January 2017 Issue                                                      Vol.1 Issue 7
In this issue: So much to do, so little time...learn tips on how to plan your days attending the 79th Oregon Logging Conference, how to earn the maximum pro logger credits (and Oregon and Washington Forest Practices credits), and enjoys photos from past years at the OLC.  Easy Quick Links to the 2017 OLC program schedule, panel and seminar topics, social events, competitions and other activities can be found on the last page of this newsletter.  CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW!
SEE IT ALL AND DO IT AL L - IN ONE LOCATION!
THE LARGEST LOGGING, TRUCKING,
CONSTRUCTION  AND HEAVY EQUIPMENT EXPO
WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI
Click on Photo Above to View a Video of the Equipment Show

Thank you to all of the dedicated exhibitors who continue to partner with the OLC each year.  You are a huge part of the conference and we very much appreciate your continued support. 

This year as you walk through both the outside and inside exhibits you will find examples of what it takes to keep the logging industry running.  More than 250 exhibitors will gladly talk to all who stop by to visit about their products and services, which range from the 99 cent ear protection to the $750,000+ latest technology in logging, trucking, construction and heavy equipment.

Thank you to all of the sponsors of the Oregon Logging Conference.  Without your continued support, this conference would not be possible. 

The many exhibitors and sponsors are the reasons the OLC is the biggest show west of the Mississippi and with your help we continue to grow.

For a full list of exhibitors and sponsors, click here to view them on the OLC website.
STILL TIME TO REGISTER FOR THE
79TH OREGON LOGGING CONFERENCE
$95 will get you registered for the 79th Oregon Logging Conference, the panels, seminars, social events and much more.  Here's what is included in the registration fee:
  • Wednesday pre-registration meet & greet at the Eugene Hilton.
  • Thursday opening breakfast, meetings and social networking at the well-known OLC Sawdust bowl.
  • Friday breakfast, meetings, break-out seminar sessions, and social networking at the well-known OLC Sawdust bowl.
  • An opportunity to sign-up to compete in the 79th Annual Log Loader Competition.
  • The largest logging equipment show west of the Mississippi with millions of dollars of equipment on display.
  • Attend meetings and earn Pro Logger credits.
CLICK ON LOGO ABOVE TO REGISTER ONLINE OR DOWNLOAD THE REGISTRATION FORM
Ready, Set, Go!
The 79th OLC is packed with timely and important panel and seminars
Thursday Afternoon a seminar titled Better Ideas / New Technology will explore how drones can be used in forestry, diesel laptop diagnostics, an update on tethered logging, timber-navi system and timber- innovation, and smart-device solutions for timber measurement.  This panel discussion will take place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on February 23rd.

Friday Morning, there will be both Oregon and Washington Forest Practices seminars.  The 3-hour Oregon Forest Practices seminar will start at 8:30 a.m. and will focus on tethered logging, safety concerns with tethered logging, an update on new riparian management area rules, industrial fire protection, and an overview of the FERNS website for online notice of operations permits.  The 2-hour Washington Forest Practices seminar also starts at 8:30a.m. and will discuss topics; walking the line: Washington forest practices, and life after RMAP.

Friday Morning, will also include Business Seminar 1 and Hands On Seminar 1.  The title of the Business Seminar is "How to Build a Kick @$% Crew", and the title of the Hands on Seminar is "Log Scaling Basics and Sorting Logs for Export."

Friday Afternoon includes two more Business Seminars, "Loggers for the Future", and "Updates on Steep Slope Logging with a Feller Buncher."  Two more Hands On Seminars are also scheduled, "State of Oregon Fire Prevention and Suppression Requirements for Industrial Operations during Fire Season," and "The evolution of Diesel Exhaust Engines."

A complete list of speakers, their background, and topics they will address is listed on the Oregon Logging Conference website.  Click here to view.
  OREGON LOGGING CONFERENCE FOUNDATION
THURSDAY & FRIDAY MORNING AUCTION
RAISING MONEY FOR COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS

The $27,000 that was raised at the OLC Foundation auction last year provided a financial boost to more than a dozen college students.  These students are the up and coming leaders in the logging and forestry industries.

