at OSU and is pursuing a minor in Wood Sustainability for Innovations, with an emphasis on engineering and science. She has studied in New Zealand on a short-term program that focused on that country’s timber industry, forest ecology, and stewardship practices.
- James Harvey is attending OSU and has changed his major to Business with a minor in Forestry. He is considering a career in forest management with a focus on fire restoration but is also interested in meeting a need in the logging industry for on-site equipment repair mechanics.
- Adriana Gonzalez is pursuing a degree in forestry at OSU. Her goal is to earn the degree and build a career with a private woodland company in Oregon.
- Miranda Coy is a senior at OSU majoring in Forest Engineering. Her career goal is to be a professional forest engineer, and
she has plans to work toward getting a professional engineering license.
Attending Montana State University
- Faith Marshall is in her third year at Montana State University and pursuing her long-term goal of becoming an attorney who advocates for the timber industry. She is majoring in Business Finance. After graduation she plans to attend law school with a focus on natural resources law, specifically relating to the timber sector.
Attending University of Idaho
- Ryann Harrington is a student at the University of Idaho. Last summer she worked for Rayonier, based out of the Pacific Resource unit in Hoquiam, which exposed her to the private forestry sector. She is interested in learning how to sustainably manage forests.
- Jeron Martin is a sophomore at the University of Idaho. His goal is to become the best forester he can with a long-term vision of one day owning and managing a tree farm.
- Isaiah Porter-Mills is a student at the University of Idaho and is pursuing a double major in Forestry and Fire Ecology and Management, with a minor in Business.
Attending Utah State University
- Julianne Jones is enrolled in the professional pilot program at Utah State University, majoring in Aviation Technology and minoring in Forest Ecology and Management. She is gathering the skills and education needed to be a wildland firefighting aviator for the U.S. Forest Service.
Attending Linn-Benton Community College
- Justin Hofenbredl is taking courses in the Heavy Equipment Diesel Technology program.
- Osvaldo Chavez-Vasquez is studying to be a diesel mechanic and hopes to use the skills he gains to eventually open his own
shop and take on apprentices, sharing his knowledge and experience.
- Gus Ferguson wants to be a diesel mechanic. His goal is to become a traveling/ on-site mechanic to work on forestry equipment in the woods.
Attending Lane Community College
- Matthew Richards worked in his family’s forestry consulting business as he grew up, learning about many aspects of the industry, from planning tree harvesting to reforestation of the land. He is pursuing a career as a diesel technician for heavy equipment.
- Wesley Kegel is studying in the diesel technician program. During his high school years he switched from pursuing a career in welding to diesel mechanics, and he hopes to focus on diesel equipment for agriculture.
Attending Portland Community College
- Carter Wilson is pursuing a career as a heavy equipment diesel mechanic, attending a trade program called ThinkBig, which is an instructional opportunity offered by Peterson Cat. This program
pays students to train to be a technician. Wilson will alternate between labs and classroom work and a paid internship at a sponsoring Cat dealership.
- Tristan Green will focus on diesel services technology and heavy equipment. He hopes to apply for an internship, possibly with Peterson Cat, eventually complete his apprenticeship, and hold the position of field technician
Attending Tillamook Bay Community College
- Nicole Johnson is attending Tillamook Bay Community College and anticipates earning her Associate of Science degree in Forestry in the spring of 2026. She then plans to transfer to Oregon State University and obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Management with a minor in Fish and Wildlife.
Attending Umpqua Community College
- Analise Miller is a second-year student at Umpqua Community College, where she is enrolled in the forestry program. Her goal is to graduate with a Master of Science degree in Forestry.
Attending Southwestern Community College
- Kody Chandler is pursuing an associate’s degree in Forest Operations Management and then plans to transfer to Oregon State University to finish a bachelor’s degree.
Attending Vocational Outside Line Training Academy (VOLTA)
- Gavin Foglio is attending this private, non-profit vocational training school, which prepares students for entry level work as a line worker in the outside line industry. This is a 4,000-hour, on-thejob apprenticeship program, licensed by the Oregon Department of Education, which takes approximately two years to complete.
All scholarship recipients expressed their appreciation for the financial assistance which will help them pursue their career dreams of being a part of the logging and forestry industry.
Since the Oregon Logging Conference Foundation scholarships program was established in 1968, more than 585 scholarships have been awarded, totaling more than $1.5 million dollars in financial assistance.
Logging and Forestry Career Event for High School Students
High School students from Oregon and Washington will be attending the 8th Annual Future Forestry Workers Career Day, an interactive event encouraging youths to consider logging, forestry, and other natural resource careers. This event includes live demonstrations and hearing from industry professionals about the skills needed to be the next generation workforce in the industry. Students also learn about current and future job opportunities.
Since this event was first held in 2018, thousands of high school students have learned about a variety of jobs, and many have pursued careers in logging, forestry, diesel mechanics, and firefighting, to name but a few.
The Livestock Arena on the Lane County Fairgrounds is the ideal location for this event as students rotate to different stations, all under one roof, and learn about logging, forestry, trucking, construction, and heavy equipment. Other stations include reforestation, road building, firefighting, and a chance to learn how to operate a small excavator. The students also visit information booths that offer college, trade school and industryrelated materials.
One popular feature of Future Forestry Workers Career Day is an opportunity for students to take turns using a timber harvesting simulator. The simulators are provided through Oregon State University’s Mechanized Harvesting Laboratory, and students learn about a combination of stateof-the-art computer-based forest harvesting simulation, mechanical analysis, operations research and field-based research to increase the knowledge of modern forest harvesting systems.
At the end of the event, students enjoy a
complimentary pizza lunch and can take a self-guided tour of the equipment on display and other booths at the Oregon Logging Conference.
This career day event has proven to be successful in engaging a younger workforce by highlighting some of the current and future job opportunities. After attending this event, many students have reached out to local businesses and secured employment or have pursued additional education to garner the skills needed for future employment.
High School Students Demonstrate Forestry Skills
Watch as young men and women compete against each other in a demonstration of logging and forestry skills. Loggers of today and yesterday have and had a need for many of these skills to carry out their trade, and at this event, which is included as one of the stations at the Future Forestry Workers Career Day, you can see some of what it takes to be a good logger.
This action-packed activity is coordinated
by Oregon Future Natural Resource Leaders (FNRL). The skills relay consists of four events: hose lay, choker setting, chainsaw use, and crosscut sawing. Last year, there were 100 students from 12 Oregon schools competing. The relay was conducted as a round robin with times that seeded the teams into a single elimination bracket, allowing each team to go twice.
Waldport High School teams took first
and second places, finishing within seconds of each other. Third place was captured by La Pine High School, and Taft High School took fourth place.
Nygaard Logging and Warrenton Fiber have sponsored the high school forestry skills relay at the Oregon Logging Conference since it was established in 2011 and were also supporters of this activity before it was included with the OLC.
Family Day Includes Virtual Visit to Working Forests
Family fun and many hands-on educational activities are included in Family Day at the Oregon Logging Conference, which takes place on Saturday, Feb. 21, centered in the Wheeler Pavilion at the Lane Events Center and Fairgrounds.
There is something NEW this year at Family Day: For the Trees, a virtual reality experience inside a working forest. This includes a series of videos produced by Oregon Forests Forever, each a few minutes long, that takes the viewer on a journey through active forest management, wildfire prevention, reforestation, and the people who keep Oregon’s forests healthy and sustainable. This virtual reality tour, which will be located in the Wheeler Pavilion, shares the sights and sounds that can only be experienced inside a working forest.
Sponsor: KEZI-TV News 9
Date: Saturday, Feb. 21
Location: Wheeler Pavilion
Another always popular activity is building wooden birdhouses. Families can see and learn about wildlife and the many products that are made from wood and also enjoy art projects and face painting. Coni-Fir and Smokey Bear will more than likely be on the premises, and don’t forget to enjoy some free popcorn.
There will also be a free seedling giveaway, with the seedlings donated by the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe.
This family-oriented tradition has been part of the Oregon Logging Conference for more than 30 years. The free and fun activities offer hands-on and educational opportunities to learn more about Oregon forests, forestry, and logging.
Families are also encouraged to take a
Cost: Free
walk around, see some of the state-of-theart equipment on display, and meet some of the folks who work in logging, construction, trucking, and heavy equipment.
Also on Saturday, be sure to watch the chainsaw carving artists create their trees, bears, birds, and other works of art, and catch the final day of the Log Loader Competition at the Oregon Logging Conference.
Hosted Coffee Stations for Meetings, Seminars
A nice hot cup of coffee will be available at the Oregon Logging Conference breakfasts and seminars on Thursday and Friday, and the sponsor again this year is Wilcox+ Flegel. This hosted coffee service will allow
Sponsor: Wilcox + Flegel
Date: Thurs., Feb. 19 & Fri., Feb. 20
Location: Wheeler Pavilion and Exhibit Hall South Meeting Rooms
Cost: Free
you to get your morning off to a good start and maintain your focus during the daily seminars and panel discussions.
The coffee station will be in the Wheeler Pavilion for the Thursday and Friday morning
breakfasts, and on Friday in the south meeting rooms of the Exhibit Hall, where some of the seminars will take place. This coffee service will only be available during both breakfasts, the seminars, and meetings.
