The Four-State Forestry Conference took place at the Hilton Texarkana Convention Center in Texarkana, Texas.  We want to congratulate Brandi, all of the speakers, and all attendees for making this conference possible.

Topics included international, national and local concurrent sessions with notables like Dennis Neilson with DANA, Rotorua, New Zealand, world renowned for expertise and publications in international timberland markets and investments, Ian Turpin with LBJ Family Wealth Advisors, Austin, Texas, specialized in asset transfers between generations, Rusty Booker with Drax Biomass International, Dr. Phil Dougherty with Dougherty & Dougherty Forestry Services, proven research in seedling genetics, Dr. Matt Pelkki with University of Arkansas at Monticello, intensive research on financial return in plantation forestry,  Dr. Jim Guldin with United States Forest Service, Hot Springs, Arkansas, long term research in southern natural pine silviculture, and Dr. Linda Wang with United States Forest Service, specialized in forestry taxation (refer to attached brochure for more notable presenters).

 Featured local landowner presenters were Dr. David Rankin, President of Southern Arkansas University, Toni, wife, and children Curt, John and Beth Anne, sharing their expanding forestry investment in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas and intensive pine plantation practices with family ownership spanning 100 years. Featured also in pre-conference timberland tour on April 25^th are Jim and Joyce May with several thousand contiguous acres along the Little Missouri River in loblolly plantations, planted hardwood and natural hardwood. Jim also intensively manages for recreational hunting with year round food plots and extensive privately maintained roads….and last but not least is banquet presenter Discovery Channel’s very own American Logger Eldon Pelletier.

New this year was special session “Using Google Earth in Land Management” with Teddy Reynolds and Colleen Morphew which included how to use Google Earth with land, timber, recreation, hunting leases, roads and all real estate management including how to integrate with a smart phone.

Attendees got their dancin' shoes on at the Hilton Convention Center with dance professional Tara LaNai Thompson, Forever Dance Studio, square dancing, two step, clogging, and much more to the music performed by Succotash, a native Oklahoma band with musical influences from Nickel Creek to Alison Krauss and the Union Station.

A special thanks to sponsors who make this possible: Tree: Ouachita Mountains RC&D Council (host), Reynolds Forestry Consulting & Real Estate, Weyerhaeuser, Oklahoma State University, Domtar, West Fraser Timber Co, Ltd, and Choctaw Nation. Branch: Huber, Kingwood, Texarkana Chamber of Commerce, International Paper Company, Oklahoma Conservation Commission, and International Forest Company. Leaf: US Forest Service, Arkansas Forestry Association, Oklahoma Forestry Service, NRCS, Louisiana Land Bank, ArborGen, Oklahoma Forestry Association, Herron Industries, Landmark, Southern Loggers Cooperative, Lone Star Ag Credit, ATPA, Forest Stewardship, Red River Specialties, B&D Equipment, and Forrest Keeling Nursery.