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CLICK HERE
to Listen to the
Conference.

Hayes D. Brown

starting time: (00:00)

Hayes D. Brown, attorney and forest owner,  will moderate this news conference. Hayes' email address is hbrown@hayesbrown.com.

Click Here to View & Hear Prior News Conferences.

.

Robert N. Gandy

(00:39)

As Ye Sow So Shall Ye Reap

Robert Gandy, vice president of Creekside Consulting, Inc., is a consulting forester who "...focuses on forest seed and regeneration, with additional expertise in longleaf pine, containerized seedlings, aerial seeding..." Robert describes why you might consider sowing seed instead of planting seedlings or hoping for natural regeneration. The low cost of direct seeding will grab your attention, but there are downsides that need to be taken into consideration.

Robert suggests you take a look at the following web pages:

• From the Creekside website
• Seeding: A Forest Regeneration Alternative Miss. State 
• Forest Regeneration Methods: Natural Regeneration, Direct Seeding and Planting U of Florida

Robert will discuss direct seeding and even demonstrate how to use and calibrate a hand seeder at AFOA's April 12 Annual Meeting at DeSoto State Park. Click here.

phone: (205) 672-8587
email: forestseed@creeksideinc.com

.

Dan A. James

(04:49)

"May I Introduce You to . . ."

Dan James is a forest owner in central Alabama and the current president of the International Wood Collectors Society. He walks and talks forest conservation. Dan loves the forest and the trees and he loves talking to people about them. He was recommended to AFOA as a landowner who excelled at tree identification so we invited him to lead two tree identification walks at our April 12 Annual Meeting. Today Dan reminds us why we should know the names and characteristics of our trees. Some kinds of trees like their feet wet and some like an open sunny hilltop. Some will produce high quality veneer and some tend to begin rotting on the inside, even when small and young. Knowing more about trees will make you a better decision maker for your forestland.

Trees of Alabama and the Southeast
Silvics of North America

phone: (205) 926-7782
email: nu4a@dbtech.net

.

Ginger Kogelschatz

(09:00)

Growing & Using Medicinal herbs

Ginger Kogelschatz has a degree in Forest Management from Auburn and maintains a part-time job in the timber investment industry, but her passion is growing, selling and making medicines out of herbs. She and husband Ed own and manage Shinbone Valley Farm in Northwest Georgia where they grow medicinal herbs, vegetables and flowers. Many forest owners have had a dream to leave a conventional 9 to 5 job and strike out on a risky adventure, but few of us have ever taken more than the first step. Ginger has provided us with several interesting web links to review: 

• American Herbalists Guild
• Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases 
• Horizon Herbs: Medicinal Seeds, Plants & Roots 
• Companion Plants 
• American Botanical Council  
• United Plant Savers   
• The Herb Research Foundation   
• Johnny's Selected Seeds
   

Ginger will present a slide show of a variety of medicinal herbs at AFOA's Annual Meeting on April 12. Click here for registration information.

phone: (706) 862-6181
email: gkogelscha@forestinvest.com

.

Dr. Robert C. Kellison

(12:43)

Forest Biotechnology:  a new horizon

Bob Kellison is executive director of the Institute of Forest Biotechnology, an organization that is immersed in "gee whiz" forestry. A few months ago we read in the Scientific American that scientists had implanted spider silk producing genes in goats so that their milk could be processed to produce an extremely tough fiber. It will one day be used to make lightweight bullet proof vests and chain saw  chaps. Forest biotechnology scientists are making similar magic happen when they create trees resistant to disease or insects or trees resistant to herbicides similar to Roundup resistant soy beans.

phone: (919) 549-8889
email: bob_kellison@ncbiotech.org

.

Dr. Donald L. Rockwood

(16:14)

"Energywood" Produces Commercial Power in Florida

Don Rockwood is Professor of Tree Improvement at the University of Florida School of Forest Resources and Conservation. Most forest owners have been concerned about the poor prices that pine pulpwood has been bringing for the last few years. Meeting Dr. Rockwood recently and hearing him talk about the potential for low grade wood as an energy source was a pleasant experience. Today he describes a South Florida power plant that is beginning to use precommercial thinnings from a 50,000 acre slash pine plantation 60 miles north of the plant.

