By: Clay Altizer, FRA Southwide Region Manager

The University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and the Harley Langdale, Jr. Center for Forest Business welcomed FRA back to Athens again this December for the 54th Timber Harvesting & Procurement Short Course.  Forty-three attendees (23 “students” and 20 instructors) participated in the 3.5-day course the week of December 8th – 12th.  The forest products community was well represented with 20 FRA-member and 3 non-member companies participating in the 2025 version of the course.  This was the fifth consecutive year that FRA has partnered with our university stakeholders to facilitate the short course (2021, 2022, and 2023 sessions were hosted by Auburn University; and the 2024 and 2025 installments were hosted by the University of Georgia).  

Since 2021, 122 “students” have enrolled in the course as a great career-enhancement opportunity to provide supplemental on-the-job training.  The program is ideally designed for recent industry hires just beginning their forestry and forest products careers; however, several mid-career professionals transitioning to forest products employment from other sectors have found the course to be an excellent crash course in wood supply value chain topics.  In either scenario, the course is a rewarding experience and a great investment for all who choose to attend.

The course began with a Welcome Dinner on Monday, December 8th, at the Trappeze Pub in downtown Athens.  This year’s cohort was welcomed to the University of Georgia by Dr. Todd Petty, Dean of UGA’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources.  The dinner was a great opportunity for participants to unwind after a long travel day, network with peers in forestry from across the country, and even collaborate with several FRA members and supporters from the greater Athens area.  Special thanks to Taylor Griffith and TRACT Forestry Software for sponsoring our Welcome Dinner!

Day 1 activities began at Flinchum’s Phoenix on Warnell’s picturesque Whitehall Forest.  The following topics were on the agenda:

• FRA Overview / Federal Policy Update – Tim O’Hara (FRA)
• Wood Supply Chain Relationships – Rob Elliot (Weyerhaeuser)
• Timber Harvesting Systems & Alternatives – Dr. Joe Conrad (University of Georgia)
• Harvest Planning & Logging Contractor Management – Tripp Dowling (EGGER Wood Products)
• Independent Contractor Relationships – Kim Lloyd (Graphic Packaging – Retired)
• Promoting a Culture of Safety – Steve Barnett (BITCO Insurance Companies)
• Logging Safety – Allen Farley (Green Bay Packaging)

Tuesday’s schedule concluded with an awesome Low Country Boil provided by our UGA hosts!

Flinchum’s Phoenix was the venue again for Day 2 events.  Drs. Joe Conrad and Chad Bolding (University of Georgia) tag-teamed a half-day module on “Logging Production and Cost Relationship” that comprised the morning session.  Afternoon topics included:

• Forest Products Security – Tom Kazee (Woodland Security, Inc.)
• Case Studies in Ethics – Aaron Gilland (Dendro Resource Management)
• Importance of Log Quality – Clint Rounsaville (Canfor Southern Pine)
• Importance of Chip Quality – Alex Singleton (International Paper)

The course moved to the main campus on Thursday for Day 3.  Participants departed campus with a more thorough understanding and appreciation of the following wood supply chain topics:

• Wood Procurement & Timber Appraisal – Kent Moore (Weyerhaeuser)
• Forest Products Transportation & Scheduling – John Minter (Weyerhaeuser)
• Forest Products Industry Update and Markets Overview – Dr. Shawn Baker (Forisk)
• Negotiation Techniques – Dr. Tom Gallagher (Auburn University – Retired)
• Panel Discussion: Forest Certification and EUDR: Implications for Timber Procurement and Wood Suppliers
  • Tim Miller (University of Georgia)
  • Tom Kain (Forest Stewardship Council)
  • Gordy Mouw (Sustainable Forestry Initiative)
• Communications Preferences for the 5 Working Generations in the Forest Industry – Dr. Jo Daniel (Auburn University)
• Sustainability of Wood Pellet Feedstock Harvesting in the US South – Dr. Chad Bolding (University of Georgia)

On Friday morning, a large contingent of course attendees and instructors participated in a fantastic tour of Huber’s OSB mill in Commerce.  FRA is grateful to Huber employees Kent Huff and Connor Crowley for a first-class tour experience.

A follow-up course survey will be shared with attendees in the coming weeks. Preliminary feedback received to date has been positive.  Several students shared the following comments regarding the course and instructors:

“This is the most well-rounded course I have attended”

“Excellent operational detail that provides context for financial analysis”

“Good mix of subjects; paired with the right mix of timing for each topic”

“Very good course, well worth the time”

“Well organized, great line up of speakers, good flow and pace”

“Fantastic group of speakers”

“I will send others to this class”

“I enjoyed the opportunity for engagement”

“I really enjoyed and appreciated the course that FRA offered last week in Athens. I felt that it was very beneficial and thought-provoking”.

In September 2025, FRA and the USDA Forest Service finalized a Wood Innovations Grant Agreement for “Enhancing the Wood Supply Chain Workforce”, with the goal of providing more short course opportunities and other related deliverables across the country.  FRA would like to thank the US Forest Service for their support of this year’s course, which included instructor travel support and allowed FRA to offer a reduced registration fee for attendees.  And of course, we are especially grateful for the entire University of Georgia team for making this year’s installment a success!

Efforts are currently underway to expand the course to other FRA regions beyond the Southern US in 2026.  We are proud to report that this year’s cohort included participants from Longview, WA, and Marquette, MI.  Both attendees are planning to serve on the course steering committees for their respective regions and have already started developing draft agendas for future courses in both the Western and Lake States Regions.  FRA is excited for the future of this course and will share more information as things progress.