Typically, Jarrett Drown spends his days watching trees fall, then skid across wood lots on their way to being cut, stacked and hauled to market. These days, he's also watching prices fall. Drown, of Hardwick, is one of the more fortunate loggers in Vermont. He's got good work for several more weeks cutting and hauling trees on a 217-acre ridge overlooking Mount Mansfield. Many loggers, mill owners and workers aren't so fortunate.
Prices are down.
For softwood logs spruce, pine they're way down and have been for at least six months. They're not expected to get better anytime soon. So mills are shutting down or slowing down. Loggers are thinking about shutting down or getting out. To some, it feels like the bottom's really coming right out, said Jack Dwyer of the state Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation.