Page 13 - Tree Line - North Carolina Forestry Association - Fourth Quarter 2021

Q:Tell me about your involvement in remodeling their houses and buying us electronically or by mail so they didn’t
new ones at a time when sawmills were scaling back. That meant lumber supply was contracting just at a time when demand was increasing. You’ve probably seen how crazy lumber prices have been. That turned out to be good for our clients because we were able to supply timber when it was in short supply.
The packaging market became stronger because so many people were ordering online. Recreationally, people couldn’t
go out to eat or to theaters, so they went hunting, fishing, and hiking. Therefore, we did well selling hunting licenses. RMS was not terribly impacted with our day- to-day operations, because of the nature
of our work. We’re in the woods and it’s easy to maintain distance. Staff in the field have been able to work remotely to do paperwork, and we have a spacious office with at least six feet of distance. Prior
to vaccine availability, I required masks when we met together in our conference room to comply with CDC guidelines. The public wasn’t allowed into our office; and loggers and other vendors worked with
the NCFA.
A:My first real involvement was coordinating and participating with
the NCFA’s Forestry & Environmental Camps. RMS is still involved in the camp program, and essentially our entire staff helps every year with the Wilmington camp. RMS has given me the flexibility to volunteer my time, not only with the camp program, but as an NCFA board member, and a member of the Forest Management Committee. Currently, I chair the Forest Management Committee.
Q:How has COVID-19 affected your operations?
A:Truth is, the pandemic was probably good for our clients. We
thought initially that lumber/paper/ wood product demand would decline. Sawmills assumed people wouldn’t be building houses because they would
be out of work. We were wrong about how folks would respond. People began
have to come into the office. We held a lot of meetings virtually via Zoom.
Q:What is the biggest issue facing RMS today?
A:Essentially, post-COVID, we expect to continue doing some things virtually because we have seen that our
staff is effective working remotely. Our largest concern from a business standpoint includes two items.
First, the vast majority of the workers that do silvicultural work like tree planting and weed control are H-2B temporary guest workers. We have long-established relationships with contractors and favorable conditions, so contractors prefer working with us, but smaller private landowners aren’t so fortunate. Regulatory and visa requirements can make it more expensive to get labor in and limit the number of workers that can come in, and it’s the smaller, non-industrial landowners that find it harder to get their work done.
Second, transportation — we have to
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ncforestry.org / FOURTH QUARTER 2021 11