UAPB Small Farm Program Hosts Retreat for Arkansas Foresters

Strategic Insights -

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) hosted the fourth annual Champion Landowner Retreat, a three-day event that brought together over 50 individuals from across Arkansas to learn about making their forestry operations more profitable and sustainable. The retreat was hosted by UAPB's Keeping it in the Family (KIITF) Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention Program and the Arkansas Department of Agriculture (ADA). The event provided training, resources, and networking opportunities for landowners to promote and build working forests, generate land wealth, and establish lasting family legacies.

Key Takeaways:

  • Since 2016, UAPB's forestry program has helped landowners gain access to important U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation programs, learn about best forestry management practices, and receive resources and technical support to prevent involuntary land loss due to heirs' property.
  • The KIITF program has encouraged participants to become "champion landowners" - leaders who share knowledge, support peers, and advocate for sustainable stewardship.
  • The event focused on promoting and building working forests, generating land wealth, and establishing lasting family legacies.
  • Attendees learned about obtaining USDA Farm Numbers, forestry conservation practices, heirs' property rights, forest health, and emerging forestry markets.
  • The low market price of pulpwood (50 cents to $1 per ton) was a major topic of discussion, leading landowners to explore alternative tree planting strategies, including wider spacing, to promote the growth of larger-diameter trees suitable for the chip-and-saw market.
  • Speakers at the retreat included Amanda Mathis, state conservationist for NRCS, Kyle Cunningham, state forester for the ADA Forestry Division, and Dr. Michael Blazier, dean of the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
  • The retreat was designed to combine legal and forestry expertise with peer learning in an immersive setting.

Statistics:

  • Over 50 individuals from across Arkansas attended the fourth annual Champion Landowner Retreat.
  • The UAPB forestry program has helped landowners since 2016 gain access to important USDA conservation programs, learn about best forestry management practices, and receive resources and technical support to prevent involuntary land loss due to heirs' property.
  • The low market price of pulpwood was reported to be 50 cents to $1 per ton.

Sources:

  • University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) (2025) UAPB Small Farm Program Hosts Retreat for Arkansas Foresters. [Blog Post].