Certified forests may be the next trend in lumber marketing, but non-industrial, private forest landowners generally are unwilling to foot the bill, according to a recent study.

Most homeowners enjoy the presence of beautiful trees in their yards; however, when these trees must be removed, unsightly stumps remain. Quick, easy and cheap methods to remove these stumps do not exist, but here are some helpful tips on what can be done.

Sound stewardship of urban and community trees includes employing the services of arborists to help maintain their health and vitality. This article provides the homeowner tips on finding and hiring a tree care professional for your residential tree care needs.

Pine straw may have a future as a promising new industry for Louisiana.

All businesses need assistance in creating a business plan, setting goals and improving employee retainability. SuccessFactor is a company that produces integrated Performance & Talent Management solutions. Visit to register for upcoming Webinars or to view archived presentations. Many documents available for download. Very helpful!

This article provides a brief overview of the information provided by the quality mark on treated lumber.

The Louisiana Forest Products Development Center, part of the Louisiana State University AgCenter, will be hosting a comprehensive 3 day lumber drying workshop “Drying Lumber For Quality and Profit” on July 23-25, 2008. The workshop will be held on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge, La. This workshop will thoroughly cover the lumber drying process from start to finish of hardwood and softwood lumber.

The goal of this workshop is to familiarize participants of the proper procedure to correctly identify an unknown wood species.This workshop is intended for wood working hobbyists, craftsmen, and industry personnel that are interested in learning to properly identify wood. Individuals with little or no previous experience at wood identification are encouraged to attend.

Prescribed burning is the deliberate use of fire, under specified and controlled conditions, to accomplish one or more objectives of forest land management. All fires in a natural environment do some damage, and prescribed burns are no exception. It is a matter of accepting a risk of loss to obtain a desired gain. Properly planned and executed, prescribed burning can accomplish many objectives at reasonable cost and minimum risk. This publication explains how this can be done. (PDF Format Only)

This is a comprehensive glossary of basic terms used in forest management.

There are some concerns that the sawdust produced at a sawmill might be to small and that it might affect respiratory health. This study analyzed particle size from 5 different machine centers in a hardwood sawmill with a microscope and concluded that minimum particle size was too large to be considered harmfull to the human respiratory system. It should be noted that this study did not examine the effects of sawdust with regards to the development of cancer cells in the human body.

Is leasing forestland a good idea? The answer depends on a variety of factors. This publication examines some hypothetical situations in which comparisons are made between leasing and self-management.

(Distributed 01/25/08) The South remains the wood basket of the world, said William Hubbard, southern regional extension forester from Athens, Ga., at the Forest Landowner Forum held in West Monroe Jan. 19, 2008.

An easy-to-understand guide for the forest landowner seeking to apply herbicides to pest tree species on his or her property.

Agricultural damage in Louisiana has been estimated in excess of $1 billion, including $610 million in lost timber, $145 million in sugarcane and $151 million for seafood.

(Distributed 11/20/07) An annual tradition in the South is the opening of most "choose-and-cut" Christmas tree farms on the Friday following Thanksgiving.

Landscape beds, parking lots, and construction activities around trees are all possible without harming the trees if you understand where the tree roots are and what they need to survive. Use these guidelines to protect trees in potentially damaging situations.

With support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, the Louisiana Forestry Association developed the invormation presented. It is a guide for forest landowners, logging contractors, and forest industry.

Louisiana has beautiful and bountiful natural forest resources. An Extension Specialist can help add value to forest products, which will demonstrate the skills and creativity inherent to Louisiana.

A process for recycling treated wood products could save on disposal costs and liability concerns by keeping treated wood out of high-cost landfills, according to developers at the LSU AgCenter.

This document provides basic information to forest landowners regarding points to consider when contracting to sell timber.

A description of how biomass is being used for energy in Louisiana with an emphasis on the potential for expansion in the industry. (Revised 11/06)

(Video 11/21/06) Discussions of forestry best managment practices related to drainage in building roads during harvest. (Running Time: 60 seconds)

The selection, planting and care of urban trees in Louisiana. Includes full-page poster of native landscape trees, their leaves, tree height and spread comparisons. 16 pages.

Timberland owners and managers use statistical models to predict growth and yield of their forests. Quang V. Cao in the LSU AgCenter’s School of Renewable Natural Resources has developed a new predictive model that promises to improve on current ones.

Lee Memorial Forest with more than 1 ,200 acres of managed timberland is an important research and teaching resource for the LSU AgCenter.

Water quality monitoring efforts in Louisiana’s streams focus on the concentrations of sediment, nutrients and other compounds in the water. However, activities within the watersheds of these streams actually play the most critical role in determining stream water quality.

Since the late 19th century, the global average temperature of the Earth has increased by 0.7 to 1.4 degrees F. The significant global warming has been attributed to human activities such as fossil fuel combustion and land use change, which leadto the increase of the concentrations of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide.

LSU AgCenter scientists have been researching remote sensing work with airborne lasers to develop three-dimensional pictures to measure the stand and take inventory of a forest.

LSU AgCenter area forestry agent Barry Crain helps youth develop forestry skills during a special 3-hour training event every year before the state 4-H University competition held on the LSU campus in June.

Over the past 300 years, tens of thousands of animal and plant species have been introduced in the United States. A small number have proved invasive.

Forests of Louisiana managed for timber production constitute the state’s top agricultural crop, contributing an estimated $4.554 billion to Louisiana’s economy in 2005. Louisiana’s managed forests, which are often loblolly pine plantations, are among the world’s most productive forests at producing timber and fiber.

Within a month, hurricanes Katrina and Rita damaged about 4.4 billion board feet (3.0 billion by Katrina and 1.4 billion by Rita) of sawtimber inventory in Louisiana.

Louisiana is blessed with an abundance of forests and waterways. Miles of rivers, bayous and lakes provide Louisiana’s citizens with fishing, hunting, boating and recreational opportunities, which contribute to the state’s wealth and economic growth.

What do red-cockaded woodpeckers and gopher tortoises have in common? They are endangered species, and both require a habitat becoming rare inLouisiana and throughout the southern United States. To thrive, they need open pine forests, known as longleaf pine savannahs.

For an increasing number of forest landowners, a forest is an investment. Understanding the basics of forest investments is essential in planning for long-term maximum benefits.

Louisiana farmers and forest producers could find a silver lining in the cloud of rising fuel prices – with the development of new fuels from crops they already grow or could grow.

Your new home can be safeguarded by using preservative-treated wood and following an integrated pest management program at the time of construction.

Winter is the perfect time to prune trees so they will be healthy and better able to resist storm damage, according to experts with the LSU AgCenter.

There will be trees from the Shady Pond Christmas Tree Farm northeast of New Orleans this year – thanks in large part to some help from fellow growers from North Carolina.

(Distributed 05/25/05) What to do with decommissioned, preservative-treated wood has become a burning issue. Well, not burning, actually. That’s one of the methods that can’t be used any longer, according to Dr. Todd Shupe of the LSU AgCenter.