AFM Winter 2023 Newsletter

WINTER 2023 Our neck of the WOODS AMERICAN FOREST MANAGEMENT’S NEWSLETTER CHARLES COOK

In This Issue 3 12-13 A LETTER FROM OUR WINTER LOGGING CEO 14-15 KEWEENAW LAND 4-5 PROTECTING SALE ENDANGERED SPECIES 16-17 6-7 REMOTE SENSING A DAY IN THE LIFE OF 18-19 A FORESTER CENTRAL AMERICA & EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT 8-9 REAL ESTATE AWARDS 10-11 EMPLOYEE RETIREMENTS & UPDATES

A LETTER FROM OUR CEO BRENT KEEFER As a service provider company, I am often reminded of the add the Gen Z generation to our ranks. The importance of important fact that our only real assets are our employees. knowledge transfer is critical as this change occurs. One of We remain focused on attracting, recruiting, retaining, and our key initiatives is engaging our many new employees in developing the best people in our industry. Last year was a meaningful ways. This includes an intentional and structured busy year for AFM as we added many new employees to onboarding process, multiple check-in calls, mentoring, fill retirements, turnover, and growth positions. Currently, we leadership training, technical skills training, performance have just over 300 regular employees in the U.S., plus 35 reviews, and good 2-way communication at all levels of the real estate contractors and 30 employees of our Central American entities. That is approximately 370 people asso- “I AM EXCITED TO SEE THE NEXT GENERATION OF ciated with providing services to clients on behalf of AFM! NATURAL RESOURCE PROFESSIONALS GROWING The breadth and diversity of our employees’ experience AND JOINING OUR RANKS.” are always impressive, as we have foresters, planners, biometricians, GIS analysts, inventory analysts, organization. We want AFM to be an exciting workplace systems developers, accountants, financial analysts, where our people can grow, develop, and apply their talents wildlife biologists, appraisers, IT specialists, woodflow and passion. We are a large national company but strive to coordinators, real estate agents, and the list goes on. The maintain a family atmosphere and culture where we value work and life experiences, geographic experience, and each individual, their families, and the local community. educational backgrounds our people bring represent a I hope you enjoy this issue of our newsletter and diversity that makes AFM better daily. In this issue of “Our get to know some of our people a little better. Neck of the Woods,” you will meet some of these folks. I am also excited to see the next generation of natural resource professionals growing and joining our ranks. Last year we spent significant time visiting over 14 campuses and other job fairs promoting AFM and getting to know students. We had a record 13 summer students working with us in 2022 and have hired 3 of those full-time since December graduations. In 2023, we expect the number of summer students to grow even more and are excited to engage in these mutually beneficial work experiences. Each year we are also saying goodbye to numerous retirees and wishing them well in their next stage of life. The Baby Boomer generation continues to shrink, and we AMERICAN FOREST MANAGEMENT | 3

Doing Our Part RTEFOONESRDPPEAROSNOTNRGTSEYEICBRPTLEIERDNAGSCAPTNTEICHCDERIESESSAUCTEOSNTMAEMIDNIATATBNELDDE 4 | AMERICAN FOREST MANAGEMENT BY JENNIFER HUNT, AFM CONTENT WRITER

