News & Events

INSURANCE FOR LOGGERS: Associated Insurance Services launches Axe Insurance Group, offering general liability, commercial auto, equipment and excess liability coverage specially tailored to the needs of the logging and log hauling industry. More HERE

UNION FLAP: California’s rural communities and forestry lobbyists are trying to kill a bill that would mandate pay hikes for loggers working to thin forests and reduce wildfire risks. More HERE

MASS(IVE) TIMBER: New York’s largest mass timber building features components manufactured by Vaagen Timbers of Colville, Washington, and rises six stories. More HERE

FUTURE LOGGERS: Wisconsin has launched a Forest Industry Workforce Recruitment and Development Initiative that will introduce students to careers in forestry starting in elementary school. More HERE

Stay informed! Stay #LoggerStrong!

LOGGING SUPPORTS SCHOOLS: Idaho’s Board of Land Commissioners is distributing $100.3 million to endowment beneficiaries in Fiscal Year 2024. Timberland generated nearly 99% of the total net income from endowment land in Fiscal Year 2022. View Beneficiary Distributions HERE 

ILL-TIMED DISTRACTION: Efforts to define and inventory “old growth and mature forests” on federal lands are undermining treatment of forest land that could reduce catastrophic wildfires, insect infestation and disease. Read more from Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities HERE

CARBON SINK: According to a new USDA Forest Service study, the use of harvested wood products in residential structures will continue to boost carbon storage over the next 50 years. More HERE

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HOUSES ACT: US Sen. Mike Lee is floating a proposal to address the national housing shortage by allowing states to purchase Federal lands for new housing. MORE HERE 

TIMBER DISUNITY: Timber Unity, a group that started as a coalition of farmers, wood industry workers and truck drivers, has become fractured, writes Randy Stapilus/Oregon Capital Chronicle. MORE HERE

CANADIAN CONTROVERSY: Canada aims to launch a trade challenge against the United States over what it called the “unfair” duties Washington is imposing on certain softwood lumber products. MORE HERE

POSTED BRIDGES: ITD’s Commercial Vehicle Services Division has released their lastest list of ‘posted bridges’ that is updated quarterly. View the list HERE

EMERALD ASH BORER: A beetle species described as the most destructive forest pest in the country has officially been spotted for the first time in Oregon. MORE HERE

OSHA’s new Heat Safety Tool app allows workers and supervisors to calculate the heat index for their worksite, and, based on the heat index, displays a risk level to outdoor workers. Then, with a simple “click,” you can get reminders about the protective measures that should be taken at that risk level to protect workers from heat-related illness-reminders about drinking enough fluids, scheduling rest breaks, planning for and knowing what to do in an emergency, adjusting work operations, gradually building up the workload for new workers, training on heat illness signs and symptoms, and monitoring each other for signs and symptoms of heat-related illness. Download at https://www.osha.gov/heat/heat-app

Show your support for active forest management with the Idaho Forest Products Commission’s NEW Thin The Threat sticker!

The brand NEW Thin The Threat sticker is perfect for your car, cooler, water bottle or computer!  Displaying this FREE sticker means you support active management, such as thinning and harvesting diseased trees and dying forests, to prevent catastrophic fire and help our forests be healthier and more fire resilient.

Get yours HERE.

Stay informed! Stay #LoggerStrong!

WORKFORCE TRAINING: Modeled after a successful initiative in Montana, Wisconsin will introduce forestry early in the education process, providing the opportunity for Wisconsin students to learn more about careers in forestry, and expand existing high school forestry education and training programs. More HERE

MARKET NEWS: Just as once soaring lumber prices topple back to earth, Boise Cascade has announced its acquisition of Coastal Plywood Company for $512 million. More HERE 

ESSAY CONTEST: Acuity’s annual Truck Driver Appreciation Contest runs until July 20. More HERE

FUEL TO THE FIRE: Anti-forestry lawsuits affect several projects that would conduct hazardous fuel reduction on at least 209,000 acres of land that’s vulnerable to severe fire. More HERE 

In prior years, the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) heavily relied on social media and its website to share information about wildfires with the public. Now, Idahoans have another way to obtain timely information. They can sign up for text or email alerts about wildfires on land protected by IDL by visiting www.idl.idaho.gov/alerts.

The new alert system supports the Governor’s Leading Idaho initiative to enhance public safety. The system covers all 6.3 million acres in IDL’s 12 forest protective districts.

