Tuesday, May 8
7:00am-8:30am Registration and Exhibitor Setup
8:30am-8:45am Welcome
8:45am-9:45am General Session
2031: A Forestry Technology Odyssey
Steve Wilent, The Forestry Source
We will imagine a day in the life of a forester in 2031. Science fiction? You decide.
9:45am-10:15am Networking Break
9:45am-1:45pm Hands-on Forest Technology Workshop in the Woods
New Precision Instruments for Field Foresters
Team Members, Haglof, Inc.
For the field presentation, we will demonstrate new products and discuss what is possible. We will show how to work in a plot with the instruments and directly transfer data to MS Excel and Google Earth files. Participants will be able to test measure with the different instruments. Implementation ideas will be generated to help attendees be more efficient in their daily work.
Forest Measurement 101 – Tech Tools for Heights, Diameters, Upper Stems, Border Trees, and Laser Mapping
Kelly Bellar, Laser Technology, Inc.
Join us and use new equipment for determining heights, diameters, and upper stem diameters from a safe measuring distance. Additionally, learn more about mapping software designed for laser offset and stockpile mapping for acreage/volume determination. Finally, use rangefinders to make life easier to determine tree heights, borderline trees, and even tree canopy width all from a quick and safe location. This will be a fun three-station round robin session with door prizes.
UAV’s for Inspection and Mapping in Forestry
Matt Lehman, Dynamic UAV
Attendees will become familiar with the variety of UAV platforms available on the market and the associated technologies, including flight planning and processing applications. The session will be split between indoor and outdoor presentations.
Next Generation Hardware and Software for GPS Mapping and Forest Inventory Applications
Johnny Thompson, Landmark Spatial Solutions, Inc.
Come learn about how LandMark Spatial Solutions, Trimble Forestry, and Worldwide Heuristic Solutions (WWHS) are working together to develop next-generation software solutions to create a complete, integrated, and simplified mapping and forest inventory workflow. Features include: desktop mapping and cloud synchronization for iOS and Android based on Trimble’s Terrain Navigator Pro program; GPS data collection and plot navigation based on Trimble’s Solo Forest software; and, cruise design and plot allocation, inventory analysis, auditing, reporting, and growth and yield based on WWHS’s TCruise Pro inventory platform. Participants will also learn how various iOS and Android handhelds, tablets, and external antennas work under canopy and in rugged conditions. Forest Technology Simplified!
10:15am-Noon Morning Concurrent Sessions
UAVs in Forestry - A Consultant’s Perspective
Stephen Logan, F&W Forestry
Learn how to determine Initial Use Goals and early UAV Testing experiences. Get to know current hardware and software options. Discover the many uses of drones, including new methods and technology options. Join us in a discussion of pros and cons of using drones and how to overcome hurdles of choosing the right equipment and navigating laws.
Smart Forestry: From LiDAR Point Clouds to Enterprise GIS to Mixed Reality Headsets
Kevin Lim and Alexander Ryerson, Lim Geomatics, Inc.
In this workshop, we will review how forest inventories can be generated using airborne LiDAR remotely sensed data and published to the cloud for use by web- and mobile-based GIS apps. The possibility of visualizing field plot, remote sensing, and GIS data using Microsoft HoloLens mixed reality technology will also be showcased. The goal of this workshop is to make participants realize that smart forestry is not something way out there in the future, but rather in the here and now. No prior knowledge or experience with LiDAR remote sensing, GIS, or mixed reality technology are required by workshop participants. Instead, live demos will be used wherever possible to convey key workshop topics and concepts.
Noon-1:30pm Lunch
1:45pm-5:00pm Hands-on Forest Technology Workshop in the Woods (Repeat)
1:30pm-3:00pm Afternoon Concurrent Sessions
Reducing Risk and Improving Future Value with Forestry Technology
Clarence Neese, Orbis, Inc.
Setting growth objectives and projections are common practice for successful businesses. To improve returns, value must be added to investments. Within the timberland investment industry, adding value starts at the core of the business – with land records and document management. The [pre] management of these records through a due diligence review is imperative to provide efficiency for current endeavors and accuracy for future dispositions. The vast technology available allows investment teams to manage this information as well as ensure quick retrieval of documents.
Enhanced Forest Inventory: Bringing Inventory Efforts into an Operational Context
Riley Coté-Demerchant, Leading Edge Geomatics
Traditional forest inventory approaches have long provided the information required by foresters but in today’s world of rapid decision-making requirements and increasingly scarce resources traditional inventories often fall short of providing the information needed for operational planning. Leading Edge Geomatics (LEG) believed that integrating LIDAR with modern forest inventory and statistical modelling methods could provide a better solution, an Enhanced Forest Inventory (EFI). Currently, LEG’s EFI-based Forest Management Solution is implemented across more than twenty-one million acres of forest land (federal, provincial and private) throughout eastern Canada and the northeastern US. LEG will provide an overview and demonstration of the EFI technology along with an introduction to some of the adoption and implementation strategies that have led to daily access to operational scale planning and inventory information.
