Never know what you might hear!

Below are several comments we heard while attending the recent Arkansas Forestry Association annual meeting in Little Rock that I felt others needed to hear.  Some may be more important to you than others, but all have an impact on forestry landowners. Consider how these can have an influence on your family’s timberlands.  My apologizes to the speakers if I did not quote their comments exactly as they said them, but I think I captured the gist of their thoughts.

• Status of forestry industry – In the early morning hours before sunrise, many in the forestry business sit in their pickups in the dark not able to see anything around them. They contemplate their plans for the day even when it is the darkest knowing that things will be brighter when the sun comes up. And at sunrise things begin to get brighter. That is the way the timber industry is today, knowing that it will be brighter. — Allen Morgan, President Hunter-Wasson, Inc., Arkadelphia and outgoing AFA President.
• Importance of corporate partners in politics – Corporate CEO’s are constantly being asked to take time from their businesses to go to Washington or different state capitals to represent forestry interests. While they are effective for the business to which they are affiliated, they are also representing the interest of private, non-industrial landowners. Those landowners need to appreciate their efforts as well. – Paul Noe, American Forest & Paper Association.  Most of us don’t realize what these CEO’s do for us while they are working for their companies.  When you get a change, tell them thank you.
• BMP / certification programs – Expect to see EPA attempt to try to establish a national forestry BMP act to invoke mandatory regulations, to put regulations in place through the different forestry certifications programs, or to provide a federal tax break for those that participate in BMP and / or certification programs. – Scott Jones, Forest Landowners Association.
• Illegal dumping on forest lands — Abatement of dumping on forestlands costs at least $0.50 per acre per year on larger tracts and will be higher on smaller tracts. One leaking barrel of an unknown substance left at the end of a road could result in a $20,000 liability to the landowner. Morgan Richardson, Recreational Lease Manager The Campbell Group.

Comments such as these are just a few of the things we take away for attending forestry educational meetings. If you do not belong to your state forestry association and attend their meetings, you are missing a great opportunity to educate yourself so you can help educate your family during family meetings.

Lastly, I want to thank the AFA Communication Committee for awarding Allen and I the AFA 2012 Communicators of the Year award for our efforts with the Landowner Legacy Communication^© seminar and workshop, this blog, and our other efforts to try to help fellow landowners.  It was something that definitely surprised us and that we did not expect, but we appreciate the recognition.

Images courtesy of Google Images.

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