Story Archives of 'Logging'

The closing of two major wood processing mills in the North Country has created a challenge for forest managers. How do you sustain healthy acres of growth if there's no place to send your harvested wood? We'll look at that and the effects globalization is having on lumber producers in New Hampshire. We're joined by two guests for this conversation:

Jason Stock is the executive director of the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association.
Will Abbott is the vice president of policy and land management at the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.

Later in the show, we'll talk to resident naturalist Rosemary Conroy about all the frog songs that are filling the New Hampshire air this time of year. It's mating season, and the vernal pools are filled with Peepers, Wood Frogs and many others. Rosemary will help us decipher who's making what noise.

Rosemary waxes philisophical about trees, their many uses, and how we can balance utilizing and preserving trees.

The park is located in Berlin, just up the road from the pulp mill. It celebrates the history and the people of the North Country's logging industry. It's also part of an effort to diversify Berlin's economic base and to make it a torist destination. We get a tour of the NFHP from director Dave Thurlow. Park events and more at www.northernforestheritage.org

The forest products industry and loggers in particular are facing tough times in New Hampshire.The pulp and paper mills in Berlin and Gorham have closed?at least for now. And the future of the states wood fired power plants is less than certain. But the loss of these markets could also spell trouble for the overall health of the state's forests.

Correspondent Rebecca Brown reports from Littleton.

Logging is just about the most dangerous line of work in the U.S. The risk involved in logging affects not just the health of the industry's workforce, but also the sustainability of logging, especially in New Hampshire's North Country. Jim Hourdequin is the Executive Director of the Yankee Forest Safety Network, which was created to make working conditions safer for loggers. He talked with John about the connection between safety and sustainability in the logging industry.