Wednesday, March 5, 2003

Georgia seminar helps field foresters stay plugged in

To help foresters stay plugged in to the latest advances in forestry technology, the Society of American Foresters, in partnership with the American Tree Farm System and some of the nation's leading forestry technology companies, has created the SAF Field Seminar Series a variety of events featuring both classroom and field learning designed to give field foresters, land managers, and landowners hands-on experience with latest technologies and teach the newest techniques in forest management.

Three field seminars are planned for the 2003, and the first of these, "Information Technology for Forest Managers: Applying New Technologies to the Business of Forestry," cosponsored by Forest Technology Group, will be held March 19-21 at the Southern Pine Conference Center at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain.

According to Guerry Doolittle, vice president of marketing and business development for Forest Technology Group, the seminar is designed to help nontechnical managers understand the concepts and terminology associated with information systems and planning, as well as the value of integrated systems.

"Most conferences on information technology are designed for technologists, not oriented toward managers who may not have strong technical backgrounds," said Doolittle. "This conference will help managers understand technical concepts and terminology, as well as the strengths and limitations of different information system designs. Managers need this understanding to join in the discussions and provide effective leadership to their organizations."

The "Information Technology for Forest Managers" seminar will feature both classroom and field presentations on Web-based geographic information systems (GIS) and mobile computing technology and will offer instruction on applying theses technologies to forest management planning, remote sensing, harvest scheduling, and field data collection with geographic positioning systems.

Seminar participants will use Web-based GIS land management applications to map forestland; edit databases; evaluate and track stand history; perform transaction-based silvicultural and timber sale planning; perform forest implementation and tracking; and run database queries and reports.

Attendees earn up to 12 Continuing Forestry Education credits. Cost of the seminar, including meals and lodging, is $375 for members of SAF and the American Tree Farm System; $420 for nonmembers.

For information on the SAF Field Seminar Series, contact Terry Clark, SAF's science and education manager, 5400 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814-2198; (301) 897-8720, ext. 123; fax (301) 897-3690; send an e-mail to clarkt@safnet.org, or visit http://www.safnet.org/meetings/fsspmg.htm.

The Society of American Foresters is a nonprofit organization that represents more than 17,000 professional foresters and natural resource professionals. It is the scientific and educational association representing the profession of forestry in the United States. The Society's primary objective is to advance the science, technology, education, and practice of professional forestry for the benefit of society.

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