This webinar will explore the complexities of forest degradation as result of poor forest management planning. We will gain a basic understanding of land-use history as it pertains to forest degradation and how misconceptions of forest ecology have led to poor forest management. Then we will learn how forest products markets (or lack thereof) play a key role in perpetuating forest degradation. Once we grasp these basic concepts, we will then explore applied research on how to restore and manage degraded hardwood forests moving forward.

11:00 AM – 11:10 AM: Welcome and Introduction

Charlie Faires, Private Lands Forester, Ruffed Grouse Society

11:10 AM – 11:40 AM: A History of Forest Degradation

Dr. John Lhotka, Associate Professor of Silviculture, University of Kentucky

11:40 AM – 12:00 PM: An Overview of the Impacts of High-Grading on Wildlife

Dr. Jeffrey Larkin, Professor and Science Advisor Indiana University of Pennsylvania and American Bird Conservancy

12:00 PM – 12:20 PM: Is the Tail Wagging the Dog? The Effects of Timber and Carbon Markets on Forest Management in Eastern Hardwoods

Dr. Alex Finkral, Chief Forester and the Vice President of Conservation, The Forestland Group

12:25 PM – 12:50 PM: Taking the Best and Leaving a Mess: Moving Beyond High-Grading

Dr. Callie Schweitzer, Research Forester, United States Forest Service

12:50 PM – 1:15 PM: A Path Forward: Fixing What’s Broken

Dr. Ralph Nyland, Distinguished Service Professor, State University of New York – College of Environmental Science and Forestry

1:15 PM – 1:30 PM: Panel Discussion with lecturers and federal partners

Bridgett Costanzo, Working Lands for Wildlife Eastern Regional Coordinator, Natural Resource Conservation Service

2 Continuing Education Credits available through the Society of American Foresters.

A Path Forward: Understanding and Restoring Degraded Forests