Foresters to Converge on Madison, Wisconsin: Will Address Nation's Forestry Management Challenges

In a year that has seen increased forest fires and ravages from pests and drought, some 1,500 foresters and natural resources professionals from around the country will converge on Madison, Wisconsin, November 2-6, for the 2016 SAF National Convention. The Society of American Foresters (SAF) convention will explore the rich history of forestry, land stewardship, current issues, and the connections that unite all who embrace the science, art, and practice of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources.

 Among the plenary speakers who will address the key themes of Legacy, Land, and Future as outlined in the overall theme: “Our Transcontinental Land Ethic: Exploring Differences That Unite Us”: 

  • Paul DeLong,  who is Administrator of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry and Wisconsin’s Chief State Forester. Paul is one of more than 450 permanent and many seasonal forestry employees who work in concert with countless internal and external partners to protect and sustainably manage Wisconsin’s forests;

  • Susan Rimby,  who is the author of Mira Lloyd Dock and the Progressive Era Conservation Movement (The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2012). Dock was not only a preeminent conservationist, but the first woman in the world to sit on a public forest commission and the first woman in Pennsylvania to hold a political office;

  • Mike Dockry, who is a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and was born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He is a Research Natural Resource Specialist (Forester and Social Scientist) with the USDA Forest Service’s Northern Research Station in the Strategic Foresight Research Work Unit.

 “This unprecedented convergence of forest and natural resources professionals in Wisconsin will explore the current issues facing the profession from increased incidence of fires to markets for wood products and climate change,” said Matt Menashes, CEO of SAF. “We will explore adjusting our management of forests as well as adapting as a vibrant, relevant profession.”

Forests form the fabric of the landscapes of Wisconsin and the broader Great Lakes area, influencing generations of foresters and figuring prominently in the cultures, traditions, and economies of the region. Madison is central to a robust Midwestern forestry community that offers a rich history, a legacy of pioneering forestry environmentalism, and an active contemporary forestry industry.

Foresters will have the opportunity to explore the heritage of Aldo Leopold, a Wisconsin native who was a trailblazer in the modern conservation movement, and also the world-renowned US Forest Service Forest Products Lab in Madison, which promotes healthy forests and forest-based economies through the efficient, sustainable use of the nation's wood resources. There will also be a field trip to a Menominee tribe-managed sustainable forest. 

Three plenary sessions will explore: 

  • the history, ecology, and management of the region’s forests;

  • the pioneers of forestry, the lasting impacts of those who came before us, and the similarities shared across the generations;

  • the clarity the land ethic provides for ensuring productive, healthy forest ecosystems and how engaging cultural differences can provide innovative solutions to land management challenges;

  • insight into how we can adjust our management of forests as well as adapt as a vibrant, relevant profession—from adaptive forest management in the face of a changing climate to welcoming new disciplines into SAF.

The convention will also offer 88 sessions with more than 270 individual presentations covering a highly diverse array of topics; seven technical tours highlighting the Menominee Tribal Enterprises to agroforestry to urban Forestry; six “Science Flash” sessions, with up to 60 presentations, that offer a rapid overview of emerging science, innovative management practices, and new methods of technology transfer; and more than 100 exhibit booths where forestry partners can showcase their services and products.

The 2016 SAF National Convention sponsors include Weyerhaeuser, ESRI, Domtar, US Department of the Interior - Bureau of Land Management, the US Forest Service, Steigerwaldt, University of Idaho - College of Natural Resources, Finite Carbon, Expera, American Forest Foundation, Geico, Voss Signs, and PCA. 

Media Contact:  Lisa Swann, SAF (866) 897-8720, ext.165 [email protected].