The Logger
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The Master Logger Millionaire
Anita Simmons, a forester
with New Page, got a message from a logger one evening who was worried that he
might not be able to get
enough quota in the next few
weeks.
That evening when Anita returned the call, she found out
that the logger, Darvin Moon,
was between poker games in
Las Vegas: poker games that
eventually led to second place
in the World Series of Poker
(WSOP) and a $5.2 million
prize.
An Active Master Logger
since 1996, Moon plans to
keep working in the woods,
though you may see him rolling in to the job site in a new
Corvette customized with his
final hand, the queen and jack
Marlene Karas/Washington Post
of diamonds. Moon has been
playing Texas Hold ’Em for
just three years, mostly charity events with friends at local
fire halls with $30 buy-ins. On
a whim, Moon entered the
WSOP satellite event at a
casino in West Virginia and
won first prize.
More interested in poker
than money, Moon gave up
the $10,000 prize in exchange
for a place at the WSOP main
event. He quickly rose to the
top, beating out almost 6,500
others. He was also the only
player at the final table of 9
to refuse all endorsement
offers, no matter how lucrative.
Down to earth and practical,
Moon is now back at home
and working in the woods,
but is not quite as worried
about quota.
Do You Have the CE credits you need?
Active MD/DE Master Loggers are required to acquire 8
continuing education (CE)
credits every two years to
maintain their active status.
Do you have the credits you
need? Check the space above
your address on this newsletter to find out.
If you still have a few to catch
up on, there are many ways
to get up to speed. Three of
the four core courses are
available for CE credits and
can be taken online or on CD
-ROM. Each of these is
worth 4 credits.
Live or recorded webinars
are another easy way to get
credits. Visit www
.forestrywebinars.net and
www.dnr.cornell.edu/ext/
forestconnect/ and find a
topic that interests you. Most
should qualify for one hour of
credit. Training videos avail-
Equal Access Programs
able at www.forestryvideos
.net are also eligible for
credit.
Participation in any programs
or activities related to logging
and natural resources is eligible for credits. Remember
that you are always responsible for submitting records.
Dedication to continued
learning is one of the things
that will make you among the
best in your field!
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Planning for Good Business
Excellent business management practices are
necessary to stay afloat in
these tough times. One
component of a well-run
logging company is a business plan.
The planning process
makes you decide what
your goals are and how
you will reach them. It will
also help you get to know
the weaknesses of your
business, which you can
then work on improving.
Your plan should have five
parts: 1) a description of
the business, 2) a plan for
marketing and pricing
your products, 3) a plan
for managing your finances, 4) a plan for general management and operation, and 5) a summary.
Involve your bookkeeper,
accountant, attorney, in-
surance agent, the business owner, and the employees in the planning
process to make sure that
all of your bases are covered.
Learn about other pieces
of good management on
April 10, 9 am - 1 pm in
Salisbury. Save the date
now, and look for a postcard with more details as
the date gets closer.
Self-Tightening Chains
“This fairly simple
modification can
keep your chains
tight and secure.”
Last winter, Augie Redoutey made a few modifications to his Rottne SMV
forwarder wheels and
double diamond tire
chains, with the goal of
never needing to tighten
the chains and, even better, making the tires automatically tighten the
chains as they roll.
First, he put his chains on
each wheel in the
same position as always. Then he
welded four steel
rings on the inside of
each wheel rim at an
equal distance apart.
Using clevises, he
attached each end of
a separate section of
chain (approximately
two feet) from the steel
THE
LOGGER
ring out to the tire chain
that was already in place,
such that the new sections
of chain were at a right
angle to the point of attachment on the tire
chain. Next, he just began
to work the machine and
allow the tires to roll
across the terrain. The
movement of the tires
slipping inside the chains
caused the sections of
new chain to move to a
45-degree angle until the
chains could no longer
slide, allowing a tightened
fit that will not loosen up
until one of the clevises is
removed.
chain section (the actual
amount of chain needed
will vary from machine
to machine): $32.
 32 clevises: $6.00 per
clevis (half-inch): $192.
 16 steel rings (4 per
wheel): $2.00 per link
(5/8-inch): $32
 Total: $256
This fairly simple modification can keep your chains
tight and secure.
