Tag Archives: Georgia Forestry Association

A Life Rooted in Forestry and Purpose – Meet Bob Izlar

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Danielsville, GA |

For Bob Izlar, the outdoors has always been more than just a place—it’s been a way of life. Growing up in Ware County in the 1950s and 60s, much of his time was spent hunting, fishing, and exploring the Okefenokee Swamp—a place that still holds a special place in his heart.

“I’m from Ware County. Grew up down there in the fifties and sixties, hunting and fishing a lot in the Okefenokee Swamp, so I got to know the Okefenokee really well,” Izlar says. “Always has had a special place in my heart.”

After high school, Izlar enrolled at the University of Georgia, where the ROTC program and the Vietnam War would shape his path, leading him into military service overseas until 1974. Following his return, Izlar began a long and impactful career in forestry, eventually spending more than a decade at the Georgia Forestry Association. There, he helped lead a decades-long fight to fairly tax agricultural and forest land.

“The Farm Bureau and Georgia Forestry Association had worked hand in hand for twenty-six years to get current use treatment of ag land and forest land,” says Izlar. “And for twenty-six years, we got kicked in the teeth, could not get it passed—couldn’t even get it on the ballot. And in the twenty-seventh year, the conditions finally got right that we were able to get the resolution passed.”

But for Izlar, forestry has never just been a job—it’s been a passion and a purpose. In 1997, he became the founding director of the Harley Langdale Jr. Center for Forest Business at UGA, creating a first-of-its-kind program designed to prepare future forestry leaders.

“Forestry, at its very basic, is agriculture,” he explains. “The forest brings us so many benefits—clean air, clean water, wildlife. You know, forestry is a calling. It’s a profession, but to me, it’s also a cause, and it’s extremely important that future generations learn about the benefits of forests so they don’t all get converted to something else through time.”

Izlar’s life and work are deeply intertwined with Georgia Farm Bureau’s mission, and he says he’s proud to be recognized by an organization that shares his values.

“It’s just a deep respect that I have because it’s a farmer organization. They have my values as I think I have theirs—because we love the land, we love the United States of America, we love private property rights, and we want to see rural life continue in Georgia,” Izlar says. “I think all of us understand that rural lifestyle is certainly under threat, so Farm Bureau is one of the last guardians of the rural lifestyle.”

By: John Holcomb

Immersive Fair Exhibit Showcases Forestry

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Perry, GA |

Ag is of course big business here in Georgia, and a new exhibit inside the Georgia Grown Building at the Georgia National Fair is aimed at making people aware of that fact with the new “Seedlings to Solution’s Experience” – an exhibit designed to showcase Georgia’s thriving forestry industry, which happens to be number one in the country.

“We came to agreement with Commissioner Harper to bring a new life to and contemporary look to Georgia Grown and give the fairgoers and the people who attend who don’t know anything about Georgia agriculture, Georgia forestry, etc., and rural communities that thrive by those industries, but to give them a new, modern, conventional look at, it’s big business; AG’s big business. Forestry’s big business,” says David Bridges, Director of Georgia’s Rural Center.

“To be able to present forestry and to show Georgians such a great experience at the fair is so exciting for us. We’ve been working on this for a year, and we can’t wait to have people come in, learn about forestry in Georgia. Learn what makes a working forest tick. Learn the importance of forestry in Georgia outside of, you know, your typical paper or lumber in your home, but to be able to see all the many ways that we use wood products here in Georgia and in the world,” says Wendy Burnett, Director of Public Relations for the Georgia Forestry Commission.

What makes the exhibit so unique is the fact that it’s an immersive experience – one that allows people the chance to explore the forestry industry from the time the tree is planted as a seedling until it’s harvested and used to create products consumers love and enjoy.

“If you feel a certain way about forestry that’s negative or you don’t understand why we have to harvest trees or why forests need to be managed; the best thing that we can do is take you on a field trip and show you the forest and show you what we’re doing, let you behind the gates to see what management looks like every day and the stewards that are making that happen. The cool part about this exhibit is that gives us an opportunity to bring really the forest to the average fair grower and the people who are coming and visiting this fair,” says Matt Hestad, Senior VP of the Georgia Forestry Association.

In the end however, the ultimate goal they hope to achieve is just bridging the gap between Georgia’s forests and consumers by showing them the different aspects of the industry and its important role in their everyday lives and more importantly, our state’s economy.

“We really wanted to give people the broad view of forestry in Georgia to see all the different careers available for instance in forestry. It’s not just a logger, it’s not just a sawmill worker. There’s so many different careers in forestry. We also wanted people to understand what it means to have a working forest, and that it’s okay to harvest trees because we’re planting more trees right back to replace those. And we want them to understand that Georgia’s forests are a renewable resource. We want them to understand that they should feel good about using forest products that come from Georgia’s working forests,” says Burnett.

By: John Holcomb