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If a tree falls in the forest and there's no one around to buy it, what's a logger to do?
For his latest story, our environmental reporter Emmett Gartner went to Oxford County and rode along with Rumford logger Andy Irish, who has been working in the field since the 1970s, and spoke to other loggers, researchers, and industry officials across the state about how tariffs are affecting Maine's logging industry.
The result is a richly reported piece, examining how every branch of the forest products supply chain has been hit, leading loggers to grapple with declining demand for pulpwood and increased duties on specialized equipment that is manufactured abroad.
“An old guy told me a long time ago, ‘If you’re in this business, there are going to be some years that you just gotta eat [the costs],’” Irish told Emmett. “But I’m not sure how this is going to go.”
You can read his story, and see our photos of Irish's operation in action, at the link below.
On the topic of financial upheaval: The University of Maine in Orono is asking its academic colleges and other divisions to slash their budgets by 7 percent in anticipation of an $18 million shortfall, a story our education reporter Kristian Moravec broke a few days ago.
In a related piece, she takes a deep look at how the university's “strategic re-envisioning” process has gone: despite promises of a collaborative, transparent process, some faculty and staff feel let down. She also got a list of how the university has ranked various academic programs, which you can explore for yourself.
Plus: A look at heat pump costs as federal tax credits expire, an analysis of new state data on property taxes, and an update on the Washington County coffers. Officials are planning a full-day meeting to hash out next year's budget on Wednesday. We'll see how it goes.
— Stephanie
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