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[CHAIN SAW]
[OCEAN WAVES]
[♪♪]
I'M ABOUT FOURTH GENERATION OF MY
FAMILY TO BE IN THE LOGGING BUSINESS
AND I KNEW FROM AN EARLY AGE THAT
THIS IS WHAT I WANTED TO DO.
TODAY, WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT
OPERATIONS GOING ON. WE DO PRETTY
MUCH EVERYTHING IN THE PROCESS FROM
FALLING TREES, PUTTING THEM ON TRUCKS
AND HAULING THEM TO THE SAW MILL.
A LOT OF THESE JOBS ARE THIRTY,
FORTY MILES FROM OUR SHOP.
WE'RE HARVESTING TIMBERS RIGHT
IN THE HEART OF THE REDWOOD FOREST.
OUR SEASON IS VERY SHORT AND SO THERE
IS A LOT OF PRESSURE TO GETTING THOSE
LOGS TO THE SAW MILL AND ANY LITTLE
HICCUP CAN CAUSE US A LOT OF PROBLEMS.
VERY STRANGE TO HAVE RAINFALL LIKE THIS,
THIS TIME OF YEAR, BUT SOMETIMES, THAT'S MY LUCK.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS MOVING,
A LOT OF THINGS OUT OF CONTROL AND
IT'S A VERY DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENT.
AND INTRODUCING RAIN INTO IT MAKES
EVERYTHING MAKES EVERYTHING MORE RISKY.
[CHAINSAW CUTTING TIMBER]
WE'RE GOING TO TURN OFF THE MAIN ROAD
AND HEAD UP THE HILL WHERE THE YARDERS WORK IN HERE.
A LOT OF THE RULES WE HARVEST TIMBER UNDER ARE
TO PROTECT, THE SPOTTED OWL, AND THE SALMON.
THE IDEA IS TO KEEP THE IMPACT UP ON THE RIDGE TOP
AND AWAY FROM THE STREAM. SO, WE OPERATE A LOT ON
STEEP SLOPES; FIFTY, SIXTY PERCENT SIDE-SLOPES ARE
NOT UNCOMMON. SO, WE DO A LOT OF CABLE LOGGING AND
IT'S ALLOWED US TO ACCESS TIMBER THAT OTHERWISE WOULD
BE VERY DIFFICULT TO REACH.
THERE'S A UNIT DOWN THERE THAT HASN'T BEEN CUT YET.
THE ONLY WAY TO HARVEST THE TIMBER IS TO GO DOWN BY
HAND AND FOR A TIMBER-FALLER, BEING DOWN THERE IS
VERY DANGEROUS.
[CHAINSAW CUTTING DOWN TREE]
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SEVERAL THOUSAND POUND
TREES AND WHEN THEY HIT, THERE'S
LOTS OF STUFF MOVING.
[CHAINSAW]
AT TIMES, IT'S DIFFICULT TO GET OUT
OF THE WAY FAST ENOUGH.
WORKING IN WET CONDITIONS FOR THE HILLSIDE SLICKER,
IT'S HARD TO GET FOOTING. IT MAKES
EVERYTHING JUST THAT MORE DANGEROUS.
[FALLING TREE]
BEFORE WE CAN CUT DOWN A TREE,
ON ANYONE'S PROPERTY, IN THE STATE
OF CALIFORNIA, THEY HAVE TO HAVE
A TIMBER HARVEST PLAN WHICH TELLS
YOU WHAT YOU CAN CUT. AND BY GOING
IN AND DOING SINGLE TREE SELECTION
THE IDEA IS TO LET THE YOUNG TREES
TAKE THE WATER AND SUNLIGHT THE BIG
TREES HAD AND GROW VERY RAPIDLY.
WHEN YOU TALK TO GENERAL PUBLIC,
AND YOU MENTION LOGGING THEY SEE THESE GREAT, BIG CLEAR CUTS
THEY DON'T SEE THE KIND OF STUFF
WE'RE TODAY HERE IN THE NORTH COAST CALIFORNIA.
THE HISTORY OF FORT BRAGG REVOLVES
AROUND THE EARTHQUAKE THAT LEVELED
SAN FRANCISCO IN THE EARLY NINETEEN-HUNDREDS.
THEY NEEDED LUMBER TO REBUILD AND IT DIDN'T
MATTER HOW THEY GOT IT. UP AND DOWN THE COAST,
JUST ABOUT EVERY RANCH HAD A SAW MILL. THE LOGS
WERE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MOVE,
AND EARLY ON THEY WERE LOADED ONTO
SHIPS AND TAKEN OUT TO SAN FRANCISCO
AND OTHER DESTINATIONS. THERE WAS A
LOT OF ROUGH PRACTICES. THEY DIDN'T
HAVE THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE TODAY
AND I THINK THERE WAS DEFINITELY A NEED FOR CHANGE
WITHOUT A DOUBT. RIGHT NOW, THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA HAS MORE TIMBERLAND THAN IT DID A
HUNDRED YEARS AGO. AND THAT IS BECAUSE THEY'RE
NOT CLEARING AS MUCH LAND AND IT'S THE REFLECTION
OF THE TIMBER INDUSTRY'S ABILITY
TO REGROW TREES, ALSO.
[♪♪]
GROWING UP WITH THESE GUYS,
IT'S ALMOST LIKE YOUR FAMILY.
WORKER: VAMANOS
TIME TO GO HOME?
I THINK THAT A LOT OF GUYS WHO FLOCK TO LOGGING HAVE AN EXTREME
WORK ETHIC. THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PRIDE THAT GOES WITH
BEING ABLE TO SEE WHAT YOU ACCOMPLISHED IN A DAY.
THAT TEACHES YOU A LOT ABOUT WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON AND WHAT
YOU'RE CAPABLE OF DOING.
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