Mississippi Forestry Association

M I S S I S S I P P I F O R E S T R Y A S S O C I AT I O N

2018 ANNUAL REPORT

M I S S I O N A N D V I S I O NMFA’s Vision is to serve as the “Voice

of Forestry” in Mississippi. Our Mission

is leading diverse groups to promote

landowner rights, environmental

stewardship, member prosperity, and

community understanding.

2 0 1 8 M F A O F F I C E R SAngela Holland . . . . . . . . . . . .PresidentJoe Mallard . . . . . . . .1st Vice PresidentDavid Hall . . . . . . . . 2nd Vice PresidentGary Blair . . . . . . . . . . . . Past PresidentMatthew Raff . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Treasurer

S TA F F L I S TTedrick Ratcliff,

Executive Vice President

Casey Anderson,

Business Manager

Dave Godwin,

Landowner Coordinator

Lauren Hawkins,

Communications Coordinator

Teresa Wampler,

Administrative Assistant

M I S S I S S I P P I F O R E S T R Y A S S O C I AT I O N

620 North State Street, Suite 201

Jackson, Mississippi 39202-3398

Phone: 601-354-4936

Fax: 601-354-4937

www.msforestry.net

Wow, what a year it has been already! 2018 has been full of challenges, but many

of them we have overcome with a big win for forestry. MFA led off the year with a very successful legislative session. We were part of passing several pro-forestry/pro-landowner bills. Most notable of the legislation was a priority piece of legislation that protected the 23-year precedent of operating with a harvest permit (SB 2418). I can’t say thank you enough to all of you who helped us by calling your local legislators to ask for their support. Senate Bill 2418 is a great example of how collaboration between organizations and their members can be successful. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the MS Farm Bureau Federation, the MS Manufacturers Association, the MS Loggers Association, Steve and Lyndsey Simmons with Capitol Partners, and MFA’s lobbyist Dennis Miller of Jones Walker LLP. for all of their help in pushing this legislation across the finish line. It took every member of the team, and the result is increased safety and millions of dollars that will stay in the pockets of landowners.

Our team has worked hard to complete the remaining components of the MFA Strategic Plan. I am most proud of their work on the Southern Timber Innovations Conference (STIC). STIC was held in August of this year in New Orleans. Many of our members came together with individuals from the Mass Timber community, architects from around the region, and economic developers to discuss the potential for new technologies in building and manufacturing, and how those could be deployed in our state. I appreciate the leadership of Casey Anderson, MFA business manager, and the entire steering committee who worked tirelessly to put on the event. Events like these point to opportunity for growth in demand of the timber we all grow and produce.

Another bright spot of our strategic work is County Forestry Associations. Our effort to continue to grow participation, as well as interaction with our CFA affiliates, is reaching new heights. If you are not participating in a local CFA, I would encourage you to plug in at the county level as well. Members can call Dave Godwin, MFA landowner coordinator, or look for listings in your Voice of Forestry newsletter to find a CFA meeting near you.

While we have seen some changes to our team this year, we have been blessed to find a new team member, Lauren Hawkins, to pick up the torch and continue where others left off. We are not back to a full team yet, but we hope to be there very soon. Thanks to so many of you who have stepped in and helped us as volunteers and committee members as we worked to fill our team.

Finally, I don’t want to miss an opportunity to express how important your membership and participation is to this organization. Every member is important and can have a great impact! If you are not currently serving on a committee or getting involved, I would encourage you to reach out to the MFA staff and ask about where you can plug in and make a difference for forestry.

J. Tedrick RatcliffExecutive Vice President

M I S S I S S I P P I F O R E S T R Y A S S O C I AT I O N2 0 1 8 A N N UA L R E P O R T

Each year, the Timber Harvesting Committee is responsible for reviewing nominations for the MFA Logger of the Year Award, which promotes professionalism, safety, continuing education and environmentally sound harvesting techniques. Th is year the committee visited the three semi-fi nalists in the fi eld at their work sites and named Drew Massey of Noxapater as the 2018 MFA Logger of the Year. Th e Timber Harvesting Committee also provided safety coordinators for the 2018 Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show which was held September 21-22 at the Mississippi State University John Starr Memorial Forest near Starkville. In addition to these two responsibilities, the committee also off ers MFA input on any issues related to timber harvesting that come up throughout the year.

Project Learning Tree® (PLT) is an award-winning environmental education program designed for teachers and other educators, parents, and community lead-ers working with youth from preschool through grade 12. Mississippi PLT strives to educate all program participants about the importance of forestry within the state.

