Game of Logging, a chainsaw safety and productivity training is scheduled for May and June at the Arnot Teaching and Research Forest, 611 County Road 13, VanEtten, NY.
This program presents hands-on training with a Game of Logging Certified Instructor, re-designed for private forest owners, firewood cutters, and homeowners wishing to gain a more thorough knowledge and practical, hands‐on experience with safety and productivity.
“I’m happy to bring back certified instructor and awesome teacher Bill Lindloff” says Peter J. Smallidge, Ph.D., NYS Extension Forester and Director, Arnot Teaching and Research Forest. He is also the director of the Cornell Maple Program.
No experience is required for Level I participants. Participants learn increasingly advanced techniques during Level I, II, and III for directional felling, safety, and saw and chain maintenance. Each level builds on skills from previous levels, so advanced levels require earlier levels.
Participants personally fell a tree under the guidance of a certified instructor.
Level I includes: Using and maintaining safety equipment, safety features of the saw, how to hold and handle a saw safely to reduce fatigue, understanding parts of a tooth for sharpening, understanding the reactive forces of a running chainsaw. You will learn the proper way to do a bore‐cut, the mechanics and physics of hinge wood, directional felling to a plan, and how to identify the lean in a tree.
Level II includes: Saw maintenance to reduce downtime and improve the performance of your chainsaw, Safe handling of spring poles, felling to a plan with more precision, introduction to limbing, and safe removal of hung trees.
Level III includes: Use of the GOL ʺPro‐sightʺ tool to calculate tree height, understanding hinge length to control side lean, advanced felling and wedging techniques, limbing techniques for side hill and tension wood, trees will be felled against the natural lean.
May 22 – Level I (Saturday)
May 23 – Level II (Sunday)
June 10 – Level I (Thursday)
June 11 – Level II (Friday)
Pre‐registration and pre-payment are required.
Registration fees for NYFOA/NYSMPA members are $132 per day and non‐ members are $152 per day. Registration includes hands‐on training, handouts, light refreshments, and a certificate of completion. Registration is limited to 10 participants on a first‐come, first‐served basis. Minimum of 6 participants required to hold class. Overnight accommodations are available for an additional fee. Participants should plan to bring: lunch, water, their own chainsaw and personal protective equipment, including: hard hat, eye protection, hearing protection, and chaps.
More information and registration form at http://www2.dnr.cornell.edu/ext/forestconnect/GOL.html
“Bill Lindloff knows how to cut down trees—good for him. He also knows how to teach other people to cut down trees—good for them. Lindloff estimates he has taught proper forest safety techniques to thousands of people—1,300 in 2008 alone—as a Game of Logging instructor.” Farming, The Journal of Northeast Agriculture website.
