KWOA 2011 Annual Meeting

Karen — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:10:39 +0000

When: Thursday, March 31 – Friday, April 1, 2011

Where: Carter Caves State Park, Carter County (northeastern Kentucky)

KWOA members have explored rivers, mountains and lakes during the association’s annual meetings. Good food, comfortable accommodations and a variety of forest types and settings have made the Kentucky state parks a popular venue for KWOA’s forest management field sessions, business meetings and well, just plain enjoyable social events.

Ready for some subterranean adventure? For the 2011 annual meeting KWOA has negotiated a great deal with Carter Caves State Park to get the best deal and educational opportunities for its members. Confirmed dates for the 2011 event are March 31 – April 1.

The Carter County region has the highest concentration of caves to be found in any area of Kentucky. The state park offers guided tours of some of its caves. Since April weather can be notoriously unpredictable in Kentucky, it’s nice to know that the weather doesn’t change much in the caves. The park also has a 45-acre lake for fishing and boating and a golf course

Mark your calendar and plan to attend. Check back with us for more information as we plan this event.

KWOA and KWOF IRS Form 990

Betty — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 01:11:43 +0000

KWOA and KWOF filed forms 990 with the IRS for 2009. The forms, for tax-exempt organizations, were accepted by the IRS on 5/12/2010. A pdf (electronic file) of the completed forms is available by contacting KWOA via email: info@kwoa.net; a paper copy may be obtained by calling 606-876-3423

Web Site Terms of Use and Disclaimer

Betty — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 01:05:40 +0000

All information offered by KWOA to whomsoever, whether written or oral, is intended for the sole, express purpose of assisting woodland owners attain the best long-range dollar return from their forestry operation, while at the same time maintaining a healthy, beautiful forest. KWOA is not engaged in rendering legal, tax, accounting or other professional service. No one should undertake any suggestion offered by KWOA without first consulting experienced professional advisors.
KWOA does not endorse and is not responsible for any statement, opinion, or advice given or made by anyone other than authorized KWOA representatives. All postings are those of the authors and you rely on such information at your own risk.

Family Estate Tax Deferral Act of 2010

Karen — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:34:01 +0000

Source: American Forest Foundation

In early August U.S. Senators Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) introduced legislation in the Senate that would help to fix the estate tax for family forest owners and farms. S. 3664, The Family Estate Tax Deferral Act of 2010, will help preserve forest land by helping families avoid the pressure of selling to pay taxes when land is passed down from one generation to the next.

If the estate tax is not reformed before 2011, any estate worth over $1 million will be subject to a 55% tax. This will affect many landowners, and may force some of them to sell or harvest their timber unsustainably in order to pay the tax.

S. 3664, the Feinstein-Crapo bill, is similar to the Thompson bill, HR 5475, in the House. The bill would provide family forest owners with an exemption from the estate tax, if they keep the land in their family and manage it as a forest. Landowners can harvest, if they harvest consistent with a forest stewardship plan.

More information about the bill and contacting your senators is available from the American Forest Foundation.

KWOA and partners appear again before state legislature

Karen — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:10:34 +0000

KWOA was asked to provide an update to the state legislature’s Interim Joint Committee on Natural Resources and Environment on August 5th. Betty Williamson, KWOA President, and John Obrycki, State Entomologist, informed legislators of priorities and concerns for woodlands owners..There were several questions about certification, invasive species, timber theft and fires.The legislators indicated that they wanted a return presentation to further discuss these topics.

Leah MacSwords, KDF Director, presented the completed woodland assessment project. Bob Bauer, KFIA Executive Director, talked about the weak repeat bad actor program. The legislators questioned why the repeat bad actors could not be dealt with more effectively and want to discuss it further in future.

Provided by Henry Duncan, KWOA Vice President

Thousand Cankers Disease Detected on Tennessee Walnut Trees

Karen — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 22:24:19 +0000

According to an April 5th press release from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Thousand Cankers Disease - a pest-transmitted fungus that kills walnut trees - has been detected in Knox County, TN. It is the first such discovery east of the Mississippi of the small twig beetle that carries the disease-causing fungus. It has decimated walnut trees in several western states.

At this time of year, symptoms such as crown thinning and leaf yellowing may be due to other insect infestations. For a description and photos of infected trees and the bark beetle go to the USDA Forest Service’s May 2010 Pest Alert. Also visit www.TN.gov/agriculture/tcd for an online symptoms checklist.

: A black walnut tree branch infected with Thousand Cankers Disease. Source: Tennessee Department of Agriculture

Steps to prevent the spread of TCD are very similar to those used against the emerald ash borer:

# Don’t transport firewood, even within state. Don’t bring firewood along for camping trips. Buy the wood you need from a local source. Don’t bring wood home with you.

# Don’t buy or move firewood from outside the state. If someone comes to your door selling firewood, ask them about the source, and don’t buy wood from outside the state.

# Watch for signs of infestation in your black walnut trees.

For an extensive review of the disease in western states visit Colorado State University.

