US GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES GUIDELINES: FOREST PRODUCTS WORKERS ARE “ESSENTIAL CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE WORKFORCE AND DO NOT HAVE TO STAY HOME DUE TO COVID-19 SHELTER-IN-PLACE RULES. GOVERNOR NEWSOM APPROVES THIS FOR CALIFORNIA. LOG ON!
The federal government has issued “guidance” and identified 16 “critical infrastructure sectors” whose assets, systems, and networks, whether physical or virtual, are considered so vital to the United States that their incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating effect on security, economic security, public health or safety, or any combination thereof. The “essential critical infrastructure workforce” may continue their work because of the importance of these sectors to the United States’ health and well-being.
In California, Governor Gavin Newsom has acknowledged these 16 sectors and stated that the “essential critical infrastructure workforce” can continue their work in California.
One of the 16 sectors includes within it: “Workers who support the manufacture and distribution of forest products, including, but not limited to timber, paper, and other wood products.”
This would include logging companies, log trucking companies, and log road building companies — as well as mill workers to keep our timber mills and other processing facilities open.
While we will all watch the “day to day changes” that the COVID-19 crisis has created, this is good news for our industry and the workers within it.
“Log on!!”
(BELOW: Links to (1) the Federal Guidance Document and (2) Governor Newsom’s California Executive Order)