“From the Woods” Blog
“From the Woods” Blog
Legistlative Update for Week Ending February 26th
Week Ending February 26, 2021 Click for More on House Bills Click for More on Senate Bills H.88 An act relating to certification of agricultural use for purposes of the use value appraisal program Changes to Current Use under H.88 would provide the…
Combined Heat and Power at Allard Lumber Saves Money, Jobs, and Environment
By Christine McGowan, Forest Products Program Director at Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund When the water pump on Allard Lumber’s boiler went a few years back, Trevor Allard finally had the excuse he needed to begin building the Combined Heat and Power (CHP)…
Legislative Update for Week Ending February 19, 2021
Click for More on House Bills Click for More on Senate Bills Bills of Interest S.52 An act relating to increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025. This bill is in the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs….
Update from the Working Lands Coalition:
Great news for Vermont’s working landscape! Governor Scott has proposed investing $3.6million in the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative for Fiscal Year 2022. Thanks in part to the advocacy of many members of the Working Lands Partnership over the last several years, the…
Greetings Vermonters – From Dept. of Forests, Parks & Rec
We continue to field calls about potential state and federal pandemic economic relief packages and know that many forest businesses are concerned. We are actively monitoring for new relief packages, but currently, there is nothing new to share. The Agency of Commerce…
New Federal Tax Credit for High-Efficiency Wood Heaters
As of January 1, 2021, residential wood heaters (stoves, furnaces, and boilers – all wood fuel types) with at least a 75% efficiency rating are eligible for a 26% Federal tax credit. The tax credit and all the rebates listed below *can* be combined….
Not “Horsing Around”: Brad Johnson and Third Branch Horse Logging
Brad Johnson lives in Northfield, VT and operates Third Branch Horse Logging with business partner Derek O’Toole. Third Branch uses draft horses and some machine use for land management, timber/firewood, and residential tree services around central Vermont. Between the two of them…
Happy New Year
It’s only six days into 2021 but I already feel like I own the hope of a better year ahead. That’s not to say we are out of the woods with Covid – we are not. We are still experiencing rising case…
A Holiday Message from Kathleen
I am in countdown mode …. 7, 6, 5, 4 …. and guardedly optimistic that 2021 will prove to be a better year for us all. I must readily admit that the December holiday season is not one of my favorites, except…
Member Profile – Stonehenge in Vermont: Jock Irons
Active VWA members and Tree Farmers come in all shapes and sizes, just like their woods. For this issue, we peek in on VWA member and Tree Farmer Jock Irons. Jock was born and raised in Bennington, where he stayed until he…
APHIS changes approach to fight emerald ash borer (EAB)
APHIS has been transparent about the challenges associated with controlling the emerald ash borer The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is changing its approach to fight the emerald ash borer (EAB) infestation that has spread…
Wood Curl Packaging Reduces Waste, Supports Healthy Forests and Local Economy
By Christine McGowan, Forest Products Program Director at Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Resourceful Vermonters have long looked to the forest for wood heat, building materials, and furniture, but Jim Lovinsky, owner of Sylvacurl in East Hardwick, may be among the first to…
Maple Landmark, America’s “Local Toy Company,” Rooted in Family, Forest
By Christine McGowan, Forest Products Program Director at Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Mike Rainville, founder and owner of Maple Landmark, landed his first wholesale account at age 15, when a traveling salesman noticed the wooden tic-tac-toe boards Mike had for sale at…
Andrews Community Forest Update
Not much progress has been made over the last couple weeks at Andrews, due to wet weather and wet fall soils. The logger has been able to work a couple dry days and dry areas of the forest but probably will not…
Managing for the Birds at the Catamount Community Forest
by Ethan Tapper, Chittenden County Forester We will be moving forward with some wildlife habitat management work in late December or early January at the Catamount Community Forest in Williston. This will consist of using a “brontosaurus” (a grinder head mounted on…