Eugene Austin of Martin Timber Co. in Campti, Louisiana has been elected the new Vice-Chair for the Louisiana Society of American Foresters (LASAF). Eugene will become the State Chair next year, taking over from Bill Wieger, the 2004 Chair.

Other officers selected by the Chair are: Steve Templin, Secretary; Buck Vandersteen, Treasurer; Holly Morgan, Communications; John Martel, Newsletter; Brent Deen, Foresters Fund; Todd Shupe, Education and Technology; Brian Chandler, Continuing Education; Bill Siegel, Policy; and John Adams, Historian.

The date for the 2004 Annual Meeting has been selected, and planning is under way. The Annual Meeting will be held June 8-10, 2004 at the Methodist Convention Center in Woodworth, LA. The theme for this year's meeting is Forestry Education - Professional, Public, and Continuing. Clyde Todd is the chairman of the committee planning the meeting.

Marq Webb of the Kisatchie National Forest is accepting nominations for Forestry Leadership Award and Distinguished Service to Forestry Award. Nomination forms may be accessed on the LASAF website or by calling Marq Webb at (318) 473-7108. These awards mean a great deal to the foresters of Louisiana who receive them.

Bill Wieger is implementing a new structure for the LASAF Executive Committee, and hopes to invigorate the membership with new opportunities and services. He is also encouraging members to attend the Leadership Academy being held May 22-25 in Nebraska. For more information, check the web page.

The Forestry Float has made several appearances at parades in the past year, promoting the message of good stewardship and the benefits of forest management. We would like to see more exposure for the float. If you or your community is involved in an annual parade, please contact Eugene Austin at (318) 476-3344 about using this first-class float at the event. Please provide your own queens! The float can be seen on the LASAF web page at www.lasaf.homestead.com.

The Society of American Foresters is a nonprofit organization that represents more than 17,000 professional foresters and natural resource professionals. It is the scientific and educational association representing the profession of forestry in the United States. The Society's primary objective is to advance the science, technology, education, and practice of professional forestry for the benefit of society.

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