Franklin County: Southern Illinois Workshop for Timbered Property Owners.

The Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs (IIRA), at Western Illinois University (WIU), is pleased to invite you to the upcoming Southern Illinois Workshop for Timbered Property Owners.  The event is scheduled for Saturday April 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 Noon. 

 The Workshop will be held at the University of Illinois Extension, Franklin County Extension Office, 1212 Route 14 West, Benton, IL.   The Workshop will feature a range of topics and speakers including:

Robin Hanna (IIRA, WIU) will discuss the results from a survey of 2200 timbered property owners across 26 counties in southern Illinois.  Items include trends in property use, property conservation management, income opportunities, and concerns over taxation and land use regulations.  

John Pike (U of IL Extension) will present recreational use and habitat management of woodland in southern Illinois.

Christopher Evans (River to River Cooperative Weed Management Area) will discuss identification and management/eradication of invasive plant and animal species in southern Illinois.

An additional topic for discussion will address examples of cooperatives as mechanisms for property maintenance and forest/wood products business development.

The workshop is supported by the USDA Rural Cooperative Development program and co-sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension.

A BBQ lunch from the 17th Street Bar & Grill will be provided to attendees following the Workshop. Space is limited.  Please R.S.V.P. to RETAC (Rural Economic Technical Assistance Center/IIRA) at RETAC@wiu.edu.  For additional information, call Robin Hanna, RETAC Project Manager at 800-526-9943.