Plan to Attend a Woodland Owners Short Course in Your Area

Karen — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 20:12:23 +0000

The popular Woodland Owners Short Course field days are getting underway in late summer. With tracks designed for woodland owners of varying forest management experience, these one-day events provide an array of information, professional instruction and hands-on experience for participants of all ages. The 2010 WOSC schedule is:

August 21 - Breathitt County (eastern Kentucky)
August 28 - Caldwell County (western Kentucky)
September 11 - Casey County (central Kentucky)

See the 2010woscbrochure WOSC brochure for further information and registration or go to UKY Forestry Extension.

See you at a short course!

KWOA QUARTERLY BOARD MEETING

Karen — Tue, 11 May 2010 14:21:40 +0000

Thursday, November 18, 2010

MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND

1:00 PM EST
KFIA Offices, 106 Progress Drive, Frankfort, KY
A lunch will be available at 12:00 noon. The meeting will be called to order at 1:00 PM.

National Farm Bill provides funding opportunities for woodland owners

Karen — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:49:18 +0000

The USDA Farm Bill contains a number of programs that provide financial incentives to Kentucky’s woodland owners for forest health, conservation and wildlife habitat improvement. Administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, these programs review and approve applications on a rolling deadline basis. Interested woodland owners are encouraged to apply at anytime. Four programs are available for 2010:

EQIP – Environmental Quality Incentives Program
DEADLINE IS JUNE 4, 2010

WHIP – Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program

CStP – Conservation Stewardship Program
DEADLINE IS JUNE 11, 2010

HFRP – Healthy Forest Reserve Program

Information on the programs and their continuous signup can be found at USDA Service Centers, local Conservation District offices and the following websites:

www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs

www.ky.nrcs.usda.gov

Hardwoods for Hard Times

Karen — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 16:59:02 +0000

The 2010 KWOA annual meeting was held on April 16 – 17 at Barren River State Resort Park. The purpose of the annual meeting is to provide the membership with educational opportunities to improve their knowledge and skills to better manage their woodlands. It also provides a time of fellowship with fellow woodland owners, agency representatives, forestry professionals and industrial representatives. We share a common goal:– to see the Commonwealth of Kentucky maintain healthy and sustainable forests.

During the outdoor/field day portion of the annual meeting, personnel from the Kentucky Division of Forestry were on hand to guide a “walk through the woods.”

Participants were instructed in measuring timber, selecting harvestable trees and timber stand improvement. Local exotic invasive plants were identified and control methods were discussed.

Woodstock Mills of Scottsville, KY provided a variety of logs which Bob Bauer, KFIA Executive Director and KWOA board member, used to demonstrate different grades and values.

Bob Bauer, KY Forest Industry Assoc., explains log grading and timber values

Felix Taylor, KWOA board member and Kentucky 2009 Tree Farmer of the Year, brought his portable Wood Mizer sawmill for an on site demonstration.

Felix Taylor, center, demonstrates Saw Mizer and on farm saw milling

During the evening program James Morris, service forester from the Green River District, was presented the KWOA Service Forester award and Leah MacSwords, director of the Division of Forestry, was our keynote speaker. She presented an update of the Kentucky Forest Assessment project.

James Morris, KY Division of forestry receives the Service Forester award from J. Henry Duncan, Vice President KWOA

Leah MacSwords, KDOF Director, provides update on Kentucky Forest Assessment project.

Doug Mclaren, KWOA Board Member and UK Forestry Extension, ended the banquet with his ever popular “Forestry Bowl” game.

During the break out sessions on Saturday, Pam Snyder from KDOF and the Kentucky Tree Farm Committee presented the latest Standards of Sustainability for Forest Certification from the American Forest Foundation. Billy Thomas, UK Department of Forestry, provided information concerning the local forestry organization survey results and Dr. Andrew Stainback, UK Department of Forestry, discussed the Woodlands Tax Project. Dr. John Obrycki, UK Department of Entomology and State Entomologist, provided an update on the status of the emerald ash bore in Kentucky and Jerry Adams, USDA/NRCS, provided information on the USDA Farm Bill programs that are available for forest owners. Bob Bauer and Ken Negray from Kentucky Forest Industries Association provided an update on the 2010 legislative session and forest certification options in Kentucky.

Attendees query panel on woodlands topics

J. Henry Duncan, KWOA Vice-president, organized and conducted another successful and informative annual meeting.

The primary goal of KWOA is to help Kentucky forest landowners attain the best long-range dollar return from their forestry operation, while at the same time maintaining a healthy beautiful forest. These goals are achieved by:

· Promoting economically and environmentally sound forest management

· Advancing the skills of Kentucky woodland owners

· Serving as an advocate for Kentucky woodland owners in legislative activities

· Keeping the public (and lawmakers) informed about the importance of woodland management and the contributions that woodlands make to Kentucky.

Throughout the year, our membership is kept up to date on forestry issues in Kentucky via our newsletter, website (KWOA. Net) and Internet mailings.

We invite everyone with an interest in the woodlands of Kentucky to join us. Together we can make a difference!

Prepared by: Betty Williamson, KWOA President, 2009-10