Minding the Forest
We talk about sustainable forestry, how important managed forests are to Louisiana and its economy and how forests benefit everyone. Managed forests offer more for water and wildlife. That's why the Louisiana Forestry Association advocates to keep forests as forests! We also talk about the issues important to the forest products industry.
Episodes
56 episodes
A look a the business side of tree farming, benefits of hunt clubs — Ep. 56
David Young is a third-generation tree farmer in Natchitoches Parish. His approach might be more business-like, but he still loves the land he's managed for several decades. Part of his philosophy includes having hunt clubs leasing portions of ...
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Episode 56
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40:02
LFA Executive Director Buck Vandersteen — Ep. 55
LFA Executive Director Buck Vandersteen talks about the 2025 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature and how the forestry could be affected by laws that were passed.
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Episode 55
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29:58
Casey Durand, 2024 Logger of the Year — Ep. 54
Casey Durand of Central Timber Services of Pollock, Louisiana, was selected the 2024 Outstanding Louisiana Logger for the Louisiana Forestry Association and Louisiana Logging Council. Casey takes time to talk about his year with that honor and ...
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Episode 54
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28:04
Jackie Harvey, 2024 Outstanding Louisiana Tree Farmer — Ep. 52
Jackie Harvey has been blessed to keep The Shades, a tree farm in West Feliciana Parish, in her family for more than 200 years. She is proud of that fact but is especially proud that her son will one day take the reins and carry on a family tra...
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Episode 52
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32:39
Start of a new Legislative Session in Louisiana Ep. 53
Louisiana Forestry Association Executive Director Buck Vandersteen talks about the 2025 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature where insurance and tax reform will be the big issues it will address. How those bills will affect the forest p...
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Episode 53
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26:43
Landowner Rights — Ep. 51
A forester and wildlife biologist is contesting the way wildlife enforcement agents are trained to enter private landowners property without a suspicion of a crime and warrant giving them permission to search the property. The lawsuit is being ...
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Episode 51
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34:08
Reminiscing over 60 years of tree farming with John Gallaspy — Ep. 50
Mr. John Gallaspy has been a Tree Farmer since the 1960s. His father even before that. Raised in DeSoto Parish, but settled in Washington Parish where his late wife was grew up, Mr. Gallaspy reminisces about how there have been changes in fores...
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Episode 50
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49:12
Insurance affecting forest products industry — Ep. 49
Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple talks about the progress made in 2024 during the Legislative sessions and the hopes for 2025.Want to contact the Insurance Commissioner's Office, the website is h...
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Episode 49
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40:01
Forestry Works in U.S. forestry — Ep. 48
Each year forestry association directors and communicators from across the southeast United States get together to discuss what each is doing to spread the word about forestry and the forest products industry. This year's topic is Forestry Work...
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Episode 48
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1:04:38
Forest products with Dr. Rich Vlosky — Ep. 47
Dr. Rich Vlosky had a round-about way to coming to Louisiana, but the LSU researcher has investigated many things about many forest products. Dr. Vlosky talks about his experiences in the forest products industry and the different products he's...
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Episode 47
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1:11:25
Urban Forestry — Ep. 46
Yes, there are tree canopies and forests in an urban setting! Paul Johnson, vice president of Urban and Community Forestry and Career Pathways for the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), and Darren Green, urban forester for the city of Alexa...
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Episode 46
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1:08:07
Economics of Louisiana Forestry, Ep. 45
Brooks Mendell is founder, president and CEO of Forisk Consulting and has been a guest speaker at the Louisiana Forestry Association's annual convention often over the years. His expertise in researching markets and trends is stellar and he is ...
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Episode 45
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39:32
State Treasurer John Fleming — Ep. 44
Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming talks about taxes and potential changes that could be considered in the future by lawmakers. Included are his views on dedicated taxes and tax exemptions.
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Episode 44
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51:50
Invasive Species with Dr. Jaesoon Hwang and Dr. Wood Johnson — Ep. 43
Invasive species are troublesome for many reasons, but especially because they can harm native species of trees. Be they plants, insects or pathogens. Dr. Jaesoon Hwang and Dr. Wood Johnson of the U.S. Forest Service talk about these inventive ...
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Episode 43
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48:26
Trey and Melinda Maxwell: 2023 Outstanding Louisiana Logger — Ep. 42
Trey Maxwell was a rising star in high school baseball before joining the college ranks. His drive and determination were strong in the sport, but he knew that wasn't going to be his future. Almost 30 years ago, he took his intensity to start a...
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Episode 42
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45:15
How did forestry industry do in the latest legislative session? — Ep. 41
Louisiana Forestry Association Executive Director Buck Vandersteen talks about how the forestry industry faired during the latest session of the Louisiana Legislature. Landowners narrowly escaped another try at allowing people to travel o...
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Episode 41
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38:53
Brown Spot Needle Blight in Louisiana — Ep. 40
Dr. Laura Sims, assistant professor at Louisiana Tech University, is leading a study in the state on Brown Spot Needle Blight (BSNB), a fungus that has spread more among loblolly pine in Louisiana. Although early on in the study, samples of pos...
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Episode 40
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28:02
2023 Tree Farmer of the Year — Ep. 39
Melanie and Gaston Lanaux were selected the 2023 Tree Farmer of the Year by the Louisiana Forestry Association for their tree farm, Chardet, in Husser, Louisiana. Affectionately called "The Krumpi", the Lanauxs have enjoyed the rural setting an...
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Episode 39
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52:27
Effects of drought linger in Louisiana — Ep. 38
Louisiana is coming out of an extreme drought as spring rains bring more moisture to the land, but the effects of the extreme, hot drought can last for years. Minding the Forest talks to Jim Meeker and Colin Bonser with the USDA Forest Service ...
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Episode 38
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46:44
Legislative Session 2024 — Ep. 37
Episode 37: Louisiana Forestry Association Executive Director Buck Vandersteen talks about the regular session of the Louisiana Legislature which starts Monday, March 11. If you're an LFA member and want to receive the Legislative Update em...
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Episode 37
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28:09
Carbon storage and forest landowners — Ep. 36
Carbon storage is still a new topic for landowners with few acres of forest, but there are programs out there that owners of smaller forests can learn more about carbon storage and their forests. Michael Lauve of NativState talks about this eme...
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Episode 36
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35:04
Talking Timber Taxes — Ep. 35
Tax attorney Paul Spillers of Theus, Grisham, Davis & Leigh, is a past president of the Louisiana Forestry Association and makes presentations at forestry forums all over the state. We've taken the opportunity to have Paul talk about the is...
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Episode 35
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1:08:40
Communicators on Forestry — Ep. 34
Each year, forestry associations across the Southeast United States gather in Alabama to share what each is doing to spread the word about the benefits of managed forests and support the forestry industry. The people who work in communications ...
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Episode 34
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47:02
Incoming Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple — Ep. 33
Tim Temple was selected Louisiana insurance commissioner before the primary election. Now he faces challenges to an ever-growing crisis in insurance in many areas. Temple talks about the issues and his hope to have insurance in a special sessio...
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Episode 33
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33:10