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Oregon Logging Conference 2026 Resolutions
WHEREAS, more than thirty years later, the Northwest Forest Plan has not fulfilled its commitments for sustainable timber outputs, with many National Forests unable to meet their Allowable Sale Quantity targets, resulting in unstable timber supplies for mills, logging contractors, and the thousands of rural workers who rely on a functional federal timber program; and
Nick Smith Public Affairs Director, American Forest Resource Council Presenter, Northwest Forest Plan Resolution
Smith is the Public Affairs Director for the American Forest Resource Council. In 2013 he founded Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities, a non-profit, non-partisan grassroots coalition that advocates for active forest management on federally owned lands. Smith has worked in various capacities in the Oregon Legislature, including serving several members of leadership in the House of Representatives, has provided communications services to multiple industry associations, including American Loggers Council, Associated Oregon Loggers, and Associated California Loggers. He is an active member of the Oregon Society of American Foresters. Smth holds a B.A. in journalism from Chico State and a Master of Public Administration from Portland State.
2026 RESOLUTION NORTHWEST FOREST PLAN
A resolution by the Oregon Logging Conference Regarding the Modernization of the Northwest Forest Plan.
WHEREAS, the Northwest Forest Plan, adopted in 1994, was designed to provide a predictable and sustainable level of timber harvests on federal lands in western Oregon, Washington, and northern California while conserving habitat for the Northern Spotted Owl and other species; and
WHEREAS, according to information presented by the Douglas Timber Operators, timber harvest levels on the Umpqua National Forest have declined from more than 300 million board feet per year prior to the 1990s to approximately 25 million board feet today, a level that supplies local mills for only a matter of days and contributes to the ongoing economic hardship faced by rural communities in southwest Oregon; and
WHEREAS, during this same period, severe wildfire has dramatically increased across the Northwest Forest Plan region, with more than 44% of the Umpqua National Forest burning since 1987, much of it in Late Successional Reserves, demonstrating that current land allocations have failed to protect older forests or wildlife habitat from catastrophic loss; and
WHEREAS, the United States Forest Service has reported that wildfire is now the leading cause of mature and old growth forest loss on federal lands within the Northwest Forest Plan area, far exceeding any impacts associated with timber harvest; and
WHEREAS, outdated land use allocations, standards, and guidelines established in the original Northwest Forest Plan have constrained active forest management at a time when scientific evidence overwhelmingly supports an increased pace and scale of thinning, fuels reduction, and forest restoration to protect communities, watersheds, wildlife habitat, and the remaining mature and old growth forests that the Plan was intended to conserve; and
WHEREAS, the 2025 Draft Environmental Impact Statement evaluating amendments to the Northwest Forest Plan acknowledges the need for expanded active forest management and increased treatment acreage, yet longstanding obstacles within the existing Plan continue to limit the Forest Service’s ability to implement these treatments across the landscape in a timely and effective manner; and
WHEREAS, many rural counties within the Northwest Forest Plan region depend on federal timber receipts to fund essential services including law enforcement, emergency response, transportation infrastructure, public health, libraries, and schools, and the failure of the Plan to provide reliable timber revenues has contributed to decades of economic instability and reduced public services; and
WHEREAS, federal land management policies should promote a stable and predictable supply of domestically produced timber to sustain the nation’s forest products workforce, manufacturing capacity, and supply chain, particularly as global markets increasingly turn to wood products as renewable, carbon storing building materials; and
WHEREAS, President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Orders on domestic timber and lumber production, signed March 1, 2025, direct federal agencies to increase active forest management, expand timber outputs, and revise policies that hinder the Forest Service’s ability to meet national objectives for forest health and timber production, directives that should be reflected in any modernization of the Northwest Forest Plan; and
WHEREAS, modernization of the Northwest Forest Plan must incorporate three decades of scientific advancements in wildfire behavior, forest ecology, carbon dynamics, watershed protection, wildlife habitat, and active management, while also integrating Tribal knowledge and strengthening partnerships with local communities; and
WHEREAS, the Oregon Logging Conference recognizes that the health of federal forests and the vitality of rural communities are inseparable, and that a modernized Northwest Forest Plan is essential to protecting both.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Oregon Logging Conference calls upon the United States Forest Service, the Department of Agriculture, and the Administration to undertake a comprehensive modernization and reform of the Northwest Forest Plan, incorporating the best available science, the lessons of the past thirty years, and the urgent need to restore forest health, reduce wildfire risk, and strengthen rural communities.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that modernization of the Northwest Forest Plan should provide stable and sustainable timber outputs to support local mills and family wage jobs, expand active forest management to reduce hazardous fuels and wildfire severity, improve forest resiliency and watershed protection, enhance the stability of county revenues dependent on federal timber receipts, reflect federal direction to increase domestic timber and lumber production, and prioritize collaboration with Tribes, local governments, forest workers, and affected communities.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Chief of the United States Forest Service, the Regional Forester for Region Six, and Oregon’s congressional delegation.
Hampton Lumber, Oregon Director of Government Affairs
Presenter,
Oregon
Department of Forestry Draft Forest Management Plan Resolution
Wilkeson is the Oregon Director of Government Affairs at Hampton Lumber. In this position, she manages the company’s public policy and political engagement in Oregon. She works closely with the Oregon Department of Forestry to shape policies affecting timber harvests from state forests. She also advocates for Hampton Lumber before the legislature and local governments, promoting policies that benefit our industry. Wilkeson grew up in the rural community of Perrydale, Oregon, and earned a degree in Political Science with coursework in Forest Management from Oregon State University.
2026 RESOLUTION:
OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY DRAFT FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN
A resolution by the Oregon Logging Conference Regarding the Oregon Department of Forestry Draft Forest Management Plan.
WHEREAS, The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) is currently preparing a Draft Forest Management Plan to facilitate the implementation of the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), adopted by the Board of Forestry in March 2024. This plan is mandated by statute under the principle of Greatest Permanent Value and is intended to ensure a sustainable and consistent supply of forest products that generate revenue for the state, counties, and local taxing districts: and
WHEREAS, The HCP outlines a 70-year plan, indicating that the Forest Management Plan (FMP) currently being developed will have enduring impacts on all stakeholders: and
WHEREAS, the ODF has implemented an HCP that designates more than half of the land covered in the HCP, a total of 314,000 acres for habitat preservation. Under this plan, management activities within
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Laura Wilkeson
(continued from page 35)
these protected areas are significantly restricted during the initial 30-year period, after which all timber harvesting is prohibited: and
WHEREAS, the reduction in access to forest resources on state lands has led to significant economic challenges for rural communities, including job losses and decreased revenue for local businesses that depend on timber and outdoor recreation: and
WHEREAS, with current harvest projections, the ODF cannot earn sufficient revenue to support its existing operations and staff. Recent financial data suggests that their expenses are expected to surpass
Shelly Boshart Davis
Oregon House of Representatives, District 15
Presenter, Oregon Transportation Gas Tax Referendum Resolution
Boshart Davis serves in the Oregon House of Representatives for District 15, representing parts of Linn and Benton Counties, including the cities of Albany, Millersburg, and Tangent. She has served in the Oregon Legislature since 2019 and for the last 12 years has also worked alongside her parents and siblings to help grow the family farm and trucking business. She is involved with the Linn County Farm Bureau, Oregon Women for Agriculture, Oregon Trucking Association, and Oregon Seed Council. Nationally, she sits on the advisory committee for the Agriculture Transportation Coalition and has served as president of the U.S. Forage Export Council.
A resolution by the Oregon Logging Conference Regarding the Oregon Transportation Tax Referendum.
WHEREAS, the legislature passed a transportation tax bill that will increase taxes by $4 billion; and
WHEREAS, the process of the transportation
revenues by $7.5 million in 2025 and $10.4 million in 2026; and
WHEREAS, The Board of Forestry decided to move forward with the HCP process using projected timber harvests that are higher than those being considered in the proposed FMP. Board members and ODF staff must ensure actual harvests reflect the levels projected in HCP development, which are closer to historic harvest levels; and
WHEREAS, After two years of both public and written testimony from legislators, timber industry representatives, and County Commissioners representing trust land counties, no amendments were
the HCP by a 4-3 vote, without establishing a funding plan for the Oregon Department of Forestry.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Oregon Logging Conference urges the Oregon Board of Forestry to adopt a Forest Management Plan with timber harvest levels matching pre-HCP discussions, prioritizing lands outside Habitat Conservation Areas (HCAs) and Riparian Conservation Areas (RCAs) to meet Greatest Permanent Value requirements.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be sent to the Board of Forestry for consideration as they adopt performance measures for the Forest Management Plan.
tax passage involved very little public notice and received over 93% opposition based on Capitol tes timony; and
WHEREAS, there were alternatives to the trans portation tax proposed that would have prevented the need for this legislation; and
WHEREAS, the transportation tax includes increases that impact Oregonian families and businesses alike including- A tax which is a 6-cent gas increase, raising the rate from $0.40 to $0.46 per gallon, effective Jan 1, 2026, and other fees including doubled payroll tax for transit, and increased registration/titling fees; and
WHEREAS, the transportation tax will raise business costs by increasing fuel, registration, and payroll taxes, impacting profit margins, raising consumer prices, and hurting competitiveness, especially for rural businesses and those with large fleets. Businesses face higher operating costs for deliveries, employee commutes, and vehicle maintenance, potentially leading to reduced profits, fewer employee benefits, or higher prices for goods/services, according to groups like Oregon Business & Industry; and
WHEREAS, continuation of the Corporate Activity Tax (CAT) further complicates the issue with Oregon currently ranking 48th in the US for being business friendly, the addition of these new taxes creates a formidable barrier to attracting business & for expansions in our state. The University of Oregon's January summary report highlighted a troubling trend: over the past five years, Oregon has lost thousands of potential jobs and billions in private investments. Businesses are increasingly opting to leave the state due to the unfavorable tax environment (high taxes), and these new proposals will likely accelerate this exodus; and
WHEREAS, this additional gas tax will especially harm rural Oregon. This charge will add to the operating costs of companies that rely on transportation, impacting industries like logging, agriculture, and
driving is required; and
WHEREAS, the state of Oregon lost 25,000 jobs in the last year and the overall picture looks weaker as Oregon’s unemployment rate hit 5% and a greater share of Oregon’s workforce is unemployed than at any time since 2016; and
WHEREAS, Gov. Kotek delayed signing House Bills 3991 and 3992 until nearly a month after lawmakers had approved them, almost entirely along party lines, in a special session. The 90 day period to refer a bill to the ballot began immediately after it passed, meaning each day Kotek waited trimmed the time for signature collection; and
WHEAREAS, even with a shortened timeline, a group called "No Tax Oregon," submitted over 190,000 signatures to give voters a say by placing the tax on the ballot; and
WHEREAS, the governor pulled her bill after the voters referred it to the ballot with their signatures and opposition; and
WHEREAS, the Oregon legislature will be dealing with this issue during the upcoming session;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Oregon Logging Conference will gather names and contact information from everyone interested in the room to be on the action alert list;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that when an action alert is issued related to the transportation tax that you will respond and take action as requested.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution will be sent to media outlets all across Oregon.
