Summer 1997 CANTANK Conference

1997 Summer CANTANK Focus on Forests,

August 15-16, Abingdon VA 4-H Conference Center Sponsored by Central Appalachian Network,
Clinch-Powell Sustainable Development Initiative,
Rural Action

Itinerary

Thursday, August 14th (optional activities for early arrivals)

Group outing to Starving Artist restaurant in Abingdon

8:00 Slide Show and discussion of Special Forest Products (Deborah Hill, Univ. Kentucky)

Friday, August 15th

Computer communication training: Track 3 both days is computer training with ACEnet staff.

Computers are available for hands-on instruction for beginners or experts

They will be available throughout the weekend in the computer room. Plan ahead, or just stop in!

9:00-9:45 Breakfast

9:45-10:00 Registration, milling about...

10:00-10:10 Welcome, introduction to CAN, and Sustainable Forest Economies group

10:10-11:50 Participant introductions: What is your group working on, and what do you want out of the conference

11:50-12:30 Lunch

12:30-1:30 Certification and secondary manufacturing as a strategy for sustainable rural development: current developments and trends David Ford

1:30-5:30 Tour of horse-logging site:

• Single tree selection forestry
• On-the ground view of CPSDI criteria for certification

  Integration of non-timber crops with forestry

  Economic feasibility and ecological benefits of horse-logging

  Begin state-of-the-resource discussion

  Horse logging and site characteristics

  Resource folks: Chad Miano (Miano Logging and Lumber), Bill Damon (US. Forest Service)

• Tour of solar kiln
• Capitalization of solar kilns

  Economics of kilns

  Issues in solar drying

  Marketing benefits, ecological benefits

Track 2 Non-timber Forest Products (during kiln tour)

• Opportunities and issues in NTFP's - group discussion
• Economic and ecologic potential of NTFP's

  Promising products and sustainable harvesting

  Resources: Tom Hammett (Virginia Tech), Deborah Hill (University of Kentucky )

5:30-6:00 Show and tell- Literature available, posters, displays, books for sale, etc

On-line conferencing demonstration and coaching

6:00-6:30 Supper

6:30-7:00 Internet as a tool for regional collaboration and marketing

7:00-8:30 Participant initiated discussions

Saturday, August 16th

7:30-8:30 Breakfast

8:30-10:15

Track 1:

• Value adding how-to: (Infrastructure, production, and potential products)

• Technical assistance and capital sources

• Procurement

• Manufacturing

• Tracking certified wood

• Options for value-adding

• Highest value utilization, underutilized species

• Resource persons: Harry Groot (Manufacturing Technology Center), Ron Highsmith(Full Cycle Woodworks)

Track 2:

• Non-timber forest products: Ensuring sustainability
• Mechanisms for ensuring sustainability- research, cultivation, education, certification

  Resource persons: Tom Hammett (Virginia Tech), Deborah Hill(University of Kentucky)

10:45-12:30

Track 1:

• Marketing certified wood (markets, certification, product opportunities)
• Certified wood niches

  Certification process

  Promising products

  Markets

  Establishing relationships with buyers

  Resource persons: David Ford, Larry Spinks (Wood Loft Bed Co.)

Track 2

• State of the Forest and Stewardship Strategies
• GIS Mapping

  "Tree Bank" concept

  Resource persons: Than Hitt (Appalachian Restoration Campaign), Bill Kittrell (Nature Conservancy)

Sustainable Forest Economies Working Group (Sat PM)

All are invited

12:30-1:00 Lunch

1:00-3:30 Regional Collaboration:

Break down into groups by interest area

Simultaneous discussion of collaborative projects

Decisions: Projects, communication strategy

Report-back on subgroup projects

3:30-4:00 Hands-on training for Internet skills needed by subgroups

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