U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has outlined his vision for the nation’s forests by calling for a new direction of conservation, management and restoration. “Our nation’s forestlands, both public and private, are environmental and economic assets that are in critical need of restoration and conservation,” said Vilsack.

With its acquisition of the Pope & Talbot sawmill here in 2008, Neiman Enterprises has the Black Hills region of South Dakota and Wyoming strategically covered with mills positioned almost equal distances apart at the southern and northern ends of the area and in the middle. Adding the mill and its production roughly doubled Neiman’s output of ponderosa pine to almost 200MMBF.

Business is picking up at PJ Lumber Co., a hardwood lumber exporting and reman operation based north of Mobile. Certainly it’s not what it has been, but it’s better than it was. This magazine last visited PJ Lumber five years ago, and the company then was moving along steadily and profitably. It had completed construction of an 85,000 sq. ft. warehouse and realized another double digit increase in sales volume.

The South Carolina Forestry Commission, Columbia, SC, has received a $1.74 million grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Program to restore longleaf pine in the state. The Longleaf Pine Restoration Initiative will create jobs for equipment operators, tree planters, herbicide applicators, GIS specialists, foresters and forest technicians. The initiative will, through increased funding for prescribed burning, reduce the risk of wildfires.

I read your article in the May issue about Huey Long (Opening Faces, “Huey Goes West”). It is obvious from the content of the article that you don’t really know Huey personally; you have never worked for him either. I have worked for The Pacific Lumber Company, which is now Humboldt Redwood Company, for nearly 32 years as a saw filer. When Charles Hurwitz bought the company it was the beginning of the end for The Pacific Lumber Company.

The Brunette electric log sweeps are an environmentally friendly, highly efficient electric log kicker. The electric log kicker eliminates the need for costly hydraulic or inefficient pneumatic kickers. Electrically driven with a shaft mounted gear motor, there are no more hydraulic leaks and expensive cylinder repairs. The electric log sweep has programmable operating speeds and utilizes a reciprocating crank shaft for a low impact sweeping motion.