The Warnell School to host “Thinning Methods, Operations and Decision Making,”

The collapse of pulpwood market prices across much of the South over the last few years has forced many forest managers to reconsider planting densities and thinning strategies as they manage stands to meet the objectives of landowners. The biological reasons for thinning remain largely unchanged, but changes in growth rates, and the costs of management practices to achieve those growth rates, greatly impact the financial decisions of rotation ages, thinning ages, and thinning intensity. Other factors, such as wood quality and management practices aimed at achieving adequate wood quality must now be considered as part of the overall management plan. Faster growth rates and high labor costs, as well as the resulting increased mechanization, have changed the way stands are thinned in the South. Some systems from outside of the South may have applications in particular thinning situations. The combination of all of these changes virtually ensures that forest managers attending this course will come away with information that will make them better managers.

The purpose of this course is to review the biological basis for thinning and to discuss how changes in prices, markets, and management applications result in changes in thinning decisions. The course will also provide a thorough discussion of harvesting systems used in thinning in the South and elsewhere. The entire program will be presented from the standpoint of developing solid wood products with adequate wood quality and managing stands to maximize financial returns.

Professional foresters and land managers who must make operational thinning decisions as part of their Southern pine management plans. Portions of the course may also benefit private landowners who want to take an active role in the management of their forests and who want to understand the volume/quality trade-offs typically made in thinning decisions.

Bruce Borders and Dale Greene are professors at UGA's Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and Barry Shiver is a Professor Emeritus of the Warnell School. Bruce and Barry have conducted research aimed at quantifying the effects of different silvicultural practices on growth and yield of the Southern pines for more than 50 combined years. An important part of this research has focused on stand density and thinning methods, timing, and intensity. They have published their work in more than 50 refereed publications and countless research bulletins and have been active in teaching short courses for more than16 years across the South.

Dale Greene is a professor of forest operations in the Center for Forest Business of UGA's Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses and conducts research about the performance of harvesting equipment and methods. Dale has more than 20 years of experience working with loggers and conducting research in the South. He has more than 40 articles in refereed publications and has been particularly active in making presentations to groups on harvesting-related topics.

The fee for this course is $445, which includes lunch, refreshment breaks, and instructional materials. There is a $50 discount for fees paid by check or credit card prior to March 26, 2007. Preregistration must be accompanied by a check, purchase order, or credit card number to guarantee a place in the course. Seating is limited. Transfer Fee: The Georgia Center will charge a $50 processing fee for a second course transfer, if applicable.

• 11 Continuing Forestry Education (CFE) hours
• 11 Continuing Logger Education (CLE) hours — Business Management
• 13 Georgia Real Estate Appraisers Board credits approved — also accepted by the Georgia Real Estate Commission

Full Attendance Is Mandatory to Receive Credit.

If you are not satisfied with this course, we will refund your registration fee. Third Course Free! Attend two forestry courses in 2007 as a paid participant and get the third course (with equal or lower course fee) for free. Contact Nette Penn, at 706-542-6658 or Nette.Penn@georgiacenter.uga.edu, before you register for the third course. Fourth Person Free! Register three people from your organization and the fourth person is free. All registrants must be with the same program (same address and same budget), and the registration fees must be paid in advance by check or credit card.

This optional one-hour course focuses on case studies to illustrate the place of ethics in the practice of forestry. It meets the ethics requirement for registered foresters in Georgia.

Now Available Online! Forestry Ethics Online Course

Now you can complete the one-hour Forestry Ethics Online Course from the comfort of your home or office. Register today for this self-paced, self-study program and earn CFE credit! Go here for more details: www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/is/forestry

The Georgia Center for Continuing Education Conference Center & Hotel, located on the beautiful, historic campus of the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, provides innovative lifelong learning opportunities that develop intellectual and human potential. A total living and learning environment, the Georgia Center includes a 200-room hotel, restaurants, banquet areas, conference rooms, auditoriums, a fitness center, and computer lab — all under one roof. As a unit of UGA's Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach, the Center brings the University's teaching, research, and service expertise to the people of Georgia and beyond! For more information, visit www.georgiacenter.uga.edu.

Special Needs:
If you require special services, facilities, or dietary considerations, contact your event coordinator, Nette Penn at 706-542-6658 or Nette.Penn@georgiacenter.uga.edu prior to April 9, 2007.

Lodging (Georgia Center Hotel):
A block of rooms is being held for your conference until 5:00 p.m. ET, March 23, 2007. Policies: (1) Tax Exemption — The State of Georgia only allows tax-exempt charges for a payment by a state-issued credit card or check or by a direct bill to a state agency (with a Georgia State Tax Exemption Certificate). (2) Lodging Cancellation — Cancel your reservation by 4:00 p.m. ET the day prior to your scheduled arrival to avoid being charged one night's room and tax. (3) At check-in, you must present your credit card or a completed credit card authorization form (for a copy, call 800-884-1381, Mon.-Fri., 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET). Note: The Georgia Center is a smoke-free building; all lodging rooms are nonsmoking.

Travel Information:
Athens, Georgia, is located about 60 miles northeast of Atlanta. For directions, see www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/conferences/about/directions.phtml. A parking deck is located adjacent to the Center (hourly rates, maximum $8 each 24-hour period; vehicle height limit, 7 feet). Athens is served by two airports. Athens-Ben Epps Airport offers connecting flights to and from Charlotte, NC. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is located about 90 minutes southwest of Athens, with scheduled ground shuttle service and rental car service available between the airport and the Georgia Center.

Program Cancellation Policies:
(1) Full refunds are available for cancellations made by 5:00 p.m. ET, April 5, 2007. No refunds will be issued thereafter; substitutions will be allowed. (2) If a program is cancelled for any reason, the Georgia Center will not be responsible for any charges related to travel. (3) If for unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances an instructor is unable to attend, the Georgia Center reserves the right to substitute a comparable instructor.

You have several registration options:

1. Register for this event online and request a room at the Georgia Center.

Register for the event online without requesting a hotel room.

A major credit card is required for on-line registration.


2. Call either 1-800-884-1381 or (706) 542-2134 to register by telephone. Please mention you saw this web page.


3. Download a registration form and FAX it to the number on the form or mail it to the address below. You need a copy of the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print this application form.


4. Mail the form to:
Thinning Methods, Operations, and Decision-Making (#62745)
Attn: Conference Registration, Room 129
Georgia Center for Continuing Education
Conference Center & Hotel
The University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602-3603


Payment of Fees
The Georgia Center for Continuing Education accepts payments for registration by cash (on-site), check (payable to the University of Georgia), and credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover).