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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. 

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.

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. 

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. 

Stumped April 2018

Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can an inspector perform inspections across state lines?

Inspectors Corner

Online Training Eligibility Update

In a continued effort to support and strengthen our ATFS Inspector corps, we have responded to concerns raised by state committees about in-person inspector training limitations related to the Inspector Training Policy.

Stumped March 2018

Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions

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. 

Online Training Eligibility Update

Online Training Eligibility Update

In a continued effort to support and strengthen our ATFS Inspector corps, we have responded to concerns raised by state committees about in-person inspector training limitations related to the Inspector Training Policy.

2018 Required Sample Available in ATFS Database

2018 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, 2018.

Stumped February 2018

Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are good strategies for Tree Farmers to ensure that their timber is acknowledged to be certified by their local mills? 

Saying Goodbye to the App in 2018

Saying Goodbye to the ATFS Inspectors App in 2018

The current ATFS Inspectors app will be sun-setting in February. Please submit any outstanding inspections before February 1, 2018 to your state committee, if submitting through the app. You may also use alternate means of submitting the inspections as described here: Submission of 004 Form.

New Inspector Facilitator Materials Available Online

New Inspector Facilitator Materials Available Online

We have made some recent updates to our ATFS Inspector Training Workshop Facilitation materials that are now available online in Leaders Only. We are always interested in any feedback you may have to better provide support for all of your efforts. Please keep us posted if you would like to see any additional materials made available or changes made to existing information and we will do our best to accommodate these requests. 

Stay Active in 2018

ATFS recently expanded the inspector training policy to acknowledge other ways that an ATFS Inspector utilizes his/her knowledge of the ATFS Standards to maintain active status.

Important Update Regarding Inspector Expiration dates

It was recently brought to our attention that the inspector training policy was not being implemented properly in the ATFS database, where inspector training records are held. As a result of a coding error in the database, training expiration dates had been incorrectly calculated. We apologize for the confusion.  This error has been corrected and you should have received a notice.

Extend your Inspector Credentials Through Training Applications

In 2015, to coincide with the implementation of the 2015-2020 Standards of Sustainability, a new inspector training policy was launched. Drawing on research and best practices in adult learning, this policy was developed to ensure that ATFS Inspectors retain a working knowledge of the ATFS program and the ATFS Standards by using and applying this knowledge regularly. As a result, the inspector training policy specified that an ATFS Inspector must undergo training or complete one inspection, at a minimum, every two years to remain in “active” status and be able to conduct inspections. 

Seeking Nominations for Outstanding Inspector Award

ATFS is currently accepting nominations for the 2018 Regional Outstanding Inspector of the Year Award. This award recognizes outstanding leaders and volunteers and is presented at the annual ATFS National Leadership Conference. Know someone who should be recognized? Download the nomination form online, talk to your state Tree Farm Committee, or contact Sara Anrrich if you have any questions. Nominations are due September 15!

Your Thoughts Needed

The Society of American Foresters is conducting research on how they can support your professional development needs. The American Tree Farm System is partnering with the SAF to develop and deliver priority learning opportunities for you. Please take a moment to complete this survey by July 31 so we can be an effective partner in your success helping to develop your professional skills.

Nominate an Outstanding Inspector

Every year the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) recognizes exceptional ATFS Inspectors with the Outstanding Inspector of the Year award program. We are now accepting nominations for the 2018 Regional Outstanding Inspector of the Year Award. 

Please consider nominating one of your peers for this award. Download the nomination form online, or contact Sara Anrrich if you have any questions.

Happy Spring! Training Reminder

It’s May, which means it’s a good time to refresh your inspector training before getting back out in the field to enjoy all of the beautiful spring-time forests in your area. Take advantage of our online training modules available at www.atfsdatabase.org or participate in an upcoming classroom training held by your state committee to connect with other foresters, ask questions, and share your experiences in the field as an ATFS Inspecting Forester. 

The Importance of Inspections

ATFS Inspectors are often the primary liaison between the ATFS program and landowners, offering guidance, support, and information about sustainable forest management. In many instances, a landowner’s positive experience with an ATFS Inspector leads to the recruitment of their neighbors, strengthening our network of stewardship across the country. 

