Logging and sustainability can seem like contradictory items to the untrained eye, but really they go hand in hand.

Our loggers having been helping to manage the forests in southwest Montana for 100+ years. The same hills and mountains where their grandfathers and great grandfathers logged are where we conduct some of our projects today.

Logging Manager and Executive Partner, Karl Kanduch, talked with us recently about sustainability in logging and the direction of the industry.

"They grow back," Kanduch said. "There is more to it than just cutting down trees. You have to know how to merchandise the tree. You have to be educated and know which trees to take and which to leave."

All four of our partners have developed their expertise over the course of their entire lives. Having camped and played on logging jobs as children, understanding the health and value of timber has become an innate part of their approach to projects. They are also benefitted by the continued presence of their elders, who continue to work on the projects each day and often guide the younger staff and leadership.

Sustainability, both for the industry and the forests, means collaborative work between land management agencies, foresters and other experts, including loggers. When forests do not receive proper care and mitigation, the overcrowding of trees and understory significantly increases the the risk of fire, the challenge of stopping wildfires, and increases the risks of infestations and disease. Sustainable logging creates beautiful landscapes, accomplishing the well-formed objectives set forth by foresters and land managers alike.

Simply put, skilled loggers are the action arm of forest management. Without a skilled workforce in the field, the work would be insurmountable.

(Read more on the types of logging work on our Education Blog!)

Kanduch explained that some loggers aren't as interested in stewardship work (work that focuses on clearing away dead trees and other dry/hazardous 'fuels' for wildfires) but included that often these jobs require a depth of hands on experience.

Loggers working on stewardship projects or forest management work have to have an eye on the final product, the aesthetics of the land, and will need to know quickly how to work with prescriptions (forest management plans) and species. 'Leave trees are selected based on health, genetics, and benefit to the timber stand. In order to conduct the field work quickly, the operator will have to be very familiar with each aspect.

Sustainable logging blends together forestry and heavy machinery to prevent future losses due to wildfires, remove poor genetics, create usable wood products from the materials removed, and promotes the future health and enjoyment of Montana forests for all.

At KLM Contracting, we love what we do, the positive impacts of a full day of work. We plan to continue working with the needs of the land and the community for decades to come.

(Read more on the innovations coming to logging on our Education Blog!)