Debbie Archer | School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences
The Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention Joint Regional Conference will be held virtually, Aug. 31-Sept.1, beginning at 9 a.m. each day. The event is being co-sponsored by the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) Small Farm Program and Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) Cooperative Extension Program.
“The event will inform forestry landowners and stakeholders about the Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention (SFLR) Program,” Kandi Williams, UAPB Keeping it in the Family outreach coordinator, said. “It is SFLR’s mission to help promote healthy forests, provide educational resources and services to resolve heirs’ property issues and to build generational wealth through forestland management.”
The conference theme is “Preserve Our Land-Owned Legacy and Keep it in the Family.” On Aug. 31, conference topics are land ethics, succession planning, global trends in the forestry industry, timing conservation practices, things you should know before selling timber, obtaining a Farm Service Agency farm number and Natural Resources Conservation Service cost-share programs. Topics on Sept. 1 are conservation partnerships, the heirs’ property relending program, storytelling: a landowner’s love of nature and strategies for successful landowner engagement through forestry policies.
Conference presenters include Arkansas Congressman Bruce Westerman, 4th District; Justin Mallett, county forester, Arkansas Department of Agriculture Forestry Division; and Dr. Dewayne Goldmon, senior advisor for racial equity to the USDA secretary of agriculture. Participants will include landowners, government officials, college interns, forestry personnel, university dignitaries and community leaders.
To register for the day and a half long conference, go to pvamu.edu/sflr. For questions, call Williams at 870-571-9428 or email her at williamska@uapb.edu.
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
UAPB News 