Trails and Chainsaws

JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK (May 21, 2024) – Under an overcast sky just outside of The Heron Farm & Event Center farmstand, the first cohort of participants in this year’s Chautauqua County Game of Logging (GOL) chainsaw safety courses gathered on Monday, May 13 to meet one another and hear the plan for the day. Leading the training was Bill Lindloff, an experienced logger from Endicott, NY, who learned the course from its founder in 1994 and now travels throughout the northeast teaching full-time.

Chainsaws are amazing tools, useful for everything from yardwork to cutting firewood to forest management to harvesting timber. They are a feat of engineering, a relatively simple machine made up of a motor, a bar, and a chain that allows almost anyone the power to take on these monumental tasks. But that effectiveness can quickly take a dangerous turn if someone doesn’t handle it properly, whatever their level of experience.

When Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Chautauqua County Executive Director, Emily Reynolds, saw an opportunity last year, she acted quickly to schedule Lindloff for several days of Level 1 and Level 2 GOL classes to be hosted at various locations around the county. As an equine trail rider, Reynolds knows first-hand that Chautauqua County Greenway trail users often encounter downed trees or limbs blocking the way, and with over 600 miles of navigable public trails, it’s too much for County employees to keep up with on their own. In the state of New York, for a volunteer to use a motorized saw for trail maintenance in any State Forest or State Park, the volunteer must complete the GOL Chainsaw Safety Level 1 Certification Course, and then complete an annual bloodborne pathogens training and bi-annually maintain CPR/First Aid certification. Additionally, when operating equipment for trail maintenance, two fully certified volunteers must be in attendance.

Together with the Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth, the Friends of the Chautauqua County Greenways, and several local trail enthusiast groups, CCE-Chautauqua is hosting the GOL courses this year to build the infrastructure of volunteer support for the county trail system. Thanks to a recently awarded community grant from the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation, Chautauqua County residents who volunteer to maintain public trails with a trail user group are eligible for a scholarship to cover the one-day course fee. So far, attendees for this year’s classes include members of the Western NY Mountain Bike Association (WNYMBA), Little Valley Riders Club, and Chautauqua Rails to Trails.

Other chainsaw users, including municipality staff and woodland owners, are also encouraged to attend. The course fee is $150, which includes a full day of demonstration, training, and personal coaching as each participant gets to put their new knowledge to work in the woods. Every participant is required to bring their own personal protective equipment, including a hard hat, ear and eye protection, and chainsaw chaps. At the end of the day, participants go home with an official certificate of completion.

Upcoming course dates include:

-Tuesday, May 28 – GOL Level 1, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm

-Wednesday, August 21 – GOL Level 1, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm

-Thursday, August 22 - GOL Level 2, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm

For more information about what is covered in GOL Level 1 and Level 2, and to register online, visit https://chautauqua.cce.cornell.edu/events or call the CCE-Chautauqua office at 716-664-9502.

The crew that walked out of the woods on Monday afternoon, under a sky much warmer and sunnier than the day had begun, had the satisfaction of knowing that they had safely taken down 11 large dead ash trees which could have posed a threat to visitors and to surrounding trees. They learned proper sharpening techniques and saw first-hand that a little bit more time spent on sharpening a chain equals a much quicker and easier job when the chainsaw is running! Eight of the nine participants were experienced chainsaw users, yet every person felt they had learned something valuable, and everyone was looking forward to putting their chainsaws to use maintaining the beautiful Chautauqua County Greenways.

The Game of Logging chainsaw safety training, hosted by the CCE-Chautauqua Agriculture Program, is one of many educational opportunities offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a subordinate governmental agency with an educational mission that operates under a form of organization and administration approved by Cornell University as agent for the State of New York. It is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The association is part of the national cooperative extension system, an educational partnership between County, State, and Federal governments. As New York’s land grant university Cornell administers the system in this state. Each Cornell Cooperative Extension association is an independent employer that is governed by an elected Board of Directors with general oversight from Cornell. All associations work to meet the needs of the counties in which they are located as well as state and national goals. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Last updated May 21, 2024