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Good Morning from Montpelier,
The PLC has had a busy week at the Vermont Legislature. Here are a few of the bills and legislative proceedings we are involved with on behalf of Vermont loggers and forest truckers:
S. 46, An Act Relating to the Taxation of Vehicles Used for Forestry Operations: This bill would exempt new and used heavy-duty trucks and parts used in forestry operations from purchase and use taxes, lowering costs for loggers and forest truckers in the state and putting them on a more equal footing with those in Maine and New Hampshire where such exemptions already exist. This bill is vital as the cost of trucks has more than doubled in the last decade due in part to the cost of mandatory Tier 4 engines designed to reduce emissions, yet that cost increase is preventing many in the logging industry from upgrading to these lower emissions engines, thus defeating the intent. PLC Executive Director Dana Doran and PLC Members Sam Lincoln and Michaela Kilburn of Vermont testified in favor of this bill before the Senate Committee on Transportation on Tuesday. You may view a video recording of the testimony HERE. My written testimony is available HERE. Sam's testimony is available HERE.
The Attorney General’s Timber Trespass Enforcement Report: During the previous legislative session, the PLC supported H.614, An Act Relating to Land Improvement Fraud and Timber Trespass, which ultimately recommended that the Attorney General (AG) work with stakeholders including the PLC to write this report, which was recently released. On Tuesday, PLC Executive Director Dana Doran and PLC Member Sam Lincoln of Vermont provided opinions and recommendations on the report before the House Agriculture Committee. PLC believes that to improve the image of the industry in Vermont and get landowners to trust that logging contractors are stewards of the forest and not thieves, a coordinated and thoughtful approach to the issue of timber theft and trespass is vital. While this report is a good starting point, it does not provide the depth nor specificity to move forward expecting results. You may view a video recording of the testimony HERE. My written testimony is available HERE. Sam's testimony is available HERE.
Testimony Before the House Committee on Environment regarding Sustainable Forestry: On Wednesday, I testified before the House Committee on Environment regarding Sustainable Forestry. This was an opportunity to provide the loggers' perspective and educate the committee on the PLC's role in educating and advocating for sustainable forestry as well as our investment in verification efforts to ensure that our mission has also been put into practice. Our testimony highlighted the fact that we oversee two third party forest management and timber harvesting certification programs, the Master Logger Certification Program (MLCP) and a group certification program for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the world’s gold standard for forest certification. You may view a video recording of the testimony HERE. My written testimony is available HERE.
*H. 85, An Act Relating to the Taxation of Vehicles Used for Forestry Operations: Rep. Jed Lipsky, a PLC Member, will be introducing H. 85, An Act Relating to the Taxation of Vehicles Used for Forestry Operations in the House Ways and Means Committee on Friday morning.