Stewardship

 

The Natural State : (Official) This nickname was officially adopted by the legislature in 1995 and is intended to highlight the “...unsurpassed scenery, clear lakes, free-flowing streams, magnificent rivers, meandering bayous, delta bottomlands, forested mountains, and abundant fish and wildlife.” This nickname replaced the official “ Land of Opportunity ” nickname following the slogan “Arkansas Is a Natural” that was used to promote tourism and outdoor recreation. (“ Arkansas ” www.netstate.com)

Wow!  What a place to live, Arkansas .  With the wealth of natural resources we have available to us comes the responsibility of managing them.  Being in the timber and real estate business, it’s been my experience that most people want to fully develop the potential of their land to maximize both their tangible and non-tangible returns. It should be every landowner’s responsibility to make sound environmental decisions when it comes to managing the land that they own.  Now, not every landowner has the formal training or experience to do this by them self. Fortunately, we have in our state another resource that can help us manage our natural resources - the University of Arkansas at Monticello .

I know that there are many fine universities in our state. I have two daughters enrolled at Southern Arkansas University, a son at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, a wife at SAU Tech and other family and friends that have gone to virtually every institution of higher education in the state and they all have one thing in common to say about their respective school: “I received a fine education and college was a positive experience for me.”

What sets UAM apart is the School of Forest Resources and that it’s the only one in the state.  The Forestry Department was started in 1945 as a two year program to meet the need in our state to manage our forests for wood production, water quality, wildlife and recreation, and to have sustainable natural resources.  The first Dean of Forestry was Mr. Henry H. “Hank” Chamberlin who is responsible for expanding the two year curriculum to the four year curriculum it is today, which currently offers a B.S. in Forestry, Wildlife, or Spatial information Systems.  There is also an A.S. Land Surveying Technology degree.  In 1998 the curriculum was expanded to include a Master’s degree with an emphasis in Forest Sciences, Spatial Sciences, or Wildlife Ecology and Management.  Currently standing at the helm is Dr. Richard Kluender, Dean of the School of Forest Resources .  Like Mr. Chamberlin, he is a true visionary and is leading the program well into the 21^st century.

Many of the men and women who influence the stewardship polices of our natural resources in Arkansas are graduates of the UAM School of Forest Resources.  As a 1986 graduate, I can give testimony to the men and women that run the Forestry Department in our state. They are dedicated to the wise utilization of our natural resources through research and the training of the next generation of graduates.

The School of Forest Resources is leading the way to keep The Natural State natural and is available to the public and our state agencies as a source of information so that sound decisions can be made concerning our natural resources. If you are considering a career in Natural Resource Management, I would recommend that you give the UAM School of Forest Resources a visit.

 

Naturally Yours,

Matt Stone