In 2006 we built good momentum on acheving broad-based support for the important goal of bringing an additional million acres of family forest lands under stewardship. At the September conference, 30 sponsoring organizations came together to advance the agenda.

• Conference Proceedings (.pdf)
• Pre-Conference Backgrounder (.pdf)
• Agenda (.pdf)
• Speaker Bios and Abstracts (.pdf)

Wednesday, September 12

• Tour of Saint John ’s Arboretum, led by Tom Kroll, Land Manager and Arboretum Director.

View images from the tour at Eli Sagor's Flickr page

• Keynote Presentation ~ Family Forest Owners: Who Are They?
  Brett Butler , USDA Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis

Thursday, September 13

• Report on 2007 Legislative Outcomes

Bob Tomlinson , Assistant Director, Forestry, MN Department of Natural Resources
Tom Kroll, Land Manager and Arboretum Director, Saint John’s University

• Activities that have Shaped Family Forest Land Management in Minnesota this Past Year

Panelists:
Charlie Blinn, Professor of Forest Resources, U of MN
Kathryn Fernholz , Executive Director, Dovetail Partners, Inc.
Dave Chura , Executive Director, MN Logger Education Program
Zhao Ma, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Forest Resources, U of MN
Eli Sagor , Educator, Natural Resources Management, U of MN Extension
Moderator: Bob Stine, Associate Dean, U of MN College of Food, Ag and Natural Resource Sciences

• Organizational Perspectives on Reaching the Goal

Panelists:
Tom Baumann, Assistant Director, Resource Management, MN Dept of Natural Resources
Peter Bundy , President, Masconomo Forestry
Bruce ZumBahlen, President, Minnesota Forestry Association
Moderator: Dave Zumeta, Executive Director, Minnesota Forest Resources Council

• Keynote Presentation ~ Family Forests: What Will the Next Generation Do?
  Catherine Mater, Senior Fellow, Pinchot Institute for Conservation

Conference sponors

Ainsworth, American Tree Farm System, Boise, Campaign for Conservation, Dovetail Partners Inc., Forest Capital Partners, Minnesota Association County Land Commissioners, Minnesota Association of Consulting Foresters, Minnesota Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts, Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Forest Industries, Minnesota Forest Resources Council, Minnesota Forest Resources Partnership, Minnesota Forestry Association, Minnesota Logger Education Program, Minnesota Seasonal Recreational Property Owners Coalition, Potlatch, Ruffed Grouse Society, Sappi, Society of American Foresters, StoraEnso, The Conservation Fund, The Nature Conservancy, U of M Extension, U.S. Forest Service, University of Minnesota Duluth Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota’s Department of Forest Resources, UPM, and U of M Extention Woodland Advisor Program.