BABINEAU LOGGING, INC.: 2008 NATIONAL OUTSTANDING LOGGER

RELEASE: April 18, 2008

CONTACT: Neil Ward (301/838-9385)
nward@forestresources.org

Rockville, MD – The Forest Resources Association honored David and Kurt Babineau, owners of West Enfield, Maine’s Babineau Logging, Inc., as the 2008 National Outstanding Logger at its April 13 Annual Awards Luncheon in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. FRA Chairman Jim Brody presented them with a special plaque and congratulated David, Kurt, and their crews on behalf of the FRA Board.

Kent Hall of Stihl also congratulated the two and presented them with a $1,000 check.

Kurt Babineau thanked Brody and FRA for the Award, commenting, “This is a tremendous honor for us. Our being here today is not only due to our effort. We have a lot of people backing us up.” He praised the support of their wives, their crews, and American Forest Management’s Allen LeBrun: “He’s just the kind of guy you want to give 110% to.”

Since 1995, David and Kurt Babineau have used cut-to-length harvesting equipment and are known widely as one of the premier contractors in Maine.

Babineau Logging often hosts the Maine TREE Foundation’s summer teacher’s tours and is a favorite place for American Forest Management’s clients and investors to visit during woods tours.

Why? They are American Forest Management’s “go-to” contractor for harvesting in environmentally sensitive sites, such as riparian zones, deeryards, and aesthetically important areas. Carefully selecting and handling each harvested tree results in accurate tree selection, optimal utilization, and minimal residual damage. Products are sorted three times: when the tree is processed, when the forwarder piles the logs at roadside, and when trucks are loaded—resulting in nearly flawless merchandising.

To boost harvesting efficiency, three operators will either run one shift on the processor and two shifts on the forwarder or two shifts on the processor and one shift on the forwarder each day as needed. Trucking is handled by custom-built center-mounted loader trucks using lightweight components and equipped with on-board scales, which allow for hauling the maximum legal load.

Safety is also a top priority for Babineau Logging. Due to its effective safety program, the company has never experienced a serious injury.

FRA has honored 18 National Outstanding Loggers since establishing the national award in 1990. Recent National Outstanding Loggers include Ken and Lynetta Griner of Florida (2003), John and Nipper Bunn of Georgia (2004), Mitchell and Wanda Presley of Alabama (2005), Adrian Bishop, of South Carolina (2006), and Tommy Barnes and David Cox, of Edgemoor, South Carolina last year. Nominees for this year’s award passed through state-level recognition to regional award programs administered through FRA’s Regional Division structure. A jury of 25 national-level leaders in forestry and conservation selected the winner.

The other nominees for this year’s National award were:

Johnny and Michelle Kynard, Kynard Logging, Inc., Greensboro, Alabama
Henry Schienebeck, Schienebeck Renewable Resource Management, Butternut, Wisconsin
Josephy Seckinger, Seckinger Forest Products, Hampton, South Carolina
Shawn Sexton, Sexton’s Excavating, Jackson, Ohio.

The Outstanding Logger program is designed:

1. to recognize outstanding logging contractor performance;

2. to raise the visibility of competent, professional independent logging contractors in the forestry community;

3. to encourage other independent logging contractors to emulate the outstanding performance of the award winners; and

4. to improve forester-logger relations by publicly recognizing outstanding logging performance as an essential element of every planned timber harvest.

The Forest Resources Association Inc. is a nonprofit trade association concerned with the safe, efficient, and sustainable harvest of forest products and their transport from woods to mill. FRA represents wood consumers, independent logging contractors, and wood dealers, as well as businesses providing products and services to the forest resource-based industries.

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Photo captions:
(1) “FRA Chairman Jim Brody (left) congratulates David (center) and Kurt Babineau, FRA’s National Outstanding Loggers for 2008.”

(2) “David (left) and Kurt Babineau, FRA’s National Outstanding Loggers for 2008.”