In the absence of a PLT Coordinator for most of 2018, Steve Dicke and several

other volunteers worked with MFA staff to insure the PLT Program continued with as little interruption as possible. Th is year, 18 PLT workshops were held and over 450 teachers were reached. Teachers leave these workshops with the knowledge and materials to implement forestry education in their classrooms.

T I M B E R H A RV E S T I N G C O M M I T T E E

Tree Farm CommitteeTh e American Tree Farm System (ATFS) is overseen by the Mississippi Tree Farm Committee for the state. ATFS recognizes over

2,800 certifi ed privately-owned tree farms consisting of over 815,000 acres of land in Mississippi. In addition, all of the state’s 16th section land is also certifi ed under ATFS, representing an additional 500,000 acres. Th is program is run by a committee of volunteers including landowners, foresters, state agencies and associations. Tree Farmers supply a vital source of certifi ed material to mills while ensuring their land is managed to protect water, preserve special sites and enhance wildlife habitat to benefi t future generations of forest landowners.

Th e Tree Farm Committee held three separate Tree Farmer meetings in the spring. Th e intent of these meetings was to improve communication with Tree Farmers and to provide them with information and access to resources they can use on their property. Consider attending a meeting in the Spring of 2019 near you.

P R O J E C T L E A R N I N G T R E E

Th e 2018 Mississippi Forestry Foundation Dinner was held in June at Longleaf Plantation near Purvis. Heather Giger, a teacher with the Lamar County School District and Teachers Conservation Workshop alumna, was this year’s speaker. Th e Foundation also held a raffl e at the dinner and raised over $4,000 to go toward MFF education and outreach projects. Th e Foundation held another fundraiser dinner and silent auction during the 2018 Annual Meeting. In 2018, MFF sup-ported the traveling Wood Magic Science Fairs, 4-H, Future Farmers of America, Envirothon, MSU Forestry Club, and awards and promotional items for youth.

Th e Mississippi State Implementation Committee for the Sustainable Forestry Initiative is made up of 31-member com-panies who own, manage, or procure wood in Mississippi and are certifi ed to the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules. Th e SIC supports education and outreach for loggers through the MSU Extension Service’s Professional Logging Manager Pro-gram, landowners through MSU Extension Forestry programs, teachers through funding for Teachers Conservation Work-shops, and youth through a variety of programs including Proj-ect Learning Tree and 4-H.

Th e Mississippi State Implementation Committee for the Sustainable Forestry Initiative is made up of 31-member com-panies who own, manage, or procure wood in Mississippi and are certifi ed to the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules. Th e

Y O U T H F O R E S T R Y

SFI® STATE IMPLEMENTATION

COMMITTEE Mississippi Forestry Foundation

Each year, the Youth Forestry Committee supports a variety of educational and outreach programs focused on showing the next generation the importance of forestry. Th e committee supports Boy Scout Forestry Days, FFA Forestry Judging, 4-H Forestry Judging and Envirothon through funding and volunteer instructors, judges and trainers.

In 2018, the Youth Forestry Committee held three forestry days for Boy Scout Councils across the state. At the Andrew Jackson Council Forestry Day 100 Boy Scouts earned the Forestry Merit Badge and 21 earned the Geology Merit Badge, and 27 Webelos earned their In the Woods Patch. At the Pushmataha Council Forestry Day 35 Boy Scouts earned Forestry Merit Badges. At the Choctaw Council Forestry Day 72 Boy Scouts earned the Forestry Merit Badge and 26 Webelos earned the In the Woods Patch.

Th e winners of the 2018 FFA Forestry Judging and 4-H Forestry Judging were the Mantachie FFA and Mantachie 4-H. Out of 16 high school teams who competed in the Envirothon, Oxford High School won and then placed 8th at the national competition in Idaho.

County Forestry Associations (CFAs) are local affi liates of MFA and are active throughout most of Mississippi. CFAs are comprised of local landowners, businesspeople, forestry consultants, loggers, forest industry representatives, and others interested in forestry. Th e CFA Committee supports CFAs at the state level through policy, recognition and awards, dissemination of information, and opportunities for education, networking, and encouraging membership and involvement with MFA. During the past year, CFA Committee activities included:

C O U N T Y F O R E S T RY A S S O C I AT I O N C O M M I T T E E

♦ Leadership training programs for CFA offi cers in Jackson, Hattiesburg, Verona, Philadelphia, and Grenada in January and February of 2018.

♦ Worked to reenergize inactive or less active CFAs, resulting in increased activity among several of these groups during the past year.

♦ Continued growth of the CFA Leadership Council, a statewide group with the goal of bridging the gap between CFAs and MFA.