Oregon Department of Forestry Names 2025 Operators of the Year
Two logging companies and a forest road builder have been named 2025 Operators of the Year by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF). In addition to the Operators of the Year awards, four companies and one individual received Merit Awards.
• Southwest Oregon – Weber Logging and Construction Inc., Roseburg
2025 Merit Wards
• Eastern Oregon – Jeff Maben, Mt. Vernon
• Eastern Oregon – Staton Forestry, Eugene
• Northwest Oregon – Emerald Valley Thinning, Inc., Philomath
• Northwest Oregon – RDL Northwest, Lebanon
• Southwest Oregon – Dave Wilkerson Logging, LLC, Eagle Point
All were recognized for having an excellent track record of protecting natural resources and improving forest health at a level that consistently meets or exceeds requirements of the Oregon Forest Practices Act during timber harvest and other forestryrelated work, such as building roads.
The 2025 Operators of the Year and Merit award winners will be recognized at the Oregon Logging Conference during the Friday morning Forestry Talks seminar in
the Wheeler Pavilion. The presentation will be made by Tim Moss, Forest Practices Act Field Coordinator, Forest Resources, of the department’s Salem office.
All the award recipients were recognized at the January meeting of the Oregon Board of Forestry.
Boulder Ridge, LLC, Eastern Oregon 2025 Operator of the Year
A 2,000-acre thinning project on land owned by Shanda Asset Management was the project that earned Boulder Ridge, LLC the Eastern Oregon Operator of the Year award.
The landowner nominated Boulder Ridge, LLC for the award, and the ODF selection committee agreed the work on the thinning project was “exemplary.”
The project site consisted of overcrowded ponderosa pine and white fir on the eastern slopes of the Cascades. According to the landowner’s director of timber operations, Aidan Myers, “The harvest was a challenge because there wasn’t capacity at the one local mill to take all the harvested logs, so Boulder had to schedule 14 different trucks heading to Gilchrist, Sisters, Culver, Christmas Valley, and as far away as Roseburg.”
Multiple benefits were realized by the thinning operations, including reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire and improving the health of the stand, by carefully removing trees infested with dwarf mistletoe, which can kill or weaken trees and spreads more easily in crowded stands.
Quality Excavation, Inc., Northwest Oregon 2025 Operator of the Year
Replacing an undersized culvert and rebuilding the logging road over the newly installed pipe to allow private timber harvest activities beyond that point was the project that led to Quality Excavation, Inc. receiving the Northwest Oregon Operator of the Year award.
The failing culvert was on the North Fork of the Necanicum River in the Coast Range. Landowner Lewis and Clark Timberlands knew the culvert would need replacing and the road upgraded to access a timber harvest planned in the Coast Range, so its timber management company, Nuveen, called on the highly experienced firm of Quality Excavation, Inc.
Quality Excavation, Inc. had to divert the stream during the project through hundreds of yards of pipes and dig out the old culvert and old growth logs that had been placed on top of the culvert. It was the company owner’s son, Cole Bergeson, and crew who then dug a new stream bed at the crossing and placed a larger, extra-long new culvert at an angle and level that would allow stream flow and fish passage. The crew anchored the new culvert in place with stone that was quarried on site, built the haul road back up to grade.
“Quality Excavation, Inc. did an excellent job, even hiring a bobcat to lay a natural bed of rock in the pipe to make fish passage easier,” said ODF Stewardship Forester Craig Sorter. “No sediment got in the stream during the work, and now fish are able to get to habitat upstream that was previously blocked.”
Austin Weber Weber Logging & Construction, Inc.
Cole Bergeson, Jason Bergeson Quality Excavation, Inc.
Dave Wilkerson Dave Wilkerson Logging
Jason Kunkle Staton Forestry
Matt Mahoney Boulder Ridge, LLC
Rick Dennis RDL Northwest
Travis Smouse Emerald Valley Thinning
Jeff Maben Forestry Consultant
Weber Logging and Construction, Inc., Southwest Oregon Operator of the Year
Successfully working under new Forest Practices Act rules requiring the protection of half a dozen stands of trees – in especially steep areas at risk of landslides – was the project that earned Weber Logging and Construction, Inc. the Southwest Oregon Operator of the Year award.
Leaving trees in those stands served a variety of purposes, including protecting soil from erosion and downstream water from sediment. The trees left standing would also be available when they eventually fall over to deliver woody debris for future fish habitat.
In order to leave the trees standing, Weber Logging and Construction, Inc. had to set up multiple yarding sites and haul logs up to landings on the side of the road above the unit.
Noting that Weber Logging and Construction, Inc. has almost 20 years of consistently excelling at protecting natural resources while harvesting in some of the most challenging situations in the region, landowner Roseburg Forest Products Logging Contract Supervisor Michael Williams said they also protected a fishbearing stream in the unit, avoiding damage to trees in the stream buffer.
Eastern Oregon 2025 Merit Awards
Forestry consultant Jeff Maben earned a Merit Award for his work with private landowners in and around Grant County, helping them improve forest health through removal of encroaching juniper and thinning overcrowded ponderosa pine stands. His work increased water flow in local creeks, rejuvenated aspen groves, and reduced shade on mountain mahogany, an important source of winter browse for elk. It also reduced the risk of catastrophic wildfire.
Staton Forestry received a Merit Award for a thinning operation on the Gilchrist State Forest that included removing overcrowded lodgepole and ponderosa pine trees and brush to improve forest health by reducing drought stress among remaining trees while improving habitat for deer and elk. The thinning also protected neighboring communities from the risk of catastrophic wildfire.
Northwest Oregon 2025 Merit Awards
Emerald Valley Thinning, Inc. earned a Merit Award for harvesting on extremely steep slopes in the Coast Range using tethered logging and hand cutting to protect buffer trees along the Siuslaw River. They also succeeded in following new Forest Practice Act rules protecting trees in the
harvest unit located in steep slope areas at risk of sliding.
Rick Dennis of RDL Northwest received a Merit Award for his careful planning of units to be harvested. Nominators cited how he employs multiple logging methods and different types of machinery on steep units and consistently protects stream buffers and soil from disturbance.
Southwest Oregon 2025 Merit Award
Dave Wilkerson Logging, LLC was
given a Merit Award for stopping work a number of times during an especially wet spring to avoid rutting and soil damage. He was also commended for doing an excellent job of protecting young trees in the mixedaged stand on the western slopes of the Cascades and fully protecting a fish-bearing stream bordering the harvest unit.
To view videos of the 2025 Operators of the Year and Merit Award winners, visit the Oregon Department of Forestry YouTube channel.
SAF Certified Foresters® Program Credits Available at OLC
Continuing Forestry Education credits are available by attending Oregon Logging Conference seminars and other activities, and they can be applied for Certified Foresters® certification, offered through the Society of American Foresters. This program provides a consistent, national credential for professional foresters.
By attending some of the sessions at the OLC, up to 15 continuing education credits can be earned in two categories: Category 1 (Core Education) and Category 2 (Related Education).
The credits can be earned through the OLC seminars and panel discussions on Thursday and Friday, Feb. 19-20.
To receive Certified Foresters credits for attending OLC seminars and activities, sign up at the conference registration desk and receive a punch card. The punch card will be
used to document attendance and to receive SAF credits. Have the card punched at the end of each OLC seminar and activity that you attend.
Scan the completed punch card and email it to certification@safnet.org or mail it to Certified Foresters®, c/o Society of American Foresters, 2121 K Street NW, Suite 315, Washington, DC, 20037, no later than three weeks after the OLC. Be sure to keep a copy of the punch card for your records.
Wooden Works of Art Created by Chainsaw Carvers
Sponsor: Oregon Logging Conference
Date: Thurs, Feb. 19 – Sat, Feb 21
Location: Outside demonstration area, Fairgrounds
It takes special skill to take a chainsaw and a chunk of wood and create a unique piece of art. And that is exactly what you will see at the Oregon Logging Conference as two familiar chainsaw artists will be creating works of art, truly a sight to behold.
You’ll be able to watch as these masters of their craft use chainsaws to carve with amazing precision and detail, creating bears, eagles, trees, fish, benches, welcome signs, and more.
Jay Peppard – Chainsaw Buzz
Jay Peppard brings with him more than eight years of experience and semipro wood carving skills. He lives in Ocean City, Washington, and has been carving at the Oregon Logging Conference for many years. He participates in the McKenzie River
Chainsaw Art Festival, where he sometimes carves with his father, Mark Peppard. His art can also be found at stores in the McKenzie/ Vida area.
Wayne Lyon – Bears Bears Bears Wood Carving
Wayne Lyon has more than two decades of chainsaw carving experience, and his specialties are – as you might have guessed from the name of his company – bears and trees. He’s also known for his water fountain benches. Lyon lives in Ocean City, Washington, and studied his craft under
another well-known chainsaw carving artist, Mark Colp.
