Of course, not everyone was enthusiastic. "Loggers as a group tend not to want to join an organization," says Mike Kelley '73 of Milan, N.H., owner of Kel-Log, Inc. "They tend to be independent characters, and skeptical as to whether there would be any benefits." Sometimes the resistance got noisy. "A few even shouted at us, pointing their fingers and accusing us of interfering," remembers UNH Cooperative Extension's Sarah Smith '78, '89G, a forest industry specialist and a moving force behind the THC.

Despite some resistance, the idea of a professional organization ultimately met with success. One of the group's most significant accomplishments is its voluntary Professional Loggers Program. Participants who complete a series of four workshops, offered at different locations throughout the state, receive a certificate at the annual awards dinner.

Quigley and Smith, along with the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association, worked with the council to develop the workshops, which cover such topics as productive felling, fundamentals of forestry, first aid and CPR, and timber harvesting law. "I don't care how knowledgeable someone is, there's always something new to learn, always good information to pick up in these workshops," says Kelley, whose entire 45-person staff has been certified.

Jeff Putnam '85 has taught the safe and productive felling workshop dozens of times. "What we're really doing," says the logger from Alstead, N.H., "is facilitating. We're demonstrating techniques and modifications developed by loggers themselves."

Putnam's workshops often require a deft touch, though. "Most loggers learned their trade from their dads," he says, "and you don't mess with that connection. They come in already knowing what they're doing. I've heard some pretty gruff comments from guys who feel they're just sitting there because they have to. But some come up at the end of the day -- or it might be a year later -- and say, 'You know, I tried that technique and I liked it. It really worked.' That's the highest praise you could want."

Today, after seven years, the council and its certification program have an established reputation. More than 800 of the state's 1,400 loggers have completed the certification program. Safety training has sparked a decline in injuries and fatalities, which, in turn, has reduced insurance costs. Loggers have a greater regard for aesthetics and environmentally sensitive practices. Perhaps most importantly, the THC has enlarged the role of the logging industry in New Hampshire. "All of a sudden there's a seat for loggers at the table -- in the political arena and on community boards and committees," says Quigley. "This was unheard of just a few years ago."

Smith credits the loggers themselves with the success of the council. "It's a tribute to them," she says, "They have spent a lot of their own time, taking time off from work. They saw the importance of it."

As for Cooperative Extension's role in getting the council going, that is simply an example of the service part of the university's education, research and service mission, Smith says. "The role of UNH as a land-grant institution is not just to meet formal educational needs," she observes. "We have a responsibility to meet people where they are." Which can mean gathering around tables in the local coffee shop or working among the trees in the New Hampshire woods.

-- Suki Casanave '86G

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