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) designated evolves. Oregon has recently adopted a new set the northern long-eared bat as threatened in of FPRs (modeled from Washington’s HCP) called 2015; however, the species was redesignated as the Private Forestry Accord (PFA). During the PFA endangered in January 2023. After the decision was negotiations, AFM provided technical inputs on the announced, some expressed consternation that timber unstable slope and riparian protections. harvesting would be impacted in over 30 states. How Lastly, Best Management Practices (BMPs) do various regions around the country handle timber are designed to help land managers harvesting to protect threatened and endangered mitigate water pollution. No federal law species? Here is an overview of how we protect requires BMPs; however, many states began threatened and endangered (T & E) species at American developing them in the 1970s. Some states have Forest Management. regulatory (required) BMP programs, and others are All of the properties we manage related to the quasi-regulatory or voluntary. Many coastal states Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®), Forest have regulatory or quasi-regulatory BMPs, while Stewardship Council® (FSC®), etc. (over 3.7 states in the Midwest and Southern Regions are million acres) are connected to State Wildlife voluntary. This is especially relevant with preharvest ActionPlans. AccordingtotheUnitedStatesGeological planning, like marking stream buffers and locating Survey (USGS), State Wildlife Action Plans are “for streams before work begins. These actions ensure conserving wildlife and habitat before they become too that timber harvest and silvicultural activities do not rare or costly to restore.” Each state has developed its accidentally pollute water with sediment or erode own conservation strategy, making it eligible for federal stream banks. funding. This funding makes implementing conservation Finally, we have two Certified Wildlife actions possible. Additionally, our foresters have access Biologists on staff who advise our to Natural Heritage Programs (NHP) and NatureServe. professionals on protecting T & E species. These organizations gather and share about species and Before a harvest, we consult data and federal, ecosystems. This allows for responsible land management state, and local regulations to ensure that we are practices without externalizing the cost to the environment. safeguarding precious ecosystems. Stewardship is NHP biologists collect data that is widely trusted vital to us. We are in this together. ������ throughout the industry. Similarly, NatureServe provides biodiversity data throughout all of North America. Users Shane Fuller (Wildlife Biologist) has a Bachelor of Science can search for at-risk species and ecosystems by name, degree in Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife from the University taxonomy, location, or conservation status. of Missouri and a Master of Science in Wildlife Ecology from Regulation also comes in the form of Habitat the University of Mississippi. He is a Certified Wildlife Biologist Conservation Plans (HCP). HCPs were born from with The Wildlife Society and has 25 years of experience. a necessary amendment to the Endangered Species Act. According to the FWS, an HCP is a planning document designed to accommodate economic development to the extent possible by authorizing the limited and unintentional take of listed species when it occurs incidental to otherwise lawful activities. In other words, the goal of an HCP is to find a balance between economic development and the long-term conservation of species. Non-federal entities can create an HCP and submit it to FWS for review. In Washington State, Forest Practice Rules (FPRs) have been governed by the Forests & Fish Law for over 20 years. This agreement created the first Federally Approved Programmatic HCP that covers all aquatic species but focuses on salmon habitat and restoration. The Forests & Fish HCP provides protections under the ESA and Clean Water Act (CWA) for all private landowners in Washington who follow the FPRs. The HCP has an Adaptive Management Protocol that allows riparian rules to be modified over time as science AMERICAN FOREST MANAGEMENT | 5

A DAY IN THE LIFE MICHIGAN TEXAS Chad Fortin works with Roger Hooper’s day starts in NIPF clients in the the woods, conducting tract western Upper Peninsula inspections and determining the of Michigan. His day overall health of managed timber starts around 7:00 a.m., when he stands. It’s not uncommon to see checks his email at the office and something interesting, like this old reviews maps and plots on GIS. bus adjacent to client property. He After organizing his field equipment, oversees harvesting operations from including a Prism (a wedge-shaped start to finish and then starts the piece of glass that deflects a tree trunk process again with silvicultural and image when viewed), Ultrasound reforestation activities. Harvesting Distance Measurer (DME), and can only occur when the roads loggers tape, Chad travels to a client are in good working condition, so property, an average of 45 minutes. he oversees and anticipates future Upon arrival, he cruises the timber, roadwork. After a day in the field, like the valuable Sugar Maple. he heads to the office to complete Foresters in this region come across paperwork for timber sales, road a unique feature: old mine shafts that work, and silvicultural work like can be thousands of feet deep when herbicide applications and planting. excavated. Additionally, it’s common to see wolves and bear tracks, as well as foxes, bobcats, pine martens, and shed moose antlers. 6 | AMERICAN FOREST MANAGEMENT

