Association, advocacy update
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Max Braswell AFA Executive Vice President
s part of our efforts to promote AFA, the association sponsored the forestry section of Arkansas Grown, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s guide to farms, food and forestry. Copies are available at the AFA office, and AFA’s full-page ad is on page 36, next to an article on healthy forests, featuring information about AFA board member Charles Purtle, forest health, sustainability and certification.
There will be other facets to our marketing strategy—part of which the Membership Committee will develop, with a goal of using strategic avenues to help more people and potential members better understand AFA’s vision, mission and value. Other initiatives we’ll be implementing this year include transitioning to a new association management/membership database, developing stronger relationships with media, identifying key legislative issues for the 2015 legislative session, and ensuring the growth and effectiveness of AFA’s Forest Express Political Action Committee. 400+ candidates file Candidate filing came to a close on March 3. All 100 House seats and 17 of the 35 Senate seats are up for election. Seven Constitutional Office races will also be contested. The AFA Government Relations
March/April 2014
Darling inducted into Ag Hall of Fame
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he Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame seeks to build public awareness of agriculture and to honor/recognize past and current leaders who have given to the farm industry, their communities and economic development. On March 7, O.H. “Doogie” Darling, 85, of Crossett, became the first inductee from the forestry community. Darling earned his forestry technician certificate from Arkansas A&M College (now the University of Arkansas at Monticello). He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in forestry from Louisiana State University and a master’s in forestry from Yale University. In the 1950s, Darling was a young forester for the Fordyce Lumber Company, where he pioneered the first landowner assistance program, an innovation in the forest industry. This program combined a forester’s knowledge with landowners struggling to make ends meet following the Great Depression and World War II. It helped farmers generate supplemental income from their farm woodlots through scientifically based forest management and improve the value of their property, while improving the forestland’s health and productivity.
Lumber Company, Darling continued his landowner assistance efforts, further expanding the program. At the peak of Darling’s career, he was responsible for managing 3 million acres of Georgia-Pacific timberland, delivering wood to 28 forest production mills in eight states. After retiring from Georgia-Pacific, Darling served on the board of director’s for Deltic for 12 years. Darling has been an AFA member for almost 50 years and served as its president in 1988 to 1989. He is also a member of the Arkansas Foresters’ Hall of Fame and mentored many young foresters throughout the state.
When Georgia-Pacific bought the Fordyce
O.H. “Doogie” Darling (right), pictured with his wife Patsy (left), is the forestry community’s first inductee into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame.
Committee will meet April 8 to review races and begin the process of determining endorsements.
from several organizations that are part of a coalition of stakeholders, including AFA. See the release online at goo.gl/GOxWko.
Pryor files endangered species legislation Sen. Mark Pryor introduced legislation to ensure that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will use quantitative analysis to determine the economic impact of proposed critical habitat designations. Currently, USFWS uses an “incremental approach” that only requires the agency to consider the cost of interagency consultations. A news release issued by Sen. Pryor provides details and includes quotes
Over the past few months, the coalition has worked to reduce the proposed critical habitat designation for the Neosho Mucket and Rabbitsfoot mussels. The latest species slated for designation is the Long-Eared bat, which ranges across Arkansas and roosts in trees during the summer. AFA’s Forest Practices and Wildlife Committees will host USFWS and the Natural Resources Conservation Service representatives at a March 17 meeting to learn more.