These two artists will donate a piece of their artwork to the Oregon Logging Conference Foundation auction, which takes place during the Thursday and Friday morning breakfasts in the Wheeler Pavilion. The winning bidder will not only become the owner of a unique and beautiful handmade piece of artwork but will also be supporting the awarding of college and trade school scholarships and recruiting the next generation workforce for the logging industry.
OLC Business Seminars Focus on First Aid, Oregon IRA Fire Certification and Advanced Driver Education
Date: Fri, Feb. 20
First Aid/CPR Certification
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location: Exhibit Hall, SE Meeting Room
Instructor: Chet Casey, owner, First Aid Safety Training, Inc.
Moderator: Josh Wampler, P&B Wampler Logging Inc., Klamath Falls, OR
This comprehensive First Aid/CPR course meets OSHA requirements and provides participants with essential skills to handle medical situations that may arise in the workplace. The class is limited to 60 people and to 2026 OLC registered members who pay the additional $54 class fee. It will cover first aid for injuries, managing sudden illnesses, and performing CPR. Upon successful completion, participants will receive a certification valid for 2 years.
Instructor Chet Casey brings over 20 years of pre-hospital EMS and emergency room experience to his role as the owner of First Aid Safety Training, Inc. After his father, Tim Casey, retired and closed Industrial Safety Services, Chet followed in his footsteps by founding First Aid Safety Training Inc. Dedicated to equipping others with essential lifesaving skills, Chet continues his family’s legacy of safety education, offering top-tier training for both individuals and organizations.
Basic Fire School
Time: 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Location: Wheeler Pavilion
Instructor: Mike Jackson, Douglas Forest Protective Association
Moderator: Lefi Tausaga, Douglas County Forest Products, Roseburg, OR
This class will meet the requirements for the RT-130 refresher course. Upon completion of this course, participants will receive a certificate that meets the Oregon Department of Forestry training requirements for an Incident Resource Agreement (IRA). This also meets the classroom RT-130 requirements for a Federal VIPR contract. (Note: this course does not include a physical fitness test). You must be a paid, registered member of the 2026 OLC to attend this class.
Instructor Mike Jackson has worked for the Douglas Forest Protective Association for 40 years. During this time, he attended Oregon State University and received a bachelor’s degree in forest engineering. He has served as Industrial Fire Prevention Forester since 2002 and since then his duties have included industrial fire inspections, waivers, smoke management, and industrial fire training.
Advanced Driver Education — Risk and Liability
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Exhibit Hall, SW Meeting Room
Instructor: David Gaffney, Fleet Compliance Manager, Papé Group, Portland, OR
Moderator: Colby Prince, Papé Machinery, Tangent, OR
This session focuses on the life-saving impact of effective fleet compliance and driver safety practices and will highlight strategies for reducing roadway conflicts, promoting collision prevention, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Attendees will gain practical tools to help drivers make informed and responsible decisions that not only reduce risk and improve operations but also protect lives on the roadways.
Instructor David Gaffney has over 25 years of experience in motor carrier enforcement and DOT compliance. He serves as the Senior Fleet Compliance Manager for the Papé Group of Companies, a position he has held since 2015. In this role he oversees company-wide Department of Transportation (DOT) Compliance for a fleet of over 3,000 vehicles, predominantly trucks. Gaffney has an extensive background working with both the California Highway Patrol and the State of Oregon’s Motor Carrier Enforcement Division. His expertise spans regulatory compliance, fleet safety, and operational oversight.
Chet Casey
David Gaffney
Mike Jackson
Conference Panels & Seminars
Hands-On Seminar 1 – Log Rollout
Topic: Log Scaling and Mis-Manufacturing of Logs
Date: Thurs, Feb. 19
Time: 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Location: Near Log Loader Competition, Outside Display Area
This seminar will include log scaling and the mis-manufacture of logs. The Log Rollout attendees will observe the scaling of a group of logs to find the gross and net scale volume excluding all interior defects and mis-manufacturing within the log that affects the scaling cylinder.
Nathan Hopkins, Check Scaler/Quality Control, Lone Rock Resources, Roseburg, OR, will conduct this seminar. Hopkins has lived in Oregon almost his entire life and began working in the timber industry 13 years ago with the Mountain Western Log Scaling and Grading Bureau. He has worked for Lone Rock Resources since 2019.
Seminar 1 –
Your Voice – Your Vote Counts
Date: Thurs, Feb. 19
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: Wheeler Pavilion
Moderator: Jennifer Waggoner, R&R King Logging, Florence
Topic: What Happens to Natural Resource Management When Different People Are Elected
Seth Crawford, Crook County Commissioner
Crawford was first elected to the Crook County Board of Commissioners in 2012 and served two consecutive, twoyear terms, before his successful campaign for Crook County Judge, a position he held from 2016 to 2024. In 2024 he was re-elected to the Crook County Board of Commissioners. Crawford holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Oregon.
Crawford’s family has lived in Crook County for four generations. Public service is a family tradition, and one that he is proud to continue. As the parent of three daughters, he cares deeply about the traditional culture and values of Crook County.
Topic: Standing Up for Forestry
Betsy Earls, Weyerhaeuser
Public Affairs Manager, Salem Forestry is vital to Oregon’s economy, environment, and communities, but its future depends on informed voices. In this session, Earls explores why civic
engagement matters for the natural resources industry. Learn practical ways to advocate, build relationships with decision-makers, and make your voice count in shaping policies that impact forests.
Earls serves as Public Affairs Manager for Weyerhaeuser across Oregon and Montana, representing the company on legislative and regulatory issues that shape sustainable forestry, wood products manufacturing, and wildfire preparedness. Her career spans senior roles in Oregon’s business community — including VP & Counsel at Oregon Business & Industry — and government relations practice with Harrang Long Gary Rudnick P.C. She holds a J.D. from Willamette University College of Law and a B.A. from the University of Washington.
Topic: How Recent Election
History and Policy
Decisions
Highlight the Importance of Voter Engagement in the 2026 Election.
Claire Lynn, Legislative Director, Oregon House Republican Office, Salem Lynn grew up in Florence, OR, and her passion is advocating for the future of Oregon’s timber industry. She is an experienced communications and policy staffer. After interning with Congressman Greg Walden, she worked on Capitol Hill for Congressman Cliff Bentz and Congressman Mike Garcia. She has worked for various Oregon House legislative offices, coordinating their communications and policy.
Seminar 2 –
Friday Morning Forestry Talks
Date: Fri, Feb. 20
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Location: Wheeler Pavilion
Sponsor: Modern Machinery
Moderator: Dan Stone, Gilchrist Forest Products, Gilchrist
Topic: Benefits of Public Land Management
Courtney Bangs, Clatsop County Commissioner Bangs will discuss how counties and Oregonians benefit from public land management, specifically timber harvesting, and why state and federal managers should do more.
Bangs is a Clatsop County Commissioner, teacher, and mother of three. She holds a master’s degree in Agricultural Education from Oregon State University. She has spent more than two decades working in the classroom. As a Commissioner, Bangs has become one of northwest Oregon’s fiercest advocates for working forests and fiscal accountability and is continually focused on strengthening rural families and protecting natural resource jobs.
Topic: Natural Resource Management
Christine Drazan, Oregon State Senator, District 26
Drazan will talk about how the management of our natural resources is vital to every aspect of Oregon, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Growing up in rural southern Oregon, Drazan saw first-hand the impacts on families when the timber industry and natural resource economy declined. After graduating from George Fox University, she dedicated her career to ensuring families and communities aren’t left behind by politicians trying to advance their own agendas. Drazan has built a reputation for standing up to entrenched power, challenging waste and mismanagement, and fighting for common-sense solutions that make life more affordable, safer, and hopeful for Oregon families.
Topic: Private Forest Accord – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Seth Barnes, Director of Forest Policy, Oregon Forest Industries Council (OFIC), Salem
Barnes has professional forestry experience with both private landowners
and state agencies and has for many years been a wildland firefighter on an Incident Management Team. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Forest Management from Oregon State University and attended graduate school at Washington State University for Public Administration and Natural Resource Policy. He is currently the Director of Forest Policy at OFIC and previously was the Operations Manager for the Washington State Forest Practices Program at the Washington Department of Natural Resources.
Jesse Hohlt, Owner of Columbia Gorge Forestry, Cascade Locks
Hohlt describes himself as a creative and forward thinker with knowledge of harvest operations, contract administration, log forecast planning, timber cruising, and log scaling. He and his company offer services from comprehensive forest assessment and planning to implementing sustainable forestry practices, bringing extensive expertise and a foundation of forest science from Oregon State University to all projects they undertake. Hohlt and his crew pride themselves on tailoring each project to the client’s specific objectives – ensuring both environmental sustainability and optimal financial results.
Speakers
Rick Welle, Coast Assistant Unit Manager, Stimson Lumber, Tillamook
After graduating in 2017 from Oregon State University with a bachelor’s degree in Forest Management, Welle worked as a Silviculture Forester with Olympic Resource Management (ORM) at both their Poulsbo and Chehalis offices. In 2019, when ORM was purchased, Welle transferred to Rayonier Timber, taking on a Timber Production Manager position in the same Chehalis office. From 2019 to 2023, Welle’s role was harvest administrator and conducting timber harvest unit design. In the spring of 2023, Welle relocated back to Tillamook as the Coastal Assistant Unit Manager for Stimson Lumber, and he currently oversees harvest unit design, permitting, and administration on approximately 85,000 acres of coastal forestland around Tillamook.
