Page 17 - Tree Line - North Carolina Forestry Association - Second Quarter 2020

recently, including the one we’re on
now, long-haul trucking is a factor. The length of the haul really depends on the location of the mill relative to the tract.
It is tough when you have worked on the job since sun-up to have to crawl into the log truck mid-afternoon, knowing that you won’t get back from the mill until after dark.”
Greg noted that the terrain in the west of the state can be challenging for loggers, “as well as the availability of resources. Not to mention that weather can bring the logging job to a complete stop. If it rains on a steep grade, we can’t cut if there is no way to get to the timber.”
Another defining feature of logging in western North Carolina is the hands-
on nature of the job, Greg said: “In
the western part of the state, loggers spend a lot of time out in the woods, doing everything from hand felling, to attaching the cable to skid felled trees. That part of the equation is very different from what high-production crews in
the coastal plain and in the piedmont of North Carolina are facing each day.”
Logging Provides for Families
The crew stopped for a lunch break about halfway through the interview, which presented a great opportunity to ask about what logging and the forest products industry mean for communities in western North Carolina, and what the profession means to the Moretz brothers personally.
“Logging and sawmilling in western North Carolina has fed families in our community for multiple generations,” said Justin. “Everyone on our crew depends on the forestry and wood products industry
for their livelihood, as many of their
family members have in the past. It is definitely one of our biggest resources in the mountains. Up until the early 1990s, timber provided subsistence and a way of life. Then, the tourism industry became a big economic driver for North Carolina’s mountain communities. But all of us [on the crew] love working in this profession. There are certainly some days that are better than others, but if we can make it home without help each night, then we’re happy.”
While the Moretz brothers’ crew gath- ered around the service truck for lunch,
“Another reason why we like the older equipment is that it is easier
to work on and maintain, since it is simpler than newer, more computerized machines,” Greg added.
As a result, Justin noted, the brothers can perform most of the necessary maintenance and repair for themselves, either out in the woods or back in the shop.
When asked about some of the unique challenges that come with owning and operating a logging crew in the western part of the state, both Justin and Greg offered some valuable insight. “When you own and operate your own log trucks, it is definitely a necessary evil,” Justin said. “There is a shortage
of truck drivers nowadays, and driving a log truck in the mountains is tough anyway because of the terrain. Since contract trucking is not really an option, Greg and I do our own trucking. For some of the tracts that we have logged
(l-r) Greg Moretz and Justin Moretz of Moretz Brothers Logging, LLC
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