Lyme Timber Company introduces winch assist harvesting to Pennsylvania

Harvester working on slope anchored by Tractionline

Tractionline atop slope securing Harvester

The Lyme Timber Company introduces winch assist harvesting to Pennsylvania, increasing the industry’s access to latest technology

 Company’s investment increases safety and productivity on steep slopes 

 Emporium, Pennsylvania – The Lyme Timber Company recently deployed Pennsylvania’s first winch assist harvesting system for logging on steep slopes, reaching the milestone of 100 acres logged last week. The equipment, a 2022 EMS Tractionline Winch Assist System, is the latest technology to further modernize the region’s forestry industry. The system includes specialized winches that maintain constant tension on cables attached to a machine that fells timber on steep slopes. The system reduces ground pressure, erosion, and the need for dangerous hand felling on these slopes. 

 David Andrus, General Manager of Three Rivers Forest Management (Lyme’s forestry division in Pennsylvania) said “About half of the volume owned by Lyme is on at least a 40% slope, restricting our production with mechanized crews. This equipment allows us to gain access to parts of our land in an even safer and more productive manner than before.” 

 Lyme has partnered with Rocky Ridge Trading Company to deploy the technology. Rocky Ridge invested in its own mechanical harvester, a John Deere 959 tracked feller buncher, that is paired with the EMS Tractionline system. Rocky Ridge leases the EMS Tractionline from Lyme. 

 Tim Crissman, president, Rocky Ridge, said “We have already seen tremendous benefits from using the winch assist. Higher overall productivity and less soil disturbance when harvesting steep slopes are some of the early measures of success.” 

 Sixteen crews are now working for Lyme across its Pennsylvania and western New York operations. Two more mechanized crews were added this summer. 

 According to Jim Hourdequin, CEO of Lyme Timber: “We are thrilled to be working with Rocky Ridge to deploy this system. A safe and productive workforce is as critical to our business as is the quality of our timber resource. This new system has made logging safer and more productive in the Pacific Northwest and other parts of the world. We are very excited to be a part of innovation and workforce advancement in Pennsylvania.” 

 About Lyme Timber 

 Founded in 1976, The Lyme Timber Company is a private timberland investment management company that focuses on forestry-related investments in the US and Canada. The Company’s current portfolio includes approximately 1.5 million acres in New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Alongside its timberlands, the Company invests in and supports locally managed forest management companies, sawmills, logging businesses, and log distribution yards. 

 Lyme owns approximately 160,000 acres of forestland in the North-Central Pennsylvania region. The Company has invested in several local forest products businesses, including Three Rivers Forest Management in Coudersport, PA, Northern Appalachian Log and Forestry in Coudersport, PA, Emporium Hardwoods in Emporium, PA, and Bradford Forest in Bradford, PA. These businesses employ more than 240 people in the region and support many additional jobs in logging, trucking, and related businesses.