AFOA wants to help you reach your goals as a forest owner, and to provide a way for you to connect and learn together. We provide the reliable information you need to face change with confidence, protect your land, and preserve the rewards of ownership for generations to come.
No one is born with a forestry education. It comes from listening, watching, and being attentive to the best information available. That’s why we’re here: to help you become the forest owner you want to be. Your land is personal. Your vision matters. You decide. We can help.
All you have to do is join us.
In less than a minute, you can take your next step by becoming an AFOA member. Click the Join Now button below to purchase your membership immediately.
If you wish to print the membership application and return the form to AFOA with payment (Check or Money Order), Click Here.
When: April 24-25, 2026
Where: Headquartered at the Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort & Spa at Grand National
Address: 3700 Robert Trent Jones Trail, Opelika, AL 36801
We like to share events and opportunities that we think might interest you. Take a look. You may see an event or topic of interest that could be beneficial to you.
From Timber to Tomorrow: Old Challenges, New Pressures, Changing Paradigms webinar series on each Tuesday through April 21. The series examines how forestry since the 1970s has shifted from a primarily production- or conservation-focused enterprise to one centered on multifunctional landscapes, ecological resilience, and diverse social values. Through conversations with scholars, practitioners, and policymakers, it explores changes in land, labor, ownership, disturbance management, and ecosystem services—and what these shifts mean for the next half-century of forestry. For more information email the Yale Forest Forum at yff@yale.edu. Editor’s Note: Would forest owners have shifted in their practices on their own or have forestry scholars, main stream media, and regulations pushed them in a certain direction?
Pine Straw Production – Stand Management and Economics at the Tift County Extension Office, Conference Room, 1468 Carpenter Road South. This course will enable a forest landowner or land manager to be able to make effective silvicultural and economical management decisions on managing slash and longleaf pine stands for straw. Speakers: Dr. David Dickens and Dr. David Clabo, University of Georgia. Fee: $350; $50 discount if paid by March 25. For more information contact James Johnson at (706) 308-6396 or james.johnson26@uga.edu.
Dunns Creek Fire Fest at Dunn’s Creek State Park, 320 Sisco Road. This event will highlight the importance of prescribed fire in maintaining healthy ecosystems for supporting bird habitat. Activities will include a guided tour of a burn unit, including a live burn demonstration; bird ID tutorials using eBird and the Merlin app; educational stations on prescribed burning, birding, and ecological restoration; and opportunities for landowners to learn about land management assistance programs. For more information contact Jess Martin at (352) 215-1783 or jess.martin@putnamlandconservancy.org.
Through our group policy, our members can access both hunting lease liability insurance and timberland liability insurance that provide excellent coverage at affordable prices.
Its surprisingly easy and affordable to protect yourself and your assets when leasing land for hunting. Our group policy keeps insurance costs low, while providing peace of mind and security. The policy can be secured for less than the price of a climbing stand. Cover the landowner and the hunting club members today!
Keep your focus on making your timberland all it can be, without worrying about liability for trespassers. You’ll be surprised how easy and affordable our group insurance coverage is. Don’t risk your life’s savings, but instead, protect what you have today!
AFOA members may list their hunting land for lease at no cost. It’s an effective method to advertise your land as available to a new hunting club. Details about the location and lease terms are available here.
These Hunting Clubs are already organized and are looking for additional members. Save time and expense by joining a club that has already secured a lease, established food plots and has an ongoing hunting experience waiting for you.
In today’s markets, you could use every advantage you can get. Markets are shrinking, so don’t be left behind.
Most forest landowners don’t have the time to sift through news articles, newsletters, websites, and social media posts. We’ve already done this for you, and we’d like to save you some time. Here’s the best of the best in forestry news to keep you sharp and keep you ahead:
4/1/26
US Forest Service Headquarters to Move from Washinton DC to Salt Lake City, Utah.
Regional Offices will be eliminated, and 15 State Offices will take their place. Shared functions will be consolidated into regional service centers and co-located with other USDA agencies. Research Leadership to be consolidated into a single research station. Forest Products Lab to remain.
3/30/26
Iran’s Cheap Plywood Drones are Quickly Draining our Inventory of Expensive Defense Missiles.
The Iranian Shahed-136 foam and plywood drone evades detection and costs little compared to the Patriot missiles used to intercept them. Chinese plywood routed to Russia, using the same supply chains that brings it lumber, is the source.
3/25/26
Childersburg Pulp Mill and Associated Chip Mill Closing.
Also known formerly as Kimberly Clark, Bowaters, Resolute and now Domtar. The owners state that the “mill has been challenged by difficult market conditions, as well as its aged assets, resulting in high costs of maintaining and operating the facility, underscoring the need for this strategic decision.” First operating in 1950, this closure in mid-May will affect 285 employees.
3/16/26
Logging With Horses or Mules has less impact on the land, but there are currently no commercial draft animal loggers in Alabama. Can they make a comeback?
Two business models exist: (1) Selling harvested logs to small sawmills, (2) Using a portable sawmill to saw logs oneself.
Since 2001, AFOA has been a leader in interviewing experts in the field of forestry who can get their point across in 3.5 minutes. Select a podcast below and in just a few minutes, you’ll get to hear directly from these experts. Search by topic or by speaker. Visit our archive.
Now, more than ever, you need every advantage you can get. Leverage your time and energy by having a Consulting Forester on your side. Few people can navigate the ever changing timber markets, so it makes sense to be guided by a professional who stays informed about market trends in your area. You can use this directory to search for a Consulting Forester by name, county, or area of specialty.
This directory is a service of the Alabama Forest Owners’ Association supported by a grant from the Bradley/Murphy Forestry & Natural Resources Extension Trust.
Our No Trespassing Signs are the best and most durable available, and they are shockingly affordable.
Here is a listing of merchandise items available to our active members.
Need help with a forestry-related service, or a product that can help you tackle that next project? Take a look here.
Take advantage of AFOA’s website and use it to increase your company’s visibility to landowners, hunters, and others who use forestland for work and play.
Interested in adding your company’s name to the list below of our services and suppliers? Contact advertising@afoa.org to find out how.
AFOA has been a leader in helping forest owners reach their goals. We respect that you know best, and you should be allowed to pursue your own goals and preserve your way of life. We’d love to help you get there.
With over 45 years of listening to forest landowners, we’d like to think we’ve learned a thing or two. By helping landowners interact with one another and with experts in the field, we’ve been witness to some of the best (and worst) ideas. Let us share what we’ve learned.
AFOA is guided by a Board of Directors whose combined experience in forest ownership has no equal.
