NCFA hosts 2023 Annual Meeting: Healthy Markets, Healthy Forests in Asheville, NC

North Carolina Forestry Association (NCFA)

ASHEVILLE, NC (August 28, 2023) – The North Carolina Forestry Association (NCFA) will host its annual meeting Wednesday, September 27—Thursday, September 28 at the Biltmore in Asheville, NC. The theme for the NCFA’s 2023 Annual Meeting is Healthy Markets, Healthy Forests. The meeting will feature informative presentations focusing on education and workforce development, forestry market expansion, changing demographics in NC, and sustainable forestry.

NCFA Executive Director, John Hatcher, PhD, stated, “It’s been seven years since we’ve hosted an Annual Meeting in the western part of the state. We are thrilled to be back together, especially with the recent happenings in our industry. It will be nice to engage in discussions on ways to work together to help one another. That is what we do in the forestry industry, we come together to solve problems.”

The conference kicks off with a keynote presentation, Workforce Development, from Catherine Truitt, NC Superintendent of Education. Following the presentation, there will be concurrent panel discussions. One panel, The Nantahala Pisgah Management Plan, features panelists from the Nature Conservancy, the Ruffled Grouse Society, and Marten Law’s natural resources law practice. The other panel, The Future is Bright for Forestry Education in NC, includes panelists from the Forest Workforce Training Institute, NC Future Farmers of America, and Buncombe County Schools. Wednesday’s program will conclude with a presentation, Heirs’ Property and Land Utilization.

The second day of the conference starts with a series of presentations including: Warning: Gale Force Demographic Wind Gusts Ahead! from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Economic Impact of the Forest Products Industry in Western NC from the Land of Sky Economic Council; Global Opportunities for American Hardwoods from the American Hardwood Export Council; and Forest Reliant Communities Guidebook presented by the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities. The Be Pro Be Proud mobile workshop will be on-site for a walk-through tour both days of the event.

Attendees can explore Asheville on Thursday afternoon including opportunities to play golf, tour the Biltmore Estate and surrounding attractions in Asheville, or enjoy sporting clays. The President’s reception and awards banquet begins at 6:00 pm Thursday, followed by entertainment from Balsam Range, a nationally recognized bluegrass band from Haywood County.

Members of the media are welcome to attend and can contact Amanda Murphy for additional information. A detailed agenda is available online.

About North Carolina Forestry Association

The NCFA it is a private, non-profit partnership of approximately 4,000 forest managers, landowners, mill operators, loggers, furniture manufacturers, educators, and others concerned about the long-term health and productivity of the state’s forest resources and the industries they support. The North Carolina Forestry Association is the state’s oldest forest conservation organization, established in 1911. Mission Statement - The NCFA Ensures Healthy, Productive, and Sustainable Forests. www.ncforestry.org