Page 25 - Tree Line - North Carolina Forestry Association - First Quarter 2021

MODULE 21 NOW ONLINE!
To provide our logging force with the latest
training while maintaining the safety of our
communities, the NCFA, in coordination with the North Carolina Sustainable Forestry Initiative – State Implementation Committee, is excited to offer our ProLoggers the opportunity to view our Module 21 course online at http://ncforestry.prolearn.io/home!
2021 PROLOGGER BASE CLASS SCHEDULE
As of January 2021, there are no ProLogger Base Classes scheduled for this year, due to COVID-19. You can check back here for details about upcoming classes as they are scheduled.
?
QUESTIONS? Please contact Samantha Long
at 919-834-3943 ext. 4 or slong@ncforestry.org.
Lauren Killian
As a Sustainability Forester for Enviva, Lauren Killian has many responsibilities, and her role is constantly evolving. In general, Killian supports certification programs for wood pellets destined for Europe, Japan, and other overseas locations.
She is the Independently Managed Group Manager — or IMG Manager
— under the American Tree Farm System. In the wood pellet industry, pellet certification is important to overseas buyers to ensure quality and sustainability. As IMG Manager, Killian
is responsible for increasing certified acreage in procurement regions. She accomplishes this by gathering landowner data, mapping GIS coordinates, creating certification plans for landowners, and performing BMP inspections. Killian’s favorite part of her role as Sustainability Forester is problem-solving. She sits on several task forces that work to solve new and changing industry issues. Killian enjoys collaborating and implementing possible solutions.
Killian graduated from North Carolina State University (NCSU) in 2012 with a Forest Management degree. Having grown up near Lake Gaston, where outdoor recreation was common, she always knew she wanted to work outdoors. Her path
to the forestry industry began when she attended a soil and water conversation
“It is better to speak up and be wrong than regret not saying anything later.”
— Lauren Killian
summer camp at the Clemmons State Forest in high school. There, she learned about forestry and prescribed burning and decided to pursue a career in the industry. In 2013, soon after graduating from NCSU, Killian began working in the quality lab, testing pellets at the newly opened Enviva Biomass in Northampton, NC. After six months in the quality lab, Killian was promoted to her current role as Sustainability Forester. In March 2021, she will have been in her role for nine years!
Killian is on the NCFA’s Board of Directors and also participates in her local
forestry associations. She is a member
of both the Warren County Forestry
Club and the Northampton Forestry Association. In 2020, she was named Vice President of the Warren County Forestry Club, and she will transition
to President in 2021. Killian volunteers as often as she can, including at Enviva education outreach events and customer tours. As a ProLogger, Killian is able to constantly stay up-to-date on forestry issues and regulation changes as well as educate her peers and community about these changes. To her, the program is a great way to create fellowship throughout the industry, share ideas, and educate the industry on new regulations and why it is important to follow these guidelines.
Killian clearly sets a great example
for those around her. When asked about advice she would give to a young woman looking to follow in her footsteps, she said, “Don’t worry about if you are a man or a woman. If you want something, just go after it.” Other noteworthy advice Killian gave was to “always push through your mistakes and always speak up about
your ideas and opinions.” She added, “It
is better to speak up and be wrong than regret not saying anything later.”
Killian’s attitude and actions embody the main pillars of the ProLogger Program. The NCFA is pleased to recognize Lauren Killian for being safe in the field, respecting the environment, and educating others about the forestry industry.
ncforestry.org / FIRST QUARTER 2021 23