Gratitude - Happy Volunteer Appreciation Month!

Did you know that April is National Volunteer Month? During the month of April, we celebrate the work that volunteers like you do year-round to help the American Tree Farm System, and the landowners we all serve, achieve our goals of delivering measurable, positive impacts on clean water, abundant wildlife habitat, and wood supplies. 

Don’t Lapse! Inspector Refresher Training Available Online

If your inspector credentials are going to expire soon, you may renew them for another 2 years by either completing an inspection on the ground or by taking the AFF Standards Online Refresher.

Announcing the 2017 Regional Outstanding Inspectors of the Year

The American Tree Farm System (ATFS) would not be where it is today without the hard work and dedication of a broad network of ATFS Inspectors working on the ground with landowners. Every year, we are proud to recognize a few of these outstanding volunteers who have gone above and beyond in helping landowners to achieve their goals. The Regional and National Inspector of the Year Award program begins every year with nominations from state Tree Farm programs. For the 2017 award, we received 15 nominations from the four regions, and today we are proud to announce the four 2017 Regional Outstanding Inspectors of the Year.

New Year, New Focus On Inspections

On-the-ground inspections are a fundamental component of the American Tree Farm System’s (ATFS) success, and ATFS Inspectors are key to implementing this outreach to Tree Farmers. Regular communication and outreach is essential to maintaining relationships with all ATFS Tree Farmers, especially those who have not been engaged recently, to ensure that they are managing their forests to the ATFS Standards and upholding the integrity of the program. This outreach requires solid inspector engagement and assignment strategies, a thorough system-wide database clean-up combined with tailored intentional landowner communication to ensure the momentum created by the State’s Voice, State’s Choice initiative continues. 

New Inspector Engagement in 2017

In 2017, ATFS will launch pilot programs with 3-5 states to help us learn more about what approaches are most successful to increase the number of inspections done each year. Our goal is to have all active inspectors that are trained to the current standards complete at least two inspections per year. Of course, we know that many of you do way more than this, which is greatly appreciated; however, many inspectors are trained and never complete a single inspection.

Gratitude - Hats off to Our Inspectors!

December is a good month for reflection. As we think back over this past year, and the celebration of the 75^th Anniversary of the American Tree Farm System (ATFS), we think of gratitude. Gratitude for all that you, the ATFS Inspectors, have accomplished this past year and in 75 years of support. Inspectors are a key component of the American Tree Farm System. You are the voice of ATFS on the ground and the direct link to our Tree Farmers. And each one of you has given enough to ensure the creation of a thousand forests in the next 75 years.

Introducing the New Inspection (004) Form Course

In addition to the online inspector training refresher available online in the ATFS Database, Inspectors can now access the newest learning module of the inspector training – the Inspection (004) Form. 

Volunteer Highlight: Dennis Galway

Since 1993, Dennis Galway of New Jersey has been a fixture in the American Tree Farm System both at the state and national levels.

Threatened and Endangered Species Update

The northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) population has been devastated by the White Nose Syndrome (WNS) throughout the eastern United States. This disease has caused a mortality rate of up to a 90-100% where present. As a result, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has listed the northern long-eared bat as threatened and established a new rule, called the 4(d) Rule, to protect the bat population during its most vulnerable life stages in areas where the disease is present known as the White-Nose Syndrome Zone. 

Are You Familiar with the Inspector Training Policy?

All ATFS inspectors are bound to the ATFS Inspector Training Policy posted on the Inspector's Corner page. This policy clarifies the necessary training and expectations for maintaining credentials of all qualified inspectors. 

Stumped June 2016

Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between a Forest of Recognized Importance (FORI) and a Special Site?

2016 National Inspector Awardees

Congratulations to Jeremy Scherf (OH) who was named the 2016 National Outstanding Inspector of the Year at the National Leadership Conference in February. 

