SFI® Logger Training...It’s Not Just for Loggers!

By Chuck Coup, PA SFI Implementation Committee Program Manager

For almost three decades, the Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee has offered professional training designed to equip loggers throughout the state with the knowledge and skills necessary to safely and sustainably manage our forests while harvesting timber products. The training courses we provide span a variety of subjects, covering everything from practical operational techniques such as chainsaw felling to critical resource management issues like identifying and protecting threatened and endangered species and their habitat. Although primarily aimed at professional loggers, enrollment in these training programs is open to anyone with an interest in the course topic. Last year, we welcomed nearly 650 training participants, including foresters, landowners, fish biologists, engineers, firefighters, office personnel, municipal workers, and trail maintenance volunteers.

For those who wield a chainsaw, whether casually as a forest landowner or firewood cutter, or in a more professional capacity, our “Game of Logging” series is a valuable curriculum. These courses cover the essentials: from chainsaw maintenance and sharpening to the art of tree felling, bucking, and limbing. Divided into four progressive levels, each day-long, hands-on session is guided by instructors with experience teaching both novice operators and seasoned loggers. With a structure that encourages building on the foundation laid in previous levels, participants gain comprehensive insights into the safest and most efficient logging techniques.

Our training program offers several half-day continuing education courses that delve into specific aspects of forest stewardship. “Intro to Reptiles and Amphibians and Their Habitats within PA” helps participants better understand the diverse array of over 70 species of reptiles and amphibians native to Pennsylvania and covers management practices that help sustain them. Similarly, “PA Wildlife Species of Greatest Conservation Need” identifies and provides crucial insights into at-risk wildlife species in our forests and efforts aimed at restoring their populations. Our “Vegetation Management” course focuses on identifying and controlling the most common invasive plant species that threaten the health and vitality of forests across Pennsylvania.

For those considering a timber sale, our “Sustainable Timber Harvesting” workshop can equip them with important considerations and a science-based approach for evaluating the sustainability of a harvest. This comprehensive full-day training includes both classroom instruction and practical, in-woods analysis. The training discusses how Pennsylvania’s forests grow and how various management objectives can be achieved through sustainable timber harvesting practices that emulate natural disturbances.

The Pennsylvania SFI spring training schedule has already started, with courses being offered at locations across the state through the beginning of June. To review course offerings and register, go to www.sfiofpa.org/register.

For more information about the PA SFI® Implementation Committee, visit their website at www.sfiofpa.org or call 888-734-9366.