Presentation:
2025 Oregon Operators of the Year
Date: Fri, Feb. 20
Time: 11:00 a.m. (estimated)
Location: Wheeler Pavilion
Tim Moss, Northwest Oregon Forest Practices Act Field Coordinator, Oregon Department of Forestry, Salem
Moss has a Bachelor of Science in Resource Management and for the past eight years has worked in and around the field of forestry. In 2017 he started working with the Deschutes National Forest, then transferred to the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) as a Fire Planning Coordinator in Veneta and as a Stewardship Forester in Florence for the ODF Western Lane District. For the past three years Moss has served as the Northwest Oregon Forest Practices Act Field Coordinator with the ODF Field Support Unit in Salem. He said his current role gives him an opportunity to help support a variety of ODF foresters who in turn support a variety of Oregon landowners and operators.
For more information about the 2025 Operators of the Year, see article on page 30 and 31.
Seminar 3 –Washington Forest Practices Act
Date: Fri, Feb 20
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Location: Exhibit Hall, SW Meeting Room
Moderator: Colton Cooley, Rayonier, Chehalis, WA
Topic: NP Stream Rules in Washington State
Cindy Mitchell, CFO and Senior Director of Public Affairs, Washington Forest Protection Association (WFPA), Olympia, WA
Mitchell oversees the statewide public information program that
aligns WFPA’s strategies with the public’s values. This organization’s work has been central to maintaining the forest products industry’s social license by effectively communicating the contributions of private forest landowners to Washington State. Mitchell holds degrees in business and counseling psychology and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant. She is a graduate of the Washington AgForestry Leadership Program Class XVI, where she served as class president.
Topic: T-Mar Industries Hybrid Yarder Technology
Tyson Lambert, Vice President of Sales and second-generation owner, T-Mar Industries, BC, Canada
Lambert takes a hands-on approach to developing and refining machinery that helps contractors succeed. With roots in IT systems design and deep family ties to T-Mar, he has driven innovations like the Hybrid Electric Drive Yarder and continues to guide forward-looking strategies that support logging, mining, hydro, and other industries.
Topic: Effects and Savings Incurred Through Central Tire Inflation Systems for Woods Roads and Trucks
Gary Romine, Oregon Transportation Manager, Weyerhaeuser, Eugene
Romine is a 32-year employee with Weyerhaeuser and has worked in positions including hooktender, truck driver, harvest manager, truck superintendent, and now Oregon Transportation Manager, a position he has held since 2022. Romine implemented the first auto-securing pole bunk in Northern America. This technology allows a log truck driver to secure their load without throwing wrappers, minimizing soft tissue injuries or hazards from working around unsecured loads. Prior to joining Weyerhaeuser Romine worked for logging companies in Washington and Alaska.
Topic: Designing Roads and Specifications for Rocking Prescriptions
Daniel Clark, Lower Columbia Region Engineer, Weyerhaeuser Co., Longview, WA
Clark will talk about his past eight years of experience with designing roads and specifications for rocking prescriptions on CTI (Canadian) roads, utilizing a large company and contractor fleet of log and dump trucks, and key learnings and recommendations.
Clark is the Lower Columbia Regional Engineer for Weyerhaeuser, where he is responsible for developing strategy, execution of goals, and providing area engineers with technical support across 750,000 acres.
Instructor: Chet Casey, First Aid Safety Training, Inc.
Cost: $54.00
This comprehensive First Aid/CPR course meets OSHA requirements and provides participants with essential skills to handle medical situations that may arise in the workplace. The class is limited to 60 people and to 2026 OLC registered participants who pay the additional $54 class fee. It will cover first aid for injuries, managing sudden illnesses, and performing CPR. Upon successful completion, participants will receive a certification valid for 2 years.
Instructor Chet Casey brings over 20 years of pre-hospital EMS and emergency room experience to his role as the owner of First Aid Safety Training, Inc. After his father, Tim Casey, retired and closed Industrial
Safety Services, Chet followed in his footsteps by founding First Aid Safety Training, Inc. Dedicated to equipping others with essential lifesaving skills, Chet continues his family’s legacy of safety education, offering top-tier training for both individuals and organizations.
Seminar 5 - Basic Fire School
Location: Wheeler Pavilion
Instructor Mike Jackson has worked for the Douglas Forest Protective Association for 40 years. During this time, he attended Oregon State University and received a bachelor’s degree in Forest Engineering. He has served as Industrial Fire Prevention Forester since 2002, and since then his Speakers continued from page 50
Time: 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Moderator: Lefi Tausaga, Douglas County Forest Products, Roseburg
Instructor: Mike Jackson, Douglas Forest Protective Association
This class will meet the requirements for the RT-130 Refresher Course. Upon completion of this course, you will receive a certificate that meets the Oregon Department of Forestry training requirements needed for an Incident Resource Agreement (IRA). This also meets the classroom RT-130 requirements for a Federal VIPR contract. (Note: This course does not include a physical fitness test).
You must be a paid, registered participant of the 2026 OLC to attend this class.
duties have included industrial fire inspections, waivers, smoke management, and industrial fire training.
Seminar 6 – Advanced Driver Education — Risk and Liability
Date: Fri, Feb. 20
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Exhibit Hall, SW Meeting Room
Moderator: Colby Prince, Papé Machinery, Tangent, OR
Instructor: David Gaffney, Fleet Compliance
Manager, Papé Group, Portland
This session focuses on the life-saving impact of effective fleet compliance and driver safety practices and will highlight strategies for reducing roadway conflicts, promoting collision prevention, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Attendees will gain practical tools to help drivers make informed and responsible decisions that not only reduce risk and improve operations but also protect lives on the roadways.
Instructor David Gaffney has over 25 years of experience in motor carrier enforcement and DOT compliance. He serves as the Senior Fleet Compliance Manager for the Papé Group, a position he has held since 2015. In this role, he oversees company-wide Department of Transportation (DOT) Compliance for a fleet of over 3,000 vehicles, predominantly trucks. Gaffney has an extensive background
working with both the California Highway Patrol and the State of Oregon’s Motor Carrier Enforcement Division. His expertise spans regulatory compliance, fleet safety, and operational oversight
Hands on Seminar 2 – Walk Around Truck and Brake Safety Inspection
Date: Fri, Feb. 20
Time: 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Location: General Trailers outside exhibit area
Moderator: Jake Thompson, Thompson Tree Farm, Corvallis
Instructor: Sean Gilhousen, Compliance Specialist II, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) CCD Motor Carrier Safety Enforcement.
This seminar will feature Gilhousen leading the group through an entire truck inspection. This detailed walk-around will allow attendees to learn what an inspection consists of, how different components of equipment are inspected, and why inspections are conducted. The hands-on inspection will be followed by a question-and-answer session where the group can discuss additional details, specifics of Motor Carrier Safety regulations, licensing and registration requirements, and other topics.
Gilhousen has been a safety investigator with ODOT since 2011. Prior to joining ODOT he worked in a law enforcement capacity as a truck inspector for eight years.
A & I DISTRIBUTORS
12350 SW Myslony St, Tualatin, Oregon 97062
503-905-2245 • Fax: 503-905-2248
www.Aidistributors.com
Exhibit Hall 175-177
Outside
AT&T
200 Hawthorne Ave SE Ste A160, Salem, Oregon 97317
503-428-0895
www.att.com
Expo Hall Section 500............................... 505
A1 COUPLING & HOSE
PO Box 2295, Eugene, Oregon 97402
541-485-7133 • Fax: 541-485-3796
www.a1coupling.com
Performance Hall ..................................... 104
2244 Faraday Ave. Ste 241 Carlsbad, California 92008 858-568-7467
www.zamberlanusa.com
Performance Hall 076
ZANFEL LABORATORIES, INC.
1001 Office Park Rd Ste 210 West Des Monines, Iowa 50265 515-267-8099 • Fax: 515-267-8027
www.zanfel.com
Expo Hall Section 600............................... 609
ZENDER EQUIPMENT CO.
PO Box 3184, Ferndale, Washington 98248 360-319-7973 • Fax: 360-933-2026
www.zenderequipment.com
Outside
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Komatsu West Adds All Brands in N. Calif., Nevada
Komatsu company-owned dealers in the Western U.S. (Komatsu West) have added the full lineup of Komatsu Forestry solutions and products to their offerings in Sacramento and Fresno, California, and Reno, Nevada. This includes new product sales, support, service and parts from global forestry leaders including Komatsu, TimberPro, Quadco, Bracke, Log Max and Southstar.
All Komatsu Forestry solutions and allied brands are available at and supported by Komatsu West effective immediately.
Support includes service, parts and repair operations from the entire network of Komatsu West locations throughout California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Wyoming.
Komatsu West also sells, services and rents the full line of Komatsu construction equipment that often serves essential support roles in forestry applications, from bulldozers to excavators and loaders.
In addition to its brick and mortar operations in Sacramento and Fresno, Komatsu West will dedicate “resident” factory-trained technicians, sales and aftermarket support to the Redding, California, market to support forestry operations based in the region.
Tigercat Industries Rebrands Attachments With TCi Badge
Komatsu West representatives will also attend the Sierra-Cascade Logging Conference’s 77th annual Forest Products and Construction Equipment Expo in Anderson, California, February 5-7.
“Northern California is critical in providing high-quality and specialized timber for both domestic and export markets, as well as leading the way in forest management, health and fire mitigation,” said Todd Gaspers, vice president of operations, Komatsu West. “The global strength of Komatsu, matched with premium forestry equipment and solutions, and the regional expertise of our team throughout California and the region will ensure optimal support and performance for our partners who manage the entire forest life cycle.”
As part of its evolving international brand strategy, Tigercat Industries will rebrand its entire line of harvesting heads, felling heads, grapples, mulching heads, and other attachments under the TCi badge. This provides a single brand identity for Tigercat Industries attachments worldwide.
