§ 2622c. Financial assistance; logger safety; master logger certification; cost-share

(a) The Commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation annually shall award grants to the following entities in order to provide financial assistance to loggers for the purposes of improving logger safety and professionalism:

(1) to the Vermont Logger Education to Advance Professionalism (LEAP) program to provide financial assistance to logging contractors for the costs of logger safety training or continuing education in logger safety; and

(2) to the Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands for the purpose of annually paying for up to 50 percent, but not more than $1,500.00, of the costs of the initial certification of up to 10 logging contractors enrolled in the Master Logger Certification Program.

(b) The following costs to a logging contractor shall be eligible for assistance under the grants awarded under subsection (a) of this section:

(1) the costs of safety training, continuing education, or a loss prevention consultation;

(2) the costs of certification under the Master Logger Program administered by the Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands; or

(3) the costs of completion of a logging career technical education program.

(c) A grant awarded under this section shall pay up to 50 percent of the cost of an eligible activity. (Added 2019, No. 83, § 10.)