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FOREST SUSTAINABILITY TOPIC OF UPCOMING WEAVER LECTURE
AUBURN, Ala. – "Where We've Been and Where We're Headed in
Forest Sustainability" is the topic of the Auburn University (AU)
School of Forestry's spring Weaver Lecture Series presentation by Dr.
James P. Shepard on Thursday, May 3, at 2 p.m. in meeting room E of
the AU Dixon Conference Center.
Shepard, who is manager of the Sustainable Forestry Program for the
National Council on Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI), will discuss
the history of sustainable forestry and implications for the future.
According to Shepard, the effort to introduce scientific, sustainable
forestry in the United States began at the turn of the 20th Century.
Pioneers in this area faced a difficult task, because wood was plentiful
and cheap and "lumbering" was more economically attractive
than forestry. A century later, many strides have been made toward more
sustainable forest management; however, some issues remain unresolved.
Questions about the use of national forests, public perceptions about
forestry, the economics of sustainable forestry in a global economy
and the definition of sustainability in relation to chemical use and
harvesting practices are still on the forefront of forestry discussions.
Shepard will provide a brief summary of the research underway in NCASI's
Sustainable Forestry Program that will highlight examples of the industry's
research priorities for sustainable forestry. Three focus areas he will
discuss include long-term site productivity, environmental considerations
of intensive forestry and landscape management. The lecture will conclude
with thoughts about the directions forestry might take in the 21st century.
Shepard, a native of Indianola, Miss., received a BS in forestry from
Mississippi State University (MSU) in 1979, a MS in physiological ecology
from Purdue University in 1981 and a Ph.D. in forest soils from MSU
in 1985.
He served as a research scientist for five years at the State University
of New York where he conducted research on atmospheric deposition effects
on forest soils and water quality in the Adirondack Mountains. In 1990,
Shepard joined the NCASI staff at their Southern Regional Center in
Gainesville, Fla. He manages NCASI's Sustainable Forestry Program and
is the 2001 chair of the Suwannee Chapter of the Society of American
Foresters.
The Weaver Lecture Series is sponsored by the Earl H. and Sandra H.
Weaver Endowment. The Weavers, who reside in Brewton, have long been
interested in Auburn University and in forestry. Their gift brings these
two interests together in a program that benefits both faculty and students.
The lecture is free and open to all AU faculty, staff and students and
also to the general public. For more information, call 334-844-1006.
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