April 12, 2017 – SHREVEPORT, Louisiana – Landowners, homeowners and forestry professionals are invited to attend the first Western Gulf Forest Health Conference.

This two-day conference will focus on issues affecting both rural forestlands and individual trees within urban and suburban areas. These forests and trees are under greater pressure and weather extremes compared to the previous stresses of the past 20 years. Because of these changes the risk of insect damage and disease has increased, causing adaptations to silvicultural and tree management techniques and regimes.

“This conference hopes to provide education on a variety of threats to our forest and trees, as well as adaptive management techniques that can be used to maintain the health of our forests and trees in the Western Gulf Region,” said Texas A&M Forest Service Program Leader Shane Harrington.

Leading experts from across the nation will be on hand to discuss issues such as climate trends, individual tree selection and care, management strategies and new technology available to help better manage trees.

The conference begins at 8:30 a.m., Thursday, May 18 at the Louisiana Tech Shreveport Center, 8028 Shreve Park Drive, Shreveport, LA. Registration for the two-day conference is $90 and includes breakfast and lunch refreshments, as well as conference materials both days.

Visit http://tfsweb.tamu.edu/2017ForestHealth for conference information, agenda and online registration.

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Shane Harrington
Program Leader, Texas A&M Forest Service
979-458-6650, sharrington@tfs.tamu.edu

Shylo Adams

Communications Specialist, Texas A&M Forest Service

979-324-0708, sadams@tfs.tamu.edu