Fall 2023 5 “This is an easy one,” Dan shared as we walked towards the fourth tree. He was confident that this one would be straightforward and would not require wedges. After another very precise hinge cut, and before cutting the trigger, Dan pointed up a small hill to establish our path to safety when the tree started falling. I acknowledged him, he made the trigger cut, and as I turned to jog briskly up the hill… FACEPLANT! In moments of true peril, it is said that some see their life flashing before their eyes. As I lay prone, struggling mightily to quickly get back to my feet, there was not sufficient time to enjoy a replay of life’s great adventures. All I could muster: “I hope like hell that thing is falling in the other direction.” As Dan had predicted and engineered, it did. After a series of accurate assessments throughout the day, Dan correctly surmised the remainder of my workday might be better spent “educating” than “doing.” Over lunch we discussed how a logger might transition away from their business. Beyond selling any equipment that the company might own, unlike other business types, loggers do not usually sell their “brand” or an established book of business. We talked about how loggers will strive to ensure that the property will “cut out,” meaning that they will receive value for the timber harvested more than what they bid for the work. It is incredibly speculative. That a property will cut out is never guaranteed. We visited other logging jobs that VFR had performed in the area, and Dan demonstrated the practical differences between the landowners’ objectives at each site. Near the end of the day, Dan introduced me to Weasel, who operates an independent trucking company that hauls wood. We discussed the challenges, large and small, that the industry faces with transportation. All told, VFR produced three loads of logs, four loads of pulpwood, and three loads of chips on that October Monday. After Dan shared that information with me, it got me thinking about statistics. Specifically, the recent survey conducted by Virginia Tech on the sustainability of Virginia’s logging businesses. There are very real-world challenges and consequences portrayed as data in the survey’s findings. It should not be ignored. But when loggers discuss the need for new markets, workforce challenges, growing regulatory burdens, deficiencies within our transportation infrastructure, or rapidly growing costs of equipment purchase and maintenance, understand that all those sentiments are coming from the same place. Actual, honest-to-God, real-life experience. And remember that we cannot do this without them.
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