2008 Tree Farm Tour September 27, 2008

N e w s

New 2008 Farm Bill Opportunities for Family Forest Owners

Get Involved at the Local and State Level

The 2008 Farm Bill, passed by Congress in June 2008, gives the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency of U.S. Department of Agriculture, new and improved programs to help family forest owners conserve and manage their forests. Through these new programs, qualifying landowners can receive both technical and financial assistance to deal with forest management concerns like wildfire, insects and disease, and wildlife management.

To make sure these new programs actually work on the ground, FOREST OWNERS NEED TO PARTICIPATE AND SPEAK UP at local working group and state committee meetings. These meetings will help decide how the Farm Bill programs are implemented.

For a summary of the Farm Bill and to learn more about the new and improved programs for family forest owners visit www.treefarmsystem.org/actionalerts

HOW NRCS PROGRAMS ARE IMPLEMENTED

Landowners can influence the process by attending and participating in local work groups and State Technical Committees - two bodies that advise NRCS State Conservationists on the implementation of certain NRCS programs in the state. NRCS State Conservationists are the federal agency employees in charge of NRCS programs in each state.

State Technical Committees and local work groups influence many programs that are important to forest owners. These programs include: the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Conservation Stewardship Program, the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, and the Healthy
Forests Reserve Program.

Because of changes in the 2008 Farm Bill, each State's Technical Committee must include spokespersons for family forest owners. This is an important opportunity for people like you to serve on your state committee and influence program implementation.

State Technical Committees and local work groups advise NRCS State Conservationists on conservation issues in the state, help set state priorities for conservation program funding, and make conservation program policy recommendations. With forest owner involvement, forest issues can be brought to the table for funding and program consideration.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Local Work Groups: To participate at the local level, contact your local Soil and Water Conservation District Office, likely located at your local USDA service center. You can find your local USDA Service Center by visiting http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app

State Technical Committees: To participate in your State Technical Committee take the following steps to get involved.

1. Contact your NRCS State Conservationist and ask whether they now have representation of family forest owners on the Committee. You can
find a listing of the State Conservationists and more information about joining your State Technical Committee at www.treefarmsystem.org/actionalerts

2. If there is an opening for family forest owner representation on your State's Technical Committee, coordinate with the leadership of your State Tree Farm Committee to get a family forest owner representative on the Committee. To find the contact information for your State Tree Farm Committee visit www.treefarmsystem.org/stateleaders

3. Even if you are not appointed as an official member of your State Technical Committee, you can still attend Committee meetings, which are open to the public.

STAY INVOLVED

Want to stay involved in Farm Bill activities or other policy issues affecting family forest owners?
Join our Grassroots Action Network!!

Why should I join the Grassroots Action Network?

* Stay on top of the latest public policy issues impacting family forests

* Get timely alerts so you can influence public policy when the time is right

* Get training, tools, and tips on effective advocacy

How do I join? It's simple, just go to www.treefarmsystem.org/grassrootsnetwork and enter your contact information.

The American Forest Foundation Announces the Independent Standards Review Panel and 60-Day Pre-Revision Comment Period

Washington, D.C. - The American Forest Foundation (AFF) today announced the seated members of its Independent Standards Review Panel (ISRP) and the 60-day pre-revision comment period on the current Standards of Sustainability for Forest Certification (Standards).

The panel will hold their first meeting in late November 2008 in Washington, D.C. to begin reviewing the Foundation's current Standards which were last reviewed in 2004. The Standards will be the benchmark for all forest certifications carried out by the American Tree Farm System.

The following panel members serve on behalf of their company or organization:

Dr. Timothy White, University of Florida - Academia
Dr. Fred Cubbage, North Carolina State University - Academia
Steve Jarvis, Forest Resources Association - Forest workers
Bill Street, International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers - Labor
Robert Bonnie, Environmental Defense Fund - ENGO
Ken Smith, Audubon Arkansas - ENGO
David Ford - Forest landowner
Amelia Wright - Forest landowner
Tim Lundberg, Quad Graphics - Buyer
Andrew Mason, National Resource Conservation Agency- Government agency
Linda Casey, Alabama Forestry Commission - Government agency
Jim Hubbard, USDA U.S. Forest Service - Government agency
Doug Williams, Association of Consulting Foresters - Forester
Michael Goergen, Society of American Foresters - Forester
Paul Pingrey, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Group manager
Tony Lyons, New Page - Industry

An additional representative within the buyer category to be determined

The 60-day pre-revision comment period on the current Standards commences Saturday, November 1, 2008 and ends Tuesday, December 30, 2008 at 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time.

Comments forms are available at www.forestfoundation.org and are accepted via email certification@forestfoundation.org, fax 202.463.2461 or mail at American Forest Foundation, 1111 Nineteenth Street, NW, Suite 780, Washington, D.C. 20036, Attention: Victoria Lockhart.

AFF follows protocols accepted around the world in developing their Standards and adheres to requirements as established by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC), based in Geneva, Switzerland. The ISRP is an independent body convened to review the Standards and recommends enhancements and revisions to the AFF Board of Trustees. The ISRP represents five key forest stakeholder groups interested in forest conservation and sustainable practices on family owned forests and other similar forest ownerships in the United States. These stakeholder groups include conservation organizations, forest workers, forest science and academia, forest owners, government agencies, and the forest industry. They represent the social, environmental and economic sectors associated with family forest ownership in the United States.

