Leadership Update, January 2014

The monthly e-newsletter exclusively for ATFS State Committee leaders.

Special Announcements
Tools
On the Ground

Special Announcements

Please join us in welcoming Nephtali Chavez - New Certification Coordinator

We are very excited to announce Nephtali Chavez will be joining our AFF Family as the new ATFS Certification Coordinator, effective Tuesday, January 21, 2014.

Nephtali (pronounced neff-taly) has a B.S Degree in Environmental Science and Policy with a concentration in Environmental Restoration and Management and a minor in Sustainability, from the University of Maryland. Nephtali worked as an intern with the USFS, Northeastern Area where she collaborated on a national GIS project for wildfires and designed a database for the regional Forest Legacy Program and Incident Command System. Nephtali also assisted with outreach and education of Native American Tribes in the Midwest on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLR) Action Plan and studied forest stream health and ecology on the Alleghany National Forest. While at the University of Maryland, she served as an undergraduate assistant with Fagan Lab and an office assistant with the Institute of Applied Agriculture. Her phone number will be 202-765-3529 and her email is nchavez@forestfoundation.org. Sarah Crow will be in DC on Tuesday and we'll be working hard to get Nephtali trained and ready to help you with all of your database and inspection needs as soon as possible!

Final call for ROTFY Nominations!

Annual recognition of outstanding Tree Farmers at the state, regional, and national levels is a great way to validate their hard work on the ground. Nominations for the 2014 Regional Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year are due Saturday, February 1, 2014. The nomination information can be found under "Recognition" in the Leaders Only section of our website. For questions, please contact Sara Anrrich at sanrrich@forestfoundation.org

Calling all Tree Farm Inspectors!

We are currently seeking four (4) active ATFS Inspectors to judge the eight (8) finalists for the Regional Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year award. Your schedule will need to be flexible in the months of March and April, and ATFS will cover most travel expenses. Judges will be selected based on experience with the Tree Farm program, as well as flexibility and availability to travel during the judging months. Please contact Sara Anrrich for more info.

Tools

Committee Roster and Reporting Templates

The year-end reports from our state committees are a tool that we use to report to AFF’s Board of Trustees highlighting all of the work that has been accomplished on the ground, as well as the hard work and long hours of our volunteers who help the program run. The 2013 Program Reporting Templates, as well as the 2014 Roster, and the 2013 Grant Reporting forms are all available on Leaders Only:

Committee Roster Template – Was Due December 16

State Report Form – Due January 31

2013 Grant Report Form – Due January 31

Education Grant Report Form - Due January 31

Capacity Grant Report Form - Due January 31

If you have any questions about these reports or the roster, please Contact MacKenzie Rawcliffe. There are text versions of the form questions on the front page of Leaders Only, but please do not submit these.

Please remember that receipt of your state’s 2014 Program Funding is contingent on our receiving of these documents in a timely manner.

Pencil us in for the First Quarter Webinars for State Leaders

The First Quarter Webinars for State Leaders will be held March 20, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Each webinar will last approximately an hour and a half. The agenda will be the same for each webinar, so you only need to plan to attend one. Registration and agenda information will be sent out closer to the date, but please mark your calendars!

2014 National Leadership Conference Update

The National Leadership Conference is an annual event which brings together state Tree Farm Committee leaders from across the country. Registration ended today January 17, 2014.

2014 Regional Break-Out Sessions:

One of the goals of NLC is to provide educational sessions and networking opportunities centered on growing and strengthening the capacity and leadership skills of our committees, and one way we can accomplish this is through information and best-practice sharing during the Regional Break-Out Sessions. During Tuesday’s Regional Break-Out Sessions, each state committee will be asked to speak for 5-6 minutes on the following topic:

Reaching out to new landowners, engaging with landowners in meaningful ways, and sustaining relationships with landowners over time are three keys to enhancing the quality of America’s woodlands by growing the ATFS network. Reflecting on 2013, share with us an example of how your committee reached out to new landowners, found new and innovative ways to engage with and interact with landowners, and/or developed methods for sustaining long-term relationships with landowners in your state. What worked well? What will you do differently next time? What would you suggest to another state committee interested in trying a similar activity?

