TKO Saw School -Chainsaw Certification Course (2 Days)

Crew Leaders: Vito P. & Nathan F.

Work Description:  Chainsaw Sawyer Certification

First Day: 5 hrs of outdoor classroom and 2 hrs of saw demonstration/field prep

Second Day: 2 hrs review and 4 hrs field certification on the trail

Land Manager: OPRD – North Coast

District: Nehalem Bay MU

This certification will be taking place at the Nehalem Bay State Park Meeting Hall as well as the Neahkahnie Mountain North Trailhead.

Click here to learn what you need to know before registering for this event.

Initial Chainsaw Bucking Certification (2 days): Every saw operator must be certified to ensure safe and quality work. This session is for those who do not have a USFS saw certification card or those who are pursuing advancement in current certification. The course will cover key safety procedures and best practices for clearing trails effectively in challenging and potentially hazardous situations. Day one is a 5 hr outdoor classroom (powerpoint and video instruction) followed by a 2 hr logout instruction. Day two is a 2 hr review followed by a 4 hr field certification. Candidates typically receive an “A” level certification. Candidates who demonstrate extensive skill and leadership with considerable hands-on saw experience may receive “B” level certification. We encourage volunteers to go through a crosscut saw certification course before signing up for chainsaw certification courses.

A current First Aid and CPR certification is required for a saw certification to be valid. TKO staff and volunteers cannot use crosscut saws or chainsaws unless they hold a recognized and valid sawyer certification, First Aid, and CPR card. After completing your online application, applicants will be required to forward or upload photocopies of their First Aid and CPR certifications. A USFS National Sawyer Certification card will not be issued without copies of these certification cards.

Note: Please bring work gloves, safety glasses, hard hats, chaps, hearing protection, face coverings, and hand sanitizer- all your new normal trail work PPE. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, TKO cannot provide any of this equipment.

Potential cancellation: We will not work in the field if the weather is not safe for our team.

What to bring:

• Food for the two day event.
• Plenty of water for the two day event.
• Snacks
• Gloves, Safety Glasses, Hard Hat, Chainsaw Chaps, Hearing Protection
• Hand Sanitizer

What to wear:

• Boots (Please wear something sturdy that will protect your toes from sharp tools. Boots must cover your ankles. No tennis shoes allowed.)
• Work gloves
• A long-sleeved shirt is a requirement
• Long pants are required
• Chainsaw Chaps
• Hearing Protection
• Face Mask
• Rain gear as appropriate for the weather

Accommodations:

We will be camping at the Nehalem Bay State Park. Further camping info will be emailed out prior to the event.

Questions?

Please contact Vito Perrone at vito.perrone@trailkeepersoforegon.org if you would like to sign up for this event.  Send me an email if you want to join our waitlist for this workshop.

Additional Information:

Check out the TK-U Saw School page for more info.

Free online crosscut course from the University of Montana.

Saws That Sing. A guide to using crosscut saw.

COVID-19 Procedures **Please follow all civil authority restrictions for your community. **

In accordance with civil authority restrictions and land manager requirements for safety considerations, the following policies are currently in place:

• All volunteers will watch in the TKO COVID-19 Safety Lab, a broad safety orientation of TKO Safety Policy & Procedures for a COVID-19 Environment. Link will be provided in your registration confirmation.

• All volunteers must administer a health self-evaluation prior to attending in-person volunteer events (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html).

• All volunteers will read and sign the TKO Volunteer Waiver updated for COVID-19 for release and indemnity of TKO and the land manager partner. Link will be provided in your registration confirmation.

• Volunteers must bring their own gloves, cloth masks, hand sanitizer, and hardhat.

• No carpools will be arranged by TKO for the time being.

For a complete list of Covid specific safety measures, see our safety manual, available here.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: TKO recognizes that the trails we work on travel through the traditional lands of many Indigenous tribes. In every corner of what we now call Oregon, these people were forced to cede their land, their home, to the US government at various times from 1853 – 1871. We are privileged to be here today & express gratitude to the descendants of these tribes for being the original stewards of this land.

EQUITY & INCLUSION: TKO seeks to make Oregon’s trails a place where people can go to connect with nature & one another. Not everyone feels safe & welcome in the outdoors due to racism, bias & hate. We commit to being part of the solution to change that. Conduct, speech, or expressions that target individuals or groups will not be tolerated by TKO, regardless of whether they are based on age, citizenship, disability, ethnicity, gender identity/expression, geographic origin, language, marital status, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status.

PERSONAL SAFETY: Your physical & emotional safety is our number one priority. If a person’s actions or comments make you feel uncomfortable/unsafe – interrupt directly, tell a crew leader &/or complete the post-event survey.