Klamath Falls' Darrell Jacobs Trucking named Logging Operator of the Year for Eastern Oregon [VIDEO]

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Press release by the Oregon Department of Forestry

SALEM, Ore. – Three Oregon loggers representing northwest, southwest, and eastern Oregon have been chosen as 2020 Operators of the Year. The Oregon Board of Forestry will honor the recipients virtually at its Jan. 6 meeting in Salem. The awardees are:

  • Northwest Oregon – C & C Logging, LLC, based in Kelso, Wash.

  • Southwest Oregon – D & H Logging Company of Coos Bay

  • Eastern Oregon – Darrell Jacobs Trucking, Inc. of Klamath Falls

Regional Forest Practices committees select the forest operators of the year and merit award recipients from among nominees sent in by landowners, Oregon Department of Forestry staff, and others. The award recognizes forest operators who, while harvesting timber or doing other forestry work, protect natural resources at a level that goes above and beyond the requirements of the Oregon Forest Practices Act. That law requires people to manage forests responsibly and protect streams and water quality, protect and enhance habitat, and reduce landslide risks. The law also requires landowners to replant forests after harvesting.

The awards honor operators who consistently meet or exceed Forest Practices Act regulations. Videos about each of the three Operators of the Year can be viewed on the ODF website at https://www.oregon.gov/odf/Working/Pages/default.aspx

Private Forests Division Chief Kyle Abraham said, “Oregonians and people nationwide are counting on forest operators to provide the wood products we all need and use in our daily lives. We also count on them while harvesting to protect the soil and water in those forests as well as habitat for threatened and endangered species. These operators have shown an outstanding ability to do both while meeting landowner objectives. We’re pleased to recognize the leadership they show in exercising extraordinary care and diligence during even the most challenging harvest operations.”

Northwest Oregon

The Operator of the Year for Northwest Oregon is C & C Logging, LLC of Kelso, Wash. The family-owned firm was honored for continually advancing logging in Oregon by developing, testing, and adopting new logging technologies. Examples include using camera-guided carriage grappler systems for bringing logs to landing sites, eliminating the need for on-the-ground personnel to do the dangerous job of hooking cables to the logs. C & C was an early adopter of drones to carry cables to anchor points, eliminating one of the more hazardous and time-consuming tasks loggers have to perform. The firm also protects special environmental sites, such as wetlands, stream buffers, and nesting areas of protected species by having its heavy equipment operators employ precise GIS maps on phones or tablets in their cab so they can identify and maneuver around those locations.

The Northwest Oregon Regional Forest Practices Committee also issued Merit Awards to:

  • J.M. Browning Logging, Inc., of Astoria

  • Greg Johnson Logging of Blodgett

  • Greenup Enterprises, Inc. of Estacada

  • Wayne Stone Logging, Inc. of Sandy

Southwest Oregon

D & H Logging Company of Coos Bay was recognized as Operator of the Year for Southwest Oregon. Run by three siblings who inherited the company from their parents, this firm successfully harvested a unit using a difficult downhill logging method because steep rocky bluffs made the more traditional uphill yarding method too dangerous. Crews did an excellent job minimizing disruption to traffic on the road below the harvest site, and of protecting trees bordering a nearby salmon-bearing stream. They also worked to finish logging before the start of spring nesting season for three different important bird species in the area. The award also recognizes D & H Logging for a history of consistently applying best management practices to safeguard forest resources, even under challenging circumstances.

Recognized with Merit Awards by the Southwest Regional Forest Practices Committee were two other logging firms:

  • Weber Logging & Construction, Inc. of Roseburg

  • Rocky Wardle Excavating of Rogue River

Eastern Oregon

Klamath Falls-based Darrell Jacobs Trucking, Inc., earned the Operator of the Year for Eastern Oregon award for decades of consistently applying best management practices to safeguard forest resources. In particular, the company was recognized for working with multiple small woodland owners on a forest health improvement and fuels reduction project.

The project was in the Copperfield Draw area of Klamath County.

While conducting the operation to thin overcrowded forests, the operator protected the wet and riparian areas, was thoughtful in the operational layout to protect soils, reduced smoke emissions through biomass utilization, enhanced mule deer habitat through forage manipulation, and went above and beyond to engage with landowners, respect their wishes and keep them informed.

Oregon enacted the Forest Practices Act in 1971 as a national model for forest management laws. The law focuses on ensuring responsible forest operations and protecting natural resources in forestland. The Act has been updated many times based on new scientific information and values to create a balanced approach to natural resource management.