The approximate parts
costs follow:
 16 sections of (half-
inch) chain: $2.00 per
Forest Resources Association
Technical Release 09-R-27
www.forestresources.org
VOLUME
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ISSUE
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American Chestnuts on the Rise
Recent plantings of the nearly
extinct American chestnut
tree–once a beloved and key
species in the eastern U.S.–
have thrived during their first
growing season in national
forests. Researchers say this is
the first time hundreds of
blight-resistant American
chestnut trees are successfully
growing in North Carolina,
Tennessee and Virginia. The
young trees are being moni-
tored in real forest conditions
by a variety of organizations.
This new variety was developed using traditional crossbreeding techniques, which
involves a cross with the resistant Chinese chestnut.
Other researchers are testing
methods of genetic modification for blight resistance.
The American Chestnut tree
was wiped out by a fungus
blight that was accidentally
brought to America in a Japanese Chestnut tree. This happened in 1904. By the 1930s,
there were an estimated 4
billion standing dead American
Chestnut trees.
Although it will be many years
before any American chestnuts are harvested for timber,
both of these methods hold
promise for a new generation
of an old giant.
cooperativeconservation.org
“This new variety
was developed
using traditional
cross-breeding
techniques.”
Think Before You Move Firewood
Ash trees are a valuable resource for the
nursery, landscaping,
and timber industries
in Maryland. The
emerald ash borer,
an exotic invasive
pest that is responsible for the death of
more than 25 million ash
trees, threatens these resources.
wood of any species may be
removed from the quarantine
area.
Due to the presence of this
pest, there is a quarantine on
all of Prince George’s and
Charles Counties, according
to federal protocols. No ash
products or hardwood fire-
Firewood is the easiest way
for the bug to travel to new
areas. Sell and burn firewood
only in the county in which it
was cut and do your part to
slow down this powerful pest.
Business Management for Women
Annie’s Project works to empower farm women to manage information used in critical
decision making processes and
to build local networks
throughout the state. The
target audience is farm
women with a passion for
business and involvement in
the farm operation, but most
of the principles also apply to
logging businesses.
9 locations throughout
MD and DE, beginning in
January.
Eight weekly three-hour
courses cover the following:
Risk Management – Production, Market, Financial, Legal
Risk, and Human Resources.
The $50 registration fee,
due by January 8, covers
the meals and materials for all eight
courses. Contact Jenny Rhodes for
more information or to register at jrhodes@umd.edu or 410-758-0166.
The program will be offered in
3
MD/DE Master Logger Program
Nevin Dawson
Program Coordinator
Wye Research and Education Center
PO Box 169
Queenstown, MD 21658
Phone: 410-827-8056, ext. 125
Fax: 410-827-9039
E-mail: ndawson@umd.edu
md-demasterlogger.com
THE LOGGER is the official publication of the MD/DE Master Logger Program, Master Logger Steering Committee (MLSC), and the Maryland SFISIC.
CALENDAR
Jan 4
General Forestry Course open enrollment, paper and online versions available, $300, Nancy Stewart: 410827-8056 or nstewar1@umd.edu. www.mdforest.umd.edu
Jan 14
Community Deer Management Options, Online, 12-1 pm, FREE, Pam Thomas: 301-432-2767 or
pthomas@umd.edu.
Jan 20
Forest Certification and Impacts for Small Private Forest Landowners, Online, 12-1 pm, FREE,
www.forestrywebinars.net.
Jan 30
Hardwood Bucking Workshop, Cumberland, MD, 8:30 am - 4 pm, $35, Carol Taylor: 410-827-8056 or
carolt@umd.edu
Feb 27
Forest Management Workshop, tentative, Waldorf, MD, 8:30 - 12:30 pm, Craig Highfield: 410-267-5723 or
Chighfie@chesapeakebay.net.
Mar 10
Landowner Workshop, Snow Hill, MD, 9 am - 3 pm, price TBD, Katherine Munson: 410-632-5651 or
kmunson@co.worcester.md.us.
Mar 27
ML Core: Threatened & Endangered Species/Logger Activism, Queenstown and Online, 9 am - 1 pm,
$30, Carol Taylor: 410-827-8056 or carolt@umd.edu.
Jun 12
ML Core: OSHA Regulations & Logger Safety, Queenstown and Online, 9 am - 1 pm, $30, Carol Taylor:
410-827-8056 or carolt@umd.edu.
Attendees at all listed events are eligible for ML CE credit hours equal to the length of the program.