E OF A FORESTER MONTANA VIRGINIA David Friedman’s day District Manager Carolyn Mulligan starts before the sun starts her day at 7:00 a.m. as she comes up. He arrives at meets with a timber buyer and the office between logger to execute a timber sale 4:30-5:30 a.m., gathers maps and contract. Then, she heads to the gear for the day, and responds to office to work on administrative emails. When he’s ready to head tasks, like collaborating with into the field, his average travel a hunt club to schedule road time is 2-3 hours. David wears maintenance, researching tract many hats and has a wide array of files, and estimating monthly clients and daily tasks, from state projections for her district. Around and federal landowners, from 8 2:00 p.m., she meets with a NIPF acres to 150,000 acres or more. client to update their management He masterfully juggles several plan. They discuss timber type and tasks at once, like ensuring SFI® quality, ground conditions, property requirements, meeting BMPs across boundaries, and the client’s vision operations, and troubleshooting for their property. On her way home wildlife management issues. When between 5:00-6:00 p.m., she stops he’s in the field, he’s flagging units, by a recent harvest site to inspect clearing roads, running section conditions. lines, and delineating wetlands and streams. He will occasionally run AMERICAN FOREST MANAGEMENT | 7 into some curious four-legged forest dwellers, too.

AFM Real Estate’s Steady Aim is R Each year, the AFM Real Estate team gathers to celebrate th recognize team members’ accomplishments And the award goes to... Brand Ambassador Rookie of the Year National Top Producer Melissa Heinzer Cathie Rolf Trina Anderson 8 | AMERICAN FOREST MANAGEMENT

Right on Target On February 8-9, 2023, AFM Real Estate’s team gathered in Charlotte, NC. The group mixed learning with fun by enjoying food and camaraderie with heir successes and an axe-throwing contest. The Director of Real Estate Services, Chris Miller, summed up the meeting this way, “The 2023 National Team Meeting was a huge success. Our mission is to add value to land transactions and create lasting relationships. For me, the opportunity for our team to finally spend time together in person after the COVID years was the most valuable. We are a relationship business, and our time with each other, learning, sharing, and mentoring, is so valuable. After a very successful 2022, celebrating our team members’ many accomplishments was fun. I am fortunate to lead such a talented group of men and women who are truly the most experienced and qualified in the land business. We came out of the meeting energized about the future and ready to serve our clients and customers!” Most Transactions Region High Producers Growth Ring* Nationally Nathan Greer, South Atlantic Curtis Spencer, Charlie Shaw, David Robin Fleming Trina Anderson, Lake States Williamson, John Colannino, Tony Robin Fleming, Mid-Atlantic Mitchell, Jake Almond, Monte Bartek, John Colannino, Northeast Kerry Brewer, Jamie Lytton, Philip Chris Marshall, Pacific Northwest Weatherford, Merrill Nall, Robin Fleming, Merrill Nall, Tennessee Valley David Lynch, Dan Baldwin, Eric Gage, Tony Mitchell, Gulf Roy Belser, Nathan Greer, Chris Marshall, Monte Bartek, South Central Trina Anderson *Sales Volume Production over $4,000,000 AMERICAN FOREST MANAGEMENT | 9

Every New Beginning Casey Newton was Mike Bunero joined promoted to Tennessee Valley the Milford, ME, office Region Manager. Casey as a Forester I. Mike has has a Bachelor of Science in a Bachelor of Science Operations Management from degree in Forestry from the Auburn University and a Master University of Maine and has of Science in Forest Resources three years of experience. from Clemson University and 17 years of experience. Rodney Chandler Aaliyah Hicks will continue as an Administrative was promoted to District Assistant in Marianna, FL. She facilitated the transition Manager in Chester, SC. and assumed some of Elena Banks’ responsibilities. Rodney has a Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Resource Management from West Virginia University and 27 years of experience. Eric Clark will continue to Keith Brown is leading lead the Hope Mills District the new Waccamaw District in Hope Mills, NC, and in Georgetown, SC. Keith absorbed a portion of the has an Associate degree Aynor District. Eric has a in Forest Technology Bachelor of Science degree from Horry-Georgetown in Forest Mangement from Technical College and 27 Clemson University and 31 years of experience. years of experience. COMES FRO 10 8 | AMERICAN FOREST MANAGEMENT

