| Foresters hear
reports on issues in industry Holly
Morgan The 2005 Annual Meeting of the Society of American Foresters was held at the Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville, LA on May 9-11. Approximately 65 professionals heard about "Driving Changes in Louisiana Forestry" while enjoying the casino and wonderful food. There are many changes affecting foresters today. State Forester Paul Frey and State FIA coordinator Carlton Cobb gave an update on the Forest Inventory and Assessment, giving us a baseline of where we are. They are about 80% complete with the Inventory, and have found that the growing stock in Louisiana is recovering from heavy cutting in the recent past. Hardwood acreage is increasing at a faster rate than softwood. Dr. Hallie Dozier discussed the "new" pests in the Southern forest, including Cogon grass. This insidious pest has shown up in Louisiana, and information from Florida's foresters indicates that we should not delay control measures. This plant is similar to kudzu in its ability to take over a site. The threat of Sudden Oak Death is becoming increasingly high for everyone due to the types of host species for this disease. Nursery plants such as camellias can be hosts and the disease can be carried to other parts of the country from California if this host is infected at the time it is delivered to outlets for sale. The government is cracking down on the nurseries, and eradication of infected plants has taken place at several wholesalers. Dr. Richard Goyer indicated that threats from Southern Pine Beetle in Louisiana are still low. Trapping has not shown any large populations, so our forests may be spared another year. However, landowners still need to be prudent about thinning and not holding inventory on the stump too long. GIS (Graphic Information System) and GPS (Geospatial Positioning System) are still the big news in technology. There have been advances in both, and the use is increasing within the forestry community. Dr. Niels DeHoop gave an exellent presentation on biomass production. He is conducting a study to determine cost effectiveness, which could be a big benefit to many landowners. If they can sell the sub-merchantable material and get it removed from their property, it could greatly reduce the fuel build-up and possibly prevent wildfires. The wildland-urban interface is still an issue in forestry, and the changes are coming faster all the time. Alan Small with the Department of Agriculture & Forestry gave an update on the progress he is making educating the public about this problem. Steve Shurtz, a landscape and forestry manager for the city of Baton Rouge, captured the size of this issue for us and let us know that it is important to city planners as well as foresters. He suggested we might have an alliance that would be beneficial to both professions. It is an interesting thought in this world of constant change. More information and pictures can be found on the LA SAF website at\par }{\plain www.lasaf.homestead.com.\par }{\plain 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. Special awards were presented during the annual
convention, as follows: Forestry Leadership: Sparkplug: LA Tech Student: LSU Student: |