Greetings from the field!
Greetings from the field!
We are in the midst of the 2017 third-party field visits with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). In April, PwC field auditors, AFF staff and state committee representatives visited Tree Farms in North Carolina and South Carolina. Tree Farmers in Colorado were visited in May, and the Maryland committee is hosting the assessment team this week. The field visits will conclude in Maine and Montana at the end of this month.
Thank you to all of the inspectors and state committee members who have volunteered their time preparing for and/or participating in the field visits. These visits are a critical component to the credibility of ATFS Certification and also provide the selected Tree Farmers with a chance to show off their impressive efforts in sustainable forest management. The field visits include a documentation review by the field auditor, an interview between the auditor and the landowner and/or their representative, and a walk on the property. Gathering the required documentation for each Tree Farm is often what takes the most time for the state committees and inspectors as they prepare for the field visits. During the document review, the auditor is looking for conformance at each Tree Farm with Indicator 1.1.2 of the Standards:
“Management plans shall describe current forest conditions, landowner’s objectives, management activities aimed at achieving landowner’s objectives, document a feasible strategy for activity implementation and include a map accurately depicting significant forest-related resources. [See Stumped, below.]
The forest management plan shall demonstrate consideration of the following resource elements: forest heath, soil, water, wood and fiber production, threatened or endangered species, special sites, invasive species and forests of recognized importance. When present and relevant to the property, the plan shall describe management activities related to these resources.”
When you are completing an ATFS inspection, please remember these requirements and ensure that a Tree Farmer’s documentation is in conformance with the 2015-2020 Standards.
Thanks so much for all you do for ATFS!
Kristina Duff
Manager, ATFS Certification
