This will be the 4th Small Log Conference, produced by TimberBuySell.com, formerly produced by TimberWest Publications, and will continue to be a biennial event, with the next event slated for Mar. 25-27, 2009, at the Coeur d'Alene Resort. This unique conference pulls together information not found anywhere else.
The issue of what to do with small logs hasn’t gone away. Forestry experts who insist overstocked forests need to be thinned for wildfire prevention still wonder what to do with all the small timber and biomass being harvested. The problem has brought entrepreneurs and innovators into the picture, and even retooled several regional sawmills. And interestingly enough, it has even united environmentalists and timber interests.
The Small Log Conference has had a reputation for bringing together national and international players specializing in small-diameter log utilization, the three-day conference offers perspectives from every side, including public and private forestry experts, community development specialists, woody biomass interests and conservationists.
The conference also offers a pre-conference tour along with a suppliers showcase featuring innovative equipment, products and solutions aimed at small log utilization.
The past conferences, in 2004, 2005 and in 2007 had special themes allowing delegates to see high-tech mills in action, learn how the industry is dealing with the forest service and environmentalists, and spoke one on one with equipment dealers and wood project manufacturers. In 2009 our goal will be to provide even more insights and information about the small log industry.
With each passing year the topic of small logs has become a more vital piece of our larger forestry picture. That's been reflected in the past Small Log Conferences, where momentum has grown as ideas are generated and members network with others to find a variety of options and solutions. The committee is working hard to continue the success of this international conference and is gearing up for an even larger event in 2009—Mar.25-27, 2009, Coeur d'Alene Resort.
