Young Professoinals guest speaker

Prayer Breakfast speaker

Prayer Breakfast: "The Blessings of Stewardship"

Richard Royal, Chair, Lower Flint Regional Water Council

Panel Discussion: Georgia's Water Future

It has been a long and tedious effort, and as Georgia inches ever closer to the full implementation of a comprehensive statewide water management plan, much work continues to be done though most of does not making the headlines. Thirteen regional water councils are where the real work is centered now and few people outside those involved in the process are paying attention. A prosperous future for Georgia depends on the sustainable management and protection of the state’s limited water supplies. The forestry community - landowners and manufacturers - have much at stake in the final version of a statewide water management plan. This expert panel will address all aspects of the state’s water management plan and Georgia’s water future in general - how the plan came to be and what the expectations are as the regional councils look toward ending their work later this year.

Mark Masters, Director of Projects, Water Planning and Policy Cente

Panel Discussion: Georgia's Water Future

It has been a long and tedious effort, and as Georgia inches ever closer to the full implementation of a comprehensive statewide water management plan, much work continues to be done though most of does not making the headlines. Thirteen regional water councils are where the real work is centered now and few people outside those involved in the process are paying attention.

A prosperous future for Georgia depends on the sustainable management and protection of the state’s limited water supplies. The forestry community - landowners and manufacturers - have much at stake in the final version of a statewide water management plan. This expert panel will address all aspects of the state’s water management plan and Georgia’s water future in general - how the plan came to be and what the expectations are as the regional councils look toward ending their work later this year.

Katie Kirkpatrick, Vice President, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce

Panel Discussion: Georgia's Water Future

It has been a long and tedious effort, and as Georgia inches ever closer to the full implementation of a comprehensive statewide water management plan, much work continues to be done though most of does not making the headlines. Thirteen regional water councils are where the real work is centered now and few people outside those involved in the process are paying attention.

A prosperous future for Georgia depends on the sustainable management and protection of the state’s limited water supplies. The forestry community - landowners and manufacturers - have much at stake in the final version of a statewide water management plan. This expert panel will address all aspects of the state’s water management plan and Georgia’s water future in general - how the plan came to be and what the expectations are as the regional councils look toward ending their work later this year.

Gordon Rogers, Executive Director, Flint Riverkeepers

Panel Discussion: Georgia's Water Future

It has been a long and tedious effort, and as Georgia inches ever closer to the full implementation of a comprehensive statewide water management plan, much work continues to be done though most of does not making the headlines. Thirteen regional water councils are where the real work is centered now and few people outside those involved in the process are paying attention.

A prosperous future for Georgia depends on the sustainable management and protection of the state’s limited water supplies. The forestry community - landowners and manufacturers - have much at stake in the final version of a statewide water management plan. This expert panel will address all aspects of the state’s water management plan and Georgia’s water future in general - how the plan came to be and what the expectations are as the regional councils look toward ending their work later this year.

Senator Ross Tolleson, Chairman, Senate Natural Resources and the Environment Committee

Panel Discussion: Georgia's Water Future

It has been a long and tedious effort, and as Georgia inches ever closer to the full implementation of a comprehensive statewide water management plan, much work continues to be done though most of does not making the headlines. Thirteen regional water councils are where the real work is centered now and few people outside those involved in the process are paying attention.

A prosperous future for Georgia depends on the sustainable management and protection of the state’s limited water supplies. The forestry community - landowners and manufacturers - have much at stake in the final version of a statewide water management plan. This expert panel will address all aspects of the state’s water management plan and Georgia’s water future in general - how the plan came to be and what the expectations are as the regional councils look toward ending their work later this year.

Frank Green, Associate Chief of Forest Management, Georgia Forestry Commission

Panel Discussion: Georgia's Water Future

It has been a long and tedious effort, and as Georgia inches ever closer to the full implementation of a comprehensive statewide water management plan, much work continues to be done though most of does not making the headlines. Thirteen regional water councils are where the real work is centered now and few people outside those involved in the process are paying attention.

A prosperous future for Georgia depends on the sustainable management and protection of the state’s limited water supplies. The forestry community - landowners and manufacturers - have much at stake in the final version of a statewide water management plan. This expert panel will address all aspects of the state’s water management plan and Georgia’s water future in general - how the plan came to be and what the expectations are as the regional councils look toward ending their work later this year.

Vicki Lambert, Director, Property Tax Division, GA Department of Revenue

"Forest Land Protection Act and CUVA Update"

Chad Scruggs, USDA Farm Services Agency

"Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP)"

F. Allen Barnes, Director, Environmental Protection Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources

Luncheon Speaker

Jeff Scroggin, AEP, J.D., Scroggin & Company, P.C.