♦ Hosted the 2018 MFA/CFA Legislative Luncheon on March 1, 2018 at the Old Capitol Inn in Jackson providing an opportunity for CFA leaders to share forestry related information and concerns with their legislators.

♦ Hosted the CFA Offi cers/Directors Luncheon at the MFA Annual Meeting in Tupelo on October 17, 2018, with Mike McCormick, president of the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, speaking at the program.

♦ Solicited nominations for the 2018 CFA Awards. Winners included:• Outstanding CFA, Large Chapter: Lincoln CFA• Outstanding Service to a CFA: Charles Dismukes• Outstanding CFA Project: Rankin CFA

Th e 2018 Mississippi Forestry Association Annual Meeting was held October 16-18 at the BancorpSouth Arena and Conference Center in Tupelo. Th e meeting began with a Welcome Reception on Tuesday night, and on Wednes-day during the General Session, attendees heard from Grace Terpstra of Terpstra Associates, Wil-liam McKinley of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks, and Johnny Th ompson of Landmark Spatial Solutions. Th e President’s Banquet took place Wednesday eve-ning, and several awards, including Tree Farmer of the Year and Logger of the Year, were award-ed. Th e meeting concluded Th ursday morning following the membership breakfast.

ANNUAL MEETING

S O U T H E R N T I M B E R I N N OVAT I O N S C O N F E R E N C E

Th e fi rst Southern Timber Innovations Conference (STIC) was held August 12-14 in New Orleans. Over 85 attendees and 11 exhibitors participated in this three day event. Speakers from across the United States and Canada shared their expertise in architecture, structural engineering and investing as it relates to mass timber in the Southeast. In addition to learning from industry speakers, conference attendees also had the opportunity to visit with the conference exhibitors who represented all aspects of the industry.

2018

T E AC H E R S C O N S E RVAT I O N WO R K S H O P SFor the 55th year, MFA held Teachers

Conservation Workshops (TCW) across the state. Th e three workshops were held in Booneville, Ellisville and Jackson, and included visits to sawmills and plywood and OSB facilities. Over 80 teachers attended the workshops and will use materials from TCW with their students.

Th is year’s TCW Alumnus of the Year was awarded to Mallory Moore of Baldwyn High School.

Th e Communications Committee is responsible for a number of outreach and educational events throughout the state. In 2018, the committee and MFA staff have represented MFA at the Association of Natural Resources Extension Professionals Conference, the Mississippi Association of Supervisors Annual Convention, and the Mississippi Lumber Manufacturers’

Association Annual Convention. Th e committee has also represented MFA at the Mississippi Wildlife Extravaganza and the Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show.

Th e communications committee reaches school-age students throughout Mississippi by supporting outreach programs such as the Traveling Wood Magic Science Fair, FARMtastic, and the Mississippi Children’s Museum. College students are reached through tours and lectures for architecture, economic development and building construction students at Mississippi universities.

Communications

The Government Affairs Committee met in November of 2017 and established a paramount priority for the Regular Session of the Mississippi Legislature. A 2016 Attorney General’s Opinion had hampered the effectiveness of the Harvest Permit Act previously enacted in 1994. Legislation was drafted and introduced to remedy the situation. Senate Bill 2418 passed the Legislature and was approved by the Governor on March 27, 2018 with an effective date of July 1, 2018.

Senate Bill 2418 restores the 4,000 lb. overall tolerance on the existing 80,000 lb. limitation. The timber industry requested the clarification of the 84,000 lb. total limit that had been in place since July 1, 1994. Within that clear limitation is a revised axle tolerance of ten percent raised from the current five percent.

Among the other issues decided in the session were funding budgets for fiscal year 2019 through the appropriations process. The Mississippi Forestry Commission received level funding compared to the current fiscal year. The appropriations for support and maintenance of Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Stations and for expenses of the operation and maintenance of the Forest and Wildlife Research Center were both increased 2.1% over the current fiscal year funding.

In April, the committee held the 3rd District Congressional Ag Forum where six Congressional candidates participated along with approximately 100 voting citizens.

Governor Phil Bryant called the First Extraordinary Session of 2018 to begin on August 23. The infrastructure legislation, HB 1, was the first to clear both houses and gain the approval of the Governor. The bill helps fund road improvements for

the intended parties by designating a 35% share of the use tax dollars received annually by the state. The reason for capturing these dollars is the recent internet sales tax U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing states to cause all out-of-state sellers to levy, collect and remit taxes to the State. The flow of these funds will be on a four-year phase-in plan. The fourth year is expected to generate about $118 million. The bill also designated any funds gained from sports betting to be deposited in the new highway fund, and finally, the bill levied an annual fee of $75 on hybrid vehicles and $150 on electric vehicles. From a bond issuance standpoint, the bill calls for $300 million to be issued and debt payments made from an existing casino roads sinking fund. An emergency fund is being created with $250 million of those dollars. A committee of nine members is set up to make recommendations on the use of the money. The Mississippi Loggers Association, Mississippi Manufacturers Association and Mississippi Economic Council are among the trade groups represented. $50 million has been designated for specific projects.