The TCi brand was established to address limitations on the use of the Tigercat brand name in specific markets. The TCi badge indicates that the attachment is engineered and fully supported by Tigercat Industries, and designed to optimize the performance of the Tigercat or TCi carrier to which the attachment is mated.
Customers can expect the same quality, reliability, and durability across the full range of attachments as this is a branding change only. The value proposition remains unchanged. The design intent and warranty coverage remains the same.
TCi branded attachments will transition worldwide, starting in the 2026 model year. Harvesting heads and some felling attachments were scheduled to begin arriving on dealer lots starting in the fourth quarter of 2025.
“The expansion of the Komatsu Forestry family to include Northern California and Nevada represents a larger commitment by Komatsu to be a premier partner and single-source equipment and solutions provider for the entire timber industry throughout California and the Pacific Northwest,” said Doug Morris, vice president of Komatsu Forestry. “Between Komatsu West and an established partner in Modern Machinery in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, timber contractors and forestry support professionals who work throughout the entire region now know they have an end-toend partner – from planting to harvest – in Komatsu Forestry.”
OTR Engineered Solutions Names Torres President, CEO
OTR Engineered Solutions announced the appointment of Oscar Torres as president and chief executive officer, effective January 5.
Torres brings more than 25 years of executive leadership experience in private equity–backed organizations, with deep expertise in the aerospace aftermarket. He spent the majority of his career at Kellstrom Aerospace, a global distributor and technical services provider, where he advanced through senior leadership roles to chief executive officer.
“Oscar’s proven leadership, collaborative approach, and deep industry knowledge make him exceptionally well suited to lead OTR into its next phase of growth,” said Hector Ramirez, Interim president of OTR. “We are excited to welcome him and are confident in the value he will bring to our customers, partners, and stakeholders.”
Torres is a certified public accountant and holds a Bachelor of Accounting degree from Florida International University and an MBA from the University of Miami.
OTR Engineered Solutions is a market-leading global enterprise specializing in off-the-road tire, wheel, and track solutions for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and aftermarkets. OTR differentiates itself by providing value-added services such as warehousing, tire mounting, and sequencing, among other things.
Sierra-Cascade Logging Conference Set Feb. 5-7
The 77th annual Sierra-Cascade Logging Conference, an exposition of logging and construction equipment, will be held Feb. 5-7 at the Shasta District Fairgrounds in Anderson, California.
For more information about the event, including exhibiting or sponsoring, visit the conference website at www.sclcexpo.com or call (530) 222-1290.
The Montana Logging Association will hold its annual membership meeting – and 50th anniversary celebration – May 15-16.
The event will be held at the Copper King Convention Center in Butte, Montana.
For more information visit the association website at www.logging.org or contact the organization.
Washington Association Annual Meeting to Be Held March 27-28
The Washington Contract Loggers Association will hold its annual meeting March 27-28.
The event will be held at the Tulalip Resort Casino in Tulalip, Washington.
For more information or to register, visit the association website at www.loggers.com or contact Tami Au at tami@ loggers.com or (800) 422-0074, ext. 139.
Associated Oregon Loggers Plan Conference, Meeting
Associated Oregon Loggers will hold its South Safety Conference Feb. 7. It will be held at the Seven Feathers Casino Conference Center in Canyonville, Oregon.
Early-bird registration fee is $75 by Jan. 27, $95 after. Register at the association website at www.oregonloggers.org.
An optional free class in Best Practices for Forestry & Fires will be held in the afternoon.
The association’s annual spring board and committee meeting event will be held May 1-2 at Salishan Coastal Lodge in Gleneden, Oregon. The event is open to all members.
CALENDAR
February 5-7
Sierra-Cascade Logging Conference, Anderson, CA 530-222-1290, www.sierracascadeexpo.com
February 19-21
Oregon Logging Conference, Eugene, OR 541-686-9191, www.oregonloggingconference.com
February 23-24
Women in Forest Management Conference, Vancouver, WA 503-226-4562, www.westernforestry.org
February 24-26
Forest Resource Association Fly-In and Fall Meeting, Wash. DC 202-296-3937, www.forestresources.org
March 3-4
Calif. Forestry Assoc. - Forest Strategies and Innovations, Sacramento, CA 916-444-6592, www.calforests.org
March 3-7
ConExpo-Con/Ag Las Vegas, NV 800-867-6060, www.conexpoconagg.com
March 16-18
NAWLA T-100 Conference, Dana Point, CA 800-527-8258, www.nawla.org
March 17-19
IWPA's World of Wood Conv., Colorado Springs, CO 703-820-6696, www.iwpawood.org
March 19-21
Redwood Region Annual Logging Conference & Show, Eureka, CA 707-443-4091, www.rrlc.net
Oregon Brothers Earn FRA Award Honoring Best Logger in the West
DEVELON Loader with Southstar Grapple Processor a Good Fit for Turner Logging
By Tim Cox, Editor
BANKS, Oregon – Put another feather in the cap of Turner Logging, the Oregon company owned and operated by brothers Mark and Greg Turner. The company recently earned recognition from the Forest Resources Association.
Turner Logging is a partnership of two brothers, Mark, 64, and Greg, 61. “Each day can be different,” said the elder Turner, who talked to TimberWest for this article. He usually prepares bids for jobs and does most of the layout. He also operates a cutting machine, moves equipment with the low-boy trailer, and drives the dump truck. He does “a few other things here and there,” including
some paperwork and overseeing the office.
Greg usually runs the loader or anything else as needed, and he is the key operator of the jammer. “He’s very good at throwing it,” said Turner. His brother also does a lot of the company’s mechanic work.
Their sister, Diane, runs the office, although she usually works remotely from home, coming to the office about one day per week. The office is located on Turner’s property near his home in Buxton, which is less than 30 miles northwest of Portland.
The Turners employ three other men
Newest machine for Turner Logging is this Doosan (now DEVELON) 300 log loader with a Southstar grapple processor attachment. Both were purchased from Feenaughty Machinery Company.
as equipment operators; all of them have worked for Turner Logging more than 20 years. If they are running the jammer or yarder, one of the men will act as the hook tender and another as the choker setter.
“We shoot for 25 loads per week,” said Turner, although production can vary. They do a variety of jobs that are quite different.
When Turner talked to TimberWest, they were working on a job of about 260 acres for Stimson Lumber, which bought a timber sale on the Clatsop State Forest. One unit is being clear-cut for final harvest and will produce an estimated 72,000 board feet per acre, said Turner. Another unit will be an extremely small commercial thinning.
“We do a lot of thinning,” said Turner. “That’s kind of our main mode of operation. However, we do everything, clear-cuts as well.” The thinnings on the current job are big enough for long saw logs. “The mills
don’t want short logs. Part of the reason they hire us is because we’re able to produce long logs.”
The terrain varies from flat to extremely steep ground and everything in between. The site is a little over 30 miles from Buxton, in the Northern Oregon Coast Range. “That’s where we do most of our work,” said Turner. The job is mostly Douglas fir but the acreage also contains western hemlock and a small amount of Sitka spruce and alder.
They get paid by the board foot for thinning while trucking is paid by the ton. In northwest Oregon, loggers usually are paid by the board feet or ton, he indicated.
They also do a lot of work for Hampton Lumber and some work for Interfor and Boise Cascade. “There are quite a few mills” in the region, noted Turner. The average haul distance is about 60 miles.
Over the years Turner Logging has been
a relatively small business. However, it had grown to about 20 employees until the Turners decided to downsize a few years ago.
Their father, Bill, started the business in 1959 with a chain saw and “an old, wornout” Cat dozer for skidding. He was one of the first loggers in the region to transition to skidders with wheels in 1963. Their father was a bit unusual in that he had a portable sawmill and used it to cut cants out of the logs, selling the cants to lumber mills with a resaw. He later teamed with another logger and together they worked mainly jobs on private land.
Before joining his father and brother in the business, Turner earned a degree from the Oregon Institute of Technology and worked as an engineer in California.
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Jammer yarding a log where a storm blew down trees around high-end homes in a Portland suburb. The jammer is a modified Hitachi 210, purchased from Papé Machinery, that can double as a yoder.
(continued from page 71)
The brothers took over the business when their father died of cancer in 1995 and expanded it. They began doing thins, working on the Tillamook State Forest, which was replanted and recovered from extensive fires – collectively known as the Tillamook Burn – between 1933-51. They realized they needed to invest in more equipment and added yarders and loaders.
A few years ago they decided to downsize. “We used to run the yarder every day,” explained Turner, but decided to reduce the amount of yarder work. “Profitability was marginal, and finding labor was hard.” Most of the work they perform now is conventional mechanized logging with a minor component of work using the jammer and yarder.
Their newest machine is a Doosan (now DEVELON) 300 log loader with a Southstar grapple processor attachment purchased in 2021, replacing another piece of equipment. “That allowed us to move one machine in to log, process, and load the timber,” noted Turner. They bought the DEVELON and attachment from Feenaughty Machinery Company, which mounted the Southstar on the machine.
DEVELON’s newest 300 model, the
Brothers Mark (left) and Greg (right) Turner, shown with one of the company’s Tigercat 830 leveling harvesters and Waratah attachment.
DX300LL-7, is powered by a 266 hp engine. The high-pressure common rail fuel injected engine teams with the EPOS (Electronic Power Optimizing System) for optimum power and fuel savings. With increased lift capacity, it can easily pick up heavier logs. The fine swing feature minimizes unwanted movement when working with heavy loads, enhancing control and precision. The radiator with reverse fan comes standard and automatically helps prevent debris buildup, keeping the cooling system clean and increasing engine uptime. A standard 8-inch color LCD screen provides helpful maintenance and monitoring information; it displays video from standard rear view and side-mounted cameras for enhanced visibility. The optional side-entry forestry cab is certified for Oregon OSHA standards. It is equipped with standard LED front and rear working lights.
