Inaugural Southern Woodland Owners Conference Planned
Sunday, October 9th, 2011
The Georgia Forestry Association will hold its first Southern Woodland Owners Conference & Solutions Fair at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center on Oct. 31 through Nov. 2. The conference will provide information, education and expert insights on many of the key issues facing timberland owners, including the market outlook for timber, sustainable forest management and intergenerational transfer.
“We have many members in southern Georgia and we wanted to offer them a conference program with broad appeal to both landowners and consulting foresters,” said Steve McWilliams, president of the Georgia Forestry Association.
“We have a commitment from Harris Sherman, Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment at the USDA to give the opening keynote. We’re also very pleased by the number of high quality promotional partners that have committed to sponsor the conference.”
Promotional partners for the conference include Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Auburn University, Certified Family Forest, Florida Forestry Association, Forest Landowners, Georgia Agribusiness Council, Georgia Forestry Commission, Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission, NRCS, SFI Implementation Committee and the UGA Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources.
Providing insights on issues that matter
According to McWilliams, one of the top-priority issues facing timberland owners is the decline in the demand for wood. Timberland owners have been particularly hard hit by the downturn in the housing market.
“In soft markets, landowners delay harvest and forego the income stream on their most valuable timber,” McWilliams said. “At the conference, attendees will get information they need to make educated decisions about value trends for timber.”
Intergenerational transfer is also a hot topic among many timber landowners. As the landowner population begins to age, the question of what happens to forest land in the future becomes more urgent.
“Many landowners are beginning to think through how to transfer their forest land to their children and ensure they keep it in trees,” McWilliams explained.
Sustainable forest management will also be a prominent feature on the conference agenda. Invasive species, timber theft and wildlife habitat management are among the topics that will be addressed.
“I think one of the best sessions we have scheduled is a panel with family tree farmers. They’ll share their successes and lessons learned from their mistakes. It’ll be an interactive discussion in which attendees will be encouraged to ask questions of panel participants.” McWilliams continued.
Maximizing your time at the conference
On Tuesday evening, Nov. 1, the conference will offer a forestry “night school.” Attendees will have the opportunity to choose to participate in one or two of 10 facilitated roundtable discussions. Topics include longleaf restoration, the 2012 Farm Bill, bobwhite quail habitat, timber marketing methods and others.
“We’re offering a diverse range of topics and an opportunity to continue the day’s discussions over coffee and dessert,” McWilliams said.
For an additional fee, attendees can also participate in one of two optional pre-conference field trips. A trip to Oakridge Farms in Sumner, Ga. will provide a closer look at longleaf/wiregrass ecosystem restoration and a trip to the Norbord OSB Plant in Cordele, Ga. will provide a look at the process of making OSB panels for use in residential, commercial and industrial applications.
More information on the Southern Woodland Owners Conference and Solutions Fair is available at www.gfagrow.org or call Judy Couch at (478) 992-8110.
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