Network News: Inspectors Archive

Required Sample 2019 End of Year Update

See where your state stands in this 2019 required sample update. 

Required Sample 2019 Summer Update

See where your state stands in this 2019 required sample update. The inspections for this sample are due December 9th, 2019.

ATFS Network News Alert: Welcome New Staff

In our 2018 survey, we heard from state leaders that ATFS certification is important, but that that administering ATFS certification takes a lot of time and effort, limiting the time you have to work directly with landowners. One way we are working to remove this barrier is by investing in dedicated regional ATFS staff to work directly with states.

Brittany VanderWall of Michigan Awarded 2019 National Leadership Award

The American Tree Farm System is pleased to recognize Brittany VanderWall of Michigan with the 2019 National Leadership Award. Learn more about her passion for ATFS.

2019 NLC Wrap-Up

Last month, AFF welcomed more than 250 Tree Farmers, inspectors, state committee leaders, policy supporters and partners to the three-day 2019 National Leadership Conference (NLC). Check out some of the most memorable moments. 

New Tree Farmer Certificate Updated

The American Tree Farm System sends a welcome packet and certificate to all newly enrolled Tree Farmers each month. The landowner certificate template has recently been updated and is now available!

Bill Chaney of Arkansas Awarded ATFS 2019 National Inspector of the Year

The American Tree Farm System is pleased to recognize Bill Chaney of Arkansas as the 2019 National Outstanding Inspector of the Year. Learn more about Bill and his incredible achievements. 

Countdown to NLC

We are incredibly excited about the opportunities ahead of us in 2019 as we find ways to engage more family forest owners in active stewardship through the American Tree Farm System (ATFS). Learn more about this year's upcoming NLC. 

AFF Standards Review Process to Begin in 2019

The American Forest Foundation (AFF) is aligning its standard revision process with the new revision process adopted by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). Learn more about the PEFC process. 

Springtime in DC: ATFS Fly-In and Hill Day

Join ATFS and other Tree Farmers to meet with Members of Congress and share the importance of the hard work landowners do to keep their woods health. 

Third-Party Assessment Opening Meeting Kickoff

We have completed the third-party assessment opening meetings for 2019. Thank you to the leaders in Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Michigan, and Washington for your hospitality, hard work, and dedication to the ATFS program.

2019 Required Sample Available in ATFS Database

2019 Required Sample Available in ATFS Database

The annual required and priority pioneer sample is now available for viewing in the database. For chairs and administrators, the report can be found under Tree Farm reports. The deadline for submission and approval of these inspections is December 9, 2019.

Required Sample 2018 Final Update

Read about completion of the 2018 required sample for the American Tree Farm System

Online Refresher Still Available

Online Refresher Still Available
If your inspector credentials are going to expire soon (or have expired but you've taken the 2015-2020 Standards training), you may renew them for until 2020 by taking the AFF Standards Online Refresher.
There are 4 required training modules and quizzes to bring you up to speed with the 2015-2020 Standards of Sustainability. A special note if you have already taken the online refresher: You need to reset your training, prior to retaking it, in order for the latest training to be recorded. Instructions for doing this can be found on the training page. 

Standards Highlight: Standard 5 – Fish, Wildlife, Biodiversity and Forest Health

Standards Highlight: Standard 5 – Fish, Wildlife, Biodiversity and Forest Health

The Standards require management plans to be active and adaptive. While many foresters focus on ensuring management recommendations meet this requirement, remember that all the elements of the Standards need to be reviewed routinely. Specific to Standard 5, forest health conditions change, new T&E species are listed that might impact your landowners, and these species can move!

Stumped November 2018

Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions

Q: With Thanksgiving around the corner, my landowners have expressed interest in attracting turkeys to their property. How do they do that? 

Inspector's Corner 2018

Highlighting the 2018 Assessment Findings

 
Field visits for the 2018 third-party assessment have officially wrapped up. Thank you to the states that participated and helped to ensure a smooth process. While many great practices were highlighted, the assessment identified a few areas that needed improvement. The non-compliance of Best Management Practices (BMPs) as well as incorrect content located in a few management plans were both noted. However, thanks to inspectors and state committee members, these issues were quickly addressed and actions to resolve are underway. 

Working with you to Strengthen, Grow and Increase the Impact of ATFS

I am reaching out to you to share the results of the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) assessment we began a year ago. Thank you for your participation in this important fact-finding undertaking. We hope you will continue to be involved in this effort as we work to develop an implementation framework that will strengthen, grow and increase the impact of Tree Farm. 

Good Practices Highlight: Excellent State Newsletters

Two great examples of informative, engaging newsletters are the Arkansas Inspector News and Washington’s Tree Farm News.

2018 Field Assessment Kickoff

2018 Field Assessment Kickoff

Farmers in Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Virginia are currently being visited by assessors from PriceWaterhouseCoopers to review management plan documentation and forest management activities on their Tree Farms to ensure conformance to the ATFS 2015-2020 Standards. Once the field visits are complete, we will share a review of any findings and corrective actions that will be taken.