Kentucky - Tennessee

Society of American Foresters

NEWSLETTER

Professionals advancing the science, technology, practice and teaching of forestry to benefit society and the environment.

Number 267                                 On the Web @ http://www.ktsaf.org                                  November 2003

 

FROM THE CHAIR - J.R. “Red” Anderson

 Jerry Crow and I had the privilege of attending the “House of Society Delegates” meeting at the National Convention in Buffalo in October.  It is energizing to participate with all the state society chairpersons addressing the concerns of the National SAF, and the profession.  Gary Schneider did an outstanding job chairing the HSD meeting and the HSD throughout 2003. The concerns addressed were organized along the lines of our Strategic Plan. The concerns focused around how a volunteer organization such as the SAF can be successful. We addressed issues such as membership numbers and categories, certification and education, the SAF Leadership Academy, and financing the HSD meeting.

To refresh your memory, the strategic plan identifies seven primary elements, 1) A Vital, Diverse Membership; 2) Enhanced Professional Education and Services; 3) Enhanced Leadership Capability; 4) Effective Engagement in Forest Policy; 5: Building Public Support; 6) Sound Stewardship of Financial Assets, and 7) SAF is an Employer of Choice.

 As I was walking from my hotel on Friday night, to the Volunteer Leadership Dinner held at the convention center, I saw three passenger vans pulling into the hotel parking lot. As I looked closer, I saw green Tennessee tags on the vehicles, and the University of Tennessee decal on the doors. I noticed the enthusiastic students packed in the vans, too. Later, as I mentioned this to Dr. George Hopper, he proudly reported that 21 students from UTK were attending the national convention!  It was encouraging to see such good student participation. I regret that I had to leave Buffalo immediately following the HSD meeting, and I didn’t have a chance to visit with these or other students from our KTSAF schools.

 The West Kentucky Chapter has done an outstanding job of planning the Winter meeting. I’m excited by the agenda.  West Kentucky always provides an informative and enjoyable program.  Lake Barkley is a great setting for the meeting. I encourage all of you to attend. Invite your colleagues  to come meet with us, and make this a successful event.

 Alan Brown at UTK has volunteered to be the CFE coordinator for Tennessee. Alan has recently moved from Mississippi. Alan has some good ideas about providing educational opportunities at our semiannual meetings. He intends to be available at the executive meeting in January to discuss some of his ideas. I thank Larry Tankersley for the many years and hours that he devoted to this effort. It took a lot of dedication, and we express great appreciation to Larry for his efforts.

 I want to express my appreciation to all of our members for the work they do to keep our KTSAF a vital society. I especially appreciate the work done at the chapter level. The chapter chairpersons, chairs elect, secretaries and treasurers enthusiastically promote the significance of the SAF throughout the year to our membership, and to the public with which they interact. I also appreciate the time that our committee chairs contribute.  

 I need your help in identifying those of us that deserve special recognition. We annually present awards to an outstanding forester under the age of 35, over the age of 35, a technician and a non-forester (the Herman T. Baggenstoss Award). The nomination form is on the KTSAF web page, along with information on each award that we present. Nominations can come from any of our members, and do not have to be submitted through a chapter organization. You may submit the nomination directly to me at jranderson@fs.fed.us, or to my office address: Cherokee National Forest, PO Box 2010, Cleveland, TN, 37320. I will be working with Pam Snyder (our Awards Committee chair) and Jerry Crow to review the nominations and make the selections.

 I ask you all to consider volunteering to serve on any of our standing committees, or to allow yourself to be nominated for a position with the two-state society or at the chapter level.

 

COMMENTS FROM YOUR HSD CHAIR ........Gary