July 27, 2006

LANSING – In a move that will help Michigan’s loggers, the Michigan Forest Finance Authority (MFFA) on Wednesday approved the first project of its $26 million 21st Century Jobs Fund allocation. The project is aimed at accelerating the harvest of red pine in Michigan.

The MFFA approved a request for $1.9 million to be spent over a three-year period by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to market the timber and replant trees in the harvested areas. The investment is expected to bring in approximately $14 million to the Forest Development Fund which is used by the DNR for forest management operations.
 
“This announcement today marks the first in what will surely be a series of projects funded by the Forest Finance Authority,” said Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. “Projects like these will help grow Michigan’s timber industry, employ our loggers and timbermen, and ensure a healthy and sustainable forest management system in Michigan.”

The request will fund new foresters in the DNR to work solely on evaluating the state’s red pine stands, many of which were planted under an extensive planting program by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s and by the state in the 1950s and 1960s. The foresters will evaluate and recommend stands to be harvested and which stands should remain. Once approved, the foresters will prepare the timber for harvest and develop replanting plans to ensure a new generation of healthy trees in the harvested areas.
 
“The logging community is definitely struggling,” said MFFA member Warren Suchovsky, co-owner of Suchovsky Logging in Menominee County. “This project will make a difference to those loggers who have been impacted by recent mill closures in Michigan.”
 
DNR forestry officials said the project will accelerate the marketing of red pine by 2,300 to 2,800 acres each year over a three year period.

“There is a significant market demand now for red pine for structural timber. Last year’s hurricanes in the southern U.S. have pushed up demand as those areas are being rebuilt,” said DNR Director Rebecca Humphries. “The red pine in our state is mature to the point where harvest is critical so that we get the best value on the market. This project will help us harvest trees that were planted by the CCC during the Great Depression – a project that provided jobs to many young men. Today, those same trees will be put to use, in some instances, to rebuild a part of our country nearly 70 years later.”

The MFFA Board of Directors, appointed by Granholm, is responsible for implementing a system of forest management, financing forest management operations, issuing bonds or notes, and contracting for timber cutting rights. It oversees a $26 million fund as a part of the 21st Century Jobs Fund and is charged with investing in projects that will create jobs and spur economic development in Michigan.

The DNR is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural resources for current and future generations.