Forest Landowner Conference

 

REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

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The 2022 Forest Landowner Conference will be held October 25-26 in Rocky Mount, N.C.

Click on the link below to view the preliminary conference agenda (subject to change as we confirm speakers and presenters).

Forest Landowner Conference Preliminary Program

Click here to register for the conference.

 

Conference notes:

  • Hotel accommodations for landowner attendees who reside more than 60 miles from Rocky Mount are available through SFLRP; double occupancy may be required. For details on accommodations, including locations and reservation deadlines, contact Sherwynn Best at: sbest@roanokeelectric.com or 252-539-4614.
  • Masks are optional at the conference.
  • No outside food or drinks are allowed in the Rocky Mount Event Center.
  • This conference does not provide continuing education credits.

 

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The 2021 Forest Landowner Conference was held virtually on October 26-27, 2021. Links are provided below to access the recordings of the conference’s two sessions. Anyone wishing to review the recordings may do so; if you did not register for the conference before it was held, you will be prompted to register prior to viewing the recordings.

The conference’s keynote speaker was Dale Threatt-Taylor, executive director of The Nature Conservancy — South Carolina Chapter. 

See the Agenda for the 2021 Forest Landowner Conference

2021 Forest Landowner Conference program

 

Key Takeaways from the 2021 Conference:

  • Woodland owners should look at their property through “rose-colored glasses” (metaphorically) to gain a different perspective and mindset on their circumstances and the opportunities that their land offers for natural resource conservation and your family’s legacy.
  • Multiple benefits can result from effective forestland management, including healthier woodlands and habitats, cleaner air, cleaner water, intergenerational family wealth and a stronger regional economy.
  • The climate is changing, and one of the results is more frequent and intense weather events that threaten the long-term health of ecosystems.
  • Well-managed forestland and farmland can help address climate change challenges by storing carbon and improving ecosystem resilience.
  • At the state and federal levels, there are many forestry, natural resource and agricultural agencies and programs that can help landowners identify and implement practices that will improve the sustainability and economic strength of their property.
  • Discrimination that has contributed to massive land loss over the past century among African Americans and socially disadvantaged communities is an ongoing problem that must be rectified, particularly for woodland owners and farmers with relatively smaller acreages who lack access to resources and economies of scale.
  • Soil health is fundamental to the long-term sustainability of farmland and woodland and to their ability to help address climate change.
  • Landowners with smaller tracts of land must think “outside the box” and be open to multi-cropping and niche markets that provide them a better return on their investment of money, time and labor.
  • Become involved in livestock registries such as The Livestock Conservancy, which protects endangered livestock and poultry breeds.
  • The Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention Project continues to partner with an array of agencies and organizations that can help owners achieve their objectives for their land. For example, under a new partnership with the NC Foundation for Soil and Water Conservation, SFLRP is helping to create a Carbon Farm Plan for a property owner in Halifax County that will include schedules for crop and grazing rotations and other conservation practices.

 

Session 1 (Oct. 26) Recording

Session 2 (Oct. 27) Recording

Congressman G. K. Butterfield, First Congressional District of North Carolina

Steve Woodruff. How to Keep a Living Root All Year Long. Lengthen Rotation: Add crops to the rotation (small grain). Select Shorter Season Varieties: Choose 100 -104 day, Only need 6 - 8 weeks to provide benefit. Interseed into Growing Crops: Planting cover crop before harvesting of cash crop

Alton Perry. Carbon Farm Planning Project. Carbon Farm Planning Training through California Carbon Institute. Halifax Carbon Farm Planning Team: Farm Site Visits. Carbon Farm Plan Being Developed. Hulan Johnston/Wills Heirs Farm: Crop Rotation, Grazing Rotations, Silvopasture

Michael Gavazzi. Hurricane Risk. Trends and Forecasts: Frequency may not change, Shift toward more higher category storms (4 & 5), Higher rainfall/event. Impacts: Increased fuel loading, Increased invasives and pests, Increased flooding, Carbon Sequestration

 

 

2020 Forest Landowner Conference

The virtual 2020 Forest Landowner Conference was held on October 27-28, 2020. Links are provided below to access the recordings of the conference’s three sessions. Anyone wishing to review the recordings may do so; if you did not register for the conference before it was held, you will be prompted to register prior to viewing the recordings.

