FLORENCE, Wis. -- Michigan State University Extension will present a sustainable forestry conference on Thursday, April 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at Encore on Central in Florence.

Communities in northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula are struggling with the loss of forest products industries and workers, and the subsequent departure of residents because of a lack of higher paying jobs.

Once a mainstay of small towns in the region, lumber and pulp mills are closing because of increased competition from abroad and high prices for timber due to issues surrounding the supply of raw materials.

The conference will serve as an opportunity for community leaders to learn about trends in the forest products industry and network with other communities on ways to support the forest economy.

Additionally, it is designed to provide local decision-makers with the tools for developing both short and long-range plans for sustaining the forest industries their communities rely on.

The conference is targeted at members and officials of local governments, economic development staff, participants in the forest products industry, school administrators and boards, as well as state legislators.

It will address the following subjects:

--Global concerns and local impacts for sustainable forestry.

--Elements of a sustainable forestry plan for a community.

--New opportunities for forest products industries.

--New opportunities for community stability.