2001 House of Society Delegates

September 11-12, 2001

Denver, CO

(HSD business affairs as summarized by Gary Schneider, Alternate Delegate of KT-SAF)

HSD offers opportunities for connection

Fcommunication between states, national student assembly, and SAF Council

Fexchange ideas to improve SAF and the forestry profession at all levels

Fform partnerships with Council and staff on SAF affairs and forest policy

Action Items:

Membership and Diversity

Membership continues to decline. Numerous reasons cited (in survey of Intermountain SAF). Top five: dues to high, don’t see any benefits; involved with other interest groups; lack of activity on local level; don’t understand mission of SAF

(1) SAF Dues payment schedule

explore flexible options for dues payments(equal monthly payments not practical; letting the member decide the due date of their annual dues not practical)

Should members have option to select equal semi-annual payments? (Not recommended by staff since members have more time not to renew)

SAF currently has a 4 installment payment plan (w/ $1.00 service chg).

(2) SAF separate membership category

With membership declining, could CF (certified forester) be used by establishing a separate CF membership category? OR require a CF designation in order to be considered for the Professional Member category?

(Neither recommended by staff)

Member recognition

Members need to be SAF members for 50 years before being recognized for such participation. However, many members never make the 50 year mark. Should SAF have 20, 30, and 40 year award pins? How about a 10-year pin as well?

(National office now provides lists of 25 year members, and local units can obtain certificates of recognition from SAF for $3.00. National office could purchase 10, 20, 30, amd 40 year pins for $3-4.00)

Finances

HSD Funding

How should HSD be funded, and how should these funds be collected from the membership? Funding for HSD has been responsibility of each Society based upon projected costs. National Office bills each Society based on number of its members.(currently 0.34/member) When actual costs have exceeded projected costs, National Office has made up the difference. HSD needs to be self-sufficient. Costs now exceed the total annual dues of some of the smaller Societies.

Should HSD continue to be funded by dues collected by each Society?

[In 2000, HSD collected about $6,000, but costs were nearly $11,500]. How to collect member share of HSD costs? Need about 0.65/ member. Also, don’t know costs of future HSD meeting, and only have costs from previous meeting to go by. This year charged each Society an additional $100.

Bigger Societies pay more then their share. For example, SESAF shoulders 10% of HSD cost but has only a voting voice of 3%.

Do we place a cap on total HSD expenses (proposed: $7,000).

How about autonomy between HSD and National Office??

Planned giving & charitable giving

Solicit funds from members to pay for HSD expenses; also approach industry, etc. for contributions for HSD operations?

Professional Education

Urban foresters separate category

Should SAF take leadership role at national level in urban forestry?

Should SAF establish specialty designations within the CF designation?

Leadership Development

2002 HSD meeting in Winston-Salem

Should HSD meeting be cut to 1-1/2 days?

Natural Resource Policy

Commercial logging

HSD believes efforts to eliminate all timber harvest activity from national forests (and other federal lands) are a serious and growing threat. Council should engage in an aggressive position statement on this issue. STILL BEING DRAFTED

Tree energy

SAF should develop an Energy Information Statement on role of trees for energy and energy reduction. SAF has provided testimony and got addition into House Agriculture Committee’s draft Farm Bill.

Threatened & Endangered Species

SAF should push for legislation to provide private landowners with financial incentives for managing their lands for T&E species habitat

conservation.

Dispersed recreation

Should SAF emphasize dispersed recreation (less consumptive form of recreation?

External Communications

Product labeling

Image in the market place is critical to success. For consumers to understand the role of forest management in producing the products they use, a logo or emblem needs to be attached to the item. What can SAF do to enhance this image via a forest management logo?

Problem: Labeling forest products to reflect and certify sound forest management is extremely complex. (Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiative are pursusing that). SAF in no position to certify someone’s management practice.

HSD Leadership in2002

Mike Lester, Chair (Ass’t state forester, Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry

SAF Leadership in 2002

Dr. Dave Smith, President

Pushing adoption of SAF core values: forests are priceless; sustainability; scientific basis; duty and service

{SAF Leadership in 2003}

Jason Kutack

{National Leadership Academy, 2002, Nebraska City on May 4-7)

* Non-action item: Use of the Foresters’ Fund (now at $1.1 million). Now use $42,500 annual to promote public understanding of the role of foresters). Should some of the funds support forest science & technology activities for foresters?

** Non-action item: Policy before Congress on CARA (Conservation & Reinvestment Act).

Money to environmental groups to buy out forest land owners and set aside forests from all cutting, etc.

***Non-action item: forester credentialing or licensing or registration is an issue receiving growing support.(Missouri just went through this process of study. Not passed by Legislature at this time). To counter this move, more emphasis should be placed on promoting our CF program.

At present, mandatory licensing in: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire.

At present, mandatory registration in: Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, but voluntary registration in: Michigan, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and West Virginia.