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Each year, Maine TREE’s Certified Logging Professionals program honors three loggers for promoting excellence in Maine’s logging profession. The Loggers of the Year are nominated for the award by fellow employees, employers, foresters, and other stakeholders in the forest products industry. The three categories for Outstanding Loggers of the Year are Conventional, Mechanical, and Contractor/Supervisor. As you can well imagine, the nominees all excel in their profession and exceed forest industry standards.
Mechanical Logger of the Year:
Scott Arnold of Chelsea, Maine
Scott Arnold (left) stands with his employee Gary Grenier
Scott began logging in the early 1980s, first with a chainsaw and a skidder, and more recently with a cut-to-length system. According to Scott’s nominator, “he is a professional who works hard to achieve the goals of numerous foresters and landowners.” He goes the extra mile to ensure he understands the overall objectives of a harvest and fine details important to the landowner.
“Every harvest is an improvement, leaving the forest in better condition,” said his nominator. “He leaves trails and waterways protected, carefully following any applicable shoreland zone regulations.” Scott and his employee have an excellent safety record. His work is in high demand by foresters and landowners, and “he is worth waiting for!”
Conventional Logger of the Year:
Danny Weed of Sedgewick, Maine
Safety conscious and hardworking, Danny has carved his niche, proving that making a living as a conventional logger is a true possibility. He is a well-respected member of the mid-coast logging community. He is known for adapting to landowner needs and absorbing the new technologies available to make work safe and efficient.
A landowner supporting Danny’s nomination states, “Danny has been working on our land in Deer Isle for ten years. As we harvested and cleared deadwood fire hazards, he has improved the [forest’s] overall health. The property has gone from nearly impenetrable to a network of chip paths that highlight interesting hardwood specimen trees while providing accessibility for continued forest management. We are delighted to find that our logger is clearly, part tree spirit.”
Contractor/Supervisor Logger of the Year:
Gavin McLain & Kyle Overlock, co-owners of CTL Land Management Services of Washington, Maine
Gavin and Kyle started their business, CTL Land Management, in 1988. Since then, they have built a logging business that features two cut-to-length systems, four trucks, a feller buncher, and 22 employees (including two of their sons). They’ve diversified their business by establishing a sawmill and concentration yard and produce kiln-dried firewood and bridge mats, in addition to harvesting pulpwood and saw timber.
CTL has an excellent safety record and, when harvesting, protects soil and water resources, often utilizing bridge mats. They serve diverse organizations such as Maine Woodland Owners and Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT), which- have sponsored tours of their operations. They’ve worked on several high-profile harvests such as KELT properties in the City of Bath and on Baxter State Park Authority’s property in Harpswell.
According to their nominator, “Gavin is an articulate spokesman for the logging profession [and] always meets the challenge of doing a professional job in the woods. He is always communicating clearly and convincingly with the public about the values of managing land and harvesting trees.”
You can learn more about how Gavin works to meet landowner goals by watching this video produced by Professional Logging Contractors of Maine and Northeast Master Logger.
Thanks to our award sponsors’ generous support, Huber Resources and Conversation Forestry Partners, each Logger of the Year will receive a check for $1,000.00, an engraved plaque, jacket, and the honor of being recognized by their peers in the logging community.
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