AMES — The Tri-State Forest Stewardship Conference will return to its usual in-person format on March 2, in northwestern Illinois (Freeport) from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The conference is designed for forest landowners in the Midwest, but forestry professionals, consultants, volunteers, Master Naturalists and students are all encouraged to attend.
“This is a great event for landowners to get science-based information, applicable, practical information – things that they can use on their property right now,” said Billy Beck, forestry specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
The conference is sponsored by extension services from Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. The conference will be held at the Highland Community College Student Conference Center (Building H, Parking Lot A), 2998 W. Pearl City Road, Freeport, Illinois. Check-in will be from 8-9 a.m. and the conference begins promptly at 9 a.m.
This year’s keynote speaker is Jason Meyer, executive director of the White Oak Initiative. Meyer will discuss the importance of white oak ecologically and economically along with efforts underway to sustain white oaks on the landscape.
Other topics include bottomland forest management, timber harvesting, forest taxes, invasive species control, prescribed fire, tree diseases and pathogens, wildlife management, tree physiology, streambank erosion, forest soils, tree identification and Silvopasture.
The day will end with a discussion with experts from each of the state’s extension services on the state of forestry in the tri-state area.
Register online at https://go.illinois.edu/TriState or by calling the University of Illinois Extension at 815-235-4125. Registration, including lunch, is $40 by Feb. 23 and $50 afterward. Early registration is helpful to ensure enough seating and lunch for everyone.
For reasonable accommodations, contact Nikki Keltner at 815-235-4125. Billy Beck is available at 515-294-8837 or [email protected].