Two Maine loggers-turned-TV-stars are onscreen again in an appeal to get federal emergency relief to the struggling timber cutting and hauling industry.
Eldon Pelletier and Rudy Pelletier, whose Millinocket business was the subject of the former “American Loggers” reality series from 2009 to 2011, have released video statements calling on President Donald Trump and Congress to provide emergency financial relief.
The videos, including this one, are part of a campaign by the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine, an Augusta-based trade group, and the counterpart Carolina Loggers Association. Video messages have also been recorded by a North Carolina logger, Bobby Goodson, who starred in a similar series, “Swamp Loggers,” from 2009 to 2012.
Both series aired nationally on the Discovery Channel and are sometimes seen in reruns.
Nationwide, the logging industry has been hurt by a steep decline in demand for wood fiber since the start of the pandemic. A recent analysis by the American Loggers Council shows that this year’s 6.7% decrease in raw wood material consumption has led to a $1.83 billion reduction in the value of wood delivered by loggers and timber haulers.
Since the start of the pandemic in March, some agricultural businesses — including wool farmers, cotton harvesters and maple producers — have been awarded emergency funds through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But loggers and timber haulers have not been included in the assistance.
“Loggers are hard workers, we’ve never asked for anything, but I think right now is time that we really need a hand to keep our businesses and our workers going,” Rudy Pelletier said.
In Maine, logging generates an estimated $619 million in economic output every year and provides $342 million in income to around 9,000 residents, most of whom live in rural communities. Logging is a vital part of the state’s forest products sector, worth an estimated $7.7 billion annually.
In July, U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine 2nd District, and U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, introduced legislation that would provide direct payments to timber businesses that have been affected by the pandemic. But Congress has yet to act on the bill.
Eldon Pelletier and Rudy Pelletier are two of the seven brothers who operate Gerald Pelletier Inc. and Pelletier Bros. Inc., which together do business in logging, trucking and manufacturing. In addition to being featured in “American Loggers,” the Pelletier family has also run a restaurant in Millinocket and operates an insurance company focused on loggers and logging companies.