Restoring Faith members Orlando Phelps and Clifton E. Peters, along with a local farmer, participated in the Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention Conference in Birmingham from May 12–14, 2026. They were highly impressed with the information shared by speakers who focused on providing practical avenues for landowners to retain ownership of their land across multiple generations.
Several speakers emphasized the importance of families working together to ensure land remains under family control and ownership. Key legal and financial tools discussed during the conference included wills, trusts, and limited liability corporations (LLCs), all of which can help families protect and manage inherited land more effectively.
Additional topics of interest included exploring both traditional and non-traditional methods of marketing forest products. Traditional timber sales remain a primary source of income for many landowners; however, presenters also highlighted opportunities to market value-added forest products such as lumber, wood chips, and pellets. Other emerging opportunities discussed included agritourism and wildlife harvesting, which are increasingly being used to enhance the economic potential and long-term sustainability of forest land ownership.
