2
CapitalPress.com
June 8, 2018
People & Places
No slope too steep for this rig
Andrew Siegmund
invests in unique
new tethered
logging system
Western
Innovator
By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI
Capital Press
A tethered logging system
requires fewer workers, but
eliminating timber jobs wasn’t
why Andrew Siegmund invest-
ed in the technology.
As the number of loggers
decreases over time, those who
remain in the industry are best
deployed to areas that are in-
accessible to machinery, said
Siegmund, head of Siegmund
Excavation & Construction of
Stayton, Ore.
“It can’t do everything.
You still need timber fallers,
you still need choker setters,”
he said. “There’s less and less
of them, so you want to utilize
them where they’re most need-
ed.”
With the system used by
Siegmund, a feller buncher can
descend slopes of up to 100
percent while attached by two
heavy cables to a modified ex-
cavator “base machine,” which
serves as an anchor.
To compare, regular unteth-
ered logging machinery can op-
erate on slopes of up to 30-50
percent.
A major advantage of log-
ging with machinery is speed.
A feller buncher can extend a
30-foot boom outfitted with a
grapple saw quickly from tree
to tree, instead of a logger walk-
ing to from one to the other.
“From one position, he can
cut multiple stems,” Siegmund
said. “There’s less fatigue. Tim-
ber fallers usually work a six-
hour day, while he can work 10
and be less exhausted.”
Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press
Andrew Siegmund, head of Siegmund Excavation & Construction, stands next to tethered logging
machinery that can be used on slopes of up to 100 percent, compared to 30 to 50 percent for regular
machinery. The company invested in the system shortly after returning to the logging industry.
The operator is also safer
inside an enclosed cab with a
rollover protective structure
— a tree limb that could maim
or kill a timber faller will only
ding the machine’s paint job.
In addition to being
equipped with a hitch to which
the cables are fastened, the cut-
ting machine’s track is length-
ened by two feet and the track’s
cleats, or “grousers,” are elon-
gated by two inches for better
traction.
The base machine’s counter-
weight is replaced with a winch
assembly that’s controlled re-
motely from within the feller
buncher, unfurling and rolling
up the cables as necessary. A
single operator controls both
machines.
Eric Luscher, Siegmund’s
cutting manager, tries to avoid
soil with poor traction and
spreads woody debris over cer-
tain areas to improve the track’s
grip.
“I walk a lot of the units and
look for that kind of stuff,” he
said.
While the operator is
strapped in with a four-
point harness, “almost like a
NASCAR driver,” tipping over
the machine would still be dan-
gerous due to the possibility of
fire, Siegmund said. Leaking
oil can ignite when coming into
contact with a hot engine.
If an accident blocks the
door, the cab has two escape
hatches for the operator to get
out.
In a situation where the
feller buncher remains upright
but can’t climb back uphill,
the operator may look for an
escape route downhill or wait
for another machine to create a
suitable trail.
“I’m still learning what it
can and can’t do,” said Luscher.
“Knock on wood, I’ve never
got in a spot where I couldn’t
get back out.”
Operating the tethered log-
ging system required a regu-
latory variance from Oregon’s
Occupational Health and Safe-
ty Administration, for which
the company had to write an
in-depth operations manual de-
scribing best practices and safe-
ty procedures.
The company also sub-
mitted a plan for alternative
practices with the Oregon De-
partment of Forestry, whose
stewardship forester had to sign
off on environmental practices.
Heavy machinery cannot
leave deep ruts on hillsides,
which can cause large amounts
of soil to wash down the slope
during a rain storm.
To mitigate such ruts, the
cutting machine sweeps a log
across the ground, raking away
the depressions. A mound
cutting diagonally across the
slope, known as a water bar,
also minimizes erosion.
Regulators have generally
been open to the modified ma-
chinery and techniques, Sieg-
mund said. “We’re all learning
together. It’s a brand new tech-
nology, so we’re writing the
playbook as we go.”
Before making the $1.5
million investment in the teth-
er logging system, Siegmund
was initially skeptical about the
technology.
“If you buy it, will there
be work for it or is it a passing
fad?” he said.
