Helicopter logging

[Burnham]

I had occasion to visit a heli-logging side a while ago...finally got around to downloading the pics I took. Sort of fun to check out.

This is a commercial thinning operation, 55 year old timber. They're flying a Boeing Vertol, 200 foot longline.

 

[Blinky]

Cool!

It's hard to imagine those logs being worth it.

 

[Paul B]

at the cost per hour, the chokermen better have a good pile staged before the chinook gets there...

 

[SoonerFan]

If only I could follow Burnham around for a week.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I'd love to know how much those pilots make!

 

[Blinky]

If only I could follow Burnham around for a week.

I would pay to do that, same with Gerry... well, I would if I had any money.

 

[squisher]

I'm doubtful it's economically feasible on it's own. Is it subsidized Burnham?

 

[CurSedVoyce]

If only I could follow Burnham around for a week.

WORD! And Jerry !

 

[sotc]

I nearly went to work falling for them 10-12 years ago. The value is in getting more wood to the landing faster

 

[Burnham]

I'm doubtful it's economically feasible on it's own. Is it subsidized Burnham?

No, it's not subsidized. If it is going to cost more to harvest a sale than the sale will generate in revenue for a purchaser, no one will bid on such a sale.

The USFS doesn't pay loggers to harvest timber, we sell the right to do so. Revenues support congressionally mandated resource management operations, like reforestation and slash disposal. The rest goes to the general fund, appropriated to support all manner of federal gov't programs, including the FS itself. Back in the days of big timber and getting the cut out over most other resource values, the USFS contributed more income to federal coffers than any other federal agency, save the IRS. That's probably not the case today...I think oil and gas leases have surpassed timber receipts these days.

Willie has it right...the volume comes out at an amazing clip. That's not to say that it's always economically feasible to yard with a helicopter. The value of timber needs to be good, and even then there have to be constraints on access or ground disturbance that make less expensive options untenable. It's almost always a last option, and will cut into the bottom line to some degree.

 

[stehansen]

I assumed that the real value to a thinning operation is making the timber that is left more valuable.

 

[Burnham]

That's the case in pre-commercial thinning, Steve. We pay to have that done, purely an investment in the stand's future value. But commercial thins have to stand on their own, economically. It's true that thinning does improve the stand for the next extraction entry, but we cannot calculate that value in the appraisal that determines if a potential sale will be deficit or not.

 

[stehansen]

Gotcha.

 

[squisher]

I've heard heli-logging is defunct up here now. Not viable, that's why I was wondering.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Some of the logging contracts here, people bid on those even if they are going to end up with little profit, or even in the red. The amount you can get for timber is way down, lots of former competitors have dropped out of the game. I asked one company owner who has given me free reign to work for him whenever I want (seldom do), why he bids on some of the jobs. He tells me that it at least keeps his boys active, and getting contracts puts you better in line to get more rewarding ones that do come up in the future. Some complexities in how it all works, but I guess that there is logic to that. I also know that he borrows money fairly regularly to keep his operation going. It must be a new phenomenon, intentionally working in the red.

 

[Newfie]

A lot of guys are just pushing timber to make the iron payments,

 

[brendonv]

That's sweet Burnham!

 

[thattreeguy]

thanks for posting the pics b
columbia is gonna fly soon here accross the river from me in nanning creek, steep ground big redwoods
youll see them hop back and forth with their turns all day
it appears to be about 2 minutes 3 at the most between loads
sometimes theyve got 2 birds flying

i was a part time guard at night for them, sitting on a pad just above scotia, 100 bucks for a 6 till 6 shift
id take my pit bull ..slare
she could hear anything up there at night, so i could catch a couple z's if i was wavering
and id set my lil kitchen timer for 15 mins and get up and go take a lap and log it
one of my home girls was doing it out in yauger creek as well, she got the day shifts though,
she loved all the attention of the lonely fly boys

a guy died on the slope over here 2 weeks ago, a deck gave way and put a log accross him

last week a guy got crushed by a log that slipped out of a choker on a yarder crew

dangerous stuff

but so much better than a desk job

 

[MasterBlaster]

but so much better than a desk job

I dunno. I think I could suffer through sitting at a desk and interviewing potential Hooter's gals all day.

 

[Old Monkey]

Logging is subsidized in that those who log do not pay anything near the replacement cost for the timber. It just depends on which economic theory you buy into.

 

[sotc]

Silly view imo. To subscribe to that theory, crushed granite would be to cost prohibitive to use!

 

[Bermy]

If only I could follow Burnham around for a week.

That's what I'm saying!!!

 

[woodworkingboy]

I'd want to follow Burnham around too, but probably only during work hours.

 

[thattreeguy]

I dunno. I think I could suffer through sitting at a desk and interviewing potential Hooter's gals all day.

wouldnt that be nice,