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Landowners and forestry professionals are encouraged to register for the Forestry Forward Conference, taking place September 23 and 24 at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Texarkana, Arkansas.

The conference will bring together landowners, forestry and wildlife professionals, industry representatives, researchers and community leaders from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas to discuss the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the region’s forests.

The conference is designed to encourage discussion and collaboration among attendees, with presentations from regional experts and facilitated conversations focused on practical solutions to current forest market and conservation challenges.

“Forestry is one of Arkansas’s most important industries and is closely tied to the economic vitality of many rural communities,” said Michael Blazier, dean of the University of Arkansas at Monticello College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources and one of the organizers of the event. “Forestry Forward will provide an opportunity to examine the challenges facing the region’s forests and identify opportunities to strengthen the industry and support sustainable forest management.”

A primary focus of the conference will be the changing economics of forest management. Mill closures over the past several decades have reduced markets for small-diameter timber, creating challenges for landowners and rural economies while affecting forest health, wildlife habitat management and wildfire risk.

Conference discussions will address the future of southern pine forests, emerging partnerships and market opportunities, and the connections between forest management, wildlife habitat, economic development and public policy.

Registration is $250 and includes all meals. Landowners, forestry professionals and others with an interest in the future of southern forestry are encouraged to attend and contribute to the conversation. 

Additional information, including the conference agenda and registration details, is available at 4ScienceSake.com/Forestry-Forward.

About the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Arkansas Forest Resources Center

The College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the Arkansas Forest Resources Center, a University of Arkansas System Center of Excellence, brings together interdisciplinary expertise through a partnership between the University of Arkansas at Monticello and the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. The College and Center are headquartered at the University of Arkansas at Monticello campus, but their programs range statewide with the mission of developing and delivering teaching, research, and extension programs that enhance and ensure the sustainability and productivity of forest-based natural resources and agricultural systems. Academic programs are delivered by the College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources through the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Through the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, research is administered by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, and extension and outreach activities are coordinated by the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.