Professional Logging Contractors of Maine. Glen Falls, NY – The Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast (PLC) is disappointed by the announcement by Finch Paper, LLC that it will stop making its own pulp and therefore cease buying low-grade wood for that purpose. This is a significant loss for the region’s logging and trucking industry with far reaching economic consequences as well as serious negative impacts on the ability to properly manage forest health.
“We are deeply concerned for those, including many of our own members in New York, New Hampshire and Vermont, whose livelihoods will be affected by this announcement,” PLC Executive Director Dana Doran, said. “The Glen Falls mill is one of two pulp markets in Eastern New York that purchases wood from logging contractors from multiple states in the Northeast region, and that market is critical both to the financial survival of logging and trucking firms and to their ability to properly manage forest health. Both will suffer from its loss.”
In its most recent Logging and Trucking Economic Impact Study, logging contractors who are members of the PLC are reporting a 40 percent reduction in wood markets in the last five years. Many are suffering severe revenue losses, layoffs, loss of clients, reduced productivity, and inability to plan for the future. The loss of the Finch Paper pulp mill in Glens Fall will only compound these challenges.
Wood pulp has always been an anchor of Northeast’s forest economy, until recently providing a large and reliable market for wood unsuitable for lumber or other high-grade products. The pulp market has also allowed loggers to better manage forest health by making it financially possible for them to selectively thin forest stands to achieve the best long-term outcomes rather than targeting only the largest and straightest trees for saw logs.
“We are hopeful that Finch will revisit this decision once the global pulp situation stabilizes and determines that it is more economical to produce its own pulp rather than purchasing kraft pulp from other countries such as Canada,” Doran said. “Once markets recover there will be tremendous pressure on kraft pulp sales and it seems likely Finch’s demand for pulp will exceed the supply available for sale.”
“We also hope that this announcement sends a message to elected officials regarding how challenged the region’s loggers and truckers are at the present time. Federal and state assistance is needed now if we hope to see the region’s forest industry recover and it’s time to treat loggers and truckers with the same respect that has been afforded other legacy industries like farming and fishing.”
The logging industry in the Northeast contributed an estimated $1.3 billion to the region’s economy in 2024, supported 10,500 jobs directly or indirectly, and pumped an estimated $61 million into state and local tax coffers. Finch Paper purchases most of its wood from New York and Vermont. In New York specifically, logging and trucking creates more than 2,400 jobs and $280 million of economic output. In Vermont, 1,300 jobs and $140 million in economic output is derived from logging and trucking.
Founded in Maine in 1995 by a handful of loggers who were concerned about the future of the forest economy, the PLC has grown steadily to become a regional non-profit which provides independent logging and trucking contractors a voice along with a suite of other forest certification programs which are grounded in responsible forest management.
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