CLICK to download a pdf of this article

Loggers Gather at Redwood Region Logging Conference in Ukiah

The very latest in logging equipment was on display at the 78th Annual Redwood Region Logging Conference (RRLC), held in Ukiah, California. The three-day gathering also included on-site visits from more than 1,200 students, logging sports events, historic logging equipment displays, chainsaw carving, and a chance to socialize with old friends.

This year the theme was “Redwood in Our Past, Redwood Today, Redwood in Our Future.”

Keynote Speaker

The keynote speaker was Jim Hourdequin, managing director of the Lyme Timber Company based in New Hampshire. In December 2015, the Lyme Forest Fund IV LP acquired almost 112,000 acres of forestland in the Fort Bragg area, which had been owned by Hawthorne Timber Company.

“We intend to keep this timberland as a working forest,” Hourdequin said. “We believe the Redwood Region has a bright future, [and] we are looking forward to what lies ahead.”

Education

Education is a key focus of the RRLC, and the opening day is dedicated to giving elementary students a firsthand look at the logging industry. Students were able to view state-of-the art logging equipment, watch a live wildlife show, and interact with representatives of the logging industry to learn about how advanced today’s industry is.

2016 RRLC President Zachary Jones said, “By educating youth through the conference and through the RRLC’s scholarship program that helps both high school and college students wishing to pursue a career in natural resources, we are ensuring that the redwood we have today will still be a viable resource in the future.”

Through the educational arm of RRLC, 13 college scholarships were presented. “Many of us, myself included, are former [RRLC] scholarship recipients,” Jones said. “It really does make a difference.”

Awards

Each year RRLC names an Achievement Award winner and a Shining Star Award winner.

The 2016 Achievement Award winner is Mike Anderson of Fort Bragg-based Anderson Logging. Mike has worked in the timber industry his entire life, starting with working for his father Don Anderson and Don’s business partner Bud Eastman. Mike Anderson has served as a California Board of Forestry board member, chairman of the California Forestry Association, and president of the Associated California Loggers. Anderson said he believes the logging industry is at a critical point. He noted that the regulatory cost of logging in California is about 10 times what it is in Oregon and Washington. He expressed his hope that landowners and loggers can work together rather than against each other.

2016 Redwood Region Logging Conf. Achievement award winner Mike Anderson of Anderson Logging (pictured right) received his award from RRLC President Zachary Jones.

Gia Carrozzi of True Cut Custom Milling in McKinleyville, California, was presented with the Shining Star Award. Carozzi’s thriving custom milling business produces high-end products generated from high-end timbers and slabs. Carrozzi is a member of the Operating Engineers Union (in fact, she was the first female member in 1986) and served for a number of years on the RRLC Board of Directors.