Inspector's Corner
Thank you for volunteering with American Tree Farm System to ensure the American Forest Foundation's (AFF) Standards of Sustainability for forest certification are met by Tree Farmers. By workings together, American Tree Farm System can make a significant contribution to the health, productivity and longevity of America's private woodlands.
Upcoming Webinar for Foresters
One Plan to Manage Them All: Understanding and Using the Uniform Forest Management Plan Template and Guidelines
Join us for a webinar on May 21st at 11 am EDT and 3 pm EDT to hear from Rick Fletcher about the new nationally recognized Uniform Forest Management Plan! Sign up today!
With
the advent of the nationally recognized Uniform Forest Management Plans Template and guidelines, helping
forestry landowners meet management plan requirements of the American Tree Farm
System, Conservation Programs sponsored by the National Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS), and Stewardship Plan requirements of the U.S. Forest Service
just became much simpler. Find out more about this template via a free 60
minute webinar offered on Tuesday, May 21, 2013.
The webinar will be presented by Rick Fletcher, Professor Emeritus, Oregon
State University Extension, and is co-sponsored by the American Forest
Foundation and NRCS. Continuing education credit have been requested. For more
information contact Caroline Kuebler, American Tree Farm System.
Remember, this webinar will be presented twice so please register for one today:
Resources
- Inspector Training: How do you become an Inspector? All candidates who meet the Inspector Requirements take a 4-hour classroom Inspector Training held by each State's Committee. Please contact your state for the next classroom Inspector Training.
- Online training: a 1-hour training that serves as a refresher for Inspectors, available through the ATFS Database
- ATFS Database Inspector Training
- 2010-2015 AFF Standards of Sustainability are the current Standards all ATFS certified Tree Farms follow.
- Management Plan Template is a useful tool for landowners and foresters when creating or updating forest management plans.
- 2010 Management Plan Addendum is a tool foresters and landowners can use to update their management plans from the 2004 Standards to the 2010-2015 Standards. It's also a great place to record their research throughout to keep their management plan current and relevant.
- 004 Forms are the forms Inspecting Foresters fill out when initially certify or re-inspecting Tree Farms. Best Practice: keep a stack of these forms in your vehicle so you can perform an inspection anytime!
- Editable PDF of 004 Form
- Contact your state for a hard copy
- How to complete a 004 Form
- Certification provides information about certification options for landowners, and background information about third-party certification and recognition.
- Guidence for Carbon Sequestration: a document that provides information on the importance of carbon sequestration and the steps foresters can take with their clients to get involved in carbon markets
- Southern Woodland Owners and Conservation Agreements: A comprehensive guide to various conservation agreements
- Sightline: the quarterly print newsletter for Inspectors
- Sightline Express: the monthly E-newsletter for Inspectors.
- Building the Future Together: Webinar for Foresters (June 7, 2012). This webinar gives an overview about the strategy of excellence for the American Tree Farm System®.
Contacts
Expand Your Base! Turn the Diverse Populations of Landowners into Your Clientele Workshop
This workshop is designed to help foresters grow their businesses and/or expand their programs by learning innovative methods for reaching out to, and cultivating a diverse population of landowners.
The workshop derives much of its information from the US Forest Service’s National Woodland Owner Survey conducted from 2002 to 2006 as well as subsequent research and information conducted by the Sustaining Family Forests Initiative.
We host these workshops throughout the country and at national conventions (SAF and ACF). Please contact Mike Burns at mburns@forestfoundation.org to learn more about these workshops.
Upcoming Workshop
SAF Convention: Saturday October 27, 2012
Resources available for foresters from this workshop include
Four Presentations
- Why ‘Saving the Trees’ is Ruining the Forests
- 8 Easy Ways to Do Right by My Land
- Keeping My Woods in the Family
- I Came Up Here to Have Fun, Not to Work!
Brochure
Supplies are limited and available to foresters who have participated in the workshop.
Recognition
For more information, email operations@forestfoundation.org
- Hard Hat Award recognizes inspecting foresters who reached certification landmarks in their career with ATFS
- Bronze: Inspectors who have certified 25 new Tree Farms
- Silver: Inspectors who have certified 50 new Tree Farms
- Gold: Inspectors who have certified 100 new Tree Fams
- Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year recognizes Tree Farmers that have done an exceptional job of forest management on their properties and an exceptional job of promoting sustainable forestry
- Inspector of the Year recognizes inspecting foresters with high activity over the past year, as well as activity in outreach and education
Stumped? Get your questions answered!
