ALABAMA A&M and AUBURN UNIVERSITIES

EXTENSION INITIATES NEW FOREST LANDOWNER SUPPORT PROGRAM

Auburn, March 19---Two-thirds of the land in Alabama is forest, with private individuals and families owning 75 percent of this forestland.  All forest landowners must understand the importance of managing their forests in a manner that protects the land and environment for future generations.

Many forest landowners don't realize the potential value they have in their forest for timber and other resources, nor do they realize the impact practices they employ on their land can have on water quality, visual quality and long-term productive potential, says Glenn Glover, Extension  specialist, private forest management, with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

"What a landowner does or doesn't do today can affect which trees and other plants will grow on the land for many years, how well those trees and plants will grow, and in what condition the land will be for future generations," says Glover.

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System and the School of Forestry at Auburn University, supported by Alabama's forest industry, has initiated a new forest landowner support program.   The goal of this program is to educate both forest landowners and  non-landowners (stakeholders) in the personal, social, environmental and economic values that can be derived from forestland, as well as how to achieve these benefits in a sustainable manner.

This program is called the Private Forest Management Team (PFMT).  The PFMT is a coordinated effort among many groups and agencies that work with or support forest landowners in Alabama.

Two avenues the PFMT will use include a World Wide Web site (www.pfmt.org) and an education, motivation and recognition program called Forest Masters, Glover says. The main structure and format of the website has been designed and new information is constantly being added.  The site is organized somewhat like a book, with "chapters" or topics related to forest management displayed along the left side of the screen.  Topics include planning and objectives, best management practices, stand  establishment and management, forest roads, wildlife management, economics, aesthetics, and others.  The site has a glossary to help landowners understand forestry terminology.

There is a section titled Services by County where a landowner can find forestry consultants, loggers that have completed the professional logging management course (that addresses sustainable forestry), the County Extension home page, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service's home page.  There is even a section where a landowner can find the endangered species occurring in their county and considerations that might affect forest management.

The site is growing daily.  It will take some time to complete all of the information, but there are many useful pages and links already in place, Glover adds.

A second PFMT initiative is to develop a program similar to Master Gardeners for forest landowners and other stakeholders interested in Alabama's forests.  This program will be called Forest Masters.  It will utilize numerous outstanding educational programs and service opportunities that already exist in Alabama and work to develop new educational opportunities, as needed.

Forest Masters will use a "continuing education unit" system that many professions utilize to ensure members remain current.  Any educational program in Alabama that addresses appropriate technical topics can qualify for Forest Master Credits (FMC), Glover says. Organizers of the program will submit an agenda and description of the topics to be presented to the Forest Masters Coordinator.  Credits will be assigned to the presentation or activity designated for one of several identified Topic Groups (such as timber management, wildlife management, aesthetics and the environment, and policy and economics).  Participants will build credits with each completed educational activity.

Once participants have achieved a designated number of credits within a Topic Group, they will receive a certificate and a bronze medallion, signifying they have achieved the first level of recognition.  As they earn more credits, silver and gold medallions will be awarded.  When a participant earns credits across a range of topics, they will receive a certificate recognizing them as a Forest Masters-Bronze Level, Silver Level or Gold Level, with each subsequent level requiring additional Forest Masters Credits.

To earn recognition beyond the Bronze Level, however, participants will also have to accumulate service hours, such as teaching other forest landowners, working with school children and  serving as forest landowner organization officers, etc.

"These two PFMT initiatives, along with others, are aimed at improving forest landowners' and the public's understanding of the importance of our forests and the importance of actively managing a forest for objectives appropriate to each landowner," says Glover.  "The future of our forests depends on us.  If you own forestland--enjoy it, protect it and utilize it but do so in a manner that sustains its potential for future
generations."

SOURCE:  GLENN GLOVER, Extension specialist, private forest management, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, (334) 844-1019.