Each year, the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) is honored to recognize an outstanding leader from the community of ATFS leaders and volunteers for their exceptional service and leadership. At the 2018 National Leadership Conference, Dr. George Kessler of South Carolina received the 2018 National Leadership Award. Dr. Kessler has been serving Tree Farmers for more than 45 years at the state, regional and national levels, and he is a leader in conservation education for both children and adults. Dr. Kessler was nominated by Dr. Walt McPhail (former National Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year), and his acceptance speech was a highlight of the conference for many attendees. Congratulations, Dr. Kessler, and thank you for your dedicated service to forest landowners and the American Tree Farm System.

Register for the First Quarter Webinar for State Leaders

On Wednesday March 28 at noon eastern, members of the ATFS staff will host the 2018 First Quarter Webinar for ATFS State Leaders. These regularly scheduled webinars provide timely updates on current issues and events as well as an opportunity for you to interact virtually with your fellow leaders across the country. All are welcome to join. Register today for the webinar on 3/28. Once registered, you will receive an e-mail with your unique log-in link to join. We look forward to your participation!

Introducing Jasmine Slater

My name is Jasmine Slater, your new ATFS Program Coordinator! My background includes urban forest management in NYC, with a Masters in Forest Conservation from the University of Toronto. I have traveled the world to study forest landscapes and to understand discourse surrounding forest management within an array of cultures. I am excited to be a part of the ATFS team and the AFF community, and I am looking forward to working with you.

Please join us in welcoming Jasmine to the ATFS Team. Jasmine will serve as the main contact for all programmatic and operational needs for ATFS, including requests and questions from state committee leaders, landowners and inspectors. She can be reached at jslater@forestfoundation.org or 202-751-2446. Visit our website to learn more about all of the ATFS Staff.

Seeking Landowner Stories

We are on the hunt for landowners with stories to tell. We need their stories to help the policymakers and partners who we work with better understand the barriers landowners face and the support they need to manage forests successfully. Please download and complete our story-gathering worksheet and forward it to Erin Miller.

AFF Advocacy Update

Farm Bill Delayed

The House Agriculture Committee was expected to release its first drafts of a new Farm Bill last week; however, disagreements over the process and levels have made it increasingly unlikely that the bill will arrive before the Easter recess. Once released, expect an update of the bill with information on where our priorities stand, as well as what you can do to get involved in the advocacy process. Update your newsletter preferences to sign up for AFF’s Policy & Advocacy Updates.

EPA Wood/Lumber Procurement Policy

Last week, AFF met with the EPA regarding remedying the agency's Wood and Lumber procurement policy. While it's been listed as "under review" since 2016, as it first appeared, the policy made wood certified by the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) ineligible for federal procurement. AFF is working closely with Members of Congress and the EPA to ensure future guidance defers to the USDA's Congressionally-established BioPreferred program in matters of wood and lumber procurement.

STUMPED

Q: If an inspector has become inactive, how can he/she be reactivated?

A: If an inspector has been trained to the 2015-2020 Standards, but has since become inactive, he/she should complete the online refresher to reactivate his/her status and begin performing inspections again. Online training is available under each Inspector’s account at www.atfsdatabase.org.