Merrill Nall retired from Deb Bourgon retired his position as the Tenessee from her position as an Valley Region Manager Operations Forester in after 42 years in the forest Milford, ME, after 35 years products industry and 15 of service. years with AFM. Brent Reed retired from his Elena Banks retired position as District Manager from her position as an in Chester, SC, after 33 Administrative Assistant in years of service. Statesboro, GA, after 41 years of service. AFM is so proud of its Craig Morrison retired retirees! We will miss their from his position as the talent, experience, insight, District Manager of Aynor, and dedication. We wish SC, after 42 years of service. them the best as they embark on the next part of their journey. Thank you for your service! OM SOME OTHER BEGINNING’S END AMERICAN FOREST MANAGEMENT | 11

Logging in a Winter Wonderland If one was to conjure images of logging, one might visualize any season but winter. After all, how can loggers traverse icy, snow-covered terrain in expensive logging machinery? It may be surprising to learn that winter logging has numerous benefits, although Mother Nature likes to keep things interesting. Just as one might start their car to warm up before driving, logging operators need to let the equipment warm up for extended periods; otherwise, it’s subject to more wear and tear. For instance, the lubricants are less fluid, moisture accumulates in undesirable areas, more fuel is required, and metals can become brittle. Machines require significant preparation and are equipped with plows and scraper blades to move the heavy snow. One forester in Maine recalls temperatures as low as -35F! According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), part of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula saw more than 300 inches of snow in 2021-2022, making some logging operations quite treacherous for both humans and machines. Nevertheless, winter logging provides opportunities that are unavailable during other seasons. The frozen conditions allow operations to expand because areas inaccessible in different seasons are now accessible. Fresh snowfall covers rocky roads, providing a cushion that protects the soil and tender vegetation from logging equipment. There are fewer opportunities for log staining, and foresters and loggers aren’t contending with pests like black flies, deer and moose flies, or mosquitoes. A discussion of winter logging wouldn’t be complete without a description of the landscape’s sheer beauty. Foresters can strap on their snowshoes and trek through the forest with their senses engaged. The snow is glistening, and animal tracks punctuate the snow. Mountain views that were once hidden by the leaves are now visible through the bare trees. The trees crack and snap as the sunlight shines and warms them up. Before the snow melts and the land rejuvenates in the spring, take a moment to enjoy the silent beauty of winter. 12 8 | AMERICAN FOREST MANAGEMENT

Winter logging with Michigan Forester, Craig Solmonson Establishing boundaries on a client property Checking maple veneer lengths post harvest Reviewing product sorts with Johnson Forest Products Forwarder Operator AMERICAN FOREST MANAGEMENT | 13

A Win for Conservation AFM Real Estate Brokered Deal That Secures Keweenaw for Public Access For 40 years, AFM and its predecessors Long before the property was marketed for Michigan State Director, “ have managed the Keweenaw Heartlands. sale, the seller recognized the importance of Peninsula is at the heart of On Thursday, October 27, AFM Real their ownership in the Keweenaw Peninsula beautiful and culturally signifi Estate’s Trina Anderson brokered the deal and wanted to secure the land for public in Michigan, rich with for the seller when they sold the Keweenaw access; for instance, the use of recreational cascading rivers, lakes, and Heartlands (31,600 acres) to The Nature trails and management of the forest and If you would like to help Conservancy (TNC). other natural resources. Protecting the forests the borrowed funds for also means protecting various wildlife, such Heartlands sale, no amount as gray wolves, bobcats, black bears, etc. To Trina Anderson is a Michi achieve this goal, TNC purchased the land celebrated her 30th work with a loan from their global board until they September 2022. She has raise enough money through fundraising to serve small and large l campaigns and partnerships. However, TNC all walks of life and enjoy is not planning to be the long-term owner of reach their goals. Those the property and will work with the State of working with Trina can con Michigan and other stakeholders to raise the [email protected] o necessary funds to purchase the property. In 906.369.1493. the meantime, TNC has been clear that the Keweenaw Heartlands will be maintained for public access, and the land will be managed under the Michigan Commercial Forest Program. According to Helen Taylor, 14 | AMERICAN FOREST MANAGEMENT

