Woodland Stewards Webinar Series
Your Woodland Legacy: Intact, In Forest and In Family Ownership
SPONSORED BY: COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHEAST, MIDWEST, AND MID-ATLANTIC REGIONS
February 27th, 2020, 7-8:30 PM Eastern
Most woodland owners cite legacy as one of their main reasons for owning land, and a large majority express concern over their ability to keep the land intact. This session is designed to help you find the best way to pass this legacy intact to your heirs.
The love of your land, your management ethic, your desire to see your property remain intact, in forest, and in family ownership – these are components of your woodland legacy. Most woodland owners cite legacy as one of their main reasons for owning land, and a large majority express concern over their ability to keep the land intact. This session is designed to help you find the best way to pass this legacy intact to your heirs.
Presenters:
Mike Santucci:
Thirty-three years a forester and conservationist by education, experience, and enthusiasm, Mike has been with the Virginia Department of Forestry’s Forestland Conservation Program since its inception in 2007, leading the agency’s conservation efforts for the last eight years. He has been directly involved with the conservation of nearly 100,000 acres of land in Virginia. By protecting forestland from fragmentation or conversion to non-forest uses, VDOF seeks to ensure functional woodlands remain a part of Virginia’s landscape in perpetuity.
Jennifer Gagnon:
Jennifer Gagnon has coordinated the Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program at Virginia Tech since 2005. She develops educational programs and materials for thousands of forest landowners throughout Virginia every year. These include short courses, field tours, a quarterly newsletter and website, the Virginia Forest Landowner Update, and numerous publications on a variety of forest management topics. Before coming to Virginia, Jennifer was the Lead Technician of the Forest Ecology Lab at the Jones Ecological Research Center in Georgia. She received her BS in Forest Resource Conservation and Management and her MS in Silviculture at the University of Florida.
She is an active member of the Society of American Foresters. She has been a volunteer for the Virginia Tree Farm and Virginia Master Naturalist Programs since 2006. Jennifer lives in Hiwassee Virginia with her husband, 7 chickens, 3 dogs, 1 cat, and a screaming macaw.
Adam Downing:
Since 2001 Adam has worked as the Forestry and Natural Resources Extension Agent serving Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Northern District. His professional expertise is in providing informal education regarding forestry and natural resources to address current issues in rural, urban, and rural/urban interface areas to home & landowners, professionals, decision-makers, and the general public. Adam has forestry degrees from Purdue and Penn State and has worked with landowners in Pennsylvania, Indiana and Kenya.
Jennifer Jones:
Jennifer Jones is the Executive Director of the Cacapon and Lost Rivers Land Trust in West Virginia and has spent more than 20 years working in the nonprofit and conservation sectors. For the past five years, she has been a member of Virginia’s Generation NEXT training team and has led innovative research on the barriers and benefits of succession planning among Virginia landowners. Jennifer specializes in addressing family dynamics in succession planning and has been a keynote speaker on this topic at various state and regional forums. She has held executive level positions at the American Forest Foundation and National Wildlife Federation. Jennifer holds a BA in History from the University System of New Hampshire at Keene, certifications in Organization Systems and Development, and Group Process, Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, and is a Fellow in the Natural Resources Leadership Program of the Institute for Engagement and Negotiations, University of Virginia.
