The Associated Logging Contractors of Idaho is celebrating a major milestone marking 60 years of service to independent logging and wood-hauling companies across the Gem State and beyond.
The association, known by its members as ALC-Idaho, is a trade organization formed in 1966 to serve as the industry’s voice in Boise and Washington, D.C.
The ALC-Idaho is set to celebrate the anniversary — 1966 to 2026 — Friday and Saturday during its 60th Annual Spring Member Meeting in Orofino.
As the ALC’s membership gathers to celebrate its history, Executive Director Clete Edmunson said it’s a great time to honor its founders.
“Those independent log and log haulers who set aside their differences to create a unified voice called the Associated Logging Contractors of Idaho were ahead of their time and they did it right,” Edmunson said.
The founders of ALC-Idaho developed a mission that has stood the test of time. Now, 60 years later, the ALC continues working on programs that help members reduce operating costs while also defining issues, providing solutions and building coalitions, Edmunson said.
“What worked for the ALC in 1966 is working for the ALC in 2026,” Edmunson said.
While much has changed in Idaho since 1966, the association has survived several economic downturns, a couple major recessions and several global conflicts.
Edmunson said the logging industry has changed dramatically since 1966, adding that the association has strived to stay ahead of the curve. The ALC’s top priority these days is building a workforce for the modern-day logger, he said.
ALC membership continues to grow with more than 500 logging or log hauling owner/operators and more than 90 associate members, Edmunson said.
“With all of this change nationally and within the state of Idaho, the mission of the ALC has not changed,” he said. “Much like the United States Constitution, which was designed to withstand tremendous change in the country, the ALC Mission holds true.”
ALC-Idaho President John Larson agreed.
Larson said a group of loggers came together in 1966 to form ALC-Idaho in an effort to improve contract logging in Idaho and Montana, with the Montana loggers later establishing their own organization.
“As fate would have it, Idaho and Montana now share workman’s compensation coverage through Associated Loggers Exchange,” Larson said.
Larson, a third-generation logger who operates M. John Larson Logging of Orofino, had his first experience with the ALC back in 1970, just four years after the ALC formed.
Larson’s stepdad, Cliff Kleer, was active in the association and Larson “was always hanging out and listening to what they had going on,” he said.
Larson said the ALC has helped forge a path forward for contract logging in the Gem State. ALC-Idaho has developed programs to help members reduce the cost of operations and crafts creative solutions to problems confronting the industry.
“Many accomplishments to improve our businesses can be attributed to the hard work and success of ALC,” he said.
Those accomplishments include contractors being paid gross scale or by the ton in Idaho, and contractors not having to pay personal property tax on logging equipment.
The ALC also started its own workman’s compensation company, the Associated Loggers Exchange, with the help of Bud Blaine.
“I feel this is one of our greatest achievements,” Larson said. “Now, under the guidance of John Graham, this company has thrived and improved our businesses tremendously.”
In a state that consistently ranks among the nation’s top timber producers, the role ALC-Idaho has played over the past 60 years cannot be overstated, said Debbie Critchfield, Idaho superintendent of public instruction. Critchfield also serves on the State Board of Land Commissioners.
Critchfield said the ALC’s leadership, collaboration, and commitment have helped shape not just the industry, but the broader economic landscape of Idaho.
“With timber sales accounting for the vast majority of land management revenue, the impact of your work reaches far beyond logging—it supports communities across the state,” Critchfield said in a letter congratulating the ALC on its 60-year anniversary.
As Idaho’s superintendent of public instruction, Critchfield said she sees firsthand the impact of ALC-Idaho and its work.
“Timber sales managed by the Idaho Department of Lands are a primary funding source for our public school endowment, directly benefiting Idaho’s students and educators,” she said. “At the same time, we are working to expand career pathways in forest products, ensuring students have access to meaningful, well-paying opportunities close to home.”
As the ALC converges on Orofino this weekend to celebrate 60 years, Critchfield encouraged members to take pride in what the ALC has meant to Idaho’s past as well as its role in the industry’s future.
“Your work supports not only an industry, but also our workforce, our schools, and our communities,” she said.
To learn more about ALC-Idaho and the benefits of membership visit idahologgers.com.