Team Hancock launched a new campaign earlier this year highlighting the current state of the logging industry. In a four part video series, New England loggers participated in interviews with Hancock Lumber, describing the concerns and opportunities experienced in the field. Beginning with the 2020 mill explosion in Jay, the videos then travel throughout Maine and New Hampshire chatting with log suppliers around the following topics:
- Generations of loggers and logging families
- Health and management of our state’s forests
- The communities that were built on logging routes
Hancock Lumber hosted the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry at their Home Office in Casco to discuss how important logging is to the economy. There are opportunities to preserve this centuries-old industry. Using wood heat is a proven, scalable, and existing way of utilizing the by-products that are left.
Some of the information and statistics shared and discussed during the visit included:
- FORESTRY HAS BEEN A PILLAR OF MAINE’S ECONOMY SINCE IT WAS ESTABLISHED AS A STATE IN 1840. WE HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE, KNOWLEDGE, AND NATURAL RESOURCE TO KEEP IT AS A PILLAR FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
- 65% OF EACH TREE HARVESTED IS LOW GRADE WOOD THAT GOES TO THE PULP OR BIO MASS MARKET.
- 4 MILLION OF LOW GRADE LUMBER PRODUCTS HAVE LOST MARKETS DUE TO THE CLOSING OF PAPER MILLS SINCE 2010. TWO MILLION TONS OF THIS VOLUME WERE DISPLACED IN 2020 WITH THE JAY MILL EXPLOSION.
- 55 MILLION GALLONS OF OIL COULD BE REPLACED BY CONVERTING 130 LARGE FACILITIES FROM OIL HEAT TO MODERN WOOD HEAT WOULD CREATE A MARKET FOR ALL 4 MILLION TONS OF DISPLACED LOW GRADE PRODUCT.
- $1.5 MILLION DOLLARS ARE SAVED ANNUALLY AT COLBY COLLEGE SINCE THEIR CONVERSION FROM OIL TO MODERN WOOD HEATING. IN ADDITION TO REDUCED HEATING COSTS, THE COLLEGE WAS ABLE TO REPLACE ONE MILLION GALLONS OF OIL WITH 22,000 TONS OF WOOD CHIPS ANNUALLY!
- AS OF 2017, MAINE”S ECONOMIC BENEFIT FROM WOOD HEAT WAS $20.6 MILLION ANNUALLY. 100% OF THE MONEY FROM THIS LOCAL, NATURAL RESOURCE STAYS IN MAINE WHEN WOOD PRODUCTS ARE USED FOR HEAT. ADDITIONALLY, A GENERATIONAL PROFESSION AND INDUSTRY REMAINS STRONG. WHAT STAYS IN MAINE WHEN WE USE FOSSIL FUELS FOR HEAT?
