Summary of the HSD Issues
Listed
below is a summary of the individual issues.
To read more about a specific issue in its original HSD document format,
click on the highlighted text. Please
submit your comments to Dave Walters -dwalters@mail.state.tn.us
- as soon as possible.
Upcoming
HSD Meeting Agenda: [Follow this link for
details]
Issue:
The
Inland Empire Society of American Foresters (IESAF) is concerned with the aging
nature of the Forestry Merit Badge Handbook currently in use by the Boy Scouts
of America (BSA). The current handbook
is nearly 20 years old and does not address many of the issues facing forestry
today.
recommendation
as you would present it to HSD as a Motion:
IESAF
requests that National SAF work with the Boy Scouts of America in developing an
updated Forestry Merit Badge Handbook.
Further,
we request that SAF consider working with BSA on updating other forestry
materials used by the organization (e.g.: the material presented in one or more
of the Cub Scout books.). We also feel
that SAF should explore similar options with respect to Girl Scouts of America,
4H and various other youth organizations.
[Follow this link for
additional information on this issue]
Issue
A
1998 Society of American Foresters' (SAF) membership survey identified the
biggest challenge facing the forestry profession was its poor (or invisible)
public image. Although several national and local efforts over the past two
years have resulted in progress being made toward addressing this challenge,
the SAF national Committee on Communications recognizes that progress still
needs to be made in this area.
Given
the vast people resources in SAF around the country and the Media Relations
Project (see attached), there is an opportunity for SAF members to come
together to meet this common goal of improving the image and increasing the
visibility of the profession.
recommendation
as you would present it to HSD as a Motion:
The
House of Society Delegates (HSD) supports the Committee on Communications'
proposed 2001 Communications Initiative by adopting the strategies proposed.
2001
Communications Initiative
Part
1--Internal Communications-Capacity Building
Goal:
To empower and energize state societies, divisions, and chapters to further
enhance their efforts to reach external audiences through the media and other
outreach projects with positive forestry messages.
The
above goal could be met if units employ the following strategies:
·
State societies have a communications strategic plan, which at a minimum should
include communications goals, strategies, audiences, and measures of success.
(Examples of communications plans are available by contacting Jennifer Plyler
at the SAF National Office.)
·
State societies develop job descriptions for communications chair, webmaster
(if applicable), Media Relations Project volunteers (MRP), and newsletter
editors based on the objectives of the strategic plan.
·
State societies update the communications plan annually.
·
State societies appoint a communications chair.
·
State society and communications chairs have an updated list of MRP volunteers
in their unit so when communication issues arise, the chair will have resources
to call upon to assist with communications efforts.
·
Communications chairs report communications efforts to the national office on a
regular basis.
Part 2--External Communications
Goal:
All SAF units at the state level will have members who routinely communicate SAF
message(s) with external audiences by the end of 2001. Units that already meet
this goal will strive to increase outreach and media coverage.
The above goal could be met if units employ
the following strategies:
·
The communications chair (or someone designated in the communications strategic
plan) contacts the media in their area at least 4 times year.
·
The communications chair (or someone designated in the communications strategic
plan) organizes at least one community outreach event annually (i.e., Arbor
Day, Forest for Humanity, Walk in the Forest, etc.).
·
The communications chairs distribute new unit position statements to the media.
·
The communications chairs publicize their annual meetings to the media and the
public.
·
The communications chairs arrange for the unit leadership to meet with the
newspaper editor in the city where the meeting is being held.
·
State society and communications chairs actively recruit additional MRP
volunteers in their unit.
·
State society and communications chairs determine if a media or communications
training session is necessary. (Contact Jennifer Plyler at the SAF National
Office to arrange a training session if the unit does not know of a trainer.)
·
State society chairs ensure that these strategies are addressed.
The role of the Committee on Communications
and the National Office in the 2001 Communications Initiative
Goal: The Communications Committee will
actively support units in their internal and external outreach efforts by
providing or identifying communications tools and resources.
The above goal could be met if the
Communications Committee supports members and units by:
·
Establishing a formal way of recognizing units and individuals for their
internal and external outreach efforts. Acknowledgement may be an article in
The Forestry Source, Certificates of Achievement given by the Communications
Committee, reporting success stories to HSD, etc.
·
Investigating the use of an icon as suggested in the action item submitted to
HSD by Rod Brevig, Intermountain state society chair.
·
Calling communications chairs quarterly to determine additional support they
may need in implementing strategies.
·
Participating in convener conference calls to ensure that the 2001
Communications Initiative is being implemented and to answer any questions.