Join us this year for the OLC Foundation auction be held both Thursday (February 23rd) and Friday (February 24th), starting at 8 a.m., in the Wheeler Pavilion during the opening session breakfasts both days.  Auctioneer will be Jaime Yraguen of Basco Logging Co.  Your generosity this year at the OLC Foundation auction will help further the higher educational pursuits of many young students planning a career in the industry.

The big item on the auction list on Friday, (February 25th) is a popular steep slope 750 felling head, donated by Southstar Equipment.  All proceeds after the reserved bid has been met will be donated to the OLC Foundation Scholarship fund.  The head will be auctioned off at 8 a.m. on Friday, February 24th during the "members" breakfast in the Wheeler Pavilion.  The felling head will be on display at Southstar's inside exhibit area. Click here for more information.  If you can't attend, call the OLC office to make arrangements to place a "proxy" bid - 541.686.9191.

Washington Contract Loggers Association Credit Union is offering 12 months interest free financing to the lucky bidder.  Must be credit approved and you call  Brian Bahs for more information 360.352.5033.  Click here to see full details.

This isn't the only great item available at the OLC Foundation Auction.  You can cast your bid for a $5,000 gift certificate towards purchase of a set of Olofsfors tracks, donated by Ponsse Coburg location, truck seat donated by Pape' Kenworth, a $1.000 gift certificate towards purchase of a set of Michelin pickup tires, donated by Superior Tire service, a pair of truck seats donated by DSU Peterbuilt, front truck tires donated by Farwest Tire Factory and Firestone / Bridgestone, truck seat donated by Tec Equipment and Gold Coast Truck  Repair, and a youth bow and adult bow donated by Radiator Supply House and Bowtech Archery and much more.

Click here to see a complete list of items that will be available at the Oregon Logging Conference Foundation Auction on Thursday and Friday mornings during the 79th OLC.  Remember 100% of the funds raised to to support college scholarships.

As the OLCF is a 501(c)3 charitable organization, all donations and purchases are tax deductible. Proceeds from the auction support scholarships awarded to deserving students to help with college-related costs. These students go on to play vital roles in the future of the logging and forestry industry. 

Oregon Logging Conference Foundation
Scholarship Applications Are Now Available
The Oregon Logging Conference Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2017-2018 college year. The applications must be received in the   OLC Foundation office no later than   April 25th.

The OLC Foundation scholarship program is offered to students who are studying in forestry related areas. 

Applicants must be studying in the following areas:
  • Forest Engineering
  • Forest Management
  • Forest Operations Management
  • Heavy Equipment Maintenance and Welding
  • Resource Management
  • Diesel Mechanics

  • Other forest /timber industry related areas of study
Click here to download the OLC Foundation application and guidelines.
PLAN AHEAD TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE OLC
Download the program schedule (click here) and look it over today.  Highlight the panels and seminars that peak your interest and mark the dates and times.  Then you can plan ahead and get the most out of the many program topics, seminars and social activities that are planned. 

The best of the best will be on display and there are many activities planned...all in one location.  This opportunity comes along just once a year, and this is it! 

Click on the images and logos below to learn more.
CTCT-20161008_155123_0
KEYNOTE SPEAKER MERV GEORGE, JR.
The current reality, and politics on National Forest land are a few of the topics that will be addressed by Merv George Jr., Forest Supervisor of the Six Rivers National Forest in northern California.  George said he will talk about what those gathered want to hear about.  "I feel I am a more effective speaker when I can have a dialogue with the audience," he said.

The Six Rivers National Forest is almost one million acres of land in the California Counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Trinity, and Siskiyou.  It is named for the six major rivers that run within its boundaries the Smith, Klamath, Trinity, Mad, Van Duzen, and Eel.

While National Forest timber sales are not at all what they once were, George said that the Six Rivers National Forest is one of four out of the 18 National Forests in California that met its timber target last year.

Get the scoop of how such an accomplishment happened when George gives his Keynote speech Thursday morning, February 23rd.  He will speak after the Opening Session breakfast.