Cloud-based Tools for Managing Forestry Operations
Jennifer Landry, Remsoft, Inc.
Considering the cost of harvesting and transportation of roundwood products to conversion facilities, which can easily be 100s of millions per year for large companies, effective management and control of these operations is critical for the profitability of the business. Despite this importance, these processes are commonly managed with disconnected spreadsheets and antiquated desktop programs by many companies across the world. This approach causes challenges in supply chain management in the areas of visibility, consistency, reliability, and agility. Remsoft Operations offers another option with a cloud-based, enterprise solution for managing and controlling the forestry operations supply chain including harvest production, woodflow, deliveries, inventory, sales, procurement and finance. When integrated with Esri ArcGIS Online and Business Intelligence software technologies, and real time data feeds (e.g. harvesting production, logistics, field survey data, delivery, etc.) for reporting actuals versus planned, Remsoft Operations provides on-demand management insights, reporting and operational control to drive value in the management of this process.
3:30pm-5:00pm Afternoon Concurrent Sessions
Providing Custom Natural Resource Solutions by Leveraging Technical Partnerships
Stephen Eddins,
American Forest Management, Inc.
Drawing from decades of experience utilizing internal and third-party solutions in the natural resource sector, American Forest Management (AFM) recognized the need to streamline the technology transfer between the field and the office. A partnership with Inflor Consulting and Systems LTD (Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil) was born that combined AFM’s desire to increase our technical capabilities along with Inflor’s desire to enter the US market as a software provider. In the end, the Inflor solution modules can be paired with customized AFM services in an à la carte fashion to meet the technical objectives of any landowner. This demonstration will present the current status and future direction of the solution.
Improving Efficiency with User-Friendly Forest Inventory Software
Donn Downey, Forest Metrix
Traditional timber inventory systems can be complex, constraining, and require large capital outlays for dedicated data recorders. Many systems are difficult to learn, costly to maintain, and aren't embraced by field users. New forest inventory software design has finally caught up with the convenience, ease of use, and clarity that users have come to expect from smart phone apps, without sacrificing customization and power. Join us to examine how you can utilize your existing smart phones and tablets to conduct comprehensive forest inventory and analysis using an easy solution that both administrators and field users will love.
5:00pm-6:00pm Networking Reception
Wednesday, May 9
7:00am-8:00am Coffee with Exhibitors
8:00am-9:15am General Session
Unmanned Aircraft Systems New and Emerging Technology
Sinan Abood Ph.D.,
USDA Forest Service
Explore the regulations and applications for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) within forestry. Attendees will learn how to navigate the numberous options for UAS and how they can put them into practice.
9:15am-9:45am Networking Break
9:45am-11:30am Morning Concurrent Sessions
Working in the ArcGIS Platform
Peter Eredics,
Esri
This workshop will demonstrate how the ArcGIS platform is enabling improvements in forest management through the creation of valuable information products. Examples include concepts related to managing, accessing and sharing content, analyzing forest conditions and trends, collecting and interpreting field data measurements, and visualizing management scenarios, all in a secure cloud-based environment. Hear real-world case studies and watch demos from industry leaders that showcase innovative geospatial solutions and best practices - including new, cutting-edge technology developments in forestry, available tools and resources, and how the ArcGIS Platform can be applied to create value for your organization.
Increase Efficiency and Ensure Chain of Custody Credibility with the Load Tracking Software
Taylor Griffith,
LoadUp
We will examine how you can better track chain of custody using an app to track source point to retail. Using smart phone technology and an app can improve efficiency.
Trimble 4Loads & CFX – A Load Ticketing, Reconciliation, and Reporting Solution for ALL Forestry Stakeholders
David Buddingh,
Trimble Forestry
We will examine how to use Trimble Forestry’s Smartphone application and web portal to easily input, track and reconcile load tickets. This will allow users to know what you’ve hauled and scaled TODAY, not weeks later. You will learn how to track loading and delivery points for chain of custody. See how taking pictures of loads and capturing signatures helps improve accountability. Discover how to reconcile loads with scale data and create your own custom reports. Participants will see how foresters and landowners can quickly access load/scale data. Hear how eliminate paper load tracking can help increase accuracy and reduce accounting time.
Modernizing the Forest Inventory Process
Mark Milligan,
F4 Tech
F4 Tech is leveraging its SilvAssist Suite with Esri’s ArcGIS platform to provide innovative and value-added reporting and analytics not only to foresters, but to all stakeholders related to a client or project. Find out the latest innovations in designing, executing, and managing forest inventories that not only saves time and money, but produces instantaneous and innovative results available anytime, anywhere on any device. Case studies will be presented that demonstrate the proven benefits of this modern platform, and how it is further being leveraged by the integration of additional SilvAssist modules such as Inventory Manager, Events Manager and Growth and Yield. Furthermore, the SilvAssist Suite of apps are task-centric, focused and very easy to use – no manuals needed!
