Alex Harvey is a consulting Forester and a Registered Professional Forester in Mississippi and Alabama. Alex has helped with the development and pilot of the Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Program (SFLR) and will be diving into some of the work he has done to help educate landowners about the value of their land.
On today’s episode, Alex lists some challenges he has had in his line of work and some of the reasons why a landowner would benefit from working with a consulting forester. There’s a lot of bad apples that spoil it for the rest of us and it takes time to build up the trust that you’re one of the good guys.
Key Takeaways:
[1:40] A message from Leadership Nature.
[2:20] A quick intro about Alex’s background.
[4:30] How did Alex come up with the name ‘Legacy Land Management’ for his company?
[7:40] Alex gives a quick recap on what is Heirs property.
[12:55] How did Alex first get into this line of work?
[21:50] What are some of the reasons why a landowner would want to work with Alex?
[24:55] Alex shares a horror story about what happened to an elderly lady’s land and timber.
[32:15] It took Alex about three years to help landowners make small steps towards the proper use of their land.
[34:45] What resources can landowners tap into to get the help that they need?
[38:25] What kinds of challenges does Alex run into and why does he love his job?
Mentioned in This Episode:
Alex’s website: Legacylandmanagement.org
Alex’s first interview on the show: June 2018
Website for the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities: Usendowment.org
More information on the SFLR Program: Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Program (SFLR)
More information on USDA NRCS services: Nrcs.usda.gov
Alex Singleton is a Fiber Specialist at International Paper in Port Wentworth, Georgia and he played an instrumental part in Founding the Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Program (SFLR) in Charleston, South Carolina. Previously, he founded a conservation curriculum for underserved youth. This career camp helped shape the minds of our students and gave them a sturdy introduction into the forestry and natural resources field! Find out more about Alex and his incredible work on today’s episode. Landowners have trust issues when it comes to working with others, and they have every reason to be skeptical.
Key Takeaways:
[1:40] A message from Leadership Nature.
[2:20] A quick intro about Alex’s background.
[4:10] How did Alex first get started in forestry?
[8:40] Ms. Balkman was a scary Spanish teacher, but Alex credits her for making the connections necessary to get him introduced to forestry.
[13:40] Alex shares what his experience at Mead Westvaco Paper was like.
[18:00] Alex started a career camp for minority students in Charleston. The camp was active from 1993 to 2006 and a lot of students were exposed to the natural resource industry during that time!
[23:30] How did Alex get introduced to the SFLR program?
[26:45] If you’re not familiar with how the timber markets work, landowners can get poached by buyers and really lose out on the worth of their timber.
[33:45] As Alex was trying to put a program in place for rural African American landowners, the U.S. Endowment gave him a call and was offering a $500,000 grant.
[39:35] Once they started the program, the Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation had phones ringing off the hook from curious landowners.
[46:10] Landowners definitely have trust issues when it comes to working with others, and they have every reason to be skeptical.
[51:35] What advice does Alex have for landowners?
[55:20] What advice does Alex have for fellow resource professionals?
Mentioned in This Episode:
Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Program (SFLR)
Dr. Jennie Stephens is the Executive Director for the Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation. At the center, she’s responsible for overall strategic planning, revenue generation, financial & staff management, and program operations. Dr. Stephens has dedicated more than 25 years in the non-profit industry and is very passionate about building relationships with people who have experienced a history of abuse when it comes to their land and their rights. Find out more about the important work she does on this week’s episode! Landowners are skeptical (and rightfully so) to work with organizations. It takes time to build a good reputation.
Key Takeaways:
[1:40] A message from Leadership Nature.
[2:25] A quick intro about Dr. Stephens’s background.
[4:20] How did the Center For Heirs Property Preservation first get started?
[7:45] How has the Center evolved since its creation in 2005?
[12:00] The Center was one of the first three to be funded. We are now up to eight new legal centers throughout the U.S.
[14:10] How does Dr. Stephens help her clients?
[15:50] What kind of barriers do clients typically face that prevents them from moving forward?
[17:55] A lot of times, you’re asking heirs to make a business decision when they don’t even know who the other shareholders are.
[19:35] Dr. Stephens shares a couple of examples of how they were able to get over hurdles and build a good reputation for their center.
[21:50] Dr. Stephens and her team have resolved over 216 cases since the creation of the Center.
[23:25] When land gets lost, it doesn’t just impact the family, it impacts the community fundamentally.
[24:40] Dr. Stephens shares both a legal and a forestry case that was resolved at the Center.
[29:35] What kinds of partners have supported and helped the Center?
[34:30] What advice does Dr. Stephens have to include more diversity within the forestry community?
[37:20] Dr. Stephens shares some final words of wisdom about land retention.
Mentioned in This Episode: