PART TWO: A NATIONAL FORESTRY ORGANIZATION ASKS FOUR QUESTIONS REGARDING– “HOW IS THIS PROGRAM WORKING FOR LOGGING COMPANIES?” Associated California Loggers has alerted its members to “SOPI” extensions being offered by the US Forest Service on certain contracts in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Some of you may have already heard of these…
PART ONE The US Forest Service has announced that timber sales contracts and certain Stewardship Contracts are eligible for up to 2 years of extension, using the Significant Overriding Public Interest (SOPI) provisions of the National Forest Management Act (NFMA.) Guidance letters and additional background information on these extensions are found in the four links…
Starting April 28, 2020, independent contractors are able to file for unemployment through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. https://www.labor.ca.gov/pandemic-unemployment-assistance-pua-program/ The link above will take you to a “Frequently Asked Questions” page for information about the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program — “PUA.” The “PUA” program is part of the “CARES Act” passed…
Associated California Loggers has been receiving and “collecting” various letters and memos created by federal, California state, and local agencies, detailing how government offices and their staffs will be working during the COVID-19 crisis. Some of these documents are about “government telling government what to do,” and some of these documents are about “government telling…
PLEASE NOTE: As our Associated California Loggers members and others seek help with the various federal and state programs providing financial relief from the economic side of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Crisis, we want to direct your attention to the federal and state office holders who, we are told, can help their constituents “cut through the…
COVID-19: GOVERNOR NEWSOM ANNOUNCES NEW WEBSITE AND CALIFORNIA FUNDING PROGRAMS IN ADDITION TO FEDERAL LOAN PROGRAMS. NEW HELP FOR BUSINESSES AND WORKERS DISPLACED BY COVID-19 CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM ANNOUNCED ON APRIL 2, 2020: An executive order to help small businesses, granting a 90-day extension for small businesses to pay the sales tax. The allocation…
COVID-19: CALIFORNIA GUIDANCE DOCUMENT FOR CALIFORNIA-SUPPORTED VEGETATION MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES. HOW TO WORK IN THE WOODS MESSAGE FROM JENNIFER MONTGOMERY, CHAIR OF THE CALIFORNIA FOREST MANAGEMENT TASK FORCE: Please find attached a guidance document for State of California supported Vegetation Management activities. This document is intended to provide clarity for, and guidance to, our partners…
COVID-19: POSSIBLY FORGIVEABLE LOANS AND OTHER FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY COMES AVAILABLE TO KEEP EMPLOYEES PAID AND BUSINESSES RUNNING. LOAN APPS ACCEPTED STARTING APRIL 3 FOR THE CARES ACT AND ITS PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM. THIS WILL BE THE FIRST OF A NUMBER OF “SHARED E-MAILS” FOR ACL MEMBERSHIP TO START LOOKING INTO FEDERAL (AND STATE) MONIES…
GOOD NEWS: DUE TO COVID-19 CLASS CANCELLATIONS, CAL FIRE WILL ALLOW 2019 FIRELINE SAFETY AWARENESS CARDS TO BE USED IN 2020 FOR AN EXTENSION OF ONE YEAR FROM THE DATE OF ISSUE FOR SUPPLIERS AND EQUIPMENT OPERATORS. CAL FIRE has announced that suppliers and/or equipment operators with a 2019 Fireline Safety Awareness Card who are…
UPDATE: BY POPULAR DEMAND – A COPY OF THE LETTER YOU CAN EDIT. DOWNLOADABLE HERE: A SUGGESTED FORM LETTER TEMPLATE TO PROVE THAT YOU ARE ALLOWED TO WORK DURING THE COVID-19 “STAY AT HOME” SHUT DOWN, AS A FOREST PRODUCTS WORKER On March 24, Associated California Loggers sent out the following message below and links:…