Interest among large tim-
berland owners worried about
long-term labor shortages, as
well as the machinery’s safety
Capital Press
Five contestants will vie for Wash-
ington State Dairy Ambassador posi-
tions June 23 in Bellevue.
The contenders are Rebecca Ford
of Lewis County, Jacoba “Cobi” Van
Slageren of Yakima Valley, Abigail Zu-
rcher of Mid-Columbia, Agathe Lopez
of King and Pierce counties and Bailie
Schultz of King and Pierce counties.
The outgoing State Dairy Ambassa-
dor is Anna Teachman of SeaTac. The
alternates are Juliana LeClair of Mount
Vernon and Claire Leininger of Ever-
son.
“They have been a pleasure to
work with and done a wonderful job
representing the Dairy Farmers of
Washington,” state ambassador ad-
viser Tammi Schoenbachler said in a
statement.
The young women chosen to be
Washington’s “Ambassadors for Milk”
receive college scholarships, intern-
ships and training in communications,
according to the Washington State
Dairy Women, the sponsoring group.
The program will begin at 6 p.m.
Saturday, June 23, at the Bellevue High
School Performing Arts Center, 10416
S.E. Wolverine Way. Doors will open
Established 1928
Board of Directors
Mike Forrester
Steve Forrester
Kathryn Brown
Susan Rana
Harrison Forrester
Mike Omeg
Cory Bollinger
Jeff Rogers
Corporate Officers
Heidi Wright
Chief Operating Officer
Rick Hansen
Chief Financial Officer
Siegmund
Excavation &
Construction
Joe Beach ..................Editor & Publisher
Hometown: Stayton, Ore.
Elizabeth Yutzie Sell .... Advertising Director
Employees: 48
Carl Sampson ................Managing Editor
Founded: 1970
Jessica Boone ........ Production Manager
Services: Logging, road
building, excavation, quarry
development, portable
crushing and trucking.
Samantha McLaren .... Circulation Manager
mechanisms, ultimately con-
vinced him to take the leap.
“It looked like good, robust
equipment,” Siegmund said.
“We viewed it as a real oppor-
tunity.”
Siegmund’s grandfather,
Ralph, founded a logging
company in the late 1930s. It
spawned the excavation com-
pany begun by his father, Lou,
in 1970.
The two firms worked in
tandem until his grandfather
retired and closed the logging
outfit in 1994. The excavation
company kept its roots in the
timber industry by building for-
est roads but did not return to
logging until 2015.
After the downturn in the
timber economy, many compa-
nies that specialized in remov-
ing trees for roads went out of
business, Siegmund said.
Siegmund decided to take
over that task, which required
investing in machinery that
could also be used for logging,
he said. “It was a natural segue.”
Washington to crown new dairy ambassador
Coronation set for
June 23 in Bellevue
Capital Press
at 5 p.m. Refreshments will be served
at intermission.
Tickets ordered by June 12 are $20
for adults and $10 for students. Tick-
ets purchased after June 12 and at the
door will be $25 for adults and $15 for
students. Children 6 and under will be
admitted free.
For ticket information, contact Glo-
ria Edwards at (360) 273-7313 or by
email at gloria.wsdw@hotmail.com.
Tickets may be picked up at the door.
Capital Press Managers
Entire contents copyright © 2018
EO Media Group
dba Capital Press
An independent newspaper
published every Friday.
Capital Press (ISSN 0740-3704) is
published weekly by EO Media Group,
1400 Broadway St. NE, Salem OR 97301.
Periodicals postage paid at Portland, OR,
and at additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: send address changes to
Capital Press, P.O. Box 2048 Salem, OR
97308-2048.