"Tax, Business and Estate Planning for the Next Decade"

A slow economy, a massive deficit, increasing income, payroll, capital gains and estate taxes, the looming retirement and passing of the baby boomers. These and other factors are changing how we will approach business, estate and tax planning for the next decade. Jeff Scroggin has spoken extensively on these topics and will lead a practical, solutions-oriented discussion of how you and your family should plan for the looming changes. He will discuss the unique opportunities and traps in this rapidly changing environment.

"Peachtree to Potomac: Making Sense of Today’s Political Landscape"

Phillip Jennings, Chairman, SunBelt Biofuels, LLC

Growing America's Fuel: The Role of Miscanthus in the Quest for Energy Independence

Jeff Bewsher, Certified Wildlife Biologist, Legacy Wildlife Services - A Division of Natural Resource Planning Services, Inc.

"Landscape Thinning and its Impact on Wildlife"

More forest landowners are thinning plantations today than in the past.  Generally, wildlife on a property benefits from the results of thinning.  However, there is a wide range of impacts on wildlife from thinning on the landscape scale.  Jeff Bewsher with Legacy Wildlife will discuss the variety of impacts on wildlife that thinning produces on the properties that Legacy manages across several states in the southeast.

Mark Melvin, Conservation Management and Education Technician, Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center and Vice Chair, Georgia Prescribed Fire Council

"Georgia Prescribed Fire Council: A Model for Success"

Paul Noe, Vice President for Public Policy, American Forest & Paper Association

"AF&PA Federal Update"

Mark Wilde, Managing Director, Deutsche Bank Securities

Luncheon/Awards Breakfast

Mark will review current state of affairs in US forest products sector as well as trends in offshore markets. He will discuss prospects for cyclical recovery in wood products and pulp & paper sectors as well as some of the longer-term secular trends influencing both businesses. Strategy and financial health of the large public forest products companies will be reviewed. Finally, Mark will provide thoughts on the state of timberland markets & timberland investing.

Dr. Phil Dougherty, Pine Development Project Leader, ArborGen, LLC

"Changes in Genetics and Efficient Integration of New Genetic Material into Silvicultural Systems"

Loblolly pine tree improvement cooperatives have been breeding, testing and selecting superior pine for more than fifty years. In the late 1990’s, MeadWestvaco began producing significant mass controlled pollinated seed (MCP). In the last decade we have also seen varietal (clonal) forestry become a reality.  The increased genetic certainty brought about by MCP and varietal seedlings is enabling significant changes in silvicultural practices. Silvicultural changes that are being made include planting fewer trees per acre, going to wider between row spacing, more row directed protection and growth enhancement treatments and the establishment of “Flex” stands, a major silvicultural adjustment. The purpose of this presentation will be to give an update on the rapid changes in genetic quality that are occurring and explore several new ways for efficiently utilizing higher quality genetic seedlings to increase stand value.

William J. "Bill" Glass, CEO and President, BMC Consultancy, Inc.

"The Growing European Pellet Industry and the USA's Opportunity"

Johnny Thompson, LandMark Spatial Solutions, LLC

"Technology Solutions for Tough Times"

As much as we don't like to hear it, economic recessions are actually one of the most important parts of any capitalist economy. These “tough times” help correct economic imbalances, clean "fat" out of the system, and work to get the economy back to a healthy, realistic, and sustainable rate of growth. The companies that weather these unpleasant storms the best tend to be the ones that are willing to examine themselves honestly, get rid of bad habits, and implement creative ways to increase productivity and efficiency. The purpose of this is class is to investigate whether it pays to invest in technology during tough times. Are there tried and true methods in the field and office for doing more with less? What are you possibly doing or not doing on a cruise that is costing you big bucks? How much does accuracy, or inaccuracy, really matter? What free resources are out there that can be utilized to help you save a buck (or lots of bucks)? With timber prices so low, when is the best time to harvest your stands and what should you do in the mean time? What about Carbon? Is their any hope for the log trucking side of the industry? We will attempt to answer these questions and more as we explore the latest solutions in GPS, GIS, forest measurement, forest inventory, growth and yield, and Log Truck Optimization. Bring your questions and make plans to attend this LandMark Systems forest technology seminar.

Dr. Rebecca Moore WSNFR, Assistant Professor, Natural Resource Economics

Quantifying the Benefits of Non-timber Ecosystem Services Provided by Georgia’s Private Forests

Elton Baldy

Auctioneer

Entertainment
Brought back by popular demand......
Auctioneer Elton Baldy

Tuesday Evening - Live Auction to benefit the Georgia Forestry
Foundation’s programs: Project Learning Tree, Tree Farm and the
Teacher Conservation Workshop.

Live Auction Items: Quail Hunt for 2 at Riverview Plantation, Dove Hunt for 4 in Cordoba, Argentina, 4 day/3 night stay and Golf for 2 at Amelia Island Plantation, and 5 night stay for 2 at Harbour Town Yacht Club in Hilton Head, SC