In today’s environmentally conscious world, the word “logger” is equated with “tree raper” in many minds. And that mental affiliation’s only the beginning.

Skyrocketing insurance rates for Workers’ Compensation, sophisticated environmental regulations, high-tech mechanical harvesting equipment, and ever-present safety hazards all contribute to the dwindling number of loggers willing to work in the Maine woods.

But Maine loggers don’t give up easily, and the proof lies in the creation of a new, comprehensive education program aimed at saving the loggers’ livelihood.

The Certified Logging Professional (CLP) program was created by loggers for loggers to help meet the challenges of the work environment. CLP provides training in all aspects of the modern logging operation, from efficient wood harvesting and silvicultural techniques to safety and business procedures.

Candidates spend one week in the classroom (during spring mud season) and then head back to the woods, where individual field inspections are conducted at each logger’s work site. CLP inspectors review the actual harvest and watch the logger at work. An interview is part of the educational process.

When loggers designed the CLP curriculum, the goal was to address as many issues and demands of their profession as possible. Consequently, CLP training meets OSHA safety-training requirements and provides loggers with American Red Cross CPR and first-aid certification.

Loggers also learn about the “Best Management Practices” for non-point source pollution-control, recently implemented by the Maine Department of Conservation.

A major bonus for CLP participants is the promise of a 10-percent reduction in Workers’ Compensation rates for all graduates of the “Mechanized Logging 3705” classification, as authorized by the Maine Bureau of Insurance.

With more than 150 people receiving CLP certification in 1991, the program’s pilot year, the future looks promising for CLP and perhaps for the logging profession as a whole. Hopefully, CLP training will equip loggers with the skills, knowledge, and pride necessary to meet the challenges of working in the Maine woods.

Julie R. Cullenberg is a free-lance writer who lives in Oakland.