DATE:
Thursday, January 4, 2024
TIME:
5:30 - 6:15 PM - Social “Hour”
6:15 – 7:00 PM – Buffet Dinner
7:00 – 8:00 PM – Forum Speaker and Discussion
LOCATION:
Jeff’s Catering -15 Littlefield Way, Brewer, Maine
COST:
$25 for Members and $35 for Non-Members - Payable at the door.
Payment via cash, check or credit card.
REGISTRATION:
Pre-registration is requested to assure an accurate head count for meals.
Please e-mail Eric Kingsley, ekingsley@forestresources.org by Tuesday, January 2, 2024 (Today!)
TOPICS:
Electricity Markets 101 (And Why They Matter for the Forest Industry)
How electricity markets work is a great mystery to most people, but they matter to the forest products industry in so many ways. Whether it is the viability of biomass markets, the competitiveness of forest products manufacturers, or compatible / competing land uses like wind and solar, the markets for electricity have significant impact on our professional and personal lives. Join us as Eric Kingsley of Innovative Natural Resource Solutions LLC provides an Electricity Markets 101, and explains how electricity pricing is set, and what that can mean for our industry. (If you have questions you hope to have answered, please email them with your reservation and they may work their way into the presentation).
Domestic Trade Grant
Kingsley will also briefly review Maine’s Domestic Trade Grant program, detailed at last month’s FRA Forest Forum. The first round has closed, but a new round is expected in early 2024 and provides an opportunity for forest industries to get funding for marketing, trade shows, and other efforts to expand domestic sales.
DATE:
January 9, 2024 - January 11, 2024
LOCATION:
Augusta Civic Center
The State of Maine Agricultural Trades Show is an important gathering for Maine agriculture. The annual event features exhibits, conference sessions, and the Listening Post, which offers daily meet and greets at 9 AM, 12PM, and 2 PM, and free business advising appointments. The show opens to the public daily at 9 AM. There is no admission fee - some sessions may require pre-registration and course fees.
View schedules, maps, participant directory, and subscribe to show news
NOTE: The Forestry Forum will be on Wednesday, January 10, 2024. A day of information and community building for Maine woodland owners and forest stewards.
CONTACT NAME:
Anne Trenholm
CONTACT PHONE:
(207) 287-7620
CONTACT EMAIL:
acfagtradesshow@maine.gov
COST:
Free Admission
Awards Program
Through our annual awards program, NELA strives to recognize significant achievement in eleven categories. A maximum of one award will be given in each category. There may be circumstances when no awards are given in a category or categories. A plaque will be awarded in each of the categories.
To be eligible for one of those awards, or to make a nomination, the person or organization need not be a member of the Northeastern Loggers’ Association. An individual can nominate themselves or their organization, or it may be done by an outside party. The nominee must reside or conduct business in the Northeast and Lake States. Awards are presented each year at the Loggers’ Banquet held just prior to the Northeastern Forest Products Equipment Exposition. Look for the call for nominations in The Northern Logger and Timber Processor.
More information is available at https://www.northernlogger.com/awards/.
Submitting a Nomination
Nominations must be received by January 31, 2024. You can also get your nomination started over the phone, so feel free to call at (315) 369-3078 with any questions.
Award Categories:
Outstanding Logging Operator
Outstanding Sawmill Operator
Outstanding Industry Advocate
Outstanding Wood Manufacturer
Outstanding Service to the Forest Industry
Outstanding Management of Resources
Outstanding Leadership in Industry
Outstanding forest products trucking operator
Outstanding Contributions to Forest Industry Education
Outstanding Use of Wood
Outstanding Contribution to Safety
North Maine Woods Inc. Industrial Road Safety Committee Chair Randy Lagasse presenting the 2023 Safe Trucker of the Year Award to Jeff Jandreau of Fort Kent, Jonathan Haley JD Irving forester on right.
North Maine Woods (NMW) is comprised of 3.5 million acres of commercial forestland and waterways - a place where people and nature meet, and men and women make their living. A handful of private and industrial owners make up the 3.5 million acres and are committed to keeping this landscape a working forest with safety in mind.
The NMW Industrial Road Safety Committee, made up of landowner representatives, has taken a proactive role by training and educating road users in keeping main haul roads safe for all users. The committee meets regularly to address safety issues and concerns. Back in 2022, the committee decided that a Safe Trucker of the Year Award should be given annually to a driver who shows excellence in practice.
Recognizing truckers who consider safety a top priority in their job of delivering products from the field to the mills sets a great example of what the committee represents. By nomination, the committee is proud to award Jeff Jandreau with the 2023 Safe Trucker of the Year Award. Along with this honor, Jeff is receiving a plaque as well as a monetary award donated by forest landowners and managers.
Jeff Jandreau of Fort Kent has made his living in the North Maine Woods as a trucker for 44 years with a penchant for everyone to come home safe. The committee hopes this award can show all road users that truckers are looking out for everyone’s safety whether it be a coworker or an outdoor recreationalist enjoying the great North Maine Woods.
On receiving the call about the award, Jeff exclaimed, "I am honored to have earned the respect of those who nominated me. I am of the age where there are many who are also so deserving of this! The first truck I drove was when I was right out of Fort Kent High School. It was an International Paystar 5000 off road. I was 17 years old. My current office is a 2020 Western Star for Northland Services owned by Shawn Lovely." And he said, "It’s a working forest [North Maine Woods] that we share with the public. We all work toward the same goal of arriving home to our families each night. What we do is not for the lighthearted. It’s keeping your eyes and head always focused on everything all around you, including securing your load, driving, and making sure the truck that you are operating is mechanically safe. As we make our way to the mills, we are calling out mile markers, stating our locations and listening to our radios to know where the recreational vehicles are located. Safety all around is the primary goal for the trucking industry in the NMW. "
Thank you and congratulations Jeff!
~ Courtesy posting for Randy Lagasse, Northern Maine District Forester, Maine Forest Service
|