Southstar grapple processors are designed to sort, shovel and load like a grapple and process and measure and cut with all the advantages of a Southstar processor. The attachments enable loggers to utilize one machine for both functions: processing
and loading. Southstar offers three models. Turner Logging has a Southstar QS505, which is designed for an optimum operating size of 18-24-inch timber.
“It’s worked out pretty good,” Turner said of the combination.
They have been doing business with Feenaughty since 1994. They also have purchased equipment from Triad Machinery
LOGGER'S TIP
“Logging is not for the faint of heart.”
Mark Turner
“You've got to put everything into it. You can't be half-hearted about it”
Greg Turner
and Papé Machinery. Over the years they have usually bought new equipment – sometimes used if they found a good deal.
The jammer is a modified Hitachi 210, purchased from Pape, that can double as a yoder. “We’re one of the very few in this part of the country now,” said Turner, with a jammer. Greg can throw it a couple hundred
feet, depending on the terrain.
The jammer is the same type of log loader modified as a tong tosser, Turner noted; the only difference is the jammer tosses a cable and chokers to be attached to the logs, not tongs. “The good thing about the jammer is you don’t need big landings and you don’t need any guy lines,” said Turner.
They have two Tigercat 830 track machines, leveling track harvesters, with Waratah heads for processing work and also a TimberPro 735 leveling track harvester with an old Rollie II fixed processor head that Turner operates, particularly on steep ground. Because the Rollie II is a fixed attachment, he can use it effectively for pushing or pulling the machine around. “It’s a really tough head,” said Turner. They may be upgrading in the future to a Log Max fixed head processor.
They also have a Cat high-track skidder. For cable logging operations they are equipped with an old West Coast yarder and an Acme carriage.
For building and maintaining roads they have a Cat D7G dozer and a John Deere (continued on page 74)
ContractorProfile
(continued from page 73)
6-wheel driver grader, which they also use for plowing snow.
They do a lot of the service work on their equipment, sometimes using the services of a mechanic.
They typically spread the slash on the ground in front of the machines to reduce soil compaction and rutting. For clear-cuts, they pile it for the owner to burn later or to simply let it decay. Occasionally they sell some firewood logs from a sale on private land.
recently retired had been close to 30 years. “We treat our employees like family,” said Turner. “We provide them with good health insurance, good bonuses. If they have issues they know they can always come to us for advice.” The Turners also “preach safety,” he added.
Both men like to hunt – deer and elk – and fish as time allows. Turner also likes to take a mountain hike with his son, John, 21, each summer and camp around a high elevation lake and do some fishing; he and his wife, Claire, used to enjoy dancing quite a bit.
For hauling logs the Turners primarily use Daniel E. Koch Inc. and RJ Stephens Trucking.
Market conditions are steady, said Turner. “But the market is definitely down. Mills are pretty plugged” with wood, and some have curtailed operations. Earlier this summer they were on mill-imposed quotas while working on private land.
“We have very little pulp market left in the area,” he noted.
All the employees have been with the Turners for more than 20 years. Some that
Over the years they have purchased timberland and now own about 250 acres they are managing. They are thinning some of it now, preparing it for final harvest that will help them transition into retirement. “Our goal is to get into retirement…at some point probably just manage our own property.”
The Turners have been active in Associated Oregon Loggers for many years and also in the American Loggers Council. The company also is a member of the Forest Resources Association.
Turner was honored with the 2024
Associated Oregon Loggers Logger of the Year Award. He has been active in AOL for many years and is a past president. He also served more than a decade on the American Loggers Council board, including as president in 2018.
Turner Logging was recognized by the Forest Resources Association with the 2025 Western Region Outstanding Logger Award in September. In his acceptance remarks on behalf of the company, Turner expressed gratitude to Greg, whose partnership made it possible for his brother to dedicate time to serving the American Loggers Council and Associated Oregon Loggers. At the Western Region/Montana Wood Products Association fall meeting in Montana, Turner also accepted a plaque and check for $1,000 from John Deere.
In remarks at the award ceremony, Amanda Sullivan-Astor, AOL forest policy manager, said of Turner, “He recognizes that engaging and speaking out garners the respect and understanding that loggers need to obtain the necessary political and social capital to keep doing vital forestry work across Oregon, the West, and the nation.”
Tigercat 830 with Waratah processing head working in a stand. Turner Logging has two of the Tigercat leveling track harvesters and a TimberPro leveling track harvester.
Washington Logger Operates with Small Business Model
Dutchman Logging also Performs Small Land-Clearing Jobs
By Tim Cox, Editor
KIRKLAND, Washington
– Small can be good when it comes to operating a business, and a small business model suits Tom Marici just fine. Marici, the owner of Dutchman Logging, does both logging and land-clearing jobs. He has a small crew of other loggers.
Marici, 24, grew up in the Puget Sound region of Washington and lives in Kirkland, which is just on the other side of Lake Washington from Seattle, about 11 miles northeast. He started out hand felling for other loggers and has been in business for himself about five years. Marici takes work in western Washington and the Cascades.
“I like working in the woods,” said Marici, “so it seemed like the place to be.”
About half his work is logging and half is land-clearing. Marici actually prefers the land-clearing work and has been doing it since he first started his business. “It’s less susceptible to log market swings,” he noted.
Most of his logging jobs come through independent consulting foresters. “We do jobs by the ton or board foot, but we don’t work for big timber companies.” A typical job might be 100,000-250,000 board feet, mainly Doug fir and red cedar. He prefers to take jobs on relatively flat ground, although his company also works in steep terrain. About half of his logging jobs come through foresters, and the others are privately sourced.
Land-clearing jobs are about 1-5 acres. “I like to stay in that smaller zone,” said Marici.
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Excavator wraps up loading a truck with logs. A DEVELON shovel with a grapple normally is used for shoveling logs or loading trucks.
Tom Marici
(continued from page 76)
“Bigger companies aren’t looking for it.” He clears land for houses, government infrastructure, and road right-of-way, merchandising the wood when possible.
Most felling is done by hand, and the logs are processed by hand with chainsaws – removing the tops, limbs, and bucking them to length. A DEVELON shovel with a grapple normally is used for shoveling logs or loading trucks. A Cat D5 grapple dozer skids logs to the landing. “We can yard on 40 percent slope using that Cat,” said Marici.
The slash is left in the woods or scattered to eventually decompose and return nutrients to the soil. On land-clearing jobs he offers to burn the debris or contracts for grinding services.
He hires trucking contractors for hauling wood – six axle long loggers or seven axle self-loading trucks. Average haul distance ranges from 50-80 miles.
Marici uses the same equipment for clearing land, essentially felling trees by hand and processing them by hand, but may add more excavators. Stumps are extracted with an excavator or the Cat. If regulations prohibit burning debris he will contract for grinding services. Merchantable timber is supplied to markets. “It pays for some of the clearing services,” noted Marici.
During fire season he supplies felling modules – two-man crews that work with chainsaws – to the Oregon Department of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service.
Marici prefers Husqvarna and Stihl chainsaws. “Stihl seems to have a better dealer network in this region,” he added.
Besides word-of-mouth referrals, Marici’s company is on lists of contractors – bidding rosters – used by a builder or government agency to solicit bids for land-clearing work.
Log markets are “moderate to slow,” said Marici.
At the time he talked with TimberWest, Marici was not working. “It’s been a slow fall. We’ve been doing some intermittent, smaller projects.” However, just a few months earlier his crew was busy. “This year we were busy from January until August, then things fell off.”
Back in the spring he had few jobs going at the same time, two men on a job at a time, either felling or working with machines. He usually runs just one job at a time.
The slack time was partly
Most felling is done by hand, and the logs are processed by hand with chainsaws – removing the tops, limbs, and bucking them to length.
self-inflicted, said Marici. “Part of it was because I didn’t bid enough work,” he explained. “I was so busy the first part of the year I didn’t have time to bid on work for the second half of the year.”
He stays in close contact with the men he hires, and if he’s not able to keep them busy, he tries to find them work with someone else.
Nevertheless, sometimes when gearing up for a job, it can be difficult to get men if they have had to work for someone else in the meantime. However, he added, “I’m not going to take a job if I can’t fulfill it.”
“One thing I’m proud to offer is robust administrative services,” said Marici. “I spend a significant amount of time preparing Excel spreadsheets to give my clients an organized statement on their timber and what was shipped,” whether for logging or land-clearing jobs. “It’s something I like to be able to offer to my clients. It helps create good relationships with foresters and private landowners.”
Marici, a member of the Washington Contract Loggers Association and the Washington Contract Firefighters Association, enjoys fly fishing in his free time.
LOGGER'S TIP
“Stay in good communication with your landowners or your clients, and try to minimize your debt.” Tom Marici
Cat D5 grapple dozer skidding logs to a landing. ‘We can yard on 40 percent slope using that Cat,’ says Tom Marici, owner of Dutchman Logging.
T-Mar Industries Develops First Hybrid Grapple Yarder
Supplier
By Paul MacDonald
Hybrid cars and trucks have certainly become more common, but hybrid logging equipment? T-Mar Industries has developed a first: a diesel-electric hybrid grapple yarder that is operating in forests of coastal British Columbia.
“It is the first machine of its type in the world,” said T-Mar vice president Tyson Lambert. T-Mar is the first company to put a hybrid electric power train – or any sort of electric power train – in any type of logging equipment.
The hybrid yarder was developed for Wahkash Contracting, which – like T-Mar – is based in Campbell River on Vancouver Island. Wahkash Contracting, owned by Dorian Uzzell, has performed logging throughout coastal British Columbia for more than 30 years.
