Starting Time: 00:00
Hayes D. Brown, attorney and forest owner, will moderate this news conference. Hayes’ email address is hbrown@hayesbrown.com.
Starting Time: 01:03
Tom Manuel is a private landowner in Louisiana, and he is taking a bold stand for property rights with a lawsuit challenging the state’s use of the open fields doctrine—a legal loophole that allows game wardens to enter private land without a warrant. His case began when he discovered a warden repeatedly trespassing on his family’s land. Frustrated and seeking justice, Tom recalled an article in Capital Ideas about a similar case in Tennessee, where the landowner won. That victory gave him hope—and a path forward. He reached out to the same nonprofit law firm, the Institute for Justice, a public interest law firm that defends Americans whose constitutional rights have been violated by government overreach, which now represents him in his case against the state of Louisiana. Tom joins us to share his story, what’s at stake for private landowners, and why the outcome of this case could have lasting implications across the South
Starting Time: 06:58
David Wilkinson is the General Manager of Southern Silviculture Operations for Manulife Forest Management, where he oversees reforestation, spraying, and fertilization across 2.2 million acres of timberland in the eastern United States. With that scale of responsibility, David has a front-row seat to the real-world challenges landowners face—particularly when it comes to reforestation planning. Labor shortages continue to impact the industry, making it harder to get trees in the ground when timing matters most. David joins us to share practical advice and key strategies private landowners can use to reduce risk, avoid costly delays, and set the stage for a successful planting season.
Starting Time: 11:48
Preston Roberts is Director of Agricultural Legislation at the Alabama Farmers Federation. Governor Kay Ivey recently signed House Bill 477 into law, paving the way for the Alabama Farmers Federation to offer Alfa Health Plans—affordable health coverage designed specifically for Federation members. This new option addresses a long-standing challenge faced by farmers and rural landowners: access to reliable, affordable healthcare. Preston joins us to talk about how the legislation came together, what makes these plans unique, and how members could potentially save compared to traditional insurance options.
Alfa: A Healthy Option
Starting Time: 15:27
Alison Coughlin is Director of Research and Product Development at CME Group. A new development in the world of timber markets could have significant implications for Alabama forest landowners. The CME Group launched Southern Yellow Pine futures contracts—an effort to create a lumber futures market that more accurately reflects U.S. production and demand, especially in the Southeast where Southern Yellow Pine is a dominant species. While futures markets don’t directly set stumpage prices, they can influence downstream markets and help signal broader demand trends, potentially affecting what mills are willing to pay landowners. Alison joins us to share valuable insight into how this new market works—and how it may correlate to long-term timber pricing strategies on the ground.
