A MESSAGE FROM THE AMERICAN LOGGERS COUNCIL, COMPOSED OF 34 LOGGING STATE ASSOCIATIONS, INCLUDING ASSOCIATED CALIFORNIA LOGGERS:
“As more financial impacts are being felt around the country as both a direct and indirect result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the members of the American Loggers Council have coalesced around a proposal to members of Congress that would provide financial assistance directly to both professional timber harvesting businesses and log trucking businesses.”
“While the US House of Representatives have already passed their version of the next round of stimulus funding, the US Senate has put a hold on future funding until they have a chance to see some of the results of those appropriations that have already gone out. Many logging and trucking businesses have been able to apply for and receive Payroll Protection Program funding as well as bridge loans that are being made available through the Small Business Administration(SBA.)”
“Another program being offered is the Business and Industry CARES Act Program being administered through USDA Rural Development which allows rural businesses to receive working capital loans from lenders at negotiated rates with financial institutions.”
“What the leadership of the American Loggers Council is proposing is a LOW INTEREST LOAN TO BOTH LOGGING AND LOG HAULING BUSINESSES THAT IS BASED ON LOST PRODUCTION OR REVENUE DUE TO LOST MARKETS, CURTAILED PRODUCTION AND OTHER EVENTS RELATED TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC…that would not duplicate those benefits received through the Payroll Protection Program.”
“We have a very short time frame in which to try and push this program into THE NEXT STIMULUS PACKAGE, and with YOUR HELP, we believe that we can make this happen.”
“If we are successful, this will be the FIRST TIME that both logging businesses and log hauling businesses have become available for low interest and PERHAPS FORGIVABLE LOANS that would assure that contractors can have the opportunity to remain in business over the next 12 months and to adjust their operations as markets begin to stabilize.”
“This effort is a great example of what we can accomplish when we are all working together towards a common goal, BUT WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP.”
“We need to contact as many members of Congress across the United States as possible, with loggers from each of their home states making the contact, AND WE HAVE SIMPLIFIED THE PROCESS FOR YOU BY PROVIDING A LINK that will only require that you enter your name and mailing address and HIT THE “SEND” BUTTON to get our request to your U.S. Congressman or Congresswoman, as well as the two U.S. Senators who are representing your state in Washington, DC.”
HERE IS THE LINK:
https://www.amloggers.com/
PLEASE TAKE THE FIVE MINUTES REQUIRED TO HAVE YOUR VOICE HEARD IN WASHINGTON.
“This is truly a joint effort among the 34 States that the American Loggers Council represents and the individual logger members of each of those States, taking the opportunity to keep our industry strong. We are “Loggers Working for Loggers.”