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• See below for details on all WEBINARS

Welcome!

This webinar series was developed to assist woodland owners and forestry professionals to develop an enhanced understanding of sustainable forestry concepts and practices and how they might be applied in woodland management planning and decisions. Support for this series is provided by the university-based Sustainable Forests Partnership with funding from the US Forest Service. The webinar series is centered on the sustainable forestry stewardship principles as outlined in the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) http:www.stateforesters.org/files/p&ghandbook.pdf.

• • May 18 Intergenerational
    Transfers and
    Long-Range
    Forest Planning

  • Thom McEvoy
    Professor and Extension Forester
    University of Vermont
    School of Natural Resources

  
  

  Have you considered what is to happen to your forestland after you pass away? If the answer is 'no,' you're not alone. Less than five percent (possibly significantly less) of the 10 million-plus family forest owners have planned for the long-term disposition of their forests. Yet failures to plan can lead to unsustainable practices or even forced liquidation of family forests. Thom McEvoy, Professor, Author and Vermont Extension Forester will discuss the effects of parcelization of forests on fragmentation of purpose and describe planning strategies that owners can use to keep lands intact and in the family.

• • June 1 Enhancing
    Biological
    Diversity on
    Forestlands

  • Kristi Sullivan
    Extension Associate
    Cornell University
    Dept. of Natural Resources

  
  

  Conserving or enhancing biodiversity is a common goal of many forest owners, and biodiversity contributes to the well-being of local communities. Through this presentation, we will introduce the concepts of biodiversity and ecosystem conservation, discuss groups of species of conservation concern, explore current threats to biodiversity conservation, and recommend specific steps family forest owners, managers, and practitioners can take to recognize and enhance the biodiversity of forest lands.

• • June 15 Conservation and
    Maintenance of
    Soil and
    Water Resources

  • Dr. Andrew Egan
    Dean and Professor
    School of Forestry and
    Natural Resources
    Paul Smith’s College

  
  

  Forest access systems are essential for a variety of forest uses, including recreation, timber removal, and fire control. Regardless of their use, forest roads and trails are the primary sources of soil damage and non-point source water pollution in forests. We'll discuss some of the principles related to soil and water conservation in forestry and demonstrate ways to plan, construct, and maintain forest access systems. Our discussion will include an overview of Best Management Practices for forestry. While the focus will be on forest access systems used in timber removal, many of the concepts and techniques can be used for other landowner objectives and forest uses.

• • June 29 Sustaining
    Healthy
    and Productive
    Forests

  • Dylan Jenkins, CF
    Director of Forest Conservation
    The Nature Conservancy in
    Pennsylvania

  
  

  Private forestlands in the east are generally of higher site quality and potential than their public counterparts; however these forests continue to fragment and conditions are declining relative to public forests. How can landowners take advantage of forest certification, woody biomass, and emerging ecosystem markets to restore and maintain the health and vigor of their forests and fully contribute to maintaining a working forest landscape? Certified forester Dylan Jenkins will get beyond the hype of easements, certification and carbon markets and discuss how The Nature Conservancy's Forest Conservation Program is innovatively integrating these tools to enable private landowners to maximize ecologic and economic values on their forests.

• • July 13 Forest Carbon
    Cycles and
    Management

  • Maria Janowiak
    Research/Outreach Scientist
    Northern Institute of Applied
    Carbon Science
    Michigan Technological University

  
  

  Forests are a significant component to the earth’s carbon cycle, storing up to 80% of the earth’s aboveground carbon and approximately 40% of carbon that is belowground. The presence of this carbon in forests is important for numerous ecological functions. Furthermore, the ability of forests to sequester carbon from the atmosphere is increasingly important in discussions of how to mitigate the build-up of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are responsible for climate change. This presentation will describe the role of forests in the global carbon cycle, discuss ways that management can affect forest carbon pools, and highlight ways that carbon sequestration and bioenergy can contribute toward and be incorporated into sustainable forest management efforts.

• • July 27 Landowner
    Perspectives
    on Forest
    Stewardship and
    Sustainability

  • Ruth McWilliams
    Co-Owner, Catamount Lodge &
    Forest LLC
    Retired National Sustainable
    Development Coordinator
    USDA Forest Service,
    Washington D.C.

  
  

  
  
  Ruth McWilliams will provide a private landowner perspective on the importance of forest stewardship planning and the use of the Montreal Process Criteria & Indicators as a framework for planning and managing your woods and forest. Ruth McWilliams co-owns and manages Catamount Lodge & Forest LLC, a 379-acre property which is managed for environmental, social, and economic benefits. Ruth is interested in sustainable approaches to community development and natural resource management; and recently retired from the US Department of Agriculture after 30 years of public service where she last served as the Forest Service’s National Sustainable Development Coordinator in Washington, DC.