Maine loggers to get $12M in federal COVID relief

File photo / Heidi Carter, Northern Maine Community College A study by the University of Maine found that one-third of responding companies said their ability to sell or harvest wood had decreased over the prior five years, although 39% said nothing had changed and 28% felt their ability had increased.

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By Renee Cordes

Some 350 Maine timber harvesting and hauling businesses will split up to $12 million in federal COVID-19 relief funding, according to an announcement Wednesday.

Funding will come from the $200 million Pandemic Assistance to Timber Harvesters and Haulers Program. Commonly referred to as PATHH, the program was created by the Loggers Relief Act, signed into law a year ago.

The $12 million in funding approved for Maine loggers was announced by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine 2nd District.

Last year, the two lawmakers introduced the Loggers Relief Act 2020 to establish an assistance program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture o provide direct payments to loggers seriously affected by the pandemic. Their bill was co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, and U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine 1st District.

Amid pressure from Golden and Collins, the USDA opened the application process for the PATHH program in July.

"Maine’s forest products industry supports good-paying jobs, drives local economies, and strengthens rural communities,” Collins said in Wednesday's announcement “I am pleased that, following our advocacy, this much-needed support is finally being disbursed to Maine family logging and log hauling businesses.”

Golden added, “I’m glad that Maine loggers and log haulers are finally starting to get the relief dollars they applied for to replace revenue lost during the pandemic. Sen. Collins and I worked together to write the legislation to create this program and get the funding signed into law, and I’ll continue to work with the Department of Agriculture to follow through and make sure the program delivers a real benefit to Maine loggers.”

Maine’s loggers contribute significantly to the state’s forest products sector, which is worth an estimated $7.7 billion annually.

The logging industry alone contributed an estimated $619 million to the Maine economy in 2017, supported more than 9,000 jobs directly or indirectly and generated $342 million in labor income, according to the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine.

“In the past two years, Maine's logging industry has faced unprecedented challenges that threatened the survival of hundreds of small family logging and trucking businesses in our rural economy," said Dana Doran, executive director of the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine.

He said without help from the Congressional delegation, "there is no doubt fewer of these businesses would still be operating today. Timber harvesters and haulers for the first time were able to access relief funds designated specifically for their industry rather than being left behind, and we thank Sen. Collins and Congressman Golden for leading the effort to secure those funds.”