·
Posting media tips on the SAF website regularly and tips on how to distribute
position statements.
·
Having the SAF National Office provide:
-
information documents on Walk in the Forest, Arbor Day, and Forest for Humanity
outreach projects.
-
a current list of MRP volunteers to communications and state society chairs.
-
media training session alternatives to state societies upon request.
-
current media list upon request.
At first glance, the 2001 Communication
Initiative may seem like an extraordinary amount of work. No doubt, it will be (and already is for
many units) a time investment. The Initiative is meant to strengthen current
communication networks and inform units about available resources.
What's the pay off? You and your members
will:
·
Improve the image and elevate the visibility of the forestry profession.
·
Strengthen the communications networks of the Society.
·
Gain valuable communication skills.
·
Receive formal recognition from the Communications Committee for your efforts.
·
Serve as a leader and role model for others to engage in Society activities.
We
ask that the House of Society Delegates (HSD) support the Committee on
Communications proposed 2001 Communications Initiative. By supporting this
plan, HSD will visibly lead state societies in their communications efforts and
serve a vital role in improving the image of the forestry profession.
[Follow this link
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Issue:
The Texas SAF would like a clear definition
of what it means to aggressively attract diverse natural resource professionals
to SAF through its programs and policies.
recommendation
as you would present it to HSD as a Motion:
The
Texas SAF moves that Council or Staff provide a clear definition with specific
examples of what it means to aggressively attract diverse natural resource
professionals to SAF through it programs and policies.
[Follow
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Issue
Salary
levels for Foresters, and employment opportunities. Forestry curriculums at universities and forestry department name
changes. SAF accreditation and
certification of forestry schools.
8. Please write the recommendation, as you
would present it to HSD as a Motion:
(1)
HSD recommends that Council adopt forester salaries as a portion of their
strategic plan, and investigate the SAF accreditation and certification process
for universities.
(2)
HSD recommends that the Committee on Forest Policy solicit a white paper or a
research project that will investigate the situation with forestry schools and
chronicle the changes that have taken place in curriculum, department names,
and beginning salary levels for foresters.
(3)
HSD recommends that the Forest Science and Technology Board adopt forester
salary levels as a topic for presentation at the appropriate working group
sessions at national SAF conventions.
(4)
HSD recommends that a blue ribbon panel be appointed to explore ways to
increase the image/importance of foresters that may lead to an increase in
salaries.
[Follow this
link for additional information on this issue]
Issue
The
image of foresters and the forestry profession has suffered greatly in recent
years in the minds of the general public of the world.
recommendation
as you would present it to HSD as a Motion:
(1)
HSD recommends that SAF National Staff develop an icon
that will represent the profession of forestry to the general public in a
positive way. An example would be how
Smokey the Bear has focused the attention of the nation on the need for fire
safety in the forest.
[Follow this link
for additional information on this issue]
Issue
The
Inland Empire Society of American Foresters (IESAF) feels the national Society
of American Foresters has an opportunity to create a new membership category -
"Life Member". Members could
become "Life Members" by purchasing it at a price based on the
discounted value of projected future dues.
Such members would hold an honored position within the society. A number of professional societies and
associations have life membership categories.
The
attractiveness of this option will revolve around setting a suitable cost for
"life membership." Obviously,
the price would have to be less than cost of all future dues to be paid by a
member remaining in the society for 50 years.
The fee must be low enough to attract a realtively large number of
potential "life members," while providing the society with sufficient
investable resources to cover the future costs associated with a 'life
member". The fee schedule
associated with "life membership" would also need to be based, in
part, on the age of the member. This
aspect of the issue will require considerable thought and discussion among
those charged with handling the financial resources of the society. Further, if implemented, the society's
leadership would need to establish a suitable policy to administer the
investment of these funds.
recommendation
as you would present it to HSD as a Motion:
IESAF
requests that Council establish a committee to further explore establishing a
"life membership" category and appropriate membership fee schedule.
[Follow
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Issue:
Pressure
on NIPF forests to produce wood products has increased, while the National Forests
are decreasing their harvest levels. Federal programs designed to assist NIPF landowners have not increased in equal measure to the
increased burden of production and
ecosystem protection that have placed on NIPF lands.
recommendation
as you would present it to HSD as a Motion:
The
HSD encourages the SAF Council to draft a Position Statement, and to take
policy
action encouraging increased financial and technical
support of non-industrial
private
forests landowners.