Stumped Spring 2014

Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions

Q: New landowners just purchased a Tree Farm that has been in the program for 50 years. The new landowners wish to remain in the program. Can they use the old owner’s management plan, implement those recommendations and keep the Tree Farm number and 50-year status? Or do they need to start from scratch?

The Making of a Plan: More than the Sum of its Parts

Forest management plans are central to the concept of sustainable forestry. These documents encompass not only management goals and pathways for achieving them but also reflect the uniqueness of the property and the landowner, your professional expertise as a forester and the insights of the broader forestry community. The management plan has long been a core pillar of the American Tree Farm System® (ATFS) program and is a key element of the 2010–2015 ATFS Standards of Sustainability.

Stumped Fall 2013

Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I’m doing a re-inspection with a landowner who has been in the program for years. He is very proud of his stewardship and proudly displays the Tree Farm sign. However, his management plan is about 10 years old and is probably due for an update. It is also missing a couple of the required elements for certification, including threatened and endangered species, invasive species and special sites. The landowner has committed to updating his plan next year. Should the property be decertified?

Best Management Practices for Water Quality

For most foresters, working with water features and implementing forestry best management practices (BMPs) are natural and routine parts of business in the woods. Working with landowners on water quality begins with management plan development and continues with implementing management activities over time.

Stumped Summer 2013

Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I am helping a landowner prepare for a timber sale. In developing the contracts with loggers, are there any insurance considerations or other contractor requirements under the American Tree Farm System® (ATFS) Standards?

Stumped Spring 2013

Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions

Q: One of my landowner clients owns a small family business and conducts frequent annual harvests. Is this ownership considered nonindustrial? Is American Tree Farm System® certification right for them?

Connect with Landowners on MyLandPlan.org

The American Tree Farm System (ATFS) has launched a new website to help woodland owners protect and enjoy their woods. Not only is MyLandPlan.org stacked with cords of useful information for landowners, but it provides a new way for you to connect with potential clientele.

Inspecting Foresters and ATFS: A Vital Partnership

The American Tree Farm System® (ATFS) operates as a partnership with thousands of Inspecting Foresters across the country. These natural resource professionals provide on-the-ground validation essential for the integrity of the program. By working together, foresters and ATFS are helping to ensure the future health, productivity, and longevity of America’s private woodlands.

Stumped Spring 2012

Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I work in a state where State Best Management Practices (BMPs) are voluntary. Do landowners have to implement BMPs to be ATFS Certified?

Stumped Summer 2012

Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions

Q: One of my clients owns several scattered parcels in a county; can I certify them all as a single Tree Farm?

2011 National Outstanding Inspector of the Year

Congratulations to Brian Cobble, of Live Oak, Florida for being the 2011 National Outstanding Inspector of the Year.

Congratulations are also in order for the 2011 Regional Inspectors of the Year, Michael Heath, Oregon; Sam Topper, Delaware; and John Joliff, Ohio. ATFS Inspectors are truly the boots on the ground for Tree Farm.

Stumped Spring 2011

Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions

Q:Can I conduct a phone interview for a required inspection?

Q:As an inspector, what sort of evidence should I look for to see if the Tree Farmer has met the Standards’ indicators?

Q: One of my clients has a Tree Farm of more than 10,000 acres. How can I keep them in the Tree Farm program even though all Tree Farms over 10,000 acres are no longer eligible for the State Tree Farm Program?

Q:My training as an inspector expired. How can I take update my training?

ATFS Continues to Provide New Tools for You and Your Landowners

There are many different types of planning documents that a landowner could use to guide their forest management. The common goal of these plans is to help the landowner (and the operators they work with) achieve their objectives. There are 4.4 million landowners that own 10 or more acres of woods and they have a variety of reasons for owning their woodlands. But all landowners can benefit from having a plan for their property. Whatever type of planning document is used, the goal should be to make it useful and meaningful for the landowner.

Follow the Chain!

Wood harvested from Tree Farm Certified lands is recognized as certified fiber by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification systems (PEFC). Mills across the country are interested in tracking certified fiber which includes Tree Farm wood. American Tree Farm System Certification can be a marketing point for your clients’ wood. When you are working with landowners to prepare for a harvest, be sure to follow these best practices.