Be sure to open the TreePower.org website. You will find recent news about Energy Bills that are moving through Congress. Some may result in tax and other incentives to energywood users that could be of great importance to all forest owners.

• Eucalyptus -- Pulpwood, Mulch or Energywood?
• Using Fast-Growing Hardwoods in Florida
• www.eere.energy.gov/state_energy/states.cfm  - includes info on Alabama (would not open - waiting on repair instructions)

phone: (352) 846-0897
email: dlr@mail.ifas.ufl.edu

.

Susan L. LeVan

(19:20)

Portable Wood Fueled Power Plant Tested in West

Susan LeVan is Program Manager of the State & Private Forestry, Technology Marketing Program, at the U.S. Forest Service Forest Products Lab, based in Madison, Wisconsin. Her efforts have been directed toward utilization of small-diameter timber. "She has successfully helped numerous rural communities create forest products businesses utilizing small-diameter material." Today Susan describes the BioMax System, a portable electric generator that gasifies wood and produces enough electricity for the equivalent of about 5 houses. Click here for a National Wood Energy Project press release that includes a photo of the BioMax 15 unit. (pdf file)

phone: (608) 231-9200
email: slevan@fs.fed.us

.

Jay Taffet

(23:25)

A Unique Perspective

Jay Taffet is the owner/operator of Affordable Aerials, a company that produces aerial photography of commercial development sites, farmsteads, football stadiums, etc. His photos (sometimes referred to as obliques) are different from verticals (those taken straight down at the ground for mapping purposes) in that they appear more "normal" to the average person. Jay also opens his plane's doors to "tourists" who might want to fly over their land to get a better idea of where the roads, ponds and deerstands are located.

phone: (334) 262-0190
email: jay@affordableaerials.com

.

Jeffrey A. McFall

(26:12)

Stumpage Market Report

Jeff McFall is the Timber Market Analyst for Forest2Market, a web-based stumpage price reporting system. Jeff is "responsible for all timber data acquisition, monitoring of the southern US timber markets, statistical and analytical analysis of timber market data" for Forest2Market. He knows a lot about current and past stumpage prices and today he'll speculate on what the future may hold in store us. Be sure to click on the Forest2Market.com website and also check out the Get Forestry News link in the upper right quadrant of F2M's opening web page.

phone: (704) 357-0110
email: jeff.mcfall@forest2market.com

.

Issues and Topics AFOA is following.

To suggest an issue or a topic for a future news conference, please send an email note to AFOA by clicking here.

• National or Federal Issues

• EPA Proposed Water Quality Trading
• Energy Bill
• CCA Treated Southern Pine Lumber
• TMDLs
• EPA Basin Projects
• CARA
• Forest Certification
• 2002 Farm Bill
• Energy Crisis & Federal Eminent Domain
• Red Hills Salamander

• State or Local Issues

• Constitutional Revision/Tax Reform
• County Zoning
• Right to Farm & Practice Forestry
• Illegal Dumping
• Delaney Family Current-Use Case
• JeffCo Storm Water Management Program
• Current Use Tax Assessment Rates
• Local Harvesting Restrictions & Road Weight Limits
• Bridge Repairs & the Alabama Trust Fund
• Dog Hunting & Hunter Trespass

• Forest Management Issues

• Seasonal Forest and Wildlife Management Tips
• Southern Pine Beetle: Salvage & Prevention
• Forest Fertilization
• Intensive Forest Management
• Long Rotation Management & Natural Regeneration

• Technology

• Palm Pilots & Forest Records
• Useful Computer Software

• Markets

• Industry Consolidation & Timber Markets
• Stumpage & Forest Product Markets
• Forestland For Sale
• Wood Buying Policies During SPB Epidemic
• Alabama's Pine Straw Wholesale Market
• Minerals, Gas & Oil Activity
• Recreational Businesses for Forest Owners

• Forest Taxation

• Tax Breaks for Non-Profits Unfair to Private Forest Owners?
• Repeal of Estate Tax
• Forest Taxation: Income, Estate, & Property
• Section 631(b) Capital Gains Tax Change