In the August 2017 edition of Southern Stumpin’, Southern Loggin’ Times magazine Managing Editor David Abbott discusses the effects environmentalists have on forestry. Abbott writes, “While listening to Birmingham-based morning radio program “The Rick and Bubba Show” on my way to work one day in late June, the “two sexiest fat men alive” managed to capture my attention. They played excerpts from a speech by Utah State Representative Michael Noel. Speaking at a press conference about the Brian Head Fire in southwest Utah on June 27, Rep. Noel blamed the fire on environmental policies that restrict logging. "When we turned the Forest Service over to the bird and bunny lovers and the tree-huggers and the rock-lickers, we turned our history over," the politician said.”

Southern Loggin’ Times magazine Associate Editor Jay Donnell travels to Pineville, Kentucky to visit J.R. Partin Logging. When Wayland Partin made the transition from mining to logging more than 20 years ago, he knew his life would be different, but not totally unfamiliar. Partin had become accustomed to operating heavy equipment on mining jobs so when he and several other employees were laid off from Arch Coal, Inc. he knew he had to look elsewhere. His father and grandfather had spent many years logging, so Partin looked that way, and bought a used Cat D3 dozer, Stihl 066 chain saw and hired a man to haul timber. Partin’s logging business quickly grew into a formidable operation and though still relatively new to the business, in 2004 Partin was named the Kentucky Logger of the Year by the Kentucky Forest Industries Assn. (KFIA).

Southern Loggin’ Times magazine Associate Editor Jessica Johnson has the opportunity to visit Mills Timber Harvesting, Inc. in Abbeville, Alabama. Robert Mills is a first generation logger who got his start in pulpwood more than 55 years ago with a pick up truck and a chain saw. But, as he says, when you find something you love that can provide a good living for your family, you stick with it. “I went from that,” he says, “to this.” He gestures toward a 2015 John Deere 437D loader being operated by his son, Robert (Teeter), while his other son Homer talks with forester Charles Brasington with Panhandle Forestry about the tract Mills Timber Harvesting, Inc.’s crew is finishing up. Mills is the kind of older logger who has seen it all and done most of it. So now, as son Homer takes more and more control of the logging crew, he is able to relax a bit.

Southern Loggin’ Times magazine Managing Editor David Abbott visits Sheridan, Arkansas’ Crouse Truck Parts & Equipment Company, Inc. The past decade has been one of change and growth for Crouse Truck Parts & Equipment Co., Inc. Located down a winding wooded path off of Highway 167 in Grant County, the repair shop opened for business in 1984, founded by Buddy and Dianne Crouse. It originated as the company shop for Crouse Logging, Buddy’s day job since 1966. He had the shop for handling repairs and maintenance on his own trucks. By the mid ’80s he had started a side business taking on truck/trailer repair jobs for other loggers. He already had two mechanics, so it was a way to make some money back from the shop instead of using it only to support his logging crew. The shop began its evolution into something more soon enough, seizing opportunities as they emerged.

Starting as a small company with a single prototype and no distribution, Tigercat has come a long way since the Canadian corporation was officially incorporated in January of 1992. This year is the silver anniversary of the Brantford, Ontario-based entity. The design of the first prototype machine, known as the 726 drive-to-tree feller-buncher, started in 1991. “We began designing the 726 in the fall of 1991 with a goal to have it completed and ready to exhibit at a live, in-woods show in Quitman, Georgia in April 1992. Although lacking some finishing touches, such as finding a location for the batteries, which we had temporarily secured with bungee cords under the engine, we loaded it on a truck and set out for the southeast USA,” explains Tigercat President Tony Iarocci.

The Arab & The Jew; Woman Comes To Child’s Aid; Classic Comebacks; Shortwood Barge Landing

Southern Loggin’ Times magazine Western Editor Dan Shell takes a look back and provides an update on Louisiana’s Rowland Timber Company. Shell writes, “Developing a “reputation as a specialist” as the headline on page 8 said back in April 1997, Jim Rowland and his company Rowland Timber Co. had worked for years in and around the Louisiana lowlands from his base in Columbia, La. Twenty years ago, SLT was in town to cover Rowland’s wet ground operation that relied heavily on two Rolligon 6x6 RA-30 treelength forwarders—each sporting 10(!) 72 in. tall by 68 in. wide specialized soft ground Rolligon tires. Powered by 250 HP Cat diesels and featuring 60,000 lb. load capacity and load length up to 60 ft., with Funk 8 forward-4 reverse transmission, the Rolligons were “definitely not lacking in power,” Rowland said in a massive understatement.”

As We See It: Safety Or More Railroad Profits?; Exhibitor Interest High For Mid-Atlantic Event; American Loggers Council To Meet In Natchez, Miss.; First Southern Pine CLT Plant Announced; It’s Strike Two Against Canada; Blount Extends Reach Of Carlton Products; Roseburg To Build LVL Mill In SC; Enviva Looks Hard At Danville Site; Wallingford’s Is New Carlton Distributor; Crosby Equipment Is New Barko Dealer; Doosan Adds Dealer In Mississippi; John King Chains Eyes North America; USDA Supporting Longleaf Pines; Hardwood Lumbermen Are Feeling Good; FRA Honors C.K. Greene; Johnson Always Put It In Writing

John Deere L-Series Skidder Upgrade; Peterson New Drum Chipper; Precision Husky Latest Chipper; Barko B-Series Loader Update; New Prentice Feller-Buncher; Logset Euca Harvester Head; Tigercat Offers Track Mulcher; Bandit Compact Beast Grinder; Morbark Wood Hog Horizontal Grinder