Carbon Planning Tool

A new carbon planning tool is now available on the American Tree Farm System website www.treefarmsystem.org/trainings-resources-for-inspectors. The Management Guidance Supplement for Carbon Sequestration will help foresters and landowners in the planning process for managing  for increased carbon storage on their land. 

 Special thanks to the U.S. Forest Service for providing the support to develop this tool.

SAF Continuing Forester Education Credits

We are making it easier for ATFS Inspectors to claim SAF Continuing Forester Education (CFE) credits for our inspector trainings. ATFS met with SAF staff and clarified the process to claim Inspector Training credits.

Stumped Spring 2011

Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions

Q:What does it mean for a management plan to “address” resources elements such as forest health, soil, water, wood and fiber production, threatened and endangered species, special sites, invasive species, integrated pest management and high conservation value forests?

Q:As an inspector, what sort of evidence should I look for to see if the Tree Farmer has met the Standards’ indicators?

Q:How can I get information from Tree Farm on a more regular basis?

Q:What are high conservation value forests and how can Tree Farmers tell if they have one on their property?

Q:How can a Tree Farmer “consider” integrated pest management in their management to control pest, pathogens, and unwanted vegetation?

Stumped Winter 2010

Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions

Q:What does it mean for a management plan to “address” resources elements such as forest health, soil, water, wood and fiber production, threatened and endangered species, special sites, invasive species, integrated pest management and high conservation value forests?

Q:As an inspector, what sort of evidence should I look for to see if the Tree Farmer has met the Standards’ indicators?

Q:How can I get information from Tree Farm on a more regular basis?

Q:What are high conservation value forests and how can Tree Farmers tell if they have one on their property?

Q:How can a Tree Farmer “consider” integrated pest management in their management to control pest, pathogens, and unwanted vegetation?

Spotlight: Third-Party Certification Audits

As a globally endorsed certification system, the American Tree Farm System must undergo third-party certification assessments. Every year, a set of State Tree Farm Committees will participate in these third-party certification assessments to ensure conformance to the AFF Standards. As a volunteer inspector, you are a crucial link to Tree Farmers. If a landowner that you work with is selected to participate in an assessment, you may be asked to help the landowner gather the necessary documentation. If you are the landowner’s primary forester, you may be the most knowledgeable on how their management meets the AFF Standards.

Spotlight: Special Sites

The updated Inspector Training highlights the need for all Tree Farmers to research whether or not they have special sites on their forestland. As an inspector, you can advise landowners of their options to meet this Standards’ requirement.

Stumped Summer 2010

Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions

Q:When can I inspect Tree Farms to the new Standards?

Q:What Standards do I use to inspect required sample properties this year?

Q:My state still does the five-year reinspections for each Tree Farm. What Standards do I use to inspect these Tree Farms this year?

Q:My state has not participated in a third-party certification assessment yet. Are Tree Farms in my state considered third-party certified?

Spotlight: Updating Management Plans

We have been asked recently by several inspectors, “How should management plans be updated to ensure that they are still eligible under the Tree Farm program?” A forest management plan is only as useful as it is current, but what does it mean to have a management plan that is “active, adaptive, and embodies the owner’s current objectives?”

Need a 004 Form?

Electronic copies of the 004 inspector form and the auditor verification form are always available on the ATFS website. Visit www.treefarmsystem.org/004form for this and other resources for inspectors. 

Good Management Practice Fall 2009

Encourage landowners to make informal notes in the management plan each year with updates on operations undertaken and completed and notes on the health of their forest.

Stumped Summer 2009

Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions

Q:What type of land is eligible to be certified as a Tree Farm?

Q:Does ATFS have a system through which mills can verify a load of logs from ATFS certified lands?

Q: If I talk to a landowner about their property but do not visit it, can our conversation count as a reinspection?

Introducing our 2007 Tree Farm Inspectors of the Year!

National Winner: Mike Older, Alabama.

