24 VIRGINIA FORESTS Telling the Story of Loggers in Virginia CHANGES OVER TIME THE LOGROLL Notes & News for Loggers By Scott Barrett, Ph.D. Extension Specialist – Forest Operations Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation Because of current economic conditions, over 55 percent of logging businesses owners reported they would not encourage their children to go into the logging business, even though 60 percent of owners are descendants of logging families. This has caused some concern over the future logging workforce. Logging and forest products industries have had significant changes over time. Logging businesses have adopted new types of equipment and technology as well as business practices to adapt to changing markets and changing industries. Logging businesses, and the harvesting services they provide, are vital to the forest industry and are also somewhat unique compared to other industries. The details of how logging businesses operate, how they harvest tracts of timber, and how economically sustainable they are has an impact on forest landowners, mills, and others in the forest products supply chain. One way of telling the story of logging businesses and tracking changes over time is by using logger surveys. Who is better to tell us about loggers than the loggers themselves? We have used surveys recently to focus on the economic sustainability of logging businesses in Virginia. A 2023 Virginia logger survey showed us that many businesses have struggled recently. For example, this survey highlighted the economic challenges of logging businesses and showed that only about a third of businesses reported being profitable in the previous year. Only a little over a quarter of businesses had an outlook that their operations were economically sustainable. Because of current economic conditions, over 55 percent of logging businesses owners reported they would not encourage their children to go into the logging business, even though 60 percent of owners are descendants of logging families. This has caused some concern over the future logging workforce. We also have an ongoing, periodic survey of logging businesses in Virginia. This year we will be conducting the fourth comprehensive survey of Virginia logging businesses through the SHARP Logger survey. This survey was first conducted in 2009, and it has been completed in five-year intervals since then. The 2024 survey will allow us to show changes in Virginia logging businesses over a 15-year period from 2009–2024. Each time we conduct that survey we have a series of standard questions that remain the same with one section that changes every time. This year we will be asking
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