WVFA eNews Weekly

The Mountain State Forest Festival is one of the largest and oldest festivals in West Virginia with 75,000+ visitors each year. Every year, WVFA continues to promote the beauty and splendor of our mountains and valleys in all their autumn glory while also promoting sustainable development, conservation and culture of our abundant natural resources for the future at this event.

This year, at the festival ending Saturday, we were joined at the Forest and Wood exhibits by Armstrong Flooring, USDA, WV Wildlife Center, David Rice Woodcarvings, Forest Service, WV Division of Forestry, WV Christmas Tree Growers Association, WV Woodland Owners Association, Glenville State College Forestry Program, the American Chestnut Foundation, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, WV Tree Farm Program, Project Learning Tree and the WV Loggers Council.

The festival affords West Virginia the opportunity to share information about the important role our state's natural resources play in our economic development. Rich in tradition, the Festival also plays a major role in the economy and offers something for everyone to enjoy, such as, headline concerts and music shows, lumberjack competition, forestry & wood exhibits, juried art show, photography exhibit, quilt show, arts and crafts, amusement rides, parades and the Royal Coronation of Queen Silvia.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/wvf-nwl/articles/?aid=342138&issueID=41988 to view the full article online.

By Wayne Ocker, Service Tech Rep, Caterpillar Forest Products - via ALC

The extreme cold conditions of winter present special challenges to loggers and their equipment. Following certain maintenance steps and operating procedures in severe cold temperatures will go a long way to help protect your equipment and keep it running productively.

Winter can be the busiest season for some loggers. Frozen ground enables them to get into some areas with equipment, and they are trying to produce as much wood as possible. Maintenance takes on even greater importance for cold weather operations because the harsh temperatures and conditions make everything more difficult. At a time when the logger is busiest, winter may make it tougher to get parts, to access a remote machine, and to perform repairs.

As the weather begins to turn colder, it is time to get your equipment ready to run smoothly in the winter months. The following are a few suggestions for proper operating and maintenance procedures.
Prepare your machine for winter. If a pump is approaching the end of its life, for example, consider changing it out before harsh weather.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/wvf-nwl/articles/?aid=342135&issueID=41988 to view the full article online.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA. - Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam announced today that the Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, certified Blackwater River and Tate's Hell State Forests, covering 413,000 acres, through one of the world's most recognized, independent, third-party forest management certification standards, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).

"We are proud of our efforts to ensure that the land and resources entrusted to the Florida Forest Service are managed responsibly and conscientiously. Thanks to certification programs, such as SFI, the public can remain confident that our state forests are managed in line with some of the highest standards in the nation and will remain healthy and productive for generations to come," stated Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/wvf-nwl/articles/?aid=342137&issueID=41988 to view the full article online.

A member of FRA—Jasper Lumber, in northern Alabama—needs to find a producer of southern yellow pine (kiln dried) shavings from anywhere in the states of TN, KY, MO, OH, WV or northern Arkansas. Joey King, my contact at Jasper Lumber, needs to find any southern yellow pine producer in the areas mentioned, with an annual yellow pine lumber production of at least 50 MMBF, who could either sell these shavings to Jasper Lumber or bag them for a customer of Jasper.

It will likely be a challenge for Jasper Lumber to find enough supply (especially from OH and WV), but that is the task. If any of you have members who might be able to help Joey King with his search, please contact Joey (or ask your members to contact him) at 205-385-3140 or joey@jasperlumber.com.

Thanks,

Rick Meyer
Appalachian & Southwide Region Manager
Forest Resources Association

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/wvf-nwl/articles/?aid=342136&issueID=41988 to view the full article online.