Agenda

2025 Agenda coming soon!

The agenda below is from last year's 2024 conference.

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The Virginia Association of Forest Health Professionals

32nd Annual Conference

February 12 – 13, 2024
Virginia Crossings Hotel and Conference Center
Glen Allen, Virginia

Monday, February 12th, 2024

8:00-9:00 Registration

9:00-9:15 Welcome and Introductions – VAFHP Committee

9:15-9:45 Spongy Moth Defoliation in Virginia– Lori Chamberlin, Virginia Department of Forestry

9:45-10:15 The Evolution of Goodwin Islands – A story of climate change impacts on critical Chesapeake Bay habitats – William Reay, Ph.D., VIMS/ William and Mary

10:15-11:00 Aquatic Weed ID and Management Methods – Laurie Fox, Ph.D., Virginia Tech Hampton Roads AREC

11:00-11:15 Break

11:15-11:45 Forest Composition, Regeneration, and Tree Quality: Selective Cutting vs Shelterwood in the South– Suzanne Ryan, Appalachian Forest Restoration, LLC

11:45-12:15 Emerging Invasive Plants in Virginia – Lindsay Caplan, Virginia Department of Forestry

12:15-12:45 Emergency Response & Spill Management – Laura Maxey-Nay, Virginia Cooperative Extension

12:45-1:40 LUNCH provided by VAFHP

1:40-1:45 Recertification Credit Form Process – Joan Allen, Fairfax County Urban Forest Management

1:45-2:15 Update on emerging and invasive pests attacking ornamentals – Alejandro Del-Pozo, Ph.D., Virginia Tech Dept. of Entomology

2:15-2:45 Trees and Turf – Mike Goatley, Ph.D., Virginia Tech School of Plant and Environmental Sciences

2:45-3:15 Utility-scale Solar in Virginia: Informational Resources for Supporting Land Owners with Decision Making – John Ignosh & & Jennifer Friedel, VT/Virginia Cooperative Extension

3:15-3:30 Break

3:30- 4:00 Current Status of Beech Leaf Disease – Carrie Fearer, Ph.D., Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservations

4:00- 4:30 Finding a management for Beech Leaf Disease: the progress we’ve made so far* –Brady Holko, The Davey Institute and Diagnostic Lab

4:30 – 5:00 The Race to Save an Iconic Species the American chestnut (Castanea dentata) – Cassie Stark, The American Chestnut Foundation

5:00 Announcements and Adjourn

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

8:00-8:30 Registration

8:30-9:00 Current Trends With Utility Vegetation Management – Charlie Smyth, Alligare

9:00-9:30 Vascular Steak Dieback (VSD) of Woody Ornamentals in Virginia – Devin Bily, VDACS

9:30-10:15 2022-2023 Pesticide Regulatory Update – Christine Haslam, VDACS

10:15-10:30 Break

10:30-11:00 Bat Regulations Update – Ally Robinson, Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc

11:00-11:30 Tree survival and media characteristics in urban bioretention media tree planters – Sara Klopf, Virginia Tech

11:30- 12:00 Invasive Worms in Virginia – Theresa Dellinger, Insect ID Lab, Virginia Tech

12:00 – 12:30 Spotted Lanternfly, Experiences in and Around Winchester Virginia Since 2018 – Mark Sutphin, VCE

12:30-12:45 Wrap-up and adjourn / Lunch on your own

* Presentation will be delivered virtually

The VAFHP Conference Planning Committee is thankful... for you.

Not only for participating in this educational and networking event, but for

doing what you do.

Together we improve the lives of all Virginians, even those who don’t know

they depend on the trees and forests we tend to.