Overall, all primary forestry workers, including chainsaw and skidder operators , are expected to experience either little change or a decline in employment from 1998 to 2008. One source of uncertainty with the forecast for this occupational group is the impending renegotiation of the import restrictions that have been imposed recently by the U.S. softwood lumber agreement. The uncertain outcome of this will have a significant employment impact for workers in the logging and forestry industry. According to industry sources, a growing amount of logging is being done by helicopters. This is a result of land use policies and environmental concerns, which both result in logging operations moving to increasingly remote and less accessible locations.
Helicopter logging offers an environmental alternative to traditional logging methods.
It enables the selective cutting of trees and also reduces the need for logging roads, which require the loss of large quantities of trees. Advances in technology and the need to develop new, or modify existing, machinery and equipment to accommodate new logging methods, such as helicopter logging, will continue to have major implications for chainsaw and skidder operators . Companies are gradually acquiring multi-function automated equipment that can do the work more efficiently with fewer workers. Due to advanced technology, workers must acquire new skills and knowledge in order to operate modern equipment and take on new responsibilities. They may perform minor repairs, diagnose technical problems and carry out basic safety inspections.