The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) Small Farm Program will host a virtual meeting for landowners on Monday, March 7, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. titled “Give the Landowner a Voice.” The webinar is meant for forest landowners, disadvantaged farmers, and rural homeowners.
Kandi Williams, the Extension Program aide and coordinator for UAPB’s Keeping it in the Family (KIITF) Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Program encourages landowners who are dealing with troublesome heirs’ property issues to attend the meeting. The term “heirs’ property” refers to family land inherited without a will or legal documentation of ownership.
“This webinar will share estate planning tips from the perspective of landowners,” she said. “A couple of landowners who participate in the KIITF program will be sharing their stories on how they have created a family trust, fostered healthy family dialogue, and used the resources gained from the KIITF team members to participate in conservation programs.”
Attendees will learn about the basics of succession planning, property taxes, making family trees, conflict resolution, and the use of online mapping tools for absentee landowners. The session will also feature an overview of the Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Network. The organization’s mission is to create a sustainable support system for African American forestland owners, which enhances land retention and asset development and significantly increases the value of African American-owned forests.
Williams said this webinar is the first in a series of UAPB Small Farm Program webinars planned for the year that focuses on landowner empowerment. Each session will feature landowners who have enhanced their land through a partnership with UAPB. The sessions will provide educational resources and technical assistance to African American forest landowners to protect and retain their family land for future generations. They are tentatively scheduled for May, August, and October.
The virtual meeting will take place on the Zoom videoconferencing platform. The link to the meeting is https://uapb-edu.zoom.us/j/82116725145. Landowners can also contact Karen Lee, UAPB Extension assistant, at [email protected] or (870) 575-7225 to have the link sent to their email address.
