Stumped Spring 2002
Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does a management plan have to be redrawn every five (5) years?
A: The importance of the management plan lies in its ability to provide a Tree Farmer with a tool to help guide them in making decisions about their Tree Farm today and in the future. A forest management plan, if still proving viable after five years, does not have to be redrawn only because of its age. Often, when a Tree Farm is due for reinspection (every five years), the inspector will amend the management plan with an ATFS Addendum to best fit the Tree Farmer’s current objectives. However, if the plan is still practical and there have been no vital changes to the Tree Farm, the inspector may choose to keep the current plan.
Q: How do you get a Qualified Inspector certificate?
Most everyone involved in Tree Farm has probably heard about the Inspector certificate and wallet cards. While the wallet cards are no longer being produced, all inspectors do receive a certificate in the mail. The Inspector certificate serves to recognize those foresters who want to distinguish themselves in our profession by working with the Tree Farm Program as Qualified Inspectors. But, have you ever seen one? Well, if you are an active inspector and have been trained under the new inspector training guidelines, you should have a certificate. If not, then please let your state committee know and we will work to get it straightened out.
This is how it works. At the training session, you were asked to fill in a form asking your name, contact information, employer, etc. These forms were gathered by the state committee and entered into the national database. At the national office,on a quarterly basis, at the touch of a button, a certificate was produced for each trained inspector. If only it was always that easy. Lost forms, confused mail delivery personnel, sloppy handwriting, and crazy computer glitches have all added an interesting twist to an inspector getting their certificates. If you have received a certificate with an error or haven’t received one at all and you know you were trained more than three months ago, let us know and we’ll fix it.