The AFF Board of Trustees will task the panel to draft the revision of the Standards based on the widely accepted criteria and indicators of
sustainable forestry established through the Montreal Process. Using internationally accepted protocols, the Standards review process will be transparent, methodical, and inclusive. There will be several opportunities for public comment throughout the process. The 2004-2008 Standards include nine standards, 14 performance measures and 22 indicators.

To learn more about the process and how to comment, please go to www.forestfoundation.org or www.treefarmsystem.org.

For more information on the ISRP please contact Victoria Lockhart, 202.463.2738, vlockhart@forestfoundation.org or Brigitte Johnson, APR,
202.463.5163, bjohnson@forestfoundation.org.

The American Forest Foundation (AFF) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) conservation and education organization that strives to ensure the sustainability of America's family forests for present and future generations. Our vision is to create a future where North American forests are sustained by the public which understands and values the social, economic, and environmental benefits they provide to our communities, our nation, and our world.

ATFS

The American Tree Farm SystemR (ATFS) is a national program of the Center for Family Forests that promotes the sustainable management of forests through education and outreach to private forest landowners. Founded in 1941, ATFS has 24 million acres of privately owned forestland with more than 90,000 certified forest properties that exhibit excellence in forest stewardship. ATFS private forest landowners [Tree Farmers] manage their forestlands for wood, water, wildlife, and recreation with assistance from 4,400 volunteer foresters.

 

The Tree Farmer
Chuck Leavell and Nicholas Cravotta
VSP Books, Lorton, VA
2005, $16.95, 32 Pages
ISBN: 1-893622-16-9

           
CAN’T SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES:  Anyone involved with the issue of forestry clearly understands the difficulties forestry continues to face in our modern culture. Misinformation has allowed for a total distortion of the essential positive aspects of the need to actively manage our forest resources.  In “The Tree Farmer” a small children’s book, the authors, Chuck Leavell and Nicholas Cravotta, counter this anti-forestry mantra with a powerful, heart warming story of a grandfather explaining to his grandson the importance of trees and how it is essential that we use and care for them at the same time.

The story is brought out of the text with a dynamic use of watercolor illustrations by Rebecca Bleau, who has painted the story in coordination with the author’s writing. As an award winning tree farmer, Leavell “gets it”.  The essential importance of forestry advocacy and the basic need to get the facts of this story of forestry to children in a fashion that will attract their attention and allow them to understand it’s importance.  This effort is fundamental, if we professional foresters are to ever turn around the anti-forestry attitudes in this country. 

Leavell, a world famous keyboardist, with what maybe the most successful rock & roll band in history, the Rolling Stones, brings his family forestry passion to The Tree Farmer. He and his wife, Rose Lane, own the 2,000 acre tree farm known as Charlane Plantation in Dry Branch, Georgia.  This family forest has been passed down from his lovely wife’s family, and this generation continues in the maintenance and care of the tree farm. Having met Leavell, I can assure all in the forestry world, he is indeed the real deal, a man of passion for his family and forestland who understands the essentials. As he told me, “we must speak to the non-converted” with regards to the importance of managing our country’s forests.

In this book, all who read it learn the basics of what is forest management. The philosophy of sustaining our forest resources and utilizing its wood products for products such as paper to musical instruments.  At first glance, one may see a simple child’s book, but take another look.  As a forester working in the urban forest jungle of New Jersey, I too was skeptical at first.  However, upon receiving generous donations from landowners and loggers, I began to distribute the book to local schools, children and libraries and was I in for a surprise. As an example I have quoted a school principal and special education teacher who wrote: 

 

“I just had the chance to read through the book, ‘The Tree Farmer’ and I was so glad that I did! What a beautiful story and powerful message. The works and illustrations brought the story to life and I believe kindergartners will be left with a message of how important it is to care for the environment. I especially loved the last page which left us with the thought, ‘In what marvelous way shall you give of your life, young one?’   What a great opener for discussion and thought! What a great message for life. Thank you again for sharing this lovely story with us.”

Principal Crawford
Grenloch Early Childhood Center

 

“My small special education class loved the book, The Tree Farmer. I combined Earth Day and Arbor Day into one day. While reading the book out loud, I had just finished reading the pages that illustrated musical instruments made from trees and we were called to an all assembly featuring a duo playing various instruments. Before we left the room, I encouraged my students to pay extra attention while looking for instruments made from wood. They got the idea! How Cool!

My students really enjoyed looking at the illustrations for their details. The bright colors are enticing. Our children need as much encouragement as possible to get them to be good stewards of our planet. Keep up the good work!”

Pamela M. Schumacher
Special Education Teacher
Down Township Elementary School

But The Tree Farmer is more than a child’s book.  As the grownups who read it to children also are getting the forestry message as well. 

This book has now become one of my forestry tools and is kept in my briefcase. If you’re meeting with elected officials, environmental commissions, or zoning officials, it would be worth the investment to share this powerful little book with them as well.

To date, through generous donations, I have been able to distribute over 400 copies of The Tree Farmer. It has passed its field test with flying colors, and in my 35 years as a professional forester, I’ve not seen one book in reference to forestry that can so easily capture, as Leavell would say, “the non-converted” with regards to the importance of conservation and forestry as this book does. If it can work here in urban areas of New Jersey, it will work anywhere.

To review this book go to www.thetreefarmer.com
Robert R. Williams, C.F.
Vice President, Forestry Operations
Land Dimensions Engineering
Glassboro, NJ