Fall 2016 Longleaf Partnership Council Meeting

Another successful Longleaf Partnership Council meeting has been completed! Members and friends of the America’s Longleaf Restoration Initiative convened in Savannah, Georgia on November 1, 2016. The Longleaf Partnership Council gathers twice a year to promote broader understanding, coordination of, and participation in ongoing activities in support of longleaf pine restoration within the longleaf range, and attend to the business of the Council. During this latest gathering in Savannah, partners discussed various “game changers” that could significantly increase the pace of longleaf restoration across the landscape.   Council members also learned some individual partner updates regarding conservation and mapping, premium markets, and recommendations for longleaf planting density. 

The meeting conclusion was bittersweet – we said goodbye to some familiar faces, but said hello to some new ones who would be rotating onto the Council.  Troy Ettel (The Nature Conservancy), now Past Chair, handed off the Council reins to Jim Guldin (U.S. Forest Service), who will be serving as new Chair for the Council in 2017.  Andrew Shock of The Conservation Fund was voted into the Chair Elect position.  The longleaf community looks forward to all the progress we can make together through the new year!

Following the Longleaf Partnership Council meeting, many partners stayed over to attend the 11^th Biennial Longleaf Alliance Conference.  The conference turned out to be a fun and productive way to network with peers and promote conservation in the Southeast.   The conference featured experts in a variety of topics, an awards ceremony, a longleaf pine art exhibit, and field tours across Georgia and South Carolina. 

The Longleaf Partnership Council looks forward to having another successful meeting on April 3-4, 2017 in Montgomery, AL.

Archive