“The Keweenaw KEWEENAW HEARTLANDS one of the most ficant landscapes Photography by Quincy forests, wildlife, Aerial Photography d wetlands.” TNC pay back AMERICAN FOREST MANAGEMENT | 15 the Keweenaw is too small. igan native and k anniversary in s been honored landowners from ys helping clients e interested in ntact her at Trina. or by mobile at

Sensing Something Remote sensing tools provide data rich solution to help you realize your land’s potential Remote sensing may seem like a nebulous term, but the information. This tool offers high-resolution reality is that it’s present in everyday life. Remote sensing falls and can be equipped with many passive into two broad categories, active and passive. Active remote sensing is not exhaustive, and AFM is constantly involves reading signals sent by the instrument, while passive collects Access to these tools and the know signals (often the sun’s energy) as it is absorbed or re-emitted from objects. only part of the quest for a solutio Examples are all around us and happen every day. Hopefully, you haven’t it’s imperative to educate ourselves about received a speeding ticket recently as you cruised down the open road. remote sensing technique and evaluate resul If you did, the officer likely used radar, an active form of remote sensing, investing in artificial intelligence (AI) techn to collect enough evidence to give you a citation. Perhaps you have used (ML) to enhance our remote sensing offe Google Maps to help you get to your destination, and you checked the dependable, and economically optimal s street view for landmarks. If you did, Google took photographs from car- business intelligence. Our biometricians an mounted cameras, a passive form of remote sensing. Remote sensing is have the requisite experience and expert ubiquitous, and at AFM, we can harness the potential to benefit our clients. ensuring that we can provide reliable infor solution? Reach out to us today for a consul Let’s examine remote sensing capabilities in forestry. Remote sensing is particularly relevant to forestry due to the scale and size of LiDAR point cloud of a lobolly pine s land bases and the various forest types and growing conditions. This thinning in South Carolina. Captured technology allows for practical data collection regarding qualitative and quantitative forestry and land observations. If your AFM consultant collects qualitative data, they determine if something has changed. On the other hand, if your consultant is collecting quantitative data, they are capturing metrics about your trees or quantifying changes within areas. There are many remote sensing platforms with valuable products and applications at our disposal. The most common remotely sensed product is aerial optical imagery collected from various platforms (most commonly aircraft). This allows us to qualitatively observe forest conditions at the time of acquisition, such as changes in forest cover, or regeneration in post-harvest or recently replanted areas, to name a few examples. Other widely used remote sensing products in forestry are high-frequency and lower-resolution multispectral products from government satellites, such as Landsat or Sentinel (many satellites collect multiple bands of information referred to as multispectral data, which can be used to estimate standardized measures associated with conditions in the forest). These products are free, and open-source data collection tools allow us to view forests throughout the growing season pre- and post- management. One of the most challenging issues in forestry is measuring standing timber volume. While many processes and techniques are used to tackle this problem, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) is frequently used. Lidar sensors send laser pulses in a specific direction and measure the time it takes to return to the source. The output provided by LiDAR reliably measures structural attributes like height, which can be used in modeling forest volume conditions with high accuracy. Lastly, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs or Drones) are another application used to acquire 16 | AMERICAN FOREST MANAGEMENT