Mike has been an active member of the Alabama Tree Farm Committee since the early 1990’s

Regional Winners:

Mike Kay, Maryland- Northeastern Region

Ryan Dawson, Missouri- North Central Region

EverettYoung, Montana- Western Region

 

Stumped Spring 2008

Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions

Q:With the implementation of the required sample, I’ve been assigned an inspection for a property I have recently inspected. Is an over-the-phone recertification acceptable?

Q:I know somebody who'd like to become a Tree Farm inspector. Who do I refer them to?

Q:As a member of ATFS, is a landowner required to cut trees?

ATFS Named Terry Truttmann 2005 Inspector of the Year

Terry Truttman of Missouri earned the 2005 Wesley R. Meier Outstanding Inspecting Forester of the Year Award. He accepted this award at the 2005 National Tree Farmer Convention.

Nominate an ATFS Volunteer Inspector

Nominate an ATFS Volunteer Inspector Tree Farm Inspector of the Year Contest

The American Forest Foundation sponsors this annual award to recognize top performers among the thousands of Tree Farm inspecting foresters. Any inspecting forester can be nominated with approval from the state committee chair. The nominee does not necessarily have to be the state’s inspector of the year.

Jim Hull, Texas State Forester, Wins Sustained Excellence Award

Jim Hull was presented with the 2005 Sustained Excellence Award at the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) annual meeting in September. The Sustained Excellence award honors Jim for his long standing support for ATFS.

Nominate an ATFS Volunteer Inspector for the 2005 Tree Farm Inspector of the Year Contest

American Forest Foundation sponsors this annual award to recognize top performers among the thousands of Tree Farm inspecting foresters. Any inspecting forester can be nominated, provided the state chair approves the nomination. The nominee does not necessarily have to be the state's Inspector of the Year.

Not Trained Yet? What to do.

All Tree Farm Inspectors need to complete refresher training before conducting new inspections new inspections to the new AFF Standards that went into effect on July 1, 2004.The refresher training is just that – it is only intended for foresters who previously completed the full six-hour workshop covering all aspects of the Tree Farm program.

004 Form Extension

Transitioning to the new AFF Standards required several provisional steps be taken. One of these steps was changing the time when 004 Forms were distributed. 

Stumped Fall 2004

Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I’ve read over the new Standards several times, and to me, it seems more rigorous than the old Standards. How am I supposed to tell Tree Farmers they aren’t doing a good enough job now when the last time they were inspected, they were doing fine?

Congratulations to the 2003 Regional Inspectors of the Year

Join us in recognizing these individuals for their commitment to ATFS, their state committees,and to educating the public on the benefits of sustainable forestry. 

Stumped Spring 2004

Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the Heritage Tree Farm Program?

Gary Beyer - 2002 National Tree Farm Inspector

Gary Beyer, of Charles City, Iowa, was the recipient of the 2002 Wesley R. Meier Outstanding Inspecting Forester of the Year Award.  Beyer received his award during the National Tree Farmer Convention that was held last fall in Asheville, North Carolina.

Stumped Spring 2003

Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions

Q: As an ATFS Inspector, am I responsible for writing forest management plans for the Tree Farms I inspect?

Q: Do I have to wait five years to reinspect a Tree Farm?

The Emerging Role of Tree Farm Inspectors in Forest Certification

Some things change and some remain the same.  The American Tree Farm System (ATFS) is no exception.  For more than 60 years Tree Farm’s mission has stayed the same – getting more good forestry on more acres and keeping it there for generations to come.  It is a mission that many embrace.  As the Tree Farm program has evolved over the years, with changes in staff, priorities and policies - growing pains and all – the program has remained true to its proud heritage.

Gary Price named 2001 Inspector of the Year

Gary Price, a volunteer Tree Farm System inspector for 21 years, was named the 2001 National Tree Farm Inspector of the Year at the annual meeting of the Texas Forestry Association. Price, an avid spokesperson for sound forest management, has won the Outstanding State Inspector title three times and was named the Outstanding Area Inspector five different years.

Stumped Spring 2002

Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does a management plan have to be redrawn every five (5) years?

Q: How do you get a Qualified Inspector certificate and wallet cards?