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The Virginia Association of Forest Health Professionals 34th Annual Conference

February 12 @ 8:00 am - February 13 @ 1:00 pm

The Virginia Association of Forest Health Professionals

34th Annual Conference

February 12-13, 2026
The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center

Blacksburg, Virginia

Thursday, February 12, 2026

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8:00-9:00          Registration

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

9:15-9:30          Welcome and Opening Remarks – Saskia van de Gevel, Ph.D, Dean of the College of Natural Resources, Virginia Tech

9:30-10:00        Collaborative Research on Eastern White Pine Dieback– Bud Mayfield, Ph.D., USDA Forest Service

10:00-10:30      Prescribed Fire 2.0: Thinking Beyond First-Entry Burns in the Appalachian Mountains – Adam Coates, Ph.D., Virginia Tech

10:30-10:45      Break

10:45-11:15       Protecting Your Power, One Tree at a Time– Aaron Humphries and Joshua Hale, Appalachian Power Company

11:15-11:45       Drone Applications in Virginia State Parks – Al Cire and Reed Stanley, Virginia State Parks

11:45-12:15      Hurricane Helene Response – Jim Whipp, Virginia Department of Forestry (waiting for talk title)

12:15-1:05        LUNCH provided by VAFHP

1:05-1:15          Recertification Credit Form Process – Joan Allen, Fairfax County Urban Forest Management

1:15-1:45          Update on Campus Projects – Jamie King, Virginia Tech (Place Holder)

1:45-2:25         Invasive Species Collaborative (ISC) at Virginia Tech: Initiatives & Invitations – Hallie Harriman, ISC Program Coordinator

Flash Research updates:

  • Detection of Resistance in Fraser Fir to the Balsam Woolly Adelgid – William Parrot, VT Dept of Forest Resources & Environmental Conservation Graduate Student

  • Two Specialist Predators of Hemlock Wooly Adelgid– Olivia Andrews, VT Dept of Entomology Graduate Student

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2:25-2:55           Ecosystem Services Markets as an Opportunity to Increase Forestland Value– Stella Schons, Ph.D., Virginia Tech

2:55-3:10          Break

3:10-3:55           Aquatic Pest Control – Steve Owens, Justin Heflin, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources

3:55–4:25         Soil remediation through Profile Rebuilding – Vincent Verweij, Arlington County, Virginia

4:25–4:55         Forest Development Sixteen Years After Mine Land Reclamation in Virginia – Chris Fields-Johnson, Ph.D., Davey Institute

4:55–5:10          Announcements and Adjourn

Friday, February 13, 2026

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8:00-8:30          Registration

8:30-9:00          Beating the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB): Intelligent Optimization to Protect Urban Ash Trees from Infestation – Esra Buyuktahtakin Toy, Ph.D, Virginia Tech

9:00-9:30          Pesticide Applicator & Environmental Safety – Meredith Hoggatt, Virginia Cooperative Extension

9:30-10:00        Identifying and Dealing with Off-target Herbicide Effects – Michael Flessner, Ph.D, Virginia Tech

10:00-10:15      You Suspect Herbicide Injury, Now What? – Kate Hrezo, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

10:15-10:30      Break

10:30-11:00       Box Tree Moth – New Insect Invader to Virginia – David Gianino, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

11:00-11:45       2025-2026 Pesticide Regulatory Legal Update – Kate Hrezo, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

11:45-12:15      A Tale of Two Fungi: An Update on Biological Control Options for Tree-of-Heaven and Autumn Olive – Carrie Fearer, Ph.D., Virginia Tech

12:15 – 12:45    Inoculated Pine Carbon Credit Program – Andrew Stewart, Funga

12:45-1:00        Wrap-up and adjourn / Lunch on your own

Details

Organizer