DUBUQUE, Iowa — Forest owners voted with their feet this year, selling out the 26th Tri-State Forest Stewardship Conference weeks before its March 1 event date. More than 300 participants packed the Grand River Conference Center in Dubuque.
The rise in attendance makes one thing clear: there is an urgency among private landowners who manage 80% of the region's forests while facing challenges from invasive species, extreme weather events, and changing markets.
This year's conference introduced a "Basics of Forestry" track that became an unexpected hit. Sessions on tree identification, working with foresters, and understanding forest management plans drew standing-room-only crowds, highlighting the interest of new woodland owners looking for foundational knowledge through this event.
"One of the biggest strengths of the conference is its multi-state nature, both in the presenters and the audience," says Christopher Evans, Extension forester with University of Illinois Extension. "Landowners from each state bring unique perspectives that enrich the entire community."
The event buzzed with activity as dozens of exhibitors — from conservation nonprofits to timber businesses — engaged with attendees during breaks. Conversations spilled into hallways and continued through lunch as participants swapped strategies for tackling common threats like oak regeneration challenges and emerging forest diseases.
Iowa State Extension Forester Billy Beck's presentation regarding knowing your woodlands gave landowners practical tools to understand their woodland ecosystems at a deeper level. Meanwhile, University of Iowa's Lara Noldner presented the keynote on cultural resource management and protecting archaeological sites in forested areas.
Sessions on invasive species management, generational land transfers, and wildlife habitat management all ran over their allotted times as questions from participants continued well beyond scheduled endpoints.
Despite representing three states with varied forest types, attendees discovered their core challenges transcend state lines.
"Despite ecological differences across the region, similar broad issues affect all woodland owners," says Kris Tiles, forestry and wildlife program manager with University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension. "Invasive species, extreme weather, changing markets, family transitions —these impact landowners regardless of whether they're managing sugar maple or white oak."
The day concluded with a forward-looking panel featuring forestry leaders from Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin discussing new cost-share opportunities and evolving programs available to private landowners.
The conference is co-hosted by University of Illinois Extension, Iowa State Extension, and University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension. The 2026 Tri-State Forest Stewardship Conference will be hosted by Wisconsin next year, building on the momentum of this year's success.
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.