Page 7 - Tree Line - North Carolina Forestry Association - Fourth Quarter 2023

NORTH CAROLINA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION
1600 Glenwood Ave., Suite I Raleigh, NC 27608
(919) 834-3943 ncforestry.org
BOARD CHAIR
Nancy Thompson
PRESIDENT
Rob Elliot
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
John E. Hatcher, Jr., Ph.D., CF
BOARD MEMBERS
Todd Adams Mike Harris Tommy Adkins Daniel Hodge Jadie Andrews Jason Hoyle
Despite Challenges, Another Great Year in Forestry
As 2023 comes to an end, I am reminded of both the challenges and successes the NCFA and its members have experienced this year. One significant challenge we have discussed at length is a mill closure in the western part
of our state with a more than $1 billion impact. The industry as a whole
has been affected by the closure of the Pactiv Evergreen mill in Canton, and we strive to support each other as best we can moving forward.
While we cannot ignore the challenges our industry is facing, we also need to take time to celebrate successes. This year, through the hard work and dedication of the NCFA team, we have been awarded two large grants that will add value to the forestry industry, as a whole, and each and every one of our members statewide.
This year, the Forest Education and Conservation Foundation received a highly competitive grant from the U.S. Forest Service Landscape Scale Restoration Program. These grants promote “collaborative, science-based restoration of priority forest landscapes and [further] priorities identified in State Forest Action plans or equivalent restoration strategy.” The Education Committee and staff have been working diligently
to develop a forestry career and technical education program that will be available to high school students through the North Carolina Future Farmers of America agricultural education curriculum program in 2024.
The other prestigious grant we received is from the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission to help expand our ProLogger program. The NCFA staff and members of our Safety, Logging, and Transportation Committee will be actively working this coming year to expand the logging business education resources that we offer our members.
These grants are in addition to the great, ongoing work the NCFA does on your behalf every year. I hope you will read this edition of TreeLine, which recaps our Annual Meeting, shares an interview with landowner and member Kim Stewart, details the misconceptions of forestry among the public, and tells the history of a local Log a Load for Kids chapter. We appreciate each and every one of you. You make our association the powerhouse it is for the forestry industry in North Carolina.
In Forestry,
John E. Hatcher, Jr., Ph.D., CF
NCFA Executive Director
Scott Askew Blair Bishop Scott Bissette Josh Bledsoe Jason Bowman Jay Boyette Jesse Burdett Ben Burger Doug Burleson Kenny Cain John Cecil Chris Charest Mike Cheston Clay Creed Chuck Daniels Rudy Daughtry Tara Dickson Bill Dine
Tony Doster Rob Elliot Ashley Faircloth David Gadd Nathan Gatlin Brett Goulding Lori Grady George Hahn
Perry Hunt Dylan Hurley David Johnson Alec Kearns
AJ Keating Lauren Killian Ken Lin
Jared Lucas Arturo Lumpkin Mike Marks Boyd McLaurin Jeff Meacham Justin Moretz Russ Newton Wib Owen
Jess Parton
Henry Randolph Greg Ricks Richard Sanders Phil Smith
Nancy Thompson Cierra Ward
Seth Ward
Allen Whitesell Jerry Williams Jocelyn Wilson
EXECUTIVE MESSAGE
ncforestry.org / FOURTH QUARTER 2023 5