The Impact of COVID-19 on Northeast and Appalachian Loggers

Scott, Erika; Hirabayashi, Liane; Graham, Judy; Hansen‐Ruiz, Cristina; Luschen, Kevin; Sorensen, Julie A.

doi:10.1080/1059924x.2022.2068717

Cited by 3 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Furthermore, it was noticeable that the effects of the pandemic on different contractors may vary depending on the characteristics of the workforce. For example, contractors who themselves or whose employees have children might have been more affected than others, which has also been highlighted by Scott et al [26]. Because, in 2021, the number of days that Swedish parents stayed at home taking care of sick children was at a record high.…”

Section: Personnel Absenteeismmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…In some cases, they went even further (e.g., the use of facemasks), but in general, personal hygiene and social distancing were the key measures. Thus, the measures do not differ significantly from what logging contractors in other countries have managed [26]. These types of measures are, in most cases, simple to follow, and they come with little or no economic cost for the contractor.…”

Section: Safety Measuresmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…In addition, there are indications that contractors had different approaches to preventive measures when it comes to reducing the spread of infection. Factors outside the workplace may also have affected the staff's ability to work and thus the logging companies [26]. So when most of the COVID-19-related restrictions in Sweden were lifted in February 2022 [27], it was an opportune time to investigate how Swedish logging contractors had managed to deliver these services, given that a higher than normal absence of personnel during the pandemic could have a noticeable impact on these small businesses.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Logging Contractors in Sweden: A Survey on Personnel Absenteeism, Safety Measures and Economic Impacts

Kronholm

2023

Forests

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Forestry contractors perform the majority of forestry work in Sweden. Many contractors have small financial margins and may therefore be sensitive to disturbances. Recent years have been extraordinary due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the objective of this study was to clarify how Swedish logging contractors were affected by it. In 2022, a survey was sent to 1175 companies registered to perform logging, and finally, the responses of 205 contractors were analyzed. The results show that 32% of the contractors experienced a higher absence of personnel during the pandemic. A correlation between the number of employees and the degree to which the company suffered from personnel absenteeism was identified. The majority of contractors implemented safety measures to reduce the risk of infection, usually concerning personal hygiene and social contacts in the workplace. At the time of the study, 51% of the logging contractors perceived that their financial situation was worse than before the pandemic, with those primarily engaged in logging having been hit harder than those with a more varied range of services. The study concludes that, overall, the contractors seem to have handled the pandemic quite well, but high fuel prices and inflation pose major challenges to their finances.

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Section: Personnel Absenteeismmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Safety Measuresmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Logging Contractors in Sweden: A Survey on Personnel Absenteeism, Safety Measures and Economic Impacts

Kronholm

2023

Forests

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“…Mill issues including low prices and payments, outages and slowdowns, low or strict quotas, procurement problems, and preferential treatment of some logging companies were frequently cited as challenges. Mill quotas, in particular, are a historic complaint for logging businesses throughout the US [7,10,16,18] and have been for many years. These quotas present a market-based cause for underutilized production capacity for logging business crews, indicating that there is an oversupply of available timber within the area.…”

Section: Business Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(3) mill issues (such as quotas and uneven relationships) [15,16]; (4) increases in operating, equipment, and labor costs [17]; and, most recently, (5) the impact of COVID-19 on individual companies and the industry as a whole [18,19]. Understanding how these issues emerge and change over time and the importance and priority placed on them by logging business owners can help us better assess how the health, status, and needs of the logging industry are evolving, and whether educational, policy, or economic interventions have had any effects.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics and Concerns of Logging Businesses in the Southeastern United States: Results from a State-Wide Survey from Alabama

Bowman,

Jeffers,

Naka

2023

Forests

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A mail survey of Alabama logging firms was conducted in collaboration with the Alabama Loggers Council (ALC) in the spring of 2023 to gather data for current and future assessments of the logging industry’s status and challenges. The response rate was 23.02% after two mailings. The average age of the business respondents was 56 and the average age of employees was 48. About 35% of owners expected to exit the industry within five years, with one-third of those reporting that their business would cease to operate. Most owners who plan to continue operating after five years expect to maintain the same production level. The primary challenges facing logging businesses are increasing operating and equipment costs, the lack of labor and truck drivers, and mill issues (including quotas, shutdowns, and slow operations). COVID-19 has had some effects on Alabama logging operations, including reducing production for a majority of businesses.

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Logging Business Challenges in the US South and Lake States

Conrad,

Blinn

2024

Journal of Forestry

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Logging businesses are the critical link between forest management and the forest products industry. Through analysis of data from logging business owner surveys, contacts with trade associations, and personal contacts, six challenges facing logging businesses in the US South and the Lake States were identified: logging business consolidation, demographics and labor availability, changing markets, rising costs, timber transportation, and impacts from COVID-19. The impact of each challenge was summarized using data from peer-reviewed journal articles, trade publications, and federal databases. Although loggers are accustomed to fluctuations in their business environment, overcoming all of these challenges may have a profound impact on the logging sector and thus the wood supply chain. Owners may not be able to address all of these challenges without support from forest industry as well as logging and forestry trade associations who may be positioned to develop programs and advocate for the sector as a whole. Study Implications: A vibrant logging sector is essential to ensure forest management prescriptions are implemented and forest products mills, important economic drivers in rural areas, receive a consistent supply of raw material. In the short term, it is essential for logging business owners and procurement foresters to better understand logging costs and be quicker to negotiate adjustments when costs rise rapidly, as they did during 2020–2023. In the long term, individual logging businesses, forestry and logging trade associations, and forest industry should collaborate to address labor challenges and advocate for any needed policy changes.

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The Impact of COVID-19 on Northeast and Appalachian Loggers

Cited by 3 publications

References 4 publications

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Logging Contractors in Sweden: A Survey on Personnel Absenteeism, Safety Measures and Economic Impacts

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Logging Contractors in Sweden: A Survey on Personnel Absenteeism, Safety Measures and Economic Impacts

Characteristics and Concerns of Logging Businesses in the Southeastern United States: Results from a State-Wide Survey from Alabama

Logging Business Challenges in the US South and Lake States

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