A new "Master Tree Farmer 2000" course from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, which will be broadcast live, via satellite, to 11 counties across Alabama, including Butler County, will teach forest landowners how to better manage their land.

Butler County was chosen to be one of the remote location for this special broadcast because of the large number of forest landowners in the surrounding area. In all, there will be seven presentations broadcast from Clemson University. Attendees that complete six of the seven presentations will receive Master Tree Farmer certification and a hat, decal and shoulder patch.

Butler County Extension Agent Russty Parrish said the MTF2000 course will introduce landowners to stewardship considerations, best management practices for protecting the environment, planning for objectives and services and assistance available for managing forest land. He said the program will involve state, regional and national experts on a variety of topics.

"This course will give landowners information on how to make their stands grow better and will teach them how to better market their timber," Parrish said. "It will inform them on developing trends in the timber industry and help them better plan for the future."

Parrish said each session will involve topics ranging from and introduction to forest management and forestry concepts to wildlife management and selling and harvesting timber. Other topics include pine/ hardwood management, forestry finance, taxation, estate planning and forestry services available for the landowner.

He said that more than 250 landowners in the surrounding area have been sent registration information in the mail, but that anyone interested in attending the sessions should contact the County Extension Office for registration materials.

The cost for all seven sessions is $50 per person or $70 per couple and includes a 1,000 page notebook covering all the topics presented during the broadcasts. For more information, contact Russty Parrish at the County Extension office at 382-5111, Paul Hudgins at the Alabama Forestry Commission at 376-9114, or visit the MTF2000 web site at www.mtf2000.net.