GET INVOLVED: A group of logging and trucking associations from around the country representing 34 states, including the American Loggers Council (ALC), have launched a campaign to garner attention from Congress, the U.S. Senate and the President to include logging businesses specifically in the next round of COVID-19 relief legislation. While the House has already passed the next round of stimulus funding, the Senate has announced it will wait until results from the last round are available.
This creates an opportunity for loggers, but in a very short timeframe. The leadership of the ALC, with the various state associations, is proposing is a low interest loan to both logging and log hauling businesses for operating expenses that is based on lost production or revenue due to lost markets, curtailed production and other events related to the COVID-19 pandemic that would not duplicate those benefits received through the Payroll Protection Program.
If successful, this will be the first time that both logging businesses and log hauling businesses have become available for low interest and perhaps forgivable loans that would ensure that contractors can have the opportunity to remain in business over the next 12 months and to adjust their operations as markets begin to stabilize.
What you can do to help make it happen: Follow this link to the Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities web site, where you plug in your name and mailing address. From there, the web site will automatically address a pre-written letter of support to your U.S. Congressperson, your state’s two U.S. Senators as well as President Trump.
Link: https://healthyforests.org/action-center/?vvsrc=%2Fcampaigns%2F74737%2Frespond