MEETING PROGRAM & REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Transcription

1 1 FOREST RESOURCES ASSOCIATION SOUTHEASTERN REGION 2016 SPRING MEETING & FORESTRY FIELD TOUR March 16-17, 2016 Best Western Gateway Grand Hotel Gainesville, Florida MEETING PROGRAM & REGISTRATION INFORMATION (RESERVATION CUTOFF DATE FOR BEST RATES: FEBRUARY 22) See below for complete details of the meeting, including events, registration costs, and hotel reservation information. When you are ready to complete the online registration for this Regional Meeting, click on the following link:

2 2 DETAILED PROGRAM FRA SOUTHEASTERN REGION 2016 SPRING MEETING & FORESTRY FIELD TRIP All indoor functions will be held at the Gainesville Best Western Gateway Grand Hotel. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16 Registration (Self-serve check-in; please pick up your meeting folder and name badge at the registration table outside the meeting ballroom area.) 7:00 AM 6:00 PM Breakfast provided by the hotel for all overnight guests. Southeastern Region (SER) Policy Committee Meeting (Open to any who are interested.) 8:30 AM 11:30 AM Lunch Buffet (Included in full meeting registration cost.) 11:45 AM 12:45 PM FRA General Session 1:00 PM 5:00 PM Moderator: Brad Fuller (SE Region Chairman), Huber Engineered Woods, Crystal Hill, VA FRA Policy Priorities & National Update Deb Hawkinson, FRA President, Washington, DC Florida Forestry & Wood Supply Chain Issues Alan Shelby, FL Forestry Assn. Executive Vice President, Tallahassee, FL University of Florida s Forestry School & Forest Operations Research Overview Speaker TBD, UF School of Forest Resources & Conservation, Gainesville, FL Panel: Applying Technology to Forestry, Trucking, and Logging Operations - Evan Schwartz, Baywood Technologies, Tallahassee, FL - Pat Reddish, Interstate Paper/Newport Timber, Riceboro, GA - Eric Handley, Usher Land & Timber, Chiefland, FL - Trey Byrd, T.W. Byrd s Sons Logging, Branford, FL - Equipment Company Rep (Speaker TBD) Reception and Awards Dinner 6:00 PM 8:30 PM Master of Ceremonies: Brad Fuller, SER Chairman SER Award Presentations: 1. Technical Writing Awards 2. Forestry Activist Award 3. Outstanding Logger Award Sponsored by STIHL

3 THURSDAY, MARCH 17 Breakfast provided by the hotel for all overnight guests. Forestry Field Trip 8:00 AM 1:00 PM Bus leaves from the Best Western Gateway Grand hotel promptly at 8:00 AM. Please bring your own hardhat, eye protection, high-visibility vest, hearing protection, and steel-toed boots. 3 The Field Trip will include a tour of a M.A. Rigoni harvesting and fuelwood chipping operation and the Gainesville Renewable Energy Center (biomass electricity). MEETING REGISTRATION INFORMATION Your registration fee (and hotel room rate) will be lower if you register early on or before February 22, Please note that members of the Florida Forestry Association (FFA) may also register at the FRA Member rate, even if they are not FRA members. Also, spouses may register for the Wednesday Reception & Awards Dinner. By or before February 22, 2016: FRA/FFA Members, All Events: $ Non-Members, All Events: $ Spouse Registration (includes March 16 Reception and Awards Dinner only): $45 After February 22, 2016: FRA/FFA Members, All Events: $ Non-Members, All Events: $ Spouse Registration (includes March 16 Reception and Awards Dinner only): $50 Note: employees of government agencies, colleges, universities, allied forestry associations, and other non-profit organizations that are not eligible for FRA membership can also register at FRA member rates. Full refunds for FRA registration fees will be made for cancellations received by March 9, Because of food, beverage, transportation, and other guaranteed fees, we will not grant refunds for cancellations made after March 9, In addition, pre-registered no-shows who do not cancel by March 9, 2016 will be billed for the appropriate registration fee. Please contact FRA s Rick Meyer ( or rmeyer@forestresources.org) if you have any questions about registering for only the Forestry Field Tour, the General Session, or other single events. About Gainesville, FL and the Best Western Gateway Grand Hotel Home to the University of Florida, the largest and oldest university in the state, as well as the Santa Fe Community College, Gainesville is a hub of education and culture. Perhaps due to its strong student population, the city is also at the heart of independent music in Florida, having produced numerous musical acts from a variety of genres. The natural surroundings, including parks, lakes and the adjacent Paynes Prairie State Reserve provide a green getaway from the bustle of city life. The Best Western Gateway Grand Hotel features relaxing accommodations just minutes from all the top Gainesville attractions. For FRA meeting overnight guests, the hotel provides a complimentary

4 4 breakfast, complimentary wireless internet, and free parking. The hotel is conveniently located right off I-75. Points of interest include the University of Florida, its legendary Ben Hill Griffin Stadium ( The Swamp ), Sante Fe College, UF Health Shands Hospital, Gainesville Regional Airport, and natural attractions like Ginnie Springs and the Florida Museum of Natural History. Hotel Reservation Information The Best Western Gateway Grand Hotel has reserved a block of rooms in FRA s name to be held until February 22, You can make your reservations by calling the Best Western Gateway Grand at and requesting the Forest Resources Association group meeting rate. Room Rate: $ (plus tax) for King Deluxe $ (plus tax) for Double All guest rooms include complimentary internet access and a complimentary breakfast. Cancellation Policy: You must cancel your hotel room reservation at least 7 days prior to your arrival date in order to avoid a charge equal to the first night s stay. Hotel check-in time is 4:00 PM; checkout time is 12:00 noon. For hotel directions and a location map, go to the following link: Continuing Education Credits FRA is applying to The Society of American Foresters to assign Continuing Forestry Education (CFE) credits for Wednesday s General Session and Thursday s Forestry Field Trip. CFE contact hour notice forms will be provided at the meeting. Dress Dress for all the indoor meeting functions, including the Awards Dinner, is forestry business casual (slacks and sports shirts). Additional Details on the Forestry Field Trip Thursday, March 17 The Field Trip bus will depart from outside the Best Western Gateway Grand Hotel promptly at 8:00 AM. Here is a summary of what we will see on the Field Trip, in order of occurrence: A visit to a harvesting operation of M.A. Rigoni, Inc., FRA s Southeastern Region Outstanding Logger Award winner for M.A. Rigoni, Inc. s co-owners, Gary Brett and Rodney Schwab, run an outstanding, multi-faceted logging business that includes three company harvesting/chipping crews and several contract logging crews. A visit to their operation and conversation with the co-owners and other company managers will quickly convince you that they run a world-class operation with attention to customer service, safety, and doing things the right way.

5 5 Tour of the Gainesville Renewable Energy Center ( GREC ). Located in Gainesville, GREC was built to provide renewable woody biomass energy to Gainesville Regional Utilities, the municipal utility serving Gainesville and part of Alachua County. The facility s features include drive-through truck dumps, RFID for trucks, monthly wood orders, automatic moisture measurement system, and wood settlements on a dry-ton basis all leading-edge innovations in the southern U.S. Due to the drop in natural gas prices and other energy sources making wood biomass less competitive, the facility is currently idled. However, our field trip stop will include a discussion of some of the policy and political issues surrounding the planning and the operation of this facility. Lunch will be provided at the conclusion of the field trip. Please bring your own hardhat, eye protection, high-visibility vest, hearing protection, and steel-toed boots. The Field Trip vans will return to the Gateway Grand hotel by 1:00 PM.