Page 26 - Georgia Forestry - Issue 3 - Summer 2020

Adapting to Provide Value
The Georgia Forestry Association Seizes on the Unique Opportunities to Provide Value to the Forestry Community
T he COVID-19 pandemic has presented several challenges and opportunities for the forestry economy in Georgia
and the U.S. As demand and market dynamics continued to shift throughout the first half of the year, the Georgia Forestry Association (GFA) has worked closely with its volunteer leaders to identify ways to adapt the execution of its programs so we can continue to provide value
to those who have invested in working forests and manufacturing assets across the state. That effort has resulted in taking a bold step to restructure GFA’s in-person Annual Conference to a fully virtual event that attracts a national forestry audience while also pivoting through the Georgia Forestry Foundation to focus on providing at-home education resources to parents, caregivers and educators.
Leading a National Forestry Conversation
Landowners, logging operations and forest product manufacturers have all been presented with great challenges in the wake of the pandemic. Mill curtail- ments and shifts in consumer demand have caused a ripple in the American economy that has enhanced some forest product markets while putting downward pressure on others. As GFA looked for opportunities to restructure its Annual Conference, it became clear that a gather- ing of the American forestry community was necessary to ensure that business leaders are positioned to address the current challenges while growing future opportunities to leverage America’s
“I am proud of the leadership at GFA and our team for taking the steps to organize, plan and execute this one-of-a-kind conference. Georgia is the number-one forestry state in the nation, and this conference is another example of how Georgia is a national and global leader in forestry.”
— Will Thompson, James-Bates-Brannan-Groover LLP in Macon, 2020 GFA Chairman
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