  • Financial assistance. 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. ET October 27. Landowners will receive information on state and federal services and programs available to forestland owners and farmers in the form of cost-share programs and technical assistance. Link to the Session 1 recording.
  • Taxation. 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. October 28. Landowners will receive information about Present Use Valuation and other programs with tax implications, as well as the role that Forest Management Plans play with regard to eligibility for these programs. Link to the Session 2 recording.
  • Economic Opportunities. 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. October 28. Landowners will receive information about solar energy programs, recreational leasing and other ways to derive income from their property. Link to the Session 3 recording.

Curtis Wynn. Roanoke EC's Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Project. $600,000 plus Access to financial assistance for forestry and legal services. 145 Forest management plans developed. 3,000 acres Forestry practices implemented. 21 Enrolled in NC Tree Farm. 15 Estate/Succession Plans. 94 Landowners/6,000 acres Present Use Value Taxation. 15,000 acres under management. Education/Outreach: 1,500 plus Forestry workshops/informational meetings, Website/social media, Webinars

Mark Megalos. NC STATE UNIVERSITY. Reforestation Tax Treatment. 1. First $10,000 is fully deductible. 2. Write-off (84-months) of all amounts over $10,000. 3. Both deductions taken as "Adjustments to Income" (no need to itemize)

Ajulo Othow. State ranking based on the cumulative amount of solar electric capacity installed through quarter two of 2020. 1. California: 28,472 megawatts across equivalent of 7,915,033 homes. 2. North Carolina: 6,451 megawatts across equivalent of 777,493 homes. 3. Florida: 5,578 megawatts across equivalent of 678,289 homes. 4. Texas: 5,577 megawatts across equivalent of 642,199 homes. 5. Arizona: 4,766 megawatts across equivalent of 768,164 homes. 6. Nevada: 3,613 megawatts across equivalent of 652,128 homes. 7. New Jersey: 3,386 megawatts across equivalent of 556,472 homes. 8. Massachusetts: 2,850 megawatts across equivalent of 489,397 homes. 9. Georgia: 2,664 megawatts across equivalent of 310,257 homes. 10. New York: 2,402 megawatts across equivalent of 412,772 homes. All data is sourced from SEIA/Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables Solar Market Insight 2020 Q3 Report. For more information, contact research@sela.org. SEIA. Solar Energy Industries Association. www.seia.org/smi

The conference’s keynote speaker was Curtis Wynn, president and chief executive officer of Roanoke Electric Cooperative. Roanoke Electric is one of the sponsors of the Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention Project, which organized the conference in partnership with the Durham-based Black Family Land Trust. The conference was sponsored through a grant from the N.C. Forest Service Stewardship Program.

See the Agenda for the 2020 Forest Landowner Conference

2020 Forest Landowner Conference program

 

Key Takeaways from the 2019 Conference

More than 150 people participated in the Forest Landowner Conference held in July 2019 at Halifax Community College. Key takeaways included:

  • Make a family tree to provide clarity on potential heirs to your property
  • Make a will to stipulate how your property is to be distributed after your death
  • Visit your local office of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to get acquainted and discuss your vision for your land
  • Contact your local county ranger or forester to maximize the benefits and sustainability of your land by developing a forest management plan
  • Become involved in your community by attending forestry and land-related meetings and voicing your views, needs and value to state and federal lawmakers
  • The use of a consulting forestry professional often can be justified by the increase in the value, potential and productivity of one’s forestland
  • In many counties, the property tax savings from enrolling in North Carolina’s Present-Use Valuation program are substantial.
  • Certification of your forestland can increase its value in forest product markets
Ebonie Alexander, executive director of the Black Family Land Trust, discusses estate planning
Ebonie Alexander, executive director of the Black Family Land Trust, discusses estate planning
Julius George, program specialist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Julius George, program specialist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
rangers presenting in front of the audience
Attendees learn about state and federal agency assistance from NC Forest Service Ranger Jim Short and Forester Jonathon Pearson, left, and Julius George, program specialist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Landowner Wanda Campbell Clay describes the sharing of land retention lessons through outreach to churches.

You can access the conference presentations at the links below: