Feral hogs continue to persist in Arkansas Feral hogs have been quite a nuisance for Arkansas landowners. These invasive pests compete for food resources, destroy habitat by rooting and wallowing in farmland and eat ground-nesting birds, eggs, fawns and young domestic livestock. Feral hogs can harbor up to 45 diseases, parasites and bacteria, including Brucellosis, Trichinellosis and swine herpes virus. The feral hog problem has spread to new areas because of illegal relocation for hunting purposes. Arkansas Game and Fish reports that shooting individual hogs hinders agencies’ efforts to complete large-
scale trappings because of the increased disturbance in the area.
AFA board member Darwin Hendrix is a landowner in Pike County and has had a major feral hog problem on his property. To alleviate the issue, Hendrix worked with Scott Cagle, nuisance control and wildlife consultant, and Rowe Industries of Hope, AR to create four permanent traps and eight portable traps that have been placed on his land. The traps have cameras located around the perimeter and whenever motion is
August 2016
detected, Cagle receives an alert on his cell phone and is able to view the number of hogs inside the trap. When Cagle is pleased with the number that are in the trap, he is able to trap them with a click of the button on his cell phone. Cagle and Hendrix then go to the trap and eliminate them. To lure them into the trap, Hendrix places 100 pounds of corn inside each trap. These traps can hold around 15-20 hogs. “Although we have killed hundreds of hogs with our traps, the issue still persists,” Hendrix said. “Trapping the hogs via cellphone has made hunting the species much more effective. We are able to secure a whole sounder instead of just one or two at a time.” Arkansas has implemented laws to help with the feral hog issue. Private landowners have the right to shoot hogs, night or day, year round. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission recognizes large-scale trapping to be the most efficient way of reducing the feral hog population. Studies have shown that 66 percent of the hog population must be removed each year just to prevent it from growing. However, hunting has only reduced the population of hogs by eight to 50 percent. According to Mississippi State University Extension, feral hogs cause $1.5 billion in damage each year, nationwide.
AFA Board Member Darwin Hendrix displays one of his four permanent feral hog traps that sit on his Antoine property. The setup time of a trap is approximately one hour.
Feral Hog Trap Demonstration
September 9, 2016 | 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Wrightsville, AR Register online. http://uaferalhogdemo.eventbrite.com
Trail Camera Usage | How to Trap Feral Hogs | Laws and Regulations
Feral hogs are not native to North America. Early European settlers and explorers brought these invasive pests to America in the 1500s. Hogs can give birth to as many as a dozen piglets in one birth and can have up to two litters annually.
Boozman meets with forestry community Over 40 members of the forestry industry met with Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) in Monticello to discuss various landowner, forestry and business issues. The Senator welcomed questions and pledged his support on a variety of issues. Concerns of the industry included H-2B workers, Affordable Care Act and regulatory policies within the industry. After a question and answer session held at the School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of ArkansasMonticello, the group went to Gordon Tree Farm, managed by Kingwood Forestry Services in Monticello to see best management practices at work. John McAlpine, Manager of Monticello Kingwood Forestry Services office, demonstrated a feral hog trap in which notifications are sent to a cell phone and
the hogs are able to be trapped with a click of a button. McAlpine discussed some best management practices that have been implemented on the Tree Farm using federal costshare programs. If you have legislative concerns, AFA is here for you. We pride ourselves in advocating for Arkansas’ forestry industry. Let us know how we can better serve you.
AFA members discuss landowner and regulatory issues with Sen. Boozman on August 19. Pictured (L to R): John McAlpine, Kingwood, Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), David Cawein and Louisa Daniels, Green Bay Packaging
#Seed2Sawmill tour focuses on economic impact of Arkansas forestry HOT SPRINGS – U.S. Sen. John Boozman (AR) and U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR-04) will launch the #Seed2Sawmill Tour on Aug. 30 in an effort to promote forest health and tout the economic benefits of forestry to the state of Arkansas. Westerman, the only professional forester in Congress, will lead the tour through counties in the Fourth Congressional District. In addition to an undergraduate degree in engineering from the University of Arkansas, Westerman holds a master’s degree in forestry from Yale University. “Trees are America’s number one renewable resource. Healthy forests provide clean air, clean water, wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation opportunities, and beautiful vistas,” Westerman said. “But healthy forests don’t just happen. A wide range of professionals from research scientists and foresters to technicians, loggers, machinery operators and the remaining 28,000 Arkansans employed in forestry and its related mills and processing facilities all play a key part in healthy forests in the Natural State.” “The timber industry generates over $3 billion a year for our state’s economy and supports jobs for thousands of Arkansans. Its impact on our economy cannot be overstated,” Boozman said. “That’s why it is
important that Congressman Westerman and I take this opportunity to visit our timber farms, mills, and factories to speak directly with those whose livelihoods are tied to the decisions we make in Washington. We need to hear from them about what Congress should be doing to help this important industry continue to thrive in Arkansas.” More than 28,000 Arkansans are directly employed in the forestry and forest products industry with an average annual income of more than $49,000. The Arkansas Forest Resources Center reports an additional 41,755 indirect and induced jobs resulting from the forestry industry. The total economic impact of forestry to the state of Arkansas is $3.2 billion, while the AFSC notes an additional $3.4 billion in indirect and induced economic impact. During the forestry tour, Boozman and Westerman will explore forestry from the birth of a tree through its lifecycle, including its use in forest products such as paper and building materials. The tour will also feature proper forest management and the positive environmental impacts achieved through conservation efforts. The tour will make the following stops from Aug. 30 through Sept. 1: Weyerhaeuser Nursery in Magnolia, Weyerhaeuser facility
in Emerson, Watson Lumber in Mt. Holly, Maxwell Flooring in Monticello, Del-Tin in El Dorado, the U.S. Forest Service Experimental Forest in Crossett, Fiber Resources, and Evergreen Packaging, both in Pine Bluff. (Media will be notified of tours open to the press the week of the #Seed2Sawmill tour.) Constituents interested in the tour are encouraged to use the #Seed2Sawmill hashtag to follow Boozman and Westerman on their tour of South Arkansas.