[Follow
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Issue:
Members
interested in becoming more involved in the committee structure of the Society
of American Foresters often find it difficult to find out what positions are
open or will become open in the near future.
Further, many openings appear to be filled based more upon who one
knows. In short, the society appears to
exhibit at least some of the characteristics of a "club
environment." Such an environment
could tend to discriminate against appropriate disciplinary, philosophic and/or
human diversity and is widely considered inappropriate from a work place
environment standpoint. Further, a club
environment could easily have the undesirable affect discouraging long-term membership
in and/or the greater inclusiveness of the society.
recommendation
as you would present it to HSD as a Motion:
IESAF
requests that council establish a mechanism for posting forthcoming openings on
the web and in the Forestry Source together with an application procedure.
[Follow
this link for additional information on this issue]
Issue:
The
USDA CRP program is failing to address Resource Conservation Problems by not offering agricultural landowners program
options that allow for more permanent
solutions for conservation problems. The details of CRP Program rules
tend to heavily favor those landowners that intend to "plow up" CRP acres at the end of their program
period, which is normally 10 years.
8.
Recommendations: We move that the HSD
recommend to SAF Council and Staff that Policy Action be directed towards
the USDA Conservation Reserve Program, including all of the following
points. The following will have the effect of favoring long-term solutions to
serious resource problems addressed by the CRP Program, rather than continuing
to invest in solutions that all too often disappear after their 10 year
contract expires.
a. Additional incentives need to available
to landowners to plant trees. Those planting trees and electing a 15 year
contract, should receive a 5 year up-front payment, with the balance of
payments paid in the remaining 9 years. No payments would be paid in the last 5
years. The total annual payments made would therefore be the same as normal.
B. Additional incentives will be available
to the landowner that signs and records a 30 year easement to protect the
planting. That landowner will receive 10 years of annual payments up front,
with the remaining payments over the next 4 years.
C. Additional incentives will be paid to
the landowner signing and recording a perpetual easement . All 15 years
payments will be made up front, and 100% of the cost of the planting
establishment will be reimbursed the landowner.
D. The Forested Riparian Buffer Program
will be modified as follows:
1.
To allow 600 foot wide buffers on each side of the stream.
2.
To allow buffers to consist
entirely of trees
3.
The existing $85 per acre annual payment hold-down cost for degraded
pasture will be eliminated, and the
annual payment will be determined in the normal manner.
4. The restriction allowing the use of only
bare root seedlings will be lifted. All technical
determinations concerning stock type and size, planting and maintenance methods will be made by
professional foresters at the local level.
[Follow this
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Issue:
Some
environmental organizations, most prominently the Sierra Club, are officially
opposed to all commercial timber harvesting on public lands. This extreme position is antithetical to
forest management and represents a departure from long-standing policies which
supported human use as a legitimate component of forest conservation
policy. If "zero cut" is
accepted as legitimate by the public, it threatens to further restrict federal
timber harvest below current levels -- which are already the lowest in five
decades. Efforts to separate commercial
utilization of forest products from urgently needed fuel reduction projects
designed to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire in the West will squander
natural resources and waste taxpayer dollars -- resulting in less restoration
work being accomplished, and more avoidable but devastatingly destructive
wildfires in the future.
Proposed
Motion:
1.)
HSD recognizes that organized opposition to commercial logging on public lands
has had a negative effect on the rural communities, forests and wildlands of
the West by hampering the ability of communities and public land managers to
competently respond to the growing threat (and occurrence) of catastrophic
wildfire. HSD recommends that the
ecological and social consequences of rigidly inflexible opposition to
commercial timber harvest on public lands become a topic of high priority for
Council, the Forest Science and Technology Board and the committee on Forest
Policy in the year 2001
2.)
HSD further recognizes the broad social legitimacy and utility of commercial
logging whether it takes place on private or public forest land; and
furthermore recognizes that commercial timber harvest and utilization can be
fully compatible with high standards of environmental protection. HSD recommends that this understanding be
conveyed to Council, the Forest Science and Technology Board and the Committee
on Forest Policy.
[Follow
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Issue:
Forty
Million Acres of National Forest at risk of catastrophic wildfire.
recommendation
as you would present it to HSD as a Motion:
1)
HSD recommends that a comprehensive plan be developed for the Society of
American Foresters to set the lead in determining the strategic actions needed to
ensure the safety of the forests of the western United States from wildfire.
2)
HSD recommends that the topic of wildfires in the western United States become
a topic of high priority for Council, the Forest Science and Technology Board
and the Committee on Forest Policy in the year 2001.
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Other
Issues:
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