Uzzell views the hybrid yarder as both an initiative to be better stewards of the land as well as technology to improve efficiency. The idea was supported by Mosaic Forest Management, which manages the forest planning and operations for TimberWest and Island Timberlands on Vancouver Island. Wahkash does most of its logging for Mosaic, which has fully electric pickup trucks as part of its fleet and has looked into all-electric logging trucks.
The hybrid grapple swing yarder is a refurbished Cypress 7280. Cypress machines, built in the 1980s and 1990s, are robust workhorses. They are the giants of B.C. coastal logging – weighing in at 95 tons and equipped with a 70-foot boom.
The hybrid machine went into service in the second half of 2025. How has it performed?
“It has more torque and pulling power, and speed and precision, than any machine
we’ve ever had,” said Uzzell.
He was not necessarily counting on the new machine to increase production. The improvements will come in efficiency: reduced operating and maintenance costs.
“The functions of a yarder are pretty straightforward,” noted Uzzell. “You can only realistically yard so much wood in a setting. Grapple yarders operate in steep ground with big wood, and they work hard to get the wood out of the pile and land it because you are usually on the side of a mountain.” You can only move timber so fast, given that environment.
However, the potential to substantially reduce operating and maintenance costs is significant, he noted. “Conventional grapple yarders burn 400 litres of fuel a day,” said Uzzell, “and we are looking to reduce that by 50 percent with the new hybrid machine.” The fuel savings alone could amount to $80,000 annually.
The generator sits where the transmission/torque convertor used to be on the machine. The generator is connected to the engine through the pump box assembly.
“This setup allows us to run the engine at any speed we want and generate the voltage we want,” observed Lambert. “So the engine can be throttled up and down and it can still be making power and running loads dynamically. It allows us to run the machine very economically.”
As for maintenance, the thinking is that the electric motors on the hybrid yarder would have a life of 25,000 operating hours versus the 5,000-hour life of clutches and brakes in the older machines. “The electric motors are more expensive, but we still expect this could be a win for us,” said Uzzell.
The technology has another important benefit, he noted. “The process that you are going to use to grab the logs out of the forest is going to be very, very different with the hybrid yarder,” said Uzzell. “We’ve always
Dorian Uzzell, the owner of B.C. logging operation Wahkash Contracting, was an instrumental part of the building of the first diesel-electric hybrid grapple yarder by T-Mar Industries—he’s the customer for the yarder.
used foot and hand controls, essentially using friction and braking, to control where the grapple drops, to grab logs.” It’s a process that takes many hours for equipment operators to become proficient, and experienced operators can be hard to find.
With the hybrid yarder, “That is now going to be controlled by a computer program that directs what your hands are going to do on the controls,” said Uzzell. “It will make the grapple yarder way easier to operate, and it will make it easier to train younger people on the machine.” Uzzell believes that operating a cutting-edge piece of equipment will appeal to younger people and help maintain his crews.
Developing the hybrid yarder was
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SupplierSpotlight
something of a joint venture that you could say began by accident.
Family-owned T-Mar Industries is a long-time supplier to the forest industry. It has been in business for 40 years and manufactures and rebuilds grapple yarders, grapples, and related equipment. The company has customers as far away as New Zealand.
“The idea of doing something hybrid came up in our engineering department a few years ago,” said Lambert, “what with all the electric powertrain parts that were becoming available.”
At its core, the hybrid concept was solid, since a grapple yarder is a regenerative machine — it can utilize regenerative braking to recapture energy that would otherwise be spent keeping the cables tight and convert it into electrical energy to reuse.
“We started out by designing and building a small prototype,” said Lambert, “just to make sure that these types of drives and components would work in a grapple yarder.” The prototype worked very well — better than expected.
Uzzell and some of his staff came to visit the T-Mar shop one day. “We had the prototype set up in the yard,” Lambert recalled, “and we were simulating pulling in logs — and the Wahkash guys went on the controls, and had a go at it.”
“Dorian and the guys were so impressed with what they saw that day that they commissioned us to build a full-scale working hybrid grapple yarder, using the technology.”
Uzzell wanted them to rebuild the Cypress 7270 and convert it to hybrid power. Washkash Contracting has their yarders refurbished every 10-12 years at a cost of about
$1-1.4 million. The budget for the hybrid yarder was $1.3 million,
T-Mar worked on it for two years. They could buy the specialized, high power electrical motors. “Everything else, we had to build ourselves,” said Lambert – designed and built all the electrical, the drive, the cabling, and components.
Both Wahkash Contracting and Mosaic Forest Products were supportive of the
project, and it also received some federal government funding. “You roll all of that together, and all of this really made the project possible,” explained Lambert. “We could not have done this on our own without everyone who has been part of it, helping along the way. A lot of people and organizations wanted us to succeed at this, and we are very grateful for their support.”
The new T-Mar Industries diesel-electric hybrid grapple yarder working for Wahkash Contracting on Vancouver Island, in B.C.
NEW PRODUCTS
Tigercat Introduces New 5185B Fixed Felling Saw
Tigercat Industries has released the first 5185B fixed felling saw. The new head is branded TCi. Updates and enhancements are targeted at further improving the performance and productivity in large timber falling applications.
The key improvement is the new Tigercat 750RP saw unit with a full 240 degree bar feed angle, enabling single-side back cuts. This greatly reduces machine travel when felling large trees, increasing overall productivity, reducing potential tree damage, minimizing ground disturbance, and improving fuel efficiency. In addition, cutting capabilities have been increased by enlarging the saw box to fit a longer, 45-inch bar.
The Tigercat 750RP saw unit is an evolution of the proven Tigercat 750, incorporating a ring-and-pinion hydraulic drive instead of the external cylinder while retaining other proven service parts. The new Tigercatprogrammed carrier saw control gains saw home and saw position sensors, proportional bar feed, and electronic saw motor control. The result is enhanced overall productivity with from-the-seat tuning, on-display feedback, and operator-selectable saw functions to tailor performance.
The top horn can be equipped with different styles of interchangeable grip plates to customize for different applications and seasons.
For more information, visit www.tigercat.com.
Brass Knuckle Offers Protective Readers
Brass Knuckle’s protective readers help prevent the hazardous practice of switching back and forth between regular safety glasses
and reading glasses on the job. A revised standard recognizes the need for protective readers that offer magnification for the wearer. Brass Knuckle® meets this need with its Read work-grade protection eyewear. They’re less bulky and more comfortable than over-the-glasses (OTG) protective eyewear with a durable polycarbonate frame that provides extra side protection. Brass Knuckle Read is great-fitting, cost-effective, super-light protection available in five diopter strengths: 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0.
The clear lenses are ANSI-rated hardcoated polycarbonate with BK-Anti-FOG, which lasts a full two minutes and is permanently bonded to the lens. It will not wear off or wash off, and retains its anti-scratch, anti-static, and UV protection properties.
For more information, visit www.brassknuckleprotection.com.
KEITH CleenSweep® System Improves Trailer Cleanout
KEITH Manufacturing Co. introduced the CleenSweep System — an automated solution designed to improve trailer cleanout, safety and turnaround time for bulk handling operations.
The CleenSweep system automates the entire cleanout process, replacing manual tarps, leaf blowers and brooms. By keeping operators out of the trailer, it significantly reduces the risk of falls, sprains and other workplace injuries that typically occur during manual cleanout. The system helps crews stay productive while maintaining a safer working environment.
Powered by the same hydraulic system that drives the KEITH Walking Floor system, the CleenSweep winch is engineered to adapt to a wide range of trailer configurations. During unloading, the tarp travels smoothly along the inside of the trailer, sweeping residual material toward the discharge point for consistent, thorough cleanout. Once the load is discharged, operators simply retract and reset the tarp at the push of a button, saving time and supporting faster route cycles.
commodities, wood shavings, soil, compost, and manure, working seamlessly with the KEITH Walking Floor system to reduce cross-contamination between loads.
For more information, please visit KeithWalkingFloor.com.
Woodland Mills Says New Chippers Are Well Received
Almost a year after expanding its patented twin flywheel technology into four new wood chipper models, Woodland Mills reports strong adoption and performance from customers worldwide.
These new models expanded the technology beyond the original TF810 PRO wood chipper, bringing the design to smaller PTO-driven units and, for the first time, to a gas-powered chipper. Together, they’ve opened up a new category in the wood chipper market by making this exclusive technology accessible to a wider range of tractor owners and non-tractor users alike.
Customer adoption has been strong, with steady demand since market introduction and positive reviews. The addition of gravity-assist infeed and the new gas-powered option have expanded access, giving customers smoother operation, greater mobility, and pricing options that fit a wider range of needs.
The CleenSweep system performs especially well with materials such as agricultural
Woodland Mills introduced its patented twin flywheel technology in 2023 with the TF810 PRO, a PTO-driven wood chipper with an 8-inch chipping capacity. The system separates the chipping and throwing functions with two specialized flywheels, resulting in more efficient material processing and improved output. Twin Flywheel Technology features a high-torque chipping flywheel for processing larger materials while a secondary flywheel spinning at twice the speed ensures faster and farther material discharge. The increased air velocity also helps keep lightweight and leafy materials in the chip stream.
The company offers a range of models with capacity to handle materials from 3 to 8 inches in diameter and compatibility with tractor horsepower ratings from 15 to 100-plus.
For more information, visit www. woodlandmills.com.
Built tank-tough to make light
For decades, Woodsman Pro has been revolutionizing tree harvesting with innovative technology designed to maximize productivity. Whether you’re processing or felling trees, the Woodsman Pro range combines speed, strength, and cutting-edge proprietary technology to make the
Harvesting heads
Proven design and reliability, our harvesting heads can withstand the toughest conditions with superior log processing capability.
Felling heads
Designed for high production felling, shovel logging and grapple operations on any terrain, our felling heads promote speed and efficiency.
