Noah Johnson | Daily Press Hundreds of individuals met in Green Bay Tuesday for the annual Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association (GLTPA) Spring Celebration. The event included various vendors, speakers and prizes.

GREEN BAY — The Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association (GLTPA) held its Spring Celebration at the KI Convention Center in Green Bay on Tuesday.

The convention-style event featured speakers in the showroom, roughly 40 exhibitors, a luncheon, an award presentation and prizes.

This year, the event featured presentations on conservation, water quality for forests and forestry education.

The major sponsor for the event was the Hamilton Roddis Foundation, which brought the keynote speaker Brian Dangler, the senior vice president and director of the Working Forest Fund for the Conservation Fund.

Dangler provided a history of the organization, what it does, and how it benefits the industry.

The organization identifies at-risk private forests and purchases them, restoring the habitat while also harvesting timber. The Working Forest Fund then acquires a permanent conservation easement to permanently protect the forests from certain activities before reselling the land to a public or private buyer.

“Everything we do involves land and people; keeping people on land,” he said.

Natural Resource Conservationist Mike Dahlby returned to the celebration, covering Best Management Practices (BMP) for water quality in forestry.

“Forestry BMPs are really a set of preventive measures that we use to protect water quality while we’re conducting forest management activities,” Dahlby said.

Common examples of BMPs include practices such as timber harvest planning, wetland and stream crossings, riparian management zones, forest road design, location, and the permitting process of crossings.

Those who attended Dahlby’s presentations on BMPs earned a Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) credit.

Attendees also heard from the Executive Director for Trees for Tomorrow, Cheryl Todea, who provided insight into the organization.

According to her presentation, Trees for Tomorrow’s mission is to promote sustainable natural resource management through education – transformative, real-life educational experiences.

The organization was founded in 1944, and members immediately began providing education in schools regarding forest management. 81 years later, the organization continues to provide education.

“We continue to carry on that vision of educating the next generation,” Todea said.

The GLTPA honored multiple individuals between presentations, including Mark Huempfner, a long-time GLTPA board member. Huemfner received a plaque of appreciation for his service to the organization.

The GLTPA also honored John Koerner of Koerner Forest Products, LTD, for his first-place performance at the Great Lakes Logging and Heavy Equipment Expo back in September of 2024.

Finally, two individuals were honored with merit awards, including Tom Buckingham, general manager of Forest Insurance based in Newberry. The GLTPA highlighted his various positions and roles in the forestry industry. He currently serves with several organizations, including the Michigan Department of Resources Eastern Upper Peninsula Citizens Advisory Council, Newberry Chamber of Commerce, U.P. Deer Management Initiative, and Upper Peninsula Sportsmen’s Alliance, among others.

“Tom Buckingham is hereby recognized as GLTPA’s 2025 merit award recipient. His efforts will help ensure sustainable forest management, conservation, and forest Health in the Lake States Region for generations to come,” said GLTPA Executive Director Henry Schienebeck.

Laurie Schienebeck, events coordinator and office manager for the GLTPA, was also honored with a merit award.

A GLTPA member introduced Laurie by video, saying she is an organized, frugal, and hardworking individual who is known throughout the region for her quick responses and can-do attitude.

Laurie seemed surprised when she accepted the award, saying she wasn’t planning on taking any speaking engagements.

“I hope you all know we appreciate all your participation in our events, and you make my job simple. And I’m just blessed to have a great team that I work with,” Laurie said.