October 29, 2009
Mississippi Forestry Association presented four county forestry association (CFA) awards at their annual meeting in Tupelo. More than 300 guests gathered to congratulate recipients for the following awards at the CFA Luncheon: Outstanding Service to CFA, Outstanding CFA Project; Outstanding CFA Chapter, (small), and Outstanding CFA Chapter, (large).
Ottis Bullock, of Columbia is the recipient of the Outstanding Service to County Forestry Associations (CFA) award. Mississippi Forestry Association (MFA) presents this award annually to a person who gives unselfishly of their time to a county forestry association.
It was through Bullock’s efforts that the Economic Development of Mississippi’s Forest-Based Industries initiative was developed. This initiative outlines the activities that need to be taken at the local and state level to encourage and facilitate new wood product industries and actions that would promote and enhance existing industries in the state of Mississippi. Bullock wanted to take a more proactive approach for obtaining new forest industries for the state. The letter, first developed by Bullock, concerning economic development in the state, was endorsed by 46 CFAs and the MFA Executive Committee and sent to Governor Haley Barbour, Mississippi legislators, and the Mississippi Development Authority. A follow-up meeting was sponsored by the Marion CFA.
Currently Bullock is vice-president of the Marion CFA and plans to move into the presidency for 2010. Bullock has previously served as president of Marion CFA in 1999, was Mississippi Tree Farmer of the Year in 2001 and Southern Regional Tree Farmer of the Year in 2002. Among other activities with Marion CFA, he hosted a field day on his tree farm in 2009.
In direct association with Bullock’s economic development work, Marion CFA is the recipient of the Outstanding CFA Project Award for their leadership role in promoting economic development in the state. The Economic Development of Mississippi’s Forest-based Industries project epitomizes what an individual CFA can do by seeing a need, taking the lead and inviting all CFAs and MFA to join them in making an impact on Mississippi forestry.
Covington CFA won the 2009 Outstanding CFA Award, (small chapter). Covington CFA promotes their CFA by distributing their chapter brochure throughout the county. This CFA is also diligent about promoting MFA membership at all of their meetings. This active CFA presented Arbor Day programs to all third grade students in the county, with each child receiving an activity booklet and a pine tree seedling to take home. They also sponsored prizes for the county Arbor Day poster contest. All of their meetings were promoted in the county newspaper and each person who attended their general membership meeting received a copy of Nonnative Invasive Plants of Southern Forests, and Mississippi Trees, books and DVDs. After the enthusiastic response for their membership, the CFA then donated copies of both publications and the DVDs to all county libraries.
For the Outstanding CFA Award (large), Lincoln CFA took home the prize title. One of the state’s largest CFAs with 209 members, Lincoln CFA had news in their local paper on 11 occasions, including front page coverage in June for the Fish Fry that raised nearly $5,000 for the interactive forestry exhibit at the Mississippi Children’s Museum. Pre-selling more than 900 tickets before the event, the CFA became the first of the 62 associations to meet the MFA goal of raising $20 per CFA member. This outstanding CFA also held a spring and fall field day, and each year provides a $500 scholarship to a Lincoln County high school or Copiah-Lincoln Community College student who expresses an interest in forestry or related field. This past year, they gave two scholarships.
MFA hosted 500 guests at their annual meeting last week in Tupelo at the BancorpSouth Arena and Conference Center. The theme “Made in Mississippi,” featured current forestry leaders who grew up in Mississippi or were educated in the state. Meetings began on Wednesday, October 28 and continued through Friday, Oct. 30 with educational sessions, awards, exhibits, and fun activities for private landowners and forestry professionals.
Mississippi Forestry Association’s vision is to serve as The Voice of Forestry in Mississippi. In 1938 MFA was formed to guard and grow Mississippi’s forests and that is still its mission today. MFA is the only organization that represents every group in the forestry community. MFA leads efforts to protect landowner rights, to improve the forest products economy and to educate the community about the ecological benefits of healthy, renewable forests. MFA is a private (non government), nonprofit association. To learn more, visit www.msforestry.net.