Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Partnership Formed

Landowners who seek forestry management information and assistance can now gain access to resources statewide through a newly-established landowner education and assistance partnership

This partnership was developed by the Arkansas Forestry Association (AFA) in cooperation with a number of forest resource companies and other natural resource agencies and organizations.

Based on existing technology transfer models, the program attempts to provide a "one-stop shop" for landowners who may not have enough expertise to make informed management decision on their forestland.

"The Arkansas Forestry Association is coordinating existing resources throughout the state to provide easier access to information and assistance for Arkansas' 140,000 forest landowners," AFA communications director, Courtney Johnson-Woods, said.

"At the same time, we hope that our education and assistance efforts will encourage landowners to make sound management decisions as well as a commitment to sustainable and all the associated benefits that healthy forests provide.

This includes providing a growing population with the thousands of forest products we use each day while ensuring the essentials of stable soil, pure water, and enhanced wildlife habitat and the amentities such as recreation and aesthetic experiences," she added.

Arkansas' Landowner Education and Assistance Partnership (LEAP) includes participation from the Arkansas Forestry Association's member forest resource companies and forestry consultants as well as the Arkansas Forestry Commission, the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, the Arkansas Timber Producers Association, the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service, Arkansas' Resource Conservation and Development Projects and The Nature Conservancy.

"We've identified a number of other agencies and organizations that work directly with landowners or have a vested interest in the sustainability of Arkansas forests that we would like to include in this partnership in the near future," said Woods.

As part of these outreach efforts, a toll free hotline (1-888-698-7337) has been established for landowers who would like information or assistance.

In addition, a number of introductory education clinics have been scheduled throughout the state during September to provide landowners with an overview of the range of the forest management options available to them and sources of assistance.

"We hope to establish a long term relationship with those landowners who show an active interest in forest management to provide them with the expertise they seek in the areas that they identify as top priorities," Woods said.

"In addition, we'd like these landowners to serve as examples for other landowners of how proper forest stewardship on nonindustrial private forestland plays an important role here in Arkansas, both economically and environmentally," she added. This is critical in a state where nearly 60 percent of its forests are owned by private nonindustrial landowers.

"The forest products industry has long recognized the importance of proper management on the long-term sustainability of its own forestland," Woods said. "After all, it's in a company's best interest to ensure the continuity and the health of this renewable resource as well as the water, soil and natural environments that sustain it."

She added that more importantly the forest products industry and other agencies and organizations have become aware that proper stewardships must extend to nonindustrial forestland in order to meet the multiple needs of a global population. This includes encouraging prompt reforestation and management practices that maintain healthy forests and protect the environment.

Arkansas' Landowner Education and Assistance Partnership was created in responsoe to this concern.

For more information on this partnership, contact the Arkansas Forestry Association at 1-888-698-7337.