Increased Efficiency and Accuracy in Forest Inventory Management Systems
Jim Schriever,
Mason, Bruce & Girard, Inc.
As new technologies emerge, and many forest management software systems reach obsolescence, companies realize they need to share information with team members in less time using fewer resources. Mason, Bruce & Girard, Inc. (MB&G) is partnering with Esri to deliver modern technologies that provide permanent benefits for organizations that manage forestlands. With MB&G’s forestry extensions to the ArcGIS platform, your firm can stay ahead of the competition by streamlining business processes. Covered in this workshop: improving field data collection productivity and performance; facilitating collaboration and decision-making; lowering operational costs by significantly reducing field labor hours; the advantages of using highly visual geographic data; and how to easily manage users while preserving system integrity. Practical case studies and implementation examples will be provided. For more detail on the session, visit:
http://www.masonbruce.com/2018/03/08/mbg-to-host-saf-technology-workshop/
11:30am-1:00pm Lunch
1:00pm-2:45pm Afternoon Concurrent Sessions
Working in the ArcGIS Platform
Peter Eredics, Esri
This workshop will demonstrate how the ArcGIS platform is enabling improvements in forest management through the creation of valuable information products. Examples include concepts related to managing, accessing and sharing content, analyzing forest conditions and trends, collecting and interpreting field data measurements, and visualizing management scenarios, all in a secure cloud-based environment. Hear real-world case studies and watch demos from industry leaders that showcase innovative geospatial solutions and best practices - including new, cutting-edge technology developments in forestry, available tools and resources, and how the ArcGIS Platform can be applied to create value for your organization.
How to Not Waste Money on Remote Sensing
Max Nova, SilviaTerra
New imagery sensors (e.g., gieger-mode LiDAR) and platforms (e.g., drones and microsatellites) are exploding onto the forest inventory scene. How does a forest manager separate hype from reality and choose the best option and corresponding analysis methods? The reality is that there is no single imagery source that is a "silver bullet". Moving beyond pretty pictures and the "gee-whiz" factor, forest managers need a way to tailor the data being collected to the questions they need answered. This talk will present a balanced framework for choosing an inventory strategy by weighing the cost of inventory precision against the value of the silvicultural decisions being considered.
Breaking up with Desktop Forest Management: One Company’s Transition to the Cloud
UPM Blandin and North Point Geographic Solutions
When UPM Blandin in Grand Rapids, Minnesota was looking for a way to update their spatial data organization and forest management planning tools, they realized their existing IT infrastructure and desktop software no longer had the ability to support their vision. Therefore, they sought a new approach that would allow them to take advantage of some of the latest technology and trends happening in the field of Forestry GIS, not to mention software development and data management in general; cloud hosting. To assist them on this journey, they enlisted the help of North Point Geographic Solutions (NPGS) and the SmartFor™ application. SmartFor is a web-based forestry GIS tool that combines the capabilities of Esri’s ArcGIS Online for cloud hosted data management, mapping, and field data collection, while providing foresters with a variety of tools, features and reports geared toward simplifying forest management. The transition from desktop software and paper records has not always been an easy one, but if you are thinking of making this move to the cloud and have questions you need answered, join our discussion as staff members from UPM Blandin and NPGS share some of their experiences, advice and recommendations
Tax Time: How Paying Property Taxes This Way can Save Your Industry Thousands
Clarence Neese, Orbis, Inc.
It’s a well-known general timber investment industry problem. Property taxes touch every acre of every investment every year. It’s simply not enough to get property taxes paid on time. They must be rigorously monitored and managed so companies can fulfill their fiduciary responsibility with accurate, profit-enhancing accountability. Join us for a discussion on issues the industry is facing and an innovative solution entering into the market.
Mapping and Forest Inventory Made Easy
Brian Stiber, F4 Tech
F4 Tech will demonstrate how easy it is to use SilvAssist Mobile for Android and SilvAssist Dashboard paired with Esri’s ArcGIS Online and Collector for ArcGIS to map stand features, allocate plot grids to stands, collect forest inventory data, and instantly generate inventory reports and maps. All mapping and inventory data collection can be completed offline in the field with data synchronized using wifi or cellular connectivity when back online. The demonstration will focus on a streamlined workflow for mapping a stand, allocating a plot grid, inventory data collection with data synchronization, and reporting inventory results to support a timber sale. Data calculation and reporting is completed automatically when data is synchronized.
2:45pm-3:00pm Networking Break
3:00pm-4:00pm Closing Session and Work Group Discussion
4:00pm Adjourn and Exhibitor Teardown