MOFGA Chainsaw Safety Workshops Introductory Chainsaw Safety and Technique Course Saturday, May 6 8:30 am to 4 pm $150; $130 for MOFGA members $275; $250 MOFGA members for both introductory and intermediate courses (May 6 and 7) Location: Flat Road Farms, 386 Flat Road, Bethel, ME Intermediate Chainsaw Safety and Technique Course Sunday, May 7 8:30 am to 4 pm $150; $130 for MOFGA members $275; $250 MOFGA members for both introductory and intermediate courses (May 6 and 7) Location: Flat Road Farms, 386 Flat Road, Bethel, ME

Introductory Chainsaw Safety and Technique Course
Saturday, May 6 – 8:30 am to 4 pm
$150; $130 for MOFGA members
$275; $250 MOFGA members for both introductory and intermediate courses (May 6 and 7)
Location: Flat Road Farms, 386 Flat Road, Bethel, ME

This class is for those people who are thinking of buying a chainsaw, thinking of heating with wood, are heating with wood and wish to cut their own, just started using a chainsaw, using a chainsaw without any formal training or some combination of the above. This course provides safety training and a basic introduction to proper chainsaw technique and saw maintenance. We will cover Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), proper starting technique, proper filing technique, reactive forces on the saw, bucking, compression and tension (how not to bind up your saw!) and tools of the trade. Successful completion of this course is required for students interested in further LIF chainsaw training workshops.

All students should have a helmet with eye and ear protection, chainsaw chaps and steel toed boots. If you do not have your own PPE yet, you can use our helmets and chaps. You must have your own safety boots. If you have your own chainsaw, bring it so we can look it over. We will also have saws of different sizes for students to use.

All students will start the saw and work on bucking up wood that is already on the ground. We will preview topics in the Intermediate level course, including directional felling, the open face notch, bore cut, use of wedges and information to know before felling a tree. Depending on the skill set of the class, we will end the day with participants dropping their own trees.

Lunch and tea snack included. Participants should bring any other snacks they may need.

Required Personal Protective Equipment and Gear:
• Steel toe boots
• Bring any other PPE you have

** MOFGA has 5 full sets of PPE (excluding boots) for students to borrow, plus extra hardhats and ear protection. If you have your own PPE, please bring it.

** MOFGA will have chainsaws on loan from Stihl for students to test out and use if they don't have their own.

Students who have a saw should bring it (running, tuned, sharpened, with full safety features) but needn't go out and buy one before the course. Those without saws will leave with a better sense of what type of saw would be best for their needs.

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Contact the MOFGA office for information

Intermediate Chainsaw Safety and Technique Course
Sunday, May 7 – 8:30 am to 4 pm
$150; $130 for MOFGA members
$275; $250 MOFGA members for both introductory and intermediate courses (May 6 and 7)
Location: Flat Road Farms, 386 Flat Road, Bethel, ME

Prerequisite: Must have successfully completed LIF Chainsaw Level 1 training (see above) or equivalent (check with instructor for approval).

Intermediate level course will review all aspects of Introductory level course material. All students will be expected to have their own set of PPE (steel toed boots, chainsaw chaps, helmet with hearing and eye protection) and a properly tuned saw. All students must have taken Introductory Chainsaw Safety and Technique class or have the requisite experience approved by the instructor ahead of time.

Topics covered will include:
Overview of directional felling
Information before felling a tree - hazards, lean, escape route, hinge and cutting plan
Open face notch
Bore cut
Use of wedges
Limbing
Trail maintenance issues

All students will have the opportunity to practice the bore cut and open face notch and all students who feel ready will drop a tree. We will also preview Advanced Level topics such as hazard tree management, spring-pole management, and different ways of handling a tree that gets hung up. Yes, despite the best of instruction, one may occasionally hang up a tree!

Lunch and tea snack included. Participants should bring any other snacks they may need.

Required Personal Protective Equipment and Gear:
• steel toe boots
• chainsaw chaps
• helmet with ear and eye protection
• chainsaw: running, tuned and sharpened with full safety features
• chain oil
• premix fuel

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Scholarships available for the November workshops. Please fill out a scholarship application form.

For more information about the courses, email us or call 207-568-4142.

Note: We also offer Chainsaw Safety and Low Impact Forestry workshops in November. Check this web page later for details.

Good sources for PPE Equipment:
Labonville, http://www.labonville.com
Gemplers, http://www.gemplers.com/
Northern Tool, http://www.northerntool.com/
Ben Meadows, http://www.benmeadows.com/
Grainger, http://www.grainger.com