The Virginia Forestry Association's Annual Convention was
held at the Wintergreen Resort with more than 188 attendees.
Educational and professional sessions included workshops for
landowners, loggers and environmental educators, and a tour
of the Lesesne State Forest. The General Session featured
four panelists who spoke to the theme, "Honoring the Past."
• Paul Harper, Vice President
Woodlands, retired,
Chesapeake Corp., talked
about the wood dealer system
and wood procurement
Secretary of Commerce and Trade
Patrick Gottschalk and Secretary of Agriculture and
Forestry Bon Bloxom were in attendance at the VFA An |
including the
beginning,
progression and changes.
• Bob Osborn,
Woodlands
Manager, retired, Union
Camp Corp., reminisced about
wood procurement in the
early
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Speakers at the General
Session, left to right, Paul Harper, Bob Osborn,
Jim Hileman, and Jerry Foltz. |
1950s, changes over the
years, logging in the Dismal
Swamp and transporting by
barges.
• Jim Hileman, Area Manager,
retired, Georgia-Pacific Corp.,
discussed small suppliers and
mountain cable logging.
• Jerry Foltz, Eastern District
Procurement Supervisor,
MeadWestvaco Corp.,
referenced the direct
purchase system and land
based procurement and the
development of harvesting
and processing equipment.
In the final segment of the General Session,
"Planning for the Future," Dr. Chadwick Oliver,
Pichot Professor of Forestry and Environment Studies
and Director of Yale University's Global Institute
of Sustainable Forestry, addressed Managing Forests
in a Global World, Ecosystems and Impacts on Future
of Forestry.
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Dr. Chadwick Oliver spoke during
the second part of the General Session.
The weekend provided opportunities
for fellowship and fun. A tour of the Presbyterian
Manse, birthplace of Woodrow Wilson, the
Frontier Culture Museum, Andre Viette's Nursery and
a golf tournament were enjoyed by many. The
convention ended with a Saturday evening banquet and
guest speaker, John A. Luke, Jr., Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer, MeadWestvaco Corp.
A transcript of his remarks from that evening begin
on page
3. |
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Lesesne State Forest Tour
On Saturday
afternoon, attendees were invited on a 3-hour guided tour of Lesesne State Forest where the Virginia Department of
Forestry is working to restore the American chestnut. On a
portion of the 421-acre state forest are three groups of
trees: an orchard of grafted American chestnuts, a large
planting of American-Asiatic hybrid chestnuts, and aplanting
of first and second genetic backcrosses. Pictured, left to
right, Rob Wait, Tree Farm Committee Communications Chairman
was on hand for the tour led by John Scrivani. |
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