Network News: Inspectors Archive  filter by date: March 2005

ATFS Names Heather Wierzbicki Inspector of the Year

Heather Wierzbicki, of Phenix City, Ala,was named the 2004 National Tree FarmInspecting Forester of the Year and thewinner of the Wesley R. Meier Outstanding InspectingForester of the Year Award.

Nominate an ATFS Volunteer Inspector for the 2005 Tree Farm Inspector of the Year Contest

American Forest Foundation sponsors this annual award to recognize top performers among the thousands of Tree Farm inspecting foresters. Any inspecting forester can be nominated, provided the state chair approves the nomination. The nominee does not necessarily have to be the state's Inspector of the Year.

Tree Farm Certification Gaining Momentum

It's always nice to be recognized for a job well done. Following a decade of progress in strengthening and positioning ATFS as a certification program, the hard work has begun to pay off. ATFS continues to gain recognition as a credible certification alternative for family forest owners.

Congratulations to Jeffrey Brown and Austin Short

Jeffrey G. Brown, of Elgin, S.C., was honored with the 2005 National Field Leadership Award at the ATFS National Leadership Conference in San Antonio in March 2005. Delaware State Forester, Austin Short, was named the 2004 winner of the Sustained Excellence Award.

Not Trained Yet? What to do.

All Tree Farm Inspectors need to complete refresher training before conducting new inspections new inspections to the new AFF Standards that went into effect on July 1, 2004.The refresher training is just that – it is only intended for foresters who previously completed the full six-hour workshop covering all aspects of the Tree Farm program.

Backlog Elimination Strategy Phase 2: Properties Not Inspected in 6-9 years

Eliminating the reinspection backlog has been a priority for state Tree Farm committees in recent years.There are no longer any Tree Farms in ATFS that have not been inspected in more than 10 years. These properties were removed from the system at the beginning of the year(Phase One). Phase Two of the backlog elimination strategy is underway.

004 Form Extension

Transitioning to the new AFF Standards required several provisional steps be taken. One of these steps was changing the time when 004 Forms were distributed. 

Stumped Spring 2005

Answers to Inspectors' Most Frequently Asked questions

Question: I have completed all my assigned reinspections, what do I do now?

Question: What if I have suggestions for the national office?