EDUCATION IS THE KEY TO ACHIEVING WELL-MANAGED FORESTS


The perpetual question for most people in the forestry profession is why everyone who has forestland doesn't manage it well.  The benefits are tremendous:  more value for the timber that is sold, faster return on investment, better quality habitat for wildlife, a healthier forest, and improved protection from wildfire, disease and insects.

Education appears to be the key to a better forest.  Education of foresters to teach them the natural ecological processes and to give them the tools to manage a forest.  Education of the public to show them where they can get help or information about forests.  And continuing education of practicing foresters to keep them abreast of new technology and changes in the profession.

At the 26th Annual Meeting of the Louisiana Society of American Foresters June 9-11 near Woodworth, LA, the message was that we need to support all types of forestry education at all levels.  It is in our best interest to do so, because a better-informed landowner will make good decisions about the amount and kind of management for the forest.  And if the right facts are presented to the public, there is more support for the management that is being practiced.

Formal forestry education is offered at two of the State Universities here in Louisiana:  the LSU School of Renewable Natural Resources at Baton Rouge, and the Louisiana Tech School of Forestry & Wildlife at Ruston.  Both of these programs are accredited by the Society of American Foresters.  Accreditation means that the curriculum contains core competencies that are considered essential to the practice of forestry, and the instructors are qualified to teach the courses.  SAF has recently revised the requirements for Accreditation, and a complete report can be found on the website at www.safnet.org/education/recognition.cfm. 

Presentations on hiring needs were given by representatives from industry, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry.  Forest industries are looking for more specialized knowledge in their prospective employees, whereas the Forest Service is looking for more diverse knowledge in future workers.  The Forest Service is currently focusing on hiring trainees to move up into the career ladder when the existing aging workforce retires.  A listing of Forest Service openings across the nation can be found at www.avuedigitalservices.com/usfs/applicant.html.  State Forester Paul Frey says that his agency is currently hiring only as positions become available through attrition.
Professional foresters heard descriptions of numerous public education programs that have been initiated in the past and are very successful.  These include Project Learning Tree, a teacher education program which demonstrates how to include natural resources lessons in teaching applications; Forestry Awareness Days which gives students a chance to meet real foresters in the woods and hear about the different aspects of forest management; Louisiana Teachers Tour which takes a selected group of educators each year to the woods, the mills, logging sites, and forest recreation areas to show them first-hand what foresters do; 4-H forestry work done by the LSU Extension people; and Minority and Small Landowner Workshops done by Twin Valley RC&D for landowners to learn exactly what foresters can do for them.  These are not all of the programs that are existing by any means, but were just a sampling of what foresters are doing.

Another subject critical for Certified Foresters and beneficial for all foresters is the Continuing Forestry Education programs that are offered.  Several of these were highlighted at the meeting, including the Tree Farm Program, which offers training for inspectors who must certify the forests;  the Louisiana Sustainable Forestry Initiative, which offers training to improve the public's perception of forestry and to ensure that all forests are sustainably managed; LSU Agricultural Center programs, such as the Prescribed Burn Manager Certification, Wildlife & Silviculture Workshops, Louisiana Forestry Law, Regeneration of Bottomland Hardwoods, and Tax Workshops for Landowners; and more recently, internet classes.  The internet classes that are available range from formal classes associated with a traditional university to courses offered by vendors of forestry software.  Prices vary.  The Louisiana SAF is also proposing to have CE material available on its website in the future that would allow members to obtain CFE credits.  Links to some of these sites will be on the LASAF website at www.lasaf.homestead.com.