The 2024 Spring Foresters Workshop will be held on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the C.A. Vines 4H Center at #1 4-H Way in Little Rock. The agenda includes 8 speakers covering topics about weather patterns, Pine Needle Blight & other threats, Forest Economics, Forestry Education, Forestry Ethics, Black Bear Habitat in Arkansas, Silviculture, and an Arkansas Legislative Update. Application has been submitted for 8 hours of SAF CFE credit. For more information call 501-658-9097 or email [email protected].

A workshop addressing timber pricing, forest economics, timber tax, & forest land succession will be held at the OSU Kiamichi Forestry Research Station on Tuesday May 21, 2024 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Speakers from OSU, UAM, and the McAfee & Taft Law Firm will speak on the topics listed above. Registration is free but RSVP required at least one week in advance. Morning snacks & lunch provided for free. For more information contact Ryan DeSantis at 405-744-5463 or email [email protected]

There will be a Forest Health Workshop held at the OSU Kiamichi Forest Research Station on Friday May 10, 2024 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The workshop will include presentations from Okla. Forestry Services specialists, USFS experts, Dave Coyle from Clemson University, and Ryan DeSantis with OSU Forestry Extension. Topics will include updates on current surveillance, trapping, and aerial survey by OFS; discussion of current SE Okla. and regional forest health highlights; pine needle diseases; pine insect pests; and decline-disease complexes including normal pine mortality vs. recent pine mortality. There will be a field trip after lunch to observe nearby forest health issues. There will be SAF, ISA, and pesticide credits. Morning/afternoon snacks, lunch, and OK forest health booklet provided. Registration is free but RSVP required at least one week in advance. For more information contact Ryan DeSantis at 405-744-5463 or email at [email protected]

The Oklahoma Division of the Ouachita Society of American Foresters will hold its Spring Field Meeting on April 12th from 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the OSU Kiamichi Forestry Research Station in Idabel, OK. The meeting will include a tour of a sweetgum plantation and other stops along with research results. Cost to attend is $25 for professional or $10 for students. Lunch will be included. To register you can go to eventbrite.com or contact Bryan Murray at [email protected].

The forestry community was saddened to learn of the tragic death of Don Bragg along with his wife, son, and daughter in a home explosion on December 30, 2023 in Michigan. Don was a long time member of the SAF and OSAF and was nationally known for his editorial contributions to forestry publications. He had worked for the U.S. Forest Service for many years in Monticello, AR. He will be missed by his friends and colleagues in the forestry community.

The awards banquet for the OSAF was held in conjunction with the 2023 annual meeting on November 9th at the Queen Wilhelmina Lodge near Mena, AR. Several individuals received awards from the state, OSAF, and national levels. On the national level, Dr. Vic Ford received the prestigious Gifford Pinchot award for his contributions to the SAF at the national level. Also at the national level, Dr. Casey Meek was elected as a Fellow in the SAF for her efforts. The first OSAF award was to Joe Friend for being selected as the 2022 Field Forester of the Year. Joe was unable to attend the 2022 banquet so he was recognized in 2023. Rebecca Montgomery was presented the OSAF Forest Policy Enhancement Award, Omkar Joshi received the OSAF Young Forester Leadership Award, Eric Meyers was presented the OSAF Volunteer Leadership Award, and George Rheinhardt received the OSAF Lifetime Achievement Forestry Award. At the state division level, Alex Schwartz received the Ted Silker Award from the Oklahoma Division for being named the outstanding forester with less than 15 years of experience. Omkar Joshi received the Nat Walker Award from the Oklahoma Division as the outstanding forester with 15 years or more of experience. The Arkansas Division named Steve Burgess as the recipient of the Ted Chancy Career Forester Award. The Arkansas Foresters' Hall of Fame inducted Frank Wilson and Joe Fox as their newest members for their outstanding career accomplishments. Finally, 3 SAF members were recognized as earning their 50 Year Certificates. John Duke, Owen Graham, and John Wainscott have all been members of the SAF for 50 years and were honored even though none of them were able to attend.

The 2023 annual meeting of the OSAF was held on November 9th & 10th at the Queen Wilhelmina Lodge just outside of Mena, AR. The theme of the meeting was "Learning Today for Tomorrow's Forestry" and there were several very informative presentations given addressing that theme. Presenters included Robert Murphy, Dr. Bryan Murray, Dr. Pradip Saud, Dr. Nana Tian, and Dr. Michael Blazier. That evening the annual OSAF awards banquet was held to recognize individuals receiving SAF awards. Friday the 10th included presentations from OK Assistant Forester, Craig Marquardt on the status of Oklahoma Forestry Services followed by Dr. Michael Blazier from UAM and Dr. Rod Will from OSU giving updates from their respective university programs. The rest of the morning was devoted to AR and OK business meetings followed by the OSAF business meeting. The meeting concluded with the results of the silent auction then door prizes. The proceeds of the silent auction totaled $1275 which was donated to Eric Meyers to help with expenses incurred in his recent automobile accident. The meeting adjourned at noon.

If you are interested in subscribing to receive Arkansas Division OSAF information, please send your email request to [email protected] .