Timber Harvesting Operator Program at Bay

Bay College is also trying to stay at the front of a U.P. industrial trend — job growth in the timber harvesting business.

The school is starting a new certificate program this fall to train students for jobs with timber companies.

In one semester, they’ll learn to operate the equipment that harvests trees from U.P. forests.

Dr. Brian Black is a biology instructor at Bay and an organizer of the program.

He says timber companies have been asking more and more lately for a program like this.

There are some English and math requirements for admission.

It involves not just running the equipment, but identifying what type of tree you’d be cutting down.

And that can make a big difference in money for a timber company.

Trees have to be harvested differently, based on their expected use.

Dr. Black says a log harvested for veneer is worth hundreds of dollars.

But if it’s cut the wrong way, it can only be used as pulp, which drops its value all the way down to about $10.

Dr. Black is hosting an open house for the program on campus next Tuesday.

He says if you want to know more about that, you can call him at 217–4051.