The Tri-State Forest Stewardship Conference has a 25+ year tradition of providing great information and resources to forest landowners in the Illinois/Iowa/Wisconsin tri-state area. It has been one of the largest conferences for forest landowners in the Midwest.
The 2025 Tri-State Forest Stewardship Conference will be held March 1st at the Grand River Center in Dubuque, Iowa, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This conference is sponsored by Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin Extension Services. This year’s keynote speaker is Lara Noldner from the University of Iowa. Lara will discuss managing cultural resources and protecting Archeological sites. New this year to the conference is a Basics of Forestry tract, that gives great information to landowners that are just getting started in forest management or anyone looking for a refresher. This tract includes sessions on Tree Identification, working with a forester, knowing your woods, and understanding forest management plans. Other topics at the conference include invasive species, wildlife, using chainsaws, forest health, pruning, generational land transfers, and more.
The day will end with a discussion with Forestry leaders from each state on programs, cost-share opportunities, and new initiatives available to landowners.
The Tri-State Forest Stewardship Conference is designed specifically for forest landowners in the Midwest, but forestry professionals, consultants, volunteers, Master Naturalists, and students are all encouraged to attend. The conference is scheduled for Saturday, March 1, 2025, and will be held at the Grand River Center, 500 Bell Street, Dubuque, IA. Check-in will be from 8 to 9 a.m. that morning. The conference begins promptly at 9 a.m.
Preregistration is required to guarantee a seat and lunch. To register visit us online at https://go.illinois.edu/TriStateForestry or by calling the Extension Office at (815) 858-2273. Registration, including lunch, is $55 on or before February 21 and $65 afterwards.
If you need reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, please contact the local Extension Office at (815) 858-2273.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy.