Are you interested in making your woodlands better, for yourself and for future generations? IFWOA CAN HELP! The Indiana Forestry and Woodland Owners Association (IFWOA) works to promote good stewardship of Indiana woodlands by helping private landowners.

Our membership of over 800 private landowners from around the state owns their land for a variety of reasons: beauty, recreation, wildlife, and timber, among others. IFWOA's goal is to help members achieve their individual landowning objectives. Through field days, training, seminars at our annual meeting, and the Leaves & Limbs newsletter, we provide helpful learning opportunities for today's forest landowner.

IFWOA also serves as a collective voice for Indiana woodland owners. We represent forest owners' interests with regular communication to Indiana's Departments of Agriculture and Natural Resources. We frequently provide input and expertise to Indiana legislators and legislative committees. Last year, IFWOA was influential in the passage of Indiana's Right To Practice Forestry Bill - guaranteeing Indiana landowners the right to responsibly harvest timber from their own land if they choose to. We also work to represent forest owners at the national level through Indiana's Congressmen and Senators and through our participation in the National Woodland Owners Association.

You can become a member of IFWOA for only $30 annually. As a member, you will have access to all IFWOA learning opportunities and help us guide Indiana forestland policy. To join, contact Liz Jackson at jackson@purdue.edu, by phone at (765) 583-3501, or by mail at 1011 N 725 W, West Lafayette, IN, 47906.

Save the Date: IFWOA's next learning opportunity will be on Saturday, March 18th at Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge, near Seymour. The seminar, "Transferring Forestland to the Next Generation," is designed to help landowners understand the personal, legal and financial consequences of wills, trusts, easements and other tools for passing their land on to future owners.