Green Horizons

Attendance at the annual Missouri Tree Farm Conference continued its upward growth trend as more than 130 landowners and professional foresters from across the state participated in the conference’s Silver Anniversary, February 25-26, at the beautiful Stoney Creek Inn in Columbia. Conference Chair, Hank Stelzer, attributed the increased attendance to timely topics and relocating the event back to a more central location within the state. "Hosting the event in Columbia really helped draw absentee landowners from St. Louis and Kansas City," Stelzer said.

Dr. Bill Hoover, one of the nation’s top timber tax experts, kicked off the two-day conference with a forest estate planning workshop for 60 landowners. The Friday evening Landowner Exchange brought more than 50 individuals with forest ownership ranging from 5 to 5,000 acres to talk about various aspects of forest management and what has (and hasn’t) worked in their woodlands.

The Saturday sessions drew the largest crowd. Landowners heard from the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Nursery Superintendent, Greg Hoss, as to the latest species being grown at the state nursery in Licking, Mo. MDC Botanist, Tim Smith, introduced conference attendees to the litany of exotic non-native plants that are threatening the Missouri landscape. Mark Coggeshall of the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry discussed the finer points of pruning high-value hardwood species.

Following a luncheon where the state’s various outstanding Tree Farmers and Tree Farm Inspectors were recognized, Dr. Bruce Moltzan, MDC Forest Pathologist, gave landowners the latest information on several emerging insect and disease threats. Most notable is the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) that is currently ravaging ash trees in the Central Lake States. The conference concluded with an excellent quail habitat forum presented by MU Wildlife Extension Specialist, Bob Pierce, MDC Private Land Program Supervisor, Bill White, and MDC Resource Forester, Brian Schweiss.

Participants at the annual Missouri Tree Farm Conference, held in February in Columbia, Mo., learn about selecting proper tree species from MDC Forest Nursery Supervisor Greg Hoss. More than 130 land and forest owners attended the event.

Throughout the conference attendees had the opportunity to meet and talk with representatives from various professional organizations such as the Missouri Consulting Foresters Association, Grow Native, the MU Center for Agroforestry, and the Missouri Forest Products Association. A popular exhibit was the Eastern Ozarks Forestry Council and their DVD presentation highlighting ongoing research examining the feasibility of using the latest technology in mechanized thinning to bring more acres of Missouri’s forests under management in an environmentally friendly way.

Early review of conference evaluations revealed that attendees liked the single-track conference format. Stelzer hopes that by listening to participants’ feedback and expanding the first day of the conference to include field demonstrations at the MU Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center in nearby New Franklin, the conference will continue to grow and become a premier event for woodland stewardship education.