When a fire under IDL protection exceeds 10 acres in size or threatens structures, IDL typically sends timely updates about the incident to local officials, fire agencies and the media. The new alert system leverages work already undertaken by IDL’s Fire Information Duty Officers by using the agency’s GovDelivery email system to automatically distribute incident updates to a broader list of public subscribers. For this reason, it’s crucial that District Duty Officers reach out to the on-call Fire Information Duty Officer when an incident exceeds ten acres in size, threatens structures, or is likely to generate media or public interest.

When announcing the Wildfire Alert system at a press conference in Coeur d’Alene, Governor Little explained: “Not everyone uses social media, so it is important to provide the public with additional options to stay apprised of wildfires that may affect them. The new Wildfire Alert System allows Idahoans, especially those who live in the wildland urban interface, a new and convenient option for obtaining timely and relevant information about wildfires.”

Idaho state and federal agencies that administer trucking-related requirements will be at six locations through Idaho in the month of August to answer questions and share information.

Who should attend? Commercial motor carriers, farm, logging, agricultural haulers, and anyone involved with the trucking industry are encouraged to attend. You will have an opportunity to ask questions during the presentation and speak one-on-one with agency representatives.

Which agencies will be represented? Idaho Transportation Department, Idaho State Tax Commission, Idaho State Police, and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

What is the cost? There is no cost to attend.

When and where are the seminars? Each session is approximately 2 hours. The locations and times are:

8:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. Tuesday, August 9, ITD District 2 Big Conference Room, 2600 Frontage Road, Lewiston.

8:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. Wednesday, August 10, ITD District 1 EOC Conference Room, 600 W. Prairie, Coeur d’Alene.

8:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. Tuesday, August 16, ITD District 6 Large Conference Room, 206 N. Yellowstone Highway, Rigby.

8:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. Wednesday, August 17, ITD District 5 Annex Large Conference Room, 5151 South 5th Ave., Pocatello.

8:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. Thursday, August 18, Idaho State Police Conference Room, 218 W. Yakima Ave., Jerome.

8:30 a.m. Friday, August 19, Idaho State Police Conference Room, 218 W. Yakima Ave., Jerome.

8:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. Tuesday, August 23, ITD District 3 Mountain Conference Room, 8150 W. Chinden Blvd., Boise.

You are not required to sign up, but if you do and provide an email address, you will receive a reminder one to two business days prior to the session.

Register Now: Seminar Flyer 2022

Stay informed! Stay #LoggerStrong

MARKET NEWS: Lumber prices hit lowest point in 9 months as mortgage demand sinks to levels not seen in 2 decades. Read more HERE

TRIAL BY FIRE: “Tests by fire” aim to show mass timber construction is safe and viable alternative to steel and concrete. Read more HERE

APPRAISING PUBLIC LANDS: Idaho lawmakers have hired a Utah company to appraise federal land in three counties to determine how much tax revenue the land would generate if it was privately owned and subject to property taxes. Read more HERE

FUEL WOES: Loggers concerned increasing gas prices will hit industry hard. Read more HERE

The ALC has been hearing from members about the increased costs of doing business and the challenges faced at bidding tables this spring. This course on Bidding Strategies was just announced and is shared here in case it is of benefit to ALC members. The online webinar is scheduled for 8-9 a.m. June 1.

Description:

Whether your business is bidding for a Government or private sector project, private sector bid, you want your bid to stand out!

In this webinar, we will learn

• Fundamentals of Competitive Bidding
• Price Strategies for Competitive budding
• How to know your customer and your competition
• How to improve the profitability of business won in Competitive Bidding
• How to improve Bid-Win odds

Presented by: Warren Mueller, Business Coach, North Idaho Small Business Development Center

Warren is in his 6th year as an SBDC Business Coach. He spent 25 years in international business development in the defense contracting and specialty chemical industries.

North Idaho Small Business Development Center – North Idaho Small Business Development Center provides one-on-one, professional business coaching that helps small-business owners accelerate their businesses success. We offer the tools, resources, expertise and peace of mind to help you feel confident and supported in taking your business to the next level, no matter where you are in the process. Best of all, our coaching services come at no cost to you because we’re funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the State of Idaho, and North Idaho College all who want to see businesses like yours succeed. https://nisbdc.com/

Hosted by: North Idaho College

Register online at https://business.idahosbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=80420055