CALENDAR March 17 Combined AFA Forest Practices and Wildlife Committee 9:30 a.m. - AG&FC Central Arkansas Nature Center, Little Rock March 26 AFA Executive Committee 10 a.m. - AFA Office, Little Rock March 28 Nipper Family Tree Farm Tour 9 a.m. - Columbia County Register by calling (501) 374-2441 or sending an email to jjohnson@arkforests.org April 1 Arkansas Log A Load For Kids Campaign Kickoff 10:30 a.m. - Arkansas Children’s Hospital April 2 Program Committee 10 a.m. - AFA Office, Little Rock April 8 Government Relations Committee 10 a.m. - AFA Office, Little Rock April 12 Prescribed Fire for Landowners 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Lakeside Country Club, Hensley April 16 Communications Committee 10 a.m. - AFA Office, Little Rock April 23-26 Four-State Forestry on the Grow Texarkana, TX 4stateforestryonthegrow.org May 1-2 AFA Board of Directors DeGray Lake Resort June 23-27 Teacher Conservation Tour Russellville September 23-25 69th AFA Annual Meeting Arlington Resort Hotel and Spa Hot Springs
Prescribed fire workshop April 12
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ire in Arkansas’s forests has been an important process in the state’s ecology and landscape. Today, prescribed fire is an indispensable tool used to accomplish management objectives. The Arkansas Prescribed Fire Council is sponsoring a Prescribed Fire Workshop for Forest Landowners, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 12, at Lakeside Country Club, 2423 E Woodson Lateral Rd., in Hensley. The workshop will help woodland owners understand the factors that influence effective and safe burns. Classroom time will address: • Arkansas Fire History • Fire and Wildlife • Forest Management • Weather and Smoke • Fire Objectives and Burn Plan • Ignition Techniques • Quail and Fire • Fire in Cost Share Programs • Fire Laws There will be a prescribed burn demonstration (weather permitting). Space is limited, so register early. A $10 registration fee covers workshop materials,
breaks and lunch. Participants should dress appropriately for the field exercise. For more information call (501) 374-2441 or email aswaim@arkforests.org. Register by sending your name, address, phone and email and a check for $10 (payable to “AFAEF”) for each participant to: AFAEF - Lakeside Fire Workshop 1213 W. 4th St. Little Rock AR 72201
WOW workshop set for March 26 Women Owning Woodlands Workshop 8:30 a.m. – late afternoon Wednesday, March 26 The University of Arkansas (UA) Cooperative Extension Service is hosting this workshop and tour for women who own forestland. Men are also welcome. The morning session and lunch will be held at the UA Community College at Hope. Arkansas Outstanding Tree Farmers Ginny and Allen Nipper will lead a session on organizing and conducting family meetings and planning the intergenerational transfer of land. Participants will spend the afternoon on Jane and Charles Purtle’s property in Nevada County discussing management plans, ideas, challenges and more. Registration is $20 per person, which includes lunch and materials. To register, send a check made out to UACES to: UA Cooperative Extension Service Forest Resources 2301 S. University Avenue Little Rock, AR 72204
For more information, contact Caroll Guffey, guffey@uamont.edu, (501) 671-2147, or Tamara Walkingstick, twalkingstick@uaex. edu, (501) 671-2346.
Tamara Walkingstick (foreground) demonstrates how to use an increment borer to collect tree samples for analysis.
TREE FARM TOUR MARCH 28
Nipper Family Tree Farm Tour 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Columbia County See firsthand how Arkansas 2013 Outstanding Tree Farmers Allen and Ginny Nipper manage their land for economic and environmental benefits during a Tree Farm tour. Contact AFA via email at jjohnson@arkforests.org or phone at (501) 374-2441 to register for the tour, which includes lunch. There is no cost to attend. Tour stops will address the following topics: • history of the property • management plan • growth plots • disease • prescribed burning/weather
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water sampling fire lanes/boundary management hunting leases using a forestry consultant oil and gas lease issues
Study shows family forest owners need more help with federal taxes
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recent study by U.S. Forest Service and university researchers offers suggestions on improving efforts to inform family forest owners about beneficial federal income and estate tax provisions. The researchers analyzed transcripts of focus group discussions and found that participants spent about twice as much time talking about federal estate tax than federal income tax. Some common themes emerged from the discussions: • The uncertainty from almost annual changes in federal estate tax provisions over the last 10 years affects landowners negatively; • Not all accounting, legal or forestry professionals are knowledgeable about federal estate tax as it applies to family forest owners; • Children or other heirs often have little interest in the family forest; • Lack of estate planning or leaving an undivided estate can result in land being sold or broken up; and • Equitably dividing an estate consisting largely of forest land can be difficult.
