{"id":328,"date":"2020-05-27T14:51:43","date_gmt":"2020-05-27T14:51:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost:8009\/stories\/?p=328"},"modified":"2024-06-25T15:31:21","modified_gmt":"2024-06-25T15:31:21","slug":"winch-assisted-logging-boosts-safety-on-steep-terrain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forestrycareers.com\/stories\/winch-assisted-logging-boosts-safety-on-steep-terrain\/","title":{"rendered":"Winch-Assisted Logging Boosts Safety on Steep Terrain"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Winch assist machines are improving logger safety on some of the toughest sites to log. They serve as an anchor for heavy equipment, making it possible to log many steep slopes from the safety of a cab rather than having to cut trees on foot.<\/strong> In this story, we show how a winch-assist system works.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

FORKS, Washington\u2014After more than 40 years of using chainsaws to cut trees on steep slopes, Dave Dilley remembers the first time he watched a winch-assist machine in action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Winch
The winch assist machine on the left uses a cable system to support the feller buncher on the right on a steep slope below.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He stood in the forest, unable to take his eyes off a feller buncher as it eased up and down the mountain. Without the winch-assist machine, the buncher\u2014a machine that efficiently cuts down trees and \u201cbunches\u201d them together\u2014would be at risk of toppling, sliding or at least digging deep ruts into the soil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Falcon
A winch assist system anchors into the ground on a flat landing and then uses a cable to support the machinery that cuts trees on the slope below.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But the winch, a machine that anchors into place and supports the buncher with a powerful cable, enabled the buncher operator to move across the terrain easily, using a simple device to operate the winch-assist machine from within the cab of the buncher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI just saw where it would work here,\u201d says Dave, owner of Dilley & Soloman Logging Company and a lifelong resident of this small town on the Olympic Peninsula in northwest Washington. It wasn\u2019t long before Dave had two winch assist machines of his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Winch
Dave Dilley prepares his winch assist machine before he heads down the slope to the feller buncher it will support.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Logging System is Safer for Loggers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe most important thing with this procedure is safety. It\u2019s always our first concern,\u201d says Rayonier Timber Production Forester Dennis Cox, who encouraged Dave to make the change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The logger agrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou need less people on the ground, so there\u2019s less danger. That\u2019s the big reason we got into this type of logging,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Winch
Look closely and you’ll see a winch assist cable supporting this feller buncher as it cuts trees on a slope.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Slopes that are too steep for a buncher have to be cut on foot. Loggers walk down the steep terrain and cut trees by hand with chainsaws. It\u2019s one of the most dangerous jobs in the industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are still some slopes that are too steep to operate a buncher on, even with a winch-assist machine, but the machine has enabled many sites to be logged in a safer, more efficient and eco-friendly manner than ever before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helps Lighten Environmental Impact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLogging operations on any slope steeper than 30 percent need some form of support,\u201d says Rayonier\u2019s Senior Timber Marketing Manager Dan Stransky. That guideline, set by the Department of Natural Resources, helps ensure a harvest that\u2019s safe for workers and the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t want us putting big ruts up and down the hillside because, when the rains come later, all that water runs down those gullies and it delivers sediment to those streams,\u201d he explains, \u201cso it\u2019s just something we work hard at avoiding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"illustration
This illustration, which is animated in the video above, shows how a winch assist system supports machinery operating on steep slopes. The dotted line represents the cable, which pulls at whatever strength the operator of the machine on the slope directs it to.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Seeing the Environmental Benefits of Using the Winch Assist Machine<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dave says the winch assist machine allows him to do his work with a lighter impact on the soils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are certain spots where you have to<\/em> be pulled\u201d by the winch-assist machine, he says. \u201cThere are others I could probably log unassisted, but I\u2019d be turning up my tracks and making ruts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf I just push [the winch assist controls] to, say, a four, it just pulls me right up and doesn\u2019t create any tracks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"cables
Here’s a close-up look at the strong cables used in the winch assist system.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Up against the heavy rains this region is known for, the winch-assisted logging system is one of many ways Rayonier works with contractors to keep sediment from reaching waterways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why? Sediment would interfere with precious habitats in and around the water. It would also be harmful to our work, washing away the rich soils we\u2019ve developed over decades of forestry. As we explain in the article Forest Engineers Build 100s of Eco-Friendly Roads and Bridges<\/a>, we adjust all projects and operations to have the lightest possible impact on the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How a Winch Assist Logging System Works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So how does a winch assist logging system keep a feller buncher from slipping on a steep slope? The base machine anchors into place on flat ground above the slope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dave explains: \u201cYou just dig, point the bucket all the way forward, and get it down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"using
Inside the cab of his feller buncher, Dave can control the strength of support provided by the winch assist cable.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He double-checks that it\u2019s secure by ensuring the boom doesn\u2019t move. Then he connects the cable from the winch to his buncher and gets to work, using a remote to control the strength of the winch\u2019s pull on the buncher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an extra security measure, if the winch assist base machine moves at any point after it is set, an anchor switch immediately sounds a blaring alarm and applies brakes to the winch drums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dave says the trickiest part is the logistics of figuring out how best to position it on each site, \u201cbut the machine itself is very user-friendly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Organized Harvest<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At ground-level, the results of a harvest operation may look messy. But the view from above shows how carefully-planned each step of the harvest is. The trees lay in neat, straight rows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen we log with this system, we get a lot less breakage. It\u2019s very organized,\u201d says Dennis, Rayonier Timber Production Forester. \u201cWith a drone, when you look down on it, it should look like combed hair. And it does.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Aerial
From the air, a winch-assisted logging harvest is very organized, resembling combed hair in appearance.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After cutting finishes, a second operation involving a cable yarding system, also known as tower logging, is used to bring trees up the slope (again without damaging the soiles). At the top of the landing, they\u2019re sorted and loaded onto trucks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harvesting in a Responsible Way<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dave has been in the logging industry for four decades, starting out with his uncle when he was a young man. He\u2019s seen a number of changes over the years, and he\u2019s proud of the strides the industry has made to protect loggers\u2019 safety\u2014as well as the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the stereotype that loggers \u201cpillage\u201d the land, he says, \u201cwe may be the best environmentalists out there. Yes, we do want to harvest, but we want to do it in a responsible way. We\u2019re very conscious of streams and wildlife.\u201d
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Winch assist machines are improving logger safety on some of the toughest sites to log. They serve as an anchor for heavy equipment, making it possible to log many steep slopes from the safety of a cab rather than having to cut trees on foot. 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