To Reach Us
Circulation ......................... 800-882-6789
Email ........ Circulation@capitalpress.com
Main line ........................... 503-364-4431
Fax ................................... 503-370-4383
Advertising Fax ................ 503-364-2692
News Staff
Idaho
Carol Ryan Dumas .......... 208-860-3898
Boise
Brad Carlson .................... 208-914-8264
Cent. Washington
Dan Wheat ........................ 509-699-9099
W. Washington
Don Jenkins ...................... 360-722-6975
E Washington
Matthew Weaver .............. 509-688-9923
Oregon
George Plaven ................. 406-560-1655
Mateusz Perkowski .......... 800-882-6789
Graphic artist
Alan Kenaga ..................... 800-882-6789
To Place Classified Ads
Ad fax .............................. 503-364-2692
or ...................................... 503-370-4383
Telephone (toll free) .......... 800-882-6789
Online ......www.capitalpress.com/classifieds
Subscriptions
Mail rates paid in advance
Easy Pay U.S. $3.75/month (direct with-
drawal from bank or credit card account)
1 year U.S. ...................................$49.99
2 years U.S. .................................$89.99
1 year Canada .................................$275
1 year other countries ......... call for quote
1 year Internet only .......................$49.99
1 year 4-H, FFA students and teachers ....$30
9 months 4-H, FFA students & teachers .....$25
Visa and Mastercard accepted
To get information published
Courtesy WA State Dairy Women
Abigail Zurcher represents
the Mid-Columbia region. She
is the daughter of Ed and
Heather Zurcher from Mesa.
Growing up on her family’s
dairy, Abigail has a passion
for agriculture and dairy. She
is active in 4-H and FFA,
showing heifers at the county
fair and competing in dairy-re-
lated FFA contests. Abigail is
a 2018 graduate of Connell
High School where she was in-
volved in student government,
sports and was on the honor
roll. Her plans include attend-
ing the University of Idaho to
major in elementary education
and teaching kindergarten
through third grade students
in a small rural school district
surrounded by agriculture.
Jacoba “Cobi” Van Slageren
represents the Yakima Valley.
She is the daughter of Dirk and
Carol Van Slageren of Granger.
Cobi grew up on her family’s
dairy farm, where she is now a
part-time employee. She has
been a member of 4-H for nine
years, completing 9 dairy and 3
market steer projects, winning
awards at local fairs and livestock
shows. Cobi is a 2018 graduate
of Sunnyside Christian High
School where she was a member
of the honor society, honors
choir and sports. Her plans
include attending Dordt College
to earn an elementary education
degree with the goal of teaching
elementary school and helping
children learn life skills and about
the agricultural community.
Bailie Shultz represents King
and Pierce counties. She is the
daughter of Sheila Shultz of
Renton. Bailie did not grow up
on a dairy farm, but her grand-
parents, mother and uncle are
retired dairy farmers and have
always encouraged her to keep
her connection with dairy. She
is a member of 4-H, where she
now shows dairy heifers and
rabbits, earning many awards in
both. Bailie is a 2018 graduate
of Liberty High School where
she is active in sports and the
school newspaper. Her plans
include attending Oregon State
University to attain a degree
in animal science and sustain-
ability with the goal of helping
farmers and making our world a
more sustainable place.
Rebecca Ford represents
Lewis County. She is the
daughter of John and Rochelle
Ford of Chehalis. Rebecca did
not grow up on a dairy farm
but found her love of dairy
while working on a local dairy
farm where she milked cows,
fed calves and assisted with
healthcare of the animals. She
is involved in FFA, holding
an officer position as well as
competing on the state level.
Rebecca is a 2018 graduate
of W.F. West High School.
Her plans include earning a
degree in animal science from
Washington State University
and continuing her education
at the WSU College of Veteri-
nary Medicine with the goal of
becoming a veterinarian.
Agathe Lopez represents
King and Pierce counties.
She is the daughter of Michel
and Nelly Lopez of Carnation.
Agathe did not grow up on
a dairy farm but has always
enjoyed being around farming
and animals. She got inter-
ested in 4-H by watching her
friend show dairy cows and
helping her at a dairy. Agathe
is now an officer in her 4-H
club and shows her friend’s
dairy cows at local and county
fairs. She graduated from Ce-
darcrest High School in 2017
and is currently attending
Bellevue College to attain her
associate degree with plans
to attend Pierce College to
attain her veterinary techni-
cian degree.
Calendar
To submit an event go to the
Community Events calendar on
the home page of our website at
www.capitalpress.com and click
on “Submit an Event.” Calendar
items can also be mailed to Cap-
ital Press, 1400 Broadway St.
