The Professional Logging Contractors of Maine would like to commend Kate Dempsey, director of The Nature Conservancy in Maine, for her Dec. 30 Maine Voices column: “When it comes to preserving northern forests, Maine can’t afford to falter.”

Professional loggers and truckers are the foundation of Maine’s $8.5 billion forest products economy, and it was gratifying to read Ms. Dempsey’s well-balanced column, which recognized the northern forests’ sustainable economic importance as a timber resource alongside their value for recreation and wildlife.

And while Ms. Dempsey did not mention loggers and truckers directly, this perspective is one shared and championed by the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine, along with the message that responsible timber harvesting and forest management combined with traditional uses is the best way to preserve our forests and Maine’s rural character for all stakeholders for generations to come.

Ms. Dempsey correctly points out that the forest economy remains critical to Maine today, and that there are great future opportunities and technologies for Maine wood fiber on the horizon. We couldn’t agree more. Now is the time for all who value the many things Maine’s forests bring to our state and rural communities to work together for their future.

As we begin a new year and think about our rural way of life, I encourage you to also think about the role that loggers and truckers play in rural Maine. We need to do all we can to preserve and build our professional logging and trucking workforce, as it will be essential to preserving our northern forests through responsible timber harvesting and management to achieve this shared vision.