(01/29/18) WEST MONROE, La. — Bottomland hardwood management, harvest expectations and market growth were featured topics at the 2018 Forestry Forum held Jan. 19 at the West Monroe Convention Center.

The annual event drew foresters and timber landowners who heard from a panel of experts with the LSU AgCenter, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service and Louisiana Tech University.

The program was held in conjunction with the annual Ag Expo, sponsored by the LSU AgCenter and the Northeast Louisiana Agri-Business Council.

Richard Vlosky, director of the AgCenter Louisiana Forest Products Development Center, presented a snapshot of how companies have responded to the 2007 recession.

Results from a recent study addressing trends in the Southern U.S. logging industry show how this important sector in the forest products supply chain has been negatively affected, with many enterprises not surviving, Vlosky said.

Louisiana Forestry Association executive director Buck Vandersteen said there are growing opportunities to attract business and encourage expansion among existing businesses.

Continuing to optimally manage forests and add value to forest resources will help to encourage markets, he said.

The state Forestry Productivity Program has provided more than $30 million since 1998 to support reforestation efforts, Vandersteen said. He credited this support for helping create the timber resource base that is attracting new markets in the state.

U.S. Forest Service entomologist Wood Johnson reported on the emerald ash borer and southern pine beetle, two insect pests threatening timber stands in north Louisiana.

Since 2015, the emerald ash borer has been identified in nine parishes, including Bossier, Webster, Claiborne, Bienville, Jackson, Lincoln, Union, and Morehouse, with Ouachita Parish most recently added to the list.

The pest is notoriously difficult to detect in low-population situations, and green ash and white ash trees are most susceptible, he said.

“It’s a serious deal,” Johnson said, adding that affected parishes are under quarantine, and observance is important to protect areas with large green ash acreages in other parts of the state.

Johnson said southern pine beetle activity has been found recently and could be on its way back.

Many younger-generation landowners and foresters know little about the southern pine beetle, said Bret Cutrer, forestry programs director with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry.

“The southern pine beetle has been detected around Sicily Island for the first time in 10 years,” he said, adding that populations appear to be isolated and localized.

Cutrer said outreach and education are key tools for successful control. “They are back, and we are being proactive,” he said.

NRCS area forester Wayne Roberts addressed both old and new considerations for managing hardwood timberland.

“It takes a long time to grow hardwoods, so you have to be patient,” he said.

Roberts stressed the importance of selecting site-specific hardwood species and reviewed site preparation practices to improve drainage and soil health.

Louisiana Tech University forestry and agricultural sciences professor Bill Patterson spoke on forestry best management practices focusing on planning, implementation, compliance, effectiveness and training.

“One of the most important things we can do is to plan where to put roads,” Patterson said, adding that aerial photos are critical, and the use of web soil surveys is recommended.

AgCenter forestry specialist Michael Blazier said results from a 28-year study done on loblolly pine growth has proved that ideas about starting stand density and frequency of herbaceous weed control need to be revisited.

The comprehensive study looked at the effects of early-rotation vegetation control intensity and frequency with and without pre-commercial thinning on loblolly pine plantation yield.

“When we control the stand density, as with pre-commercial thinning, we saw a higher proportion of saw timber for every weed control treatment,” he said.

AgCenter associate vice president Rogers Leonard provided updates on reorganization strategies taking place within the AgCenter.

Rather than having one traditional agricultural agent in each parish, agents with specialized knowledge and discipline-specific assignments will address area concerns in forestry and wildlife, agronomy and crop sciences, horticulture and animal sciences, he said.

LSU AgCenter forestry specialist Michael Blazier shares results from a 28-year study done on loblolly pine growth. He was speaking at the 2018 Forestry Forum held Jan. 19 at the West Monroe Convention Center. Photo by Karol Osborne/LSU AgCenter