The lottery legislation hit a few bumps in the process but was approved by both chambers and was signed by the Governor. Its fiscal impact is expected to be somewhere between $60 million and $80 million directed to a special highway fund. That impact is not expected for 12-18 months due to the set-up time required to appoint a board and secure a vendor to help build the system for the state. This is essentially a “paper lottery” with tickets to be sold by approved retailers.

The Government Affairs Committee is already preparing for the 2019 Legislative Session.

G O V E R N M E N T A F F A I R S

TERM ENDING DECEMBER 31 , 2018

Chuck Bergin

Neil Black

John Boyette

Malone Buchanan

Steve Dicke

Barry Burney

Charlie Donald

John Guthrie, Jr.

Bob Heinz

Buck Hobbs

George Hopper

Glenn Hughes

Greg Knight

Jeff Little

Lee McDonald

Kent Moore

Mark Power

Ted Ratcliff

Kent Rounsaville

Jason Rush

Tom Skelton

Lake Thoms

Buck Tumlison

Mike Wiseman

Arnulfo Zendejas

TERM ENDING DECEMBER 31 , 2019

Mac Ables

Scott Baker

Rusty Booker

Brett Cates

Russell Fletcher

James Gibson

Chad Grantham

David Hankins

Bob Harmon

Brandon Hatchett

Daniel Johnson

Jeff Keeton

Dana Little

Davis Lovelace

Keith Martin

Ken Martin

Dillon McInnis

Marc Measells

Dennis Miller

Joe Pettigrew

Travis Stewart

Brady Self

Ken Sewell

Justin Tapp

Keith Ward

TERM ENDING DECEMBER 31 , 2020

John Auel

Tony Bacon

Butch Bailey

Ron Brown

Kyle Bush

Brian Dismukes

Andy Ezell

Jason Gordon

Justin Haralson

Gary Jackson

Bruce Leopold

Kristopher Lewis

Bryan McCartney

Brett McCol

Ian Munn

Patrice O’Brien

Eleana Pope

Jessie Purvis

Chad Robertson

Johnny Rushing

Joey Smith

Phillip Smith

Jason Spigner

Jim Walley

Debbie Webb

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

EMERITUS DIRECTORS

EXECUTIVECOMMITTEE

Earl Alford

Harold Anderson

Everard Baker

Richard Barge

W.J. Bates

Don Bell

Jimmy Broughton

Johnnie Carlisle

Bill Colvin, Sr.

Ellen Dabbs

Walter Dennis

Charles Dismukes

Bryce Griffis

John G. Guthrie, Sr.

Tommy Miller

Tom Monaghan

Gerald Moore

Melleen Moore

Bryant Myatt

Lynn Prine

Richard Sones

Joe Spinks

Lee Temple

Warren Thompson

Richard Thoms

Tim Traugott

Wayne Tucker

Jullian Watson

Art Waymire

Pat Weber

Tom Wood

Roy West

Lloyd Young

2018 OFFICERSAngela Holland • PresidentJoe Mallard • 1st Vice PresidentDavid Hall • 2nd Vice PresidentGary Blair • Past PresidentMatthew Raff • Treasurer

Northwest District. . . . .Matthew Raff

Northeast District. . . . .Buck Hobbs

East Central District. . . . .Mike Wiseman

South Central District. . . . .Richard Thoms

Southwest District. . . . .Eleana Pope

Southeast District. . . . .Bob Heinz - Chair

2017-2018Russell Bozeman

Ruth Cook

Blake Hankins

Bob Naeger

Ken Stocks

2018-2019Russell Adams

Bruce Burnham

James Henderson

Steve Prestridge

Robby Toombs

At-Large . . . . . Joe Mallard

At-Large . . . . . Roy West

At-Large . . . . . Ruth Cook - Vice Chair

Ex Officio . . . . . J. Tedrick Ratcliff, Jr.

Emeritus . . . . . Charles Dismukes

Emeritus . . . . . Steve Butler

Emeritus . . . . . John Guthrie, Sr.

Emeritus . . . . . Tommy C. Miller

Emeritus . . . . . Joe Weston

MFF OFFICERS AND TRUSTEES