ns Check out how humans measure up to machines in these five categories n, site-specific reconnaissance e and active sensors. This list Humans VS Remote y exploring new technology. Sensing wledge they provide is In many cases, an area may be Danger on. At AFM, we realize that too dangerous for a human to Critical data can be collected t the pros and cons of each visit, such as falling tree hazards using an appropriate remote lts for our clients. We continue after a major storm and active sensing platform without sending niques like machine learning erings. We can provide fast, wildfire situations. a human into harm’s way. solutions to develop actional nd remote sensing specialists Humans are limited by their own Spatial Depending on the scale and infor- tise to verify data collection, two feet and can only cover a Coverage mation needed, a remote sensing mation. Are you in need of a certain amount of ground in one platform can cover more area than a ltation. human in a similar time frame, from day. a ten-acre parcel with a drone to a stand after a second thousand-acre land holding with sat- d using a drone. ellite imagery, a platform can likely scale appropriately to the situation. Sending field crews out multiple Return Time Remote sensing platforms allow times can be impossible due to for quick pre- and post-assess- workloads, especially for some ment, depending on the platform. pre- and post-assessments of vari- In some cases, satellite data is recollected every 10 days (or less ous forestry activities. with some new constellations). Costs can accumulate quickly, Cost Many aspects of data required especially when considering the for forest management can be breadth of a particular project. evaluated using publicly avail- able remote sensing data. These technologies can also benefit from scale, bringing down the per-acre cost of projects. When conducting a timber cruise, Data Richness a human will focus on the target Data collected via remote sensing assessment, gathering data for a provides opportunities for addi- tional information beyond the specific project or purpose. target assessment. AMERICAN FOREST MANAGEMENT | 17

Teak Note AFM manages property in Central America, too The AFM Panama team of foresters, supervisors, foremen, and administrative assistants. Readers may have forgotten that American Forest Management manages properties in Costa Rica and Panama. In fact, we oversee 11,750 acres in Costa Rica and 20,900 acres in Panama. Our primary tree species is teak, which is a fast-growing, high-value tropical hardwood species. Teak is highly resistant to weather and decay, making it a valuable resource in house building, flooring, furniture, decking, and veneer. There is a strong demand for teak wood in Indian markets and is the preferred wood source. Our Panama team (pictured above) has excelled at providing high-quality management to our client’s plantations. Teak requires intensive care in the first five years of its youth, and our client’s plantations are some of the best in the region. Our professionals cultivate excellent plantation quality and productivity in economically viable conditions. For those interested in our Central America operations, contact Jeff Mayo, Director, Land Services, via email at [email protected] or Rodolfo Peralta, Central America Operations Manager, via email at Rodolfo. [email protected]. The “Superior Tree,” as it is known in Canazas, Panama, is a 25-year-old teak tree that has been cloned a dozen times using basal shoots. 18 | AMERICAN FOREST MANAGEMENT

Employee Spotlight Austin Harris has completed the educational and experience requirements of the appraiser trainee program and has passed the rigorous Certified General Real Estate Appraiser Examination. Harris now holds a Certified General Real Estate Appraiser License in South Carolina and plans to reciprocate his license in other states throughout the US South. Austin holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Economics & Statistics (Agribusiness Emphasis Area) and a Master of Forest Resources from Clemson University. In addition to his education, Austin has seven years of experience in forest resource management, forest investment analysis, and rural property valuation. Over his time at AFM thus far, Austin has had the opportunity to value millions of acres throughout the country for various clients and is excited to continue serving our clients through customizable rural property appraisal and consulting services. Congratulations, Austin! Bo Reid has earned his Wildlife Biologist certification from The Wildlife Society. Certified Wildlife Biologists with The Wildlife Society are experts in ecology and conservation management of wildlife. They adhere to ethical standards and demonstrate their commitment to learning and professional development. Bo has a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture from Mississippi State University and a Master’s degree in Wildlife Management from Texas Tech University. He worked as a Private Lands Biologist for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission for just over three years before accepting his position as a Wildlife Biologist with AFM in 2021. Congratulations, Bo! harperlove.com May 2017 STILL CURIOUS? Some additional services are: • Appraisal Services • GIS/Mapping • Forest Planning • Biometric Services • Recreational Lease Management • Woodflow Management • Farmland Management • Environmental Services • Carbon Services • Wildlife Management Contact us today for a consultation. We’re In This Together.™ AMERICAN FOREST MANAGEMENT | 19