UAPB Small Farm Program hosts Retreat for Arkansas foresters

MORRILTON – Over 50 individuals from across Arkansas recently had the opportunity to meet, network and learn ways to make their forestry operations more profitable and sustainable at the fourth annual Champion Landowner Retreat held at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute in Morrilton, Arkansas. The three-day event was hosted by the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s (UAPB) Keeping it in the Family (KIITF) Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention Program and the Arkansas Department of Agriculture (ADA).

“This year’s retreat was themed ‘Promote, Prepare, Plan, Practice, Persevere, Prosper and Preserve,’” according to Dr. Henry English, director of UAPB’s Small Farm Program. “It provided firsthand training, critical resources and peer networking opportunities to help landowners promote and build working forests, generate land wealth and establish lasting family legacies. Participants were thrilled to get so much forestry information, and they were ready and willing to share that information with others.”

Dr. English said that since 2016, UAPB’s forestry program has helped landowners gain access to important U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation programs, learn about best forestry management practices and receive resources and technical support to prevent involuntary land loss due to challenges associated with heirs’ property.

“The event brought landowners who participate in our KIITF initiative together alongside U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) professionals, the ADA Forestry Division, legal experts, forestry consultants and other agriculture professionals,” he said.

Attendees learned about obtaining USDA Farm Numbers to access USDA programs, forestry conservation practices, heirs’ property rights, forest health and emerging forestry markets.

“A major topic of discussion was the current low market price of pulpwood, a small-diameter wood – typically 6 inches – from early thinning, currently selling at an unprofitable price of 50 cents to $1 per ton,” Dr. English said. “In response, landowners are exploring alternative tree planting strategies, including wider spacing, to promote the growth of larger-diameter trees suitable for the more profitable chip-and-saw market.”

An attendee from Nevada County said he found the event informative and beneficial, and that it provided insight and tools that will enhance his long-term forestry management plan. A landowner from Hempstead County said he is confident the knowledge he gained thanks to the training will benefit his family for generations.

Speakers at the retreat included Amanda Mathis, state conservationist for NRCS, Kyle Cunningham, state forester for the ADA Forestry Division, and Dr. Michael Blazier, dean of the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

Kandi Williams, KIITF program coordinator, said the idea for a landowner retreat grew out of conversations with partners and community stakeholders who saw landowners needed technical resources and a space to share experiences. The event was designed to combine legal and forestry expertise with peer learning in an immersive setting.

“The retreat has proven to be a highly effective format where our landowners can share their knowledge and build lasting connections,” she said. “Throughout the four years we have been hosting this initiative, we have encouraged participants to become “champion landowners” – leaders who share knowledge, support peers and advocate for sustainable stewardship. The KIITF’s program goal is to build resilience and sustain healthy family forests.”

For more information about the UAPB KIITF Program, contact Williams at williamska@uapb.edu or call the UAPB Small Farm Program at (870) 575-8161.