What’s in it for Me?
10 things AFA has done for its members lately
1
The Arkansas Forestry Association is the Voice of Forestry! In 2009, AFA established the following vision: The Arkansas Forestry Association strives to be the respected leader and credible information source for all issues related to forestry. To build on this vision, the AFA Communications Committee brainstormed ideas and voted for a tag line to accompany the association’s logo to serve as a concise description of AFA’s vision as well as a compelling picture of how we want internal and external audiences to perceive our brand. The committee members voted and the top two were presented to the AFA Executive Committee, which approved “Voice of Forestry.”
2
AFA has responded to the call to be the Voice of Forestry in many ways recently. Executive Vice President Max Braswell and Communications Director Anna Swaim have provided insight into the current and future state of the industry for several publications including Talk Business & Politics; made presentations on issues ranging from Waters of the U.S. and the Northern Long-Eared Bat to the impact on forestry of the 90th Arkansas General Assembly; and most recently participated in an interview with the Arkansas Educational Television Network as part of AETN’s agriculture series to promote the importance of the state’s forestry and forest products manufacturing community.
3
Effective advocacy in the public policy arena is the number-one value AFA can deliver to its members. The association delivered on that key result area during the recent 90th Arkansas General Assembly. The top priority was the passage of legislation to place a cap on the amount of dues that may be assessed to timberland owners by a fire protection district. Act 346 established the cap at five cents per acre (25% of the Forest Fire Protection Tax). Before this legislation was passed, a fire protection district could assess dues over and above the Forest Fire Protection Tax, which all forest landowners pay, and there was no limit.
4
AFA also supported legislation that benefited the Arkansas Forestry Commission and UA Monticello School of Forestry and Natural Resources, established the Arkansas Unpaved Roads Program, strengthened the feral hog law, provided flexibility and new opportunities for forest products manufacturers, and added the association to the Rural Fire Study Committee. AFA and a multitude of partners coordinated the first-ever Forestry Day at the Capitol, complete with exhibits and a seedling giveaway, distributed the ever-popular House and Senate legislative maps, and also hosted a legislative reception at the historic Foster-Robinson House in Little Rock.
5
AFA is working closely with Arkansas field representatives of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Arkansas to minimize the impact to private timberland owners of the Service’s recent listing of the Northern Long-Eared Bat as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Currently, there are no known NLEB hibernacula or maternity roost trees on private lands in the state. AFA is urging FWS to apply its Interim 4(d) Rule in such a way as to recognize sustainable forest management practices, which have proven to be an effective tool to create desired habitat for NLEB, other bat species and a number of other endangered species.
6
One of the benefits of sustainable forestry practices is clean water. AFA worked with a number of partners, including the Endowment for Forestry and Communities to plan the first Arkansas Forests and Drinking Water Forum, May 26-27, at Camp Mitchell, atop Petit Jean Mountain. The objectives of the forum were to share and learn about the connection between forestry and drinking water, discuss the advantages of managing forested watersheds for both sustainable drinking water and forest production, and initiate more opportunities for collaboration in Arkansas. The meeting drew over 40 participants.
7
More than 250 members, sponsors, exhibitors and speakers are expected to participate during the 70th Annual Meeting, October 6-8, at the Arlington Hotel Resort and Spa in Hot Springs. The annual meeting provides loggers, landowners, consultants, forest products manufacturers and friends of forestry an unparalleled opportunity to connect. A strong lineup of speakers will be highlighted by Andrew Baum, President and CEO of ArborGen, Inc.; Dr. Brooks Mendell, President, Forisk Consulting; a moderated panel focusing on the Endangered Species Act; and “Dr. Deer,” nationally known Whitetail deer expert Dr. James Kroll.
8 9
AFA coordinates the Arkansas Log A Load For Kids program, which celebrated its 21st anniversary in 2014 by raising a record $612,000 to support Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Since 1993, Log A Load For Kids has raised more than $7.47 million for Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
The AFA Tree Farm Committee and Tree Farm Task Group are busy planning for the program’s future, which works on behalf of over 1,700 Arkansas Tree Farmers. The Task Group is developing plans to better engage this important group by providing increased communication, education and networking opportunities to build a more cohesive and valueadded program. The first Tree Farmer Conference is scheduled for June 18, 2015. Another great example of networking and education opportunities is regular Tree Farm tours. Most recently, more than 50 AFA members and guests toured ARTEX Ranch, Jim Woodruff’s Tree Farm near Elkins. This tour was featured on the Fayetteville National Public Radio affiliate’s Ozarks at Large program. Last fall, over 80 members and guests toured the John L. McClellan Tree Farm near New Edinburg. McClellan is the 2014 Tree Farmer of the Year.
10
Twenty-five educators participated in the week-long Teacher Conservation Tour, June 15-19, in Hot Springs. In 2014, the AFA Education Foundation shared Project Learning Tree—an award-winning environmental education curriculum—and forestry information with 3,000+ teachers, students and others. AFAEF also coordinated, sponsored or exhibited at 22 forestry workshops, clinics and conferences reaching 1,282 forest landowners and forestry professionals across the state. AFA builds partnerships with state and federal agencies, non-profit organizations, and others to provide a network of professionals who share forestry information and education outreach benefiting landowners, educators, decision-makes, forestry professionals and others. June 2015