NE, Salem, OR 97301 or emailed
to newsroom@capitalpress.com.
Write “Calendar” in the subject
line.
Monday-Tuesday
June 11-12
Water Law & Resource Issues
Seminar. Sun Valley Resort, 1 Sun
Valley Road, Sun Valley, Idaho.
Brenda Burman, the Bureau of
Reclamation commissioner, will
provide updates on the agency
including the ongoing discussions
about infrastructure and title trans-
fer. A variety of other presentations
is also planned by the sponsoring
Idaho Water Users Association.
Website: www.iwua.org
Tuesday-Friday
June 12-15
Agriculture Transportation Co-
alition Annual Meeting. Greater
Tacoma Convention Center, 1500
Commerce St., Tacoma, Wash.
The meeting will be the largest
annual gathering of ag shippers
sourcing and delivering to foreign
markets. The agenda includes an
off-the-record best practices ses-
sion for members, a port tour and
sessions on other topics. Website:
www.agtrans.org/events
Wednesday, June 13
Sherman County Field Day.
8:40 a.m.-noon. Sherman County
Station, 66365 Lone Rock Road,
Moro, Ore. Topics include wheat
breeding and variety testing, weed
control, disease control and agron-
omy. Website: http://cbarc.aes.
oregonstate.edu
Forestry Shortcourse. 9 a.m.-
noon. Sandpoint Orchard, 10881
N. Boyer Road, Sandpoint, Ida-
ho. This is the first session of a
six-session course on forest ecolo-
gy, silviculture, wildlife habitat, and
other forestry topics. Cost: $38
Email: cschnepf@uidaho.edu
Saturday-Sunday
June 16-17
84th
Annual
Glenwood
“Ketchum Kalf” Rodeo. 12:30-10
p.m. The Glenwood, Wash., Ro-
deo Association is a nonprofit,
all-volunteer organization that
sponsors this rodeo. Cost: $10 for
adults, $3 for ages 4 to 12.
Wednesday, June 20
Forestry Shortcourse. 9 a.m.-
noon. Sandpoint Orchard, 10881
N. Boyer Road, Sandpoint, Idaho.
This is the second session of a
six-session course on forest ecolo-
gy, silviculture, wildlife habitat, and
other forestry topics. Cost: $38
Email: cschnepf@uidaho.edu
Saturday, June 23
2018 Washington State Dairy
Ambassador Coronation. 5 p.m. Bel-
levue High School Performing Arts
Center, 10416 SE Wolverine Way,
Bellevue, Wash. Five candidates
are vying to become the Washing-
ton State Dairy Ambassador for the
coming year. The doors open at 5
p.m. and the program begins at 6
p.m. Tickets ordered by June 12 are
adults $20, students $10 and 6 and
under free. Tickets purchased after
June 12 or at the door will be adults
$25, students $15, under 6 still free.
Tickets will be available for pick up
at the door. For ticket information,
please contact Gloria Edwards by
email at gloria.wsdw@hotmail.com
or 360-273-7313.
Mailing address:
Capital Press
P.O. Box 2048
Salem, OR 97308-2048
News: Contact the main office or news
staff member closest to you, send the in-
formation to newsroom@capitalpress.com
or mail it to “Newsroom,” c/o Capital Press.
Include a contact telephone number.
Letters to the Editor: Send your
comments on agriculture-related public
issues to opinions@capitalpress.com, or
mail your letter to “Opinion,” c/o Capital
Press. Letters should be limited to
300 words. Deadline: Noon Monday.
Capital Press ag media
www.capitalpress.com
www.FarmSeller.com
marketplace.capitalpress.com
www.facebook.com/capitalpress
www.facebook.com/farmseller
twitter.com/capitalpress
www.youtube.com/capitalpressvideo
Index
Dairy .....................................11
Markets ............................... 13
Opinion .................................. 6
Correction
An article in the Friday, June
1, edition of the Capital Press,
“Basin on the Brink,” incorrectly
stated which agency runs the
Klamath Basin Sucker Rearing
Program at the Gone Fishing
facility in Klamath Falls, Ore.
It is run by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.
The Capital Press regrets the
error.