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Possibilities are endless for timber industry A diverse group of members of the forest community recently gathered with architects and engineers to discuss the future of wood design and construction. The timber and wood summit was part of the Innovate Arkansas initiative and included an opening statement from Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who continues to encourage support for the industry that contributes over $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy. Congressman and AFA Board Member, Bruce Westerman (AR-04), made remarks as well. Co-sponsors of the event were the University of Arkansas’ Fay Jones School of Architecture and the UAM School of Forestry and Natural Resources.
International speakers discussed multistory wooden buildings in Europe and Canada, including a nine-story apartment building in London. Japan has seen positive results in tall wooden structures that have withstood seismic activity as well as moisture. Other presentations included a case study from Finland which focused on the value-added timber culture in the European country, and sessions on what
the possibilities look like for mass timber construction in Arkansas.
Tall wooden structures are usually made out of cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels. These panels have exceptional strength and stability. Floors, walls and roofs can be made out of CLT panels. CLT contains several layers of kiln-dried boards stacked in alternate directions, then glued and pressed to form rectangular panels.
also shown to be a benefit of using wood indoors as a building material, according to United States Department of Agriculture.
Drs. Philip Tappe and Matthew Pelkki, both of the UAM School of Forestry and Natural Resources, presented a session on Arkansas’ forest economy. Arkansas is now growing 15 million more tons than is being harvested. This excess of timber could potentially support dozens of CLT plants within the state. Wood often outperforms other building materials in terms of energy usage and air pollution. Human health has also shown to benefit from the use of wood indoors by lowering blood pressure, heart-rates and stress. The ability to focus more intently has
Cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels are manufactured with specific projects in mind, having pre-cut openings for windows, doors, etc. potentially saving months of construction.
Early-bird registration quickly approaches The 71st Annual Meeting, “Wood You Believe?” is in a few short months. Scheduled for October 4-6, 2016, at the Chancellor Hotel, Fayetteville, the meeting will include sessions on numerous topics including new technology available for landowners, a keynote address from Tom Martin, American Forest Foundation and two panel discussions, one featuring executives from international companies located in Arkansas and the other focusing on biomass. Attendees will receive a legislative outlook on the effects of the 2016 election and what that means for the 2017 session, concerning forestry. Early-bird registration ends Sept. 4. The cost of the meeting is $160 for AFA
August 31 Executive Committee Meeting AFA Office - Little Rock 10 a.m. September 1 Tree Farm Inspector and Database Training Arkansas 4-H Center - Little Rock September 14 Program Committee Meeting AFA Office - Little Rock 10 a.m.
members, prior to Sept. 4 and $175 after the early-bird deadline. Nonmembers have a $200 registration fee and $215 fee if registering after Sept. 4. Register online at www.arkforests.org/ event/71stannualmeeting.
Contact Jennifer Johnson at jjohnson@ arkforests.org for more information.
Every aspect of this conference is designed to support AFA’s vision to be the respected leader and credible information source for all issues related to forestry. More than 250 attendees are expected for the 71st Annual Meeting. A big thank you to all of the sponsors and exhibitors for their contributions in making the Annual Meeting a success. It’s not too late to add your company to the list.
AFA CALENDAR September 24 River Valley Log-A-Load Auction Boys and Girls Club - Russellville
October 4-6 AFA Annual Conference Fayetteville, AR October 17-21 Forest Products Week
September 24 Bradley County Log-A-Load Auction Immanuel Baptist Church - Warren
October 27 Tree Farm Tour Guion, AR
October 3-7 Prescribed Fire School Camp Robinson - North Little Rock
October 29 Central AR Log-A-Load Auction Sheridan Recreation Center - Sheridan