Agenda — 2013 Small Log Conference

Best practices for small diameter timber utilization and new markets for your wood products — biomass, wood-based biofuels, and wood exports. It’s all here at the Small Log Conference!

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Pre-conference mill tour (Pre-registration is required and only available for registered attendees)

  • Cost: $100 per person (Only available for registered attendees)
  • Lunch & transportation provided (Pick up from Coeur d’Alene Resort)
  • Tour gift bag (Provided by HewSaw)

7:00am – 8:00am: Coffee and rolls in lobby

8:00am – 5:00pm: Vaagen Brothers (Colville, WA), Hearth & Home Technologies (Colville, WA), and Columbia Cedar (Kettle Falls, WA)

5:30pm – 7:30pm: Check-in and casual welcome reception at Supplier Showcase for networking (cash bar)

Thursday, March 14, 2013

7:00am: Registration and continental breakfast

8:00am: Opening remarks – Conference Co-Chairs: Rick Larson (Director of The Conservation Fund/ShadeFund) and Mike Jostrom (Director of Renewable Resources, Plum Creek Timber Company)

8:15am: Keynote speaker – Evan Smith, Conservation Fund Vice President for Conservation Ventures

9:00am: Innovative and New Small Log Processing Equipment / Technology
Panel moderator: Eric Schooler, CEO, The Collins Companies

  • Rod Nelson, Nelson Bros. Engineering – Optimization advancements in small log processing machinery
  • Bruce Mallory, Hampton Affiliates – Greenfield rebuild of Canadian small log mill in Burns Lake, BC
  • Jeff Webber, Stimson Lumber – Installation of small log primary at Tillamook, Oregon stud mill

10:15am: Break

10:45am: Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance (NARA) Updates / Opportunities
Panel moderator: Michael P. Wolcott, Co-Project Director for NARA; Ph.D. Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Institute for Sustainable Design, Washington State University

  • Tom Spink, TSI (biomass chemical engineering consultant) – Slash to fuel
  • Gevan Marrs, Weyerhaeuser – Sustainable forest feedstocks for advanced biofuels
  • Natalie Martinkus, WA State University – GIS as a decision support tool for supply chain analysis in the Western Montana Corridor
  • Todd Beyreuther, Integrated Design Institue, WA State University – Western Montana Corridor: Resource assessment and pilot supply chain analysis

12:00pm: Lunch in Supplier Showcase

1:00pm: (Guest speakers) Christina Progess, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Brigid Burke, Lincoln County Port Authority – Remediating asbestos-tainted forests near Libby, MT

1:30pm: Financing Projects / New Companies
Panel moderator: Rick Larson, Director, The Conservation Fund/ShadeFund

  • Ryan Palma, Sustainable Lumber Company – All about his Montana-made lumber company
  • Dwayne Walker, Future Forest, LLC – Collaboration with Forest Energy Corporation and use of the mobile HewSaw in Arizona
  • Rick Larson, The Conservation Fund/ShadeFund – Financing opportunities from The Conservation Fund and other community development funds
  • Rusty Dramm, U.S. Forest Products Lab – Woody biomass grants and other federal funding opportunities

2:45pm: Break

3:00pm: Wood Exports / International Delegation
Panel moderator: Arnie Sherman, Executive Director, Montana World Trade Center

  • Xu Fang, Director of American Softwoods China – Perspectives of Chinese wood buyers and 5 things U.S. lumber sellers don’t know about the China market
  • Carey Hester, International Trade Specialist, U.S. Commercial Service – Technical considerations of exporting wood products to Asia
  • David Stallcop, Global Marketing Manager, Vanport International – Exporting lessons learned
  • Discover the 5 reasons why you can benefit from our wood exports content at the event

4:15pm: Softwood Lumber Check Off Program – All About the Program, and Updates
Panel moderator: Craig Rawlings, CEO, Forest Business Network

  • Jack Jordan, Executive VP of Jordan Lumber Company, Softwood Lumber Board Chairman
  • Steve Lovett, Softwood Lumber Board CEO

5:15pm: Break

5:30pm: Reception (cash bar)

6:30pm: Dinner with guest speakers – Ketchum PR and U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance Check-off program
Introduction by: David Parcell, Client Service Vice President, GfK Custom Research North America

Friday, March 15, 2013

7:00am – 8:00am: Continental breakfast

8:00am: Opening remarks – Conference Co-Chairs: Rick Larson (Director of ShadeFund, The Conservation Fund) and Mike Jostrom (Director of Renewable Resources, Plum Creek Timber Company)

8:15am: Impacts on Forest Health and Conservation Collaboration
Panel moderator: Russ Vaagen, Vice President, Vaagen Brothers Lumber Inc.

  • Sharon Stanton, U.S. Forest Service (Forest Inventory and Analysis group) – What can USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis data tell us about long-term trends in the health of our public forests?
  • Lloyd McGee, The Nature Conservancy – From forest restoration collaboration to recruiting small log infrastructure: How do you connect the dots?
  • Heath Heikkila, American Forest Resource Council – The need for legislation that improves the implementation for collaboratively developed projects in national forests
  • Dr. Ed Pepke, Senior Timber Trade and Policy Analyst; European Union Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Facility (EU FLEGT); European Forest Institute – “European timber market developments prevent illegal trade” – Ed will give an update on European timber markets and the new EU Timber Regulation which prevents imports of illegal timber (both temperate and tropical)

9:45am: Break

10:15am: Economic Development
Panel moderator: Francis Fournier, Director/Manager, Lumber Manufacturing Technology, FPInnovations

  • Andrew Goodison, FPInnovations
  • Vincent Corrao, Northwest Management Inc. – Anchor forest: A concept for planning cooperatively for sustaining ecosystems and communities
  • Jay O’Laughlin, Forest Economist, University of Idaho – Forest biomass business opportunities and market challenges

11:30am: Break

11:45am: Lunch with closing remarks – Conference Co-Chairs: Rick Larson (Director of The Conservation Fund/ShadeFund) and Mike Jostrom (Director of Renewable Resources, Plum Creek Timber Company)

Conference ends and attendees/exhibitors depart.