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Logging businesses in Georgia and Florida combine to harvest approximately 66 million tons of timber annually, more than 10% of the US total. Since 1987, the University of Georgia has surveyed Georgia logging business owners every 5 years. Florida logging businesses were included in 2022 to gain a better understanding of logging businesses in the region. During the first quarter of 2022, questionnaires were mailed to 503 and 132 logging businesses in Georgia and Florida, respectively. Adjusted response rates were 22% in Georgia and 25% in Florida. Logging businesses produced an average of 1,956 and 2,619 tons per week in Georgia and Florida, respectively. The median owner age was approximately 56 years in Georgia and 58 years in Florida. Nearly 40% of owners were over 60 years old in both states. More than 30% of loggers in both states expected to leave the industry within 5 years. The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on logging businesses, with over 80% of logging business owners reporting reduced production, employees becoming infected, and/or difficulty finding employees. Logging business owners identified fuel, labor, trucking, and insurance as their greatest challenges in 2022. Study Implications : Rising costs, turbulent markets, and shortages of labor are stressing many logging businesses. In the short term, adjustments to logging rates are needed to respond to increased input costs. In the long term, individual logging businesses, loggers' associations, and the forest industry should collaborate to increase the pool of qualified labor, address trucking and insurance challenges, and create succession plans for logging business owners that plan to leave the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Female forest landowners (FFLO) are increasing in numbers but have been marginalized in technical training programs in the past. We conducted chainsaw safety training programs geared towards FFLO and compared program evaluation results with results from male-dominated chainsaw training workshops. FFLO are limited in their technical knowledge at the beginning of a workshop, are more likely to own different types of chainsaws than male participants, and generally liked having a women- only workshop. The takeaway is that FFLO strive in a womenonly environment and that more women- focused extension training programs are needed to provide with a safe and inclusive learning environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial thinning (CT) is an important silvicultural practice in the northeastern United States. Relatively little is known, however, about the interaction of harvest system and treatment (removal intensity or timing of entry) on the overall profitability of CT. To address this question, 10-year measurements from a controlled CT experiment across six sites in Maine were used to project the long-term effect of removal intensity (33% and 50% relative density reduction) and timing of entry (no delay, 5-year delay, 10-year delay) on (i) maximum net present value (NPV), (ii) timing of maximum NPV, and (iii) the effect of three harvesting systems (cut-to-length, whole-tree, hybrid systems) on maximum NPV. A regional growth and yield model was used to project individual-tree growth and mortality into the future. Harvest costs for the harvesting systems were estimated using regional cycle-time equations. No difference was found in maximum NPV between the CT and non-CT areas or the timing of CT entry. Stand age at time of maximum NPV differed between delays but not between the two removal intensities. Our results indicate that there is no economic benefit in delaying a CT or removing more volume at the time of thinning for the range of stand conditions evaluated. Key words: commercial thinning, New England, net present value, harvesting system, spruce and fir. L'eclaircie commerciale (EC) est une pratique sylvicole importante dans le nord-est des Etats-Unis. Toutefois, on connait relativement peu l'effet de l'interaction entre le systeme de recolte et le traitement (l'intensite de recolte ou le calendrier d'application) sur la rentabilite globale de l'EC. Dans le but d'etudier cette question, des mesures prises dans un dispositif controle d'EC vieux de 10 ans et etabli dans six stations du Maine ont ete utilisees pour projeter l'effet a long terme de l'intensite de recolte (33 et 50 % de reduction de la densite relative) et de la periode d'application (pas de delai, delai de 5 ans, delai de 10 ans) sur (i) la valeur actualisee nette (VAN) maximale, (ii) le moment ou la VAN maximale est atteinte et (iii) l'effet de trois systemes de recolte (bois tronconne, arbre entier et systeme hybride) sur la VAN maximale. Un modele regional de croissance et de production a ete utilise pour projeter la croissance et la mortalite des arbres individuels dans le futur. Les couts relies aux systemes de recolte ont ete estimes a l'aide d'equations regionales pour la duree totale du cycle. Il n'y avait pas de difference de VAN maximale entre les superficies eclaircies ou non ni entre les periodes d'application de l'EC. L'age des peuplements au moment ou la VAN maximale est atteinte etait different selon le delai d'application, mais pas selon l'intensite de recolte. Nos resultats indiquent que pour la gamme de conditions de peuplements qui ont ete evaluees, il n'y a pas d'avantage economique a retarder une EC, ni a prelever plus de volume lors de l'eclaircie. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: eclaircie commerciale, Nouvelle-Angleterre, valeur actualisee nette, systeme de recolte, epinette et sapin., Introduction The management of forests for timber production generally includes a series of treatments aimed at improving stand growth and yield. Herbicide application, precommercial thinning (PCT), and commercial thinning (CT) [...]

Timber harvesting operations are increasingly used to restore sensitive habitats such as longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) ecosystems. However, logging companies are often functionally limited by operational costs and site-specific productivity potential. By employing a time study, this project quantified the cost and productivity of a two-person logging crew using conventional equipment in a South Carolina southern pine timber harvest used to restore a longleaf pine savanna ecosystem. Our study found that the feller-buncher, grapple skidder, and knuckle-boom loader produced, on average, 60.7, 23.6, and 45.2 tonnes per Productive Machine Hour (PMH), respectively. When the knuckle-boom loader was exclusively loading log trucks, productivity increased to 48.4 tonnes per PMH. Additionally, a machine rate analysis found that the total cost for each machine was 108.83 USD, 122.92 USD, and 121.25 USD per PMH, respectively, with a total per tonne cost of cutting, skidding, and loading amounting to 9.68 USD. Our findings indicate that restoration harvesting conducted in this manner under similar environmental conditions and price points may remain profitable for both landowners and logging companies. Moreover, the limitations of operating with a two-person crew resulted in minimal negative effects for both profitability and productivity, making it a viable option for similar restoration operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently found in less than 3% of its pre-European range, Pinus palustris (Longleaf Pine) ecosystems are increasingly important for forest-restoration initiatives in the southeastern US. Compared to other areas of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, sites in the Carolina Sandhills often have higher restoration potentials for Longleaf Pine habitat. Distinct sandhill ecology and prevailing biological legacies make Longleaf Pines competitive in this region. Spatial investigations into potential restoration sites are essential preliminary steps to optimize resource allocation for large-scale restoration objectives. This study aimed to illustrate the applicability of various modeling techniques while providing a framework for restoration-parcel identification and selection. We developed multiple weighted spatial multi-criteria decision models to identify Longleaf Pine-restoration sites in the South Carolina Sandhills Wiregrass Gap, an ecologically distinct and understudied region of Longleaf Pine occupancy. Using advanced spatial modeling and analysis tools, we developed a classification system that combined and weighted vegetation cover, land use, and soil property raster data. The models are designed to identify potential sites for restoration, which will ultimately improve resource allocation during the project planning process. We found significant (P < 0.001) spatial clustering of large parcels and 94.7–98.3% pixel similarity between predictive models. An ensemble model, developed by averaging the pixel values of each predictive model, found that Longleaf Pine-restoration potential was highest in large rural parcels primarily east of Kershaw County. Large-parcel clustering and ecological input factors applied to a decision-making model in this study provide a precedent for systematically allocating resources to improve and increase forest restoration and management in South Carolina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]