(Click on Merv George Jr., or Keynote to view his full biography.)
7th Annual Log Loader Competition
Click on Photo Below to Watch Video

SPONSORED ARTICLE
STEEP SLOPE HARVESTING - THE TIME HAS COME
             By Jeff Gardner, Territory Manager, Pape' Machinery Company

Precariously perched. 50% grade. The buzz of a fuller buncher or the rumble of a harvester slicing through the timber in front of you. Steep slope harvesting is an efficient reality due to the advancements in manufacturer technology. There’s no longer a mandatory need for yoders, towers, or men on the ground, although this method of harvesting has always been a mainstay in the industry. Changing the manual labor to mechanized work is alluring for more reasons than one, and even with state-of-the art technology – like a self-leveling cab – safety must be paramount on every work-site.

Changes to Tethered Logging

Oregon OSHA revised its guidelines for the tried-and-true methods of tethered logging in March of last year. Winch-assisted, cable-assisted, and traction-assisted systems allow non-steep slope designed equipment to operate in otherwise unsafe territories. With Oregon’s new requirements, rubber-tired skidders can be operated on grades no higher than 30%; crawler tractors, tracked feller bunchers, tracked excavators, and loaders have a limit of 40%; and equipment that is specifically designed for the steep slope environment can be operated at a 50% grade unless otherwise stated by the manufacturer.  (OSHA guidelines) 

There are a few exceptions to the new ruling. Due to the nature of the advancing steep-slope technology, Oregon OSHA will accord research variances in support of new tools that may reduce forestry hazards such as tree falling and timber transport operations for employees who work on the ground. There are specific requirements for applying for a variance including:
  • Machines using a tethered logging system must be manufactured after
    July, 1 2004
  • The tethered system must be in accordance with the manufacturer specifications
  • Operators must be adequately experienced in using equipment on grades less than 50% before using equipment on slopes greater than 50%.
Operator Comfort

As the industry has become more technologically advanced, changes have been made to the functionality and adaptability of the machines. In traditional feller buncher machines, the cab sits level with the equipment itself, leaving the operator at precarious and rather uncomfortable angles. With the development of self-level feller buncher cabs, operators sit level with the earth no matter the angle of the machine or grade of slope they are on. The results? More stable control capabilities.

Steep Slope Logging Results

Changes made to regulations by Oregon OSHA means tethered logging systems are safer now than ever before. Steep slope logging equipment provides improved productivity and safety – meaning your company is less likely to have unwarranted downtime due to sheer equipment inability or onsite injury.

The geographical nature of the Pacific Northwest makes steep slope harvesting technology mandatory and requires machines and techniques that enable harvesters to gather timber from slopes as steep as 70%. With the right mechanisms and regulations in place, your team can be safer and your company can be more profitable
BLAST FROM THE PAST
Machinery Show Committee at the 1952 Oregon Logging Conference
Left: JJ Foster, Foster Power Saw Co., Eugene; Dean Pape', Pape' Bros., Eugene;
Mel White, Howard-Cooper Corp., Eugene;  GP Pitchford, Pitchford Mack Sales, Eugene; 
Charles Hamilton, Cummins Diesel, Eugene 
Wilfred Laird's fleet of  Sixteen Mack Trucks
Pitchford Mack Sales, Eugene, Oregon
This Issue Sponsored By
PAPE' GROUP
PROUD SPONSOR OF THE
79TH OREGON LOGGING CONFERENCE
The Pape' Group, a holding company for capital equipment dealerships throughout the west, is headquartered in Eugene, OR.

The businesses of The Papé Group provide full dealership support (new/used equipment, rental, parts, service, and finance) for the premier brands of capital equipment used in the construction, agricultural, turf, forestry, trucking, and warehousing/materials handling industries.

The Papé Group businesses include Papé Machinery Inc., Papé Material Handling Inc., Papé Kenworth, Papé Motive Power, Ditch Witch Northwest, and Engineered Products. The operations serve nine western states – from Alaska to California.

The cornerstone of all Papé Group operations since the first dealership was founded in 1938 has been its commitment to providing high quality products backed by consistent, quality customer service wherever and whenever needed…to keep you moving.

For more information about The Papé Group Inc., visit www.pape.com
PUBLISHER / EDITOR / WRITER
Mary Bullwinkel, Freelance
Rikki Wellman, Conference Manager
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