Limestone County native and state representative Danny Crawford was recently awarded at the Alabama Landowners Conference.

Crawford received the Bill Moody Award at the event, held last Wednesday in Prattville. It is the highest honor given by the Alabama TREASURE Forest Association and honored Crawford’s commitment to multiple-use forest management.

The award is named after former State Forester Bill Moody, who founded the TREASURE Forest certification in 1974 and died earlier this year.

The conference, which featured more than 200 landowners and natural resources professionals, was hosted by the ATFA, Alabama Natural Resources Council and Alabama Tree Farm Committee.

“Alabama is blessed with 23 million acres of forestland, 94% of which is privately owned,” said ATFA Executive Director William Green. “It was a pleasure to welcome landowners from across the state to one combined meeting, where they learned key skills to improve their management techniques.”
Educational sessions concentrated on forest markets, landscape management, chronic wasting disease, the White Oak Initiative, feral swine removal and more. A panel of experts including landowner Salem Saloom discussed innovative, alternative revenue sources from forestland. The theme was echoed during landowner tours at Sherer Longleaf Farm and the Central Alabama Fowl Preserve in Chilton County.


Additionally, an ATFA silent auction raised $1,800 for scholarships. Sean Dietrich, popularly known as Sean of the South, entertained attendees during the welcome banquet. Dietrich’s columns are featured in Neighbors magazine, a publication of the Alabama Farmers Federation, of which ATFA is an affiliate.

— Moore writes for the Alabama Farmers Federation.