Coffee County Forest Landowner Meeting

by Sue Leverett-Moore, Education Specialist, Coffee County SWCD, New Brockton, AL

On August 21, 2008, the Coffee County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Coffee County Forest Advisory Committee hosted a lecture by Dr. David Bransby on the development of alternative fuels.

Dr. Bransby is a Professor of Energy Crops and Bioenergy in the Department of Agronomy and Soils at Auburn University. Dr. Bransby’s has completed much research in the area of using organic biomass for fuels instead of oil. According to Dr. Bransby, the southeast United States has more opportunity to grow feedstock material than any other state because of mild winters and long summers. Some of the potential feedstocks for providing alternative energy sources are switchgrass, sugarcane, sweet sorghum, rye, and of course, wood. Though the conversion technology is not readily available at this time, Dr. Bransby expects this missing part of the energy puzzle to emerge by the end of the year.

After hearing from Dr. Bransby, Mr. Richard Koger, President of Alabama River Woodlands, spoke about the history of the pulpwood industry and increasing demand for certified pulp material. To increase the value of the forests, Mr. Koger encouraged landowners to have their forests certified with the Alabama Tree Farm Association.

Approximately 100 forest landowners attended the meeting. The lectures were very informative and the meal was enjoyed by everyone.