FUNDING DONATED TO PROVIDE FREE MARYLAND- DELAWARE MASTER LOGGER TRAINING
Thanks to Loveville Timberworks, LLC
Pictured below- Ethan and Robert Beale
Effective immediately, funds donated by Loveville Timberworks, LLC will be utilized by the MD-DE Master Logger Program to provide core, safety, and best management practices and continuing education courses to residents of Maryland and Delaware at no cost. Recipients are expected to complete and pass all requirements and examinations associated with the training.
The Maryland Forests Association (MFA) and the Maryland- Delaware Master Logger Program (MD-DE Master Logger) are excited to jointly announce this scholarship that will be available until funds are depleted. Beth Hill, Executive Director of MFA states that “These funds are coming at a critical time. Loggers across the state have suffered tremendous hardship over the past several years due to mill closures, and now to COVID-19. Offering free classes will serve to help keep loggers who are already under financial strain professionally trained to continue working safely and effectively to keep our forests healthy.”
The MD-DE Master Logger Program is a voluntary training and education program for loggers who work in Maryland and Delaware. The program helps loggers meet the ever-increasing demands of the logging profession. The courses provide information about current environmental regulations, forestry principles, and safe work practices. Being a MD-DE Master logger also means, loggers are eligible for logging jobs on state property, through state agencies, or for companies certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. To become a MD-DE Master Logger, participants must initially complete four core courses and submit proof of current First Aid and CPR training. To maintain their status, they are to participate in four hours of training per year. Agnes Kedmenecz is the MD-DE Master Logger Program Coordinator. Along with training, she also works to raise public awareness of the benefits of forest management. Agnes feels that this scholarship “is a wonderful gesture and gives loggers and forest managers an opportunity to enhance their harvest strategies knowledge without a financial burden.”
Maryland and Delaware forests are among the most diverse and productive forests on the continent. From the pine flats and cedar-cypress swamps on the Eastern Shore, to the vast oak-hickory forests rolling through the Piedmont and mountains. Residents of these states possess an incredibly resilient and valuable renewable resource. These forests are home to wildlife, filter our water, keep our fertile soil in place, moderate our temperature, and cleanse our air. Our forests provide a healthy continual supply of raw material for some of the finest furniture, lumber, and paper manufacturers in the world. MD- DE Master Loggers are a vital part of the supply chain to the forest products industry. They understand the many functions of our forests and their role as caretaker to ensure sustainability. Harvest plans and practices are followed to help meet the objectives on both private and public lands.
The MD-DE Master Logger Program is endorsed by the Maryland State Implementation Committee of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) program and is administered by the University of Maryland Extension. The Master Logger Steering Committee, a subcommittee of the Maryland Forests Association, offers direction for the program. The owner of Loveville Timberworks, LLC, Robert Beale, is the current chairperson of the Master Logger Steering Committee. He says that he decided to fund the scholarship to ensure loggers in Maryland and Delaware receive training to help promote safety and share best management practices with as many participants as possible.’
If you are interested in becoming a MD-DE Master Logger, classes are available both online and in person. For more information or to register visit-