The article concludes with suggestions on how to improve efforts to inform forest landowners about federal income and estate tax provisions, including: • • • •
developing modules on federal taxes for use in existing extension and technology transfer programs; providing continuing education on federal taxes for forestry, accounting, and legal professionals; simplifying and coordinating the requirements to qualify for beneficial tax provisions; and using peer learning and other experiential methods to provide information about federal taxes.
“Lack of knowledge and misconceptions about federal tax provisions among forest family land owners are the weak links in the tax policy chain,” said John Greene, lead author of the study. See the study online at www.treesearch. fs.fed.us/pubs/45384 and access online tax bulletins and publications at timbertax. org.
News briefs... >> Wisconsin-based Bemis Company Inc. is selling its paper packaging division, including a plant in Crossett, to Hood Packaging Corp. The Crossett plant employs nearly 250 and makes multi-walled paper bags used in industrial applications and for packaging items such as dog food. >> Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 9.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 468,000 units in January from an upwardly revised pace of 427,000 units in the previous month, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. This is the strongest sales pace since July of 2008. National Association of Home Builders >> Southern Pine exports finished 2013 at a volume approaching 445 million board feet (MMbf ), a jump of 13% above the 2012 export total, according to the latest trade data released by the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. That 2013 volume exported represents an increase of 43% above the 312 MMbf exported in 2010. The top three destinations for Southern Pine exports in 2013 were the Dominican Republic (69.9 MMbf ), China (64.2 MMbf ) and Mexico (60.7 MMbf ). Southern Forest Products Association >> Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack appointed six members to serve on the Softwood Lumber Board for threeyear terms that began January 1. New appointments include manufacturers Charles W. Roady, Columbia Falls, Mont., and Danny White, Brewton, Ala., representing the U.S. West and South regions, respectively; and importer Don Kayne, BC, Canada, who will represent the Canada West region. Manufacturers Aubra Anthony, Jr., El Dorado, Ark., and Alden J. Robbins, Searsmont, Maine, have been reappointed to represent the U.S. South, and Northeast and Lake States regions, respectively. Francisco Figueroa, Atlanta, Ga., has also been reappointed to represent all importing countries besides Canada.
AFA members help children in need with a forever gift of timber
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rkansas Forestry Association members can make a difference for children in need by giving timberland to Vera Lloyd Presbyterian Family Services, an Arkansas charity that has cared for boys and girls in foster care for more than 100 years. Vera Lloyd opened its children’s home in 1923 in Monticello through financial gifts and a gift of more than 1,000 acres of timber. Youth at Vera Lloyd compete in a cardboard boat race. Today, the home includes seven homes, outdoor recreational areas, unstable situations and have been abused gym, school and administration building for or neglected. Most have grown up in its 40 staff. poverty, have had parents who abused drugs or were in prison or have faced other The agency now owns timberland in Drew, obstacles. Many are academically behind Ouachita, Grant and Jefferson counties. their peers. Davis DuBose Knight Forestry and Real Estate manages all of the timberland. Any Virginia Dell Scott, an alumna of Vera Lloyd, revenue from timber sales is invested in said, “The children’s home and its caring caring for children and facilities. staff demonstrated the real meaning of the word love to me.” Close to 200 boys and girls, ages eight to 21, live at the children’s home every year. Up to 48 young boys and girls at any one Youth are in state custody, have lived in time live with married couples, called family
teachers, in one of five homes. Another eight young adults, age 18 to 21, live in two transitional living homes. These youth and young adults are given shelter, food, clothing, transportation to and from school and other activities and instruction in living skills that help them grow into successful adults. Ross Whipple, chairman and CEO of Summit Bank and a Vera Lloyd supporter, said, “The agency board has a goal of increasing timber holdings from 1,000 acres to 2,000 or even 5,000 acres. In Arkansas, I believe there are enough people who own timber land who would invest it in a gift to make this goal a reality.” Gifts of timberland are permanent and can be named in honor of the donor. For information on how to make a forever gift of timber, contact Melissa Hendricks, Director of Development, at (501) 666-8195 or melissahendricks@veralloyd.org. Learn more online at www.veralloyd.org.