Published on 01/04/01

Tree Farmer Short Course Starts in February

Even if you don't own any trees, the "Master Tree Farmer 2001" satellite short course may well be worth your time. If you do own forest land or are considering buying some, you won't want to miss the only satellite broadcast of its kind for Southern forest landowners.

At 23 sites in Georgia, the short course will be every Tuesday night from Feb. 6 to March 20. To find the nearest site, visit the Master Tree Farmer Web site at www.mtf2000.net. Or call Ben Jackson at (706) 542-9051. Or e-mail him at bjack@uga.edu.

The sessions will begin at 7 p.m. EST and end at 10 p.m. Participants will be able to ask questions of the speakers through a toll-free number. The local coordinator and forester will also handle questions during breaks and until 10:30 each evening.

'Everything You Wanted to Know...'

The course covers:

Feb. 6 - Introduction to Forest Management, Terms and Concepts.
Feb. 13 - Estate Planning, Taxation and Basic Forest Finance.
Feb. 20 - Managing for Pines (Natural and Artificial).
Feb. 27 - Managing for Hardwoods (Uplands and Bottomlands).
March 6 - Timber Marketing, Security and Harvesting.
March 13 - Wildlife Management (Game and Nongame).
March 20 - Forestry Services and Programs for the Landowner.

The registration fee varies but generally runs around $50 for the whole course, including refreshments each night and a 700-page notebook. Local coordinators can tell you the actual fee. Anyone completing six of the seven sessions will also get a Master Tree Farmer certificate, plus a cap and a patch for a jacket or shirt.

Dan Rahn is a news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Experts/Sources:

Ben D. Jackson

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