West Plains, Missouri - Aaron Hovis, a 2015 graduate from the Three Rivers Forestry Technology program, will be at the Speedway event on June 13 to put on a timbersport show, sign autographs, and talk about the Timber Harvesting Program. Hovis is a national finalist for the Stihl Timbersports Competition

Logger Appreciation Day will be held at Legit Speedway in West Plains on June 13. South Central Education Consortium of Willow Springs is one of the sponsors for this ‘Free Grandstand Admission” event and will announce plans for a new Program in Timber Harvesting.

The proposed program will emphasize timber harvesting techniques and principles and provide preparation and training for going into the woods safely and efficiently. Students will be trained in all aspects of logging, while earning a certificate that will make them a better prospect for employers.

Aaron Hovis, a 2015 graduate from the Three Rivers Forestry Technology program, will be at the Speedway event on June 13 to put on a timbersport show, sign autographs, and talk about the Timber Harvesting Program. Hovis is a national finalist for the Stihl Timbersports Competition, which will be held in Central Park in New York on June 20. Aaron is also a part of the Timbersports Lumberjack show that performs in 50 venues in North America each year.

Gates at Legit Speedway will open at 4 p.m. June 13 for Logger Appreciation Day. SCEC will give away a full set of protective gear for the professional timber harvester (chaps, hard hat, ear protection and eye protection). Three Rivers’ partners in the planned Timber Harvesting program, Missouri Forest Products Association and the Missouri Department of Conservation, will also be at the event to answer questions.

Wood products are all around us, from the homes we live in, to the pencils we write with, and the pallets that move products all over the world. The forest products industry annually contributes over $8 billion dollars of economic activity in Missouri. Missouri products are sold nationally and internationally.

Timber is the number one agricultural crop in Missouri. The industry supports over 41,200 jobs at a payroll of about $1.9 billion and is responsible for almost $610 million in taxes that help to run our state and country, including $77 million in state sales tax.

“We have a significant need for quality Timber Harvesters in our area,” said Scott Williamson, Director for Three Rivers College in Willow Springs. “We want to give students the education and skills necessary to succeed in the industry and be good stewards of the forest. We want Timber Harvesters who manage the land for future growth.”

As long as there is a need for wood products, there will be a need for loggers in Missouri. Nationally, the average income for a logger is about $35,000. In Missouri, the average logger makes about $31,000.

Thanks to new construction and renovation, pallet making, tables, chairs and a long list of other wood products, the demand for loggers is high. With most Missouri’s loggers between 40 and 60 years old, there is a need for the next generation in the woods.

Those interested in the Timber Harvesting program or any of the other educational offerings at South Central Education Consortium, call 417-469-3000.

South Central Education Consortium is a partnership between Three Rivers College and Missouri State University – West Plains. The Consortium, located in the former MoDOT Headquarters at 908 Springfield Road in Willow Springs, offers career-technical degrees and certificates, developmental classes, and general education college courses.

Three Rivers College is committed to contributing to the quality of life in Southeast Missouri with quality, affordable higher education opportunities and community services that support and encourage the economic, civic, and cultural vitality of the region. For more information about college and workforce programs and upcoming events, visit trcc.edu