Forest Service hosts public field trip for private landowners

Private landowners who are interested in managing their land for wildlife are invited to a public field trip hosted by the Daniel Boone National Forest.

The field trip will be conducted as a daylong educational workshop. Professional foresters, biologists, and fire management officials from various agencies and organizations will lead field trip activities with open discussion among participants. The focus will be on best management practices to improve wildlife habitat on a landscape scale.

Several stops are planned at national forest locations where the land has been managed with fire, tree thinning, and timber harvests to attain desired conditions. In some areas, pine habitat is being restored after an extensive loss to southern pine beetles more than 15 years ago. Controlled burns have played a significant role in this restoration process.

In addition to learning forest management techniques, field trip participants will learn about cost-share programs that help fund habitat improvement projects on private land.

The field trip is scheduled for Sat., September 16 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Participants must reserve transportation space by contacting E.J. Bunzendahl at 859-745-3148 or by email at ejbunzendahl@fs.fed.us on or before September 8.

The field trip is free. Lunch will be provided free to reserved participants.