What does it take to manage Ohio’s forests?
ENR 5340, Forest Ecosystem Management, opened its doors for a special lecture on management planning for Ohio's State Forests. The course is offered through the School of Environment and Natural Resources and taught by Dr. Roger Williams.
Who better to learn about real world forest management planning from than invited speakers Dan Balser, chief of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry and Ben Kelley, land management administrator of the ODNR Division of Forestry. With vast professional experience between them, the pair provided insights into how the Division of Forestry is organized, benefits of working with the Division and the forest management planning protocols for the state forests.
"It was important for students to see many of the considerations and principles of forest management planning that we discuss in class being applied in reality to our state forests," said Dr. Williams shared.
The course offered autumn semester seeks to introduce the student to the concepts, definitions, dynamics, and processes of forest ecosystems across landscapes so that they may develop greater understanding of biodiversity in forested landscapes and the ability to synthesize those concepts into resource management at stand and landscape levels. Students develop working knowledge of concepts, methods, and tools to manage forests for biodiversity, habitat, riparian areas, and special areas within the framework of managing forests for traditional products
About the invited presenters
As Chief of the Division of Forestry, Dan Balser oversees the management of more than 200,000 acres of state forest land and ODNR’s efforts to protect forests and promote sustainable use of Ohio’s renewable forest resources. Dan has worked at ODNR since 1985 and earned his bachelor’s degree in Forest Resource management and master’s degrees in Natural Resource Management from The Ohio State University. His previous positions with the Division of Forestry include Urban Forester, Forest Health Program Administrator, Woodlands Job Corps Program Manager, and Assistant Chief.
Ben Kelly has worked for ODNR for 16 years (13 years of those with the Division of Forestry). He has worked as the manager at Pike State Forest and currently serves as the State Land Management Administrator. Ben went to Hocking College and Shawnee State University.