In order to better document and share these best practices and learnings from our state committees, we are asking that each committee submit a written summary of what you plan to address during your time in the Regional Break-Out sessions. These summaries should be limited to 150 words and turned in to MacKenzie Rawcliffe at mrawcliffe@forestfoundation.org no later than February 3 so that they can be compiled into a hand-out for each session. Be sure to include a contact person for your state so that attendees can follow up for further discussion if needed.

Training at NLC for New State Pages

Check out the new features on the ATFS website, they include state pages for every state committee, a new calendar system as well as new navigation for the site: www.treefarmsystem.org/states

Training will be available for 1-2 people per state committee at NLC if you are interested in updating your pages, adding new pages, content and images. Each state committee will need to identify who will receive the training and then those people should plan to stay for Thursday afternoon, February 20^th to participate. For those unable to attend, we will plan to have additional training opportunities after the conference. If you have any questions, comments or are interested in the training, please contact Caroline Kuebler ckuebler@forestfoundation.org.

State’s Choice Resource Hub

In support of the State’s Voice, State’s Choice process, ATFS recently launch the State’s Choice Resource Hub on the Leader’s Only section of the ATFS Website. The Resource Hub is designed to be a comprehensive destination for guidance for State Committees. Here you will find overviews of pathway options, financial frameworks, checklists, timelines, answers to frequently asked questions and other tools to help support the processes in your state. Be sure to check back to the site often, it will be updated to incorporate new information as questions and ideas arise within the network. As you explore the Resource Hub, do not hesitate to also contact us with questions. For more information on State’s Voice, State’s Choice, please contact Sarah Crow at scrow@forestfoundation.org.

ATFS Leadership Webinar Series

AFF presents a Leadership and Professional Development Webinar the second Tuesday of every month from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm (Eastern). We saw that there is a need and desire for instruction on how to lead a volunteer and non-profit organization, and to have that information made available in a convenient and consistent manner. We expect that you will use these webinars to not only strengthen your local Tree Farm program, but also to improve the ability of our partners and supporters to carry out their missions as well. Upcoming webinars are:

Previous webinars are available for viewing at any time here.

For more information or to suggest topics for future webinars contact Mike Burns or (202) 459-1702

Strategic Planning Facilitator Available

ATFS is making the services of Dave Halley from True North Organizational Development Services available to any Tree Farm Committee that is considering developing a Strategic Plan. Dave is uniquely qualified to work with your committee as he has more than 20 years of experience as both a facilitator and in Tree Farm leadership. The session will run 1 ½ days; 2 days if a Mission Statement also needs crafting.

ATFS will cover all costs for Dave and a representative from ATFS staff to participate; state programs are responsible for local arrangements including facilities and refreshments. Contact Mike Burns with any questions or for additional materials (agenda, references, sample products); Interested parties should fill out this form and return it to Mike at mburns@forestfoundation.org.

We’ve moved!

Our new address is:

2000 M St NW

Suite 550

Washington, DC 20036

You can find a new “Who to Call” List with our new extensions here. Contact MacKenzie Rawcliffe with any questions.

On the Ground

On the Ground: In Washington DC

AFF’s public affairs team continues to work advocating for Tree Farmers across the country. Here is some information and activities going on this month:

FY14 Appropriations Bill Sent to President to Sign

The House and Senate passed an omnibus appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2014 to fund the federal government until the end of September.

What’s in the Bill? AFF's forest appropriations priorities actually fared quite well thanks to all your hard work and outreach over the years in highlighting the importance of these programs. Here are a few highlights:

- USDA APHIS invasive species programs fared well, especially given the pressure to reduce spending—certainly a testament to your hard work as grasstops leaders and advocates on the Free the Trees campaign.
- Forest Service State and Private Forestry programs, NRCS conservation programs, and research programs all have strong funding levels.
- Green Building: Appropriators specifically highlighted the need for the USFS to invest in green building research with their R&D budget because “the Committees believe green building markets are a growing opportunity for American-grown wood.”
- Appropriators included language supporting the inclusion of forest products in USDA's Biobased Markets program.

AFF advocates for programs that give forest owners the tools they need to be good stewards, for the betterment of families, our rural communities, and all those who enjoy the many benefits forests provide. Our ask for many of our appropriations priorities is to not cut these critical programs disproportionately.

Farm Bill Update

Agriculture Committee Leaders are getting close to a final conference report, finally finishing up negotiations on outstanding, contentious issues, such as dairy policy provisions. At this point, we don’t expect to see a final conference report before the end of week and don’t expect a final vote on the Farm Bill until early/mid February.

Your Action Needed on Forest Roads: We need your help to reach out to your Democratic Senators who have cosponsored the Forest Roads. Please ask him or her to weigh in with Majority Leader Reid urging the inclusion of language in the final Farm Bill to maintain the nonpoint source status of forest roads under the Clean Water Act. We will continue to keep you updated as the Farm Bill process moves forward.

AFF Urges Support for Reforestation Tax Incentives

Tom Martin, AFF's Vice President and CEO, sent the following letter to Chairman Baucus of the Senate Finance Committee today, urging him to reconsider his proposal to repeal the Reforestation Tax Deduction. This important tax benefit helps family forest owners with upfront reforestation expenses, helping to ensure the long-term sustainability and health of our family-owned forests.

Chairman Baucus released his tax reform proposal in a series of three discussion drafts in November. He has been nominated by President Obama to become the next ambassador to China, and Senator Wyden (D-OR) is likely to become the next finance committee chair in the coming month. It is highly unlikely that a comprehensive tax reform bill will move in the coming year, but we will continue work to build support for family forest tax policy priorities.

Reminder: Take Action on Wildfire Funding Issue

Last month, Senator Wyden introduced S. 1875, a bill to fix the fire funding problem. Please reach out to your Senators and encourage them to cosponsor S. 1875. (A similar companion bill will be introduced in the House soon.)

S. 1875 would provide emergency spending authority for the US Forest Service and Department of the Interior wildfire fighting activities, helping to prevent the agencies from having to take funds from non fire-fighting accounts to pay for fire fighting. Ideally, this will free up resources to focus on restoration and wildfire prevention activities in forests.

On the Ground: In your State

Processes and events that require action or are going to affect the program in your state!

Required Inspections and Upcoming Deadlines

We have just received the list of Tree Farms selected as the 2014 REQUIRED SAMPLE for internal monitoring from the biometricians at Virginia Tech. We plan to distribute each state’s sample to State Committee contacts in the coming weeks. All pre-populated forms, both Required Sample and Optional inspections, will be distributed as PDF files (electronically); pre-printed carbon forms are available only upon request, although we encourage you to try using the electronic forms as the carbon copy printer is old and will not survive forever.

Requests should be directed to Mike Burns at mburns@forestfoundaiton.org no later than January 21, 2014. If you need your state’s samples for a meeting or event in January, please include that with your request and we will make every effort to accommodate your request. Please note, however that Required Sample forms are a first priority and requests for Optional inspections will be filled only after Required Samples are distributed. For 2014 Required Samples, only those competed and fully entered into the ATFS Database before December 8, 2014 will be eligible for the incentive payments. Any questions and comments should be directed to Mike Burns at mburns@forestfoundaiton.org

ATFS Standards to Undergo Review Next Year

Every five years, the ATFS Standards must undergo review to ensure they are still relevant and to incorporate any developments in the field. In 2014, AFF will initiate the standards review process once again. To guide the process, AFF’s Board of Trustees invites a representative cross-section of forestry community leaders with a stake in the ATFS Certification Program or a sincere interest in forest sustainability on small private forest ownerships in the US to serve as an Independent Standards Review Panel (ISRP). It is anticipated that the ISRP will release the current ATFS Standards of Sustainability for public review early in the new year. Stay tuned for additional information regarding the Standard Review and public review process in the coming weeks. For questions regarding the ATFS Standards lease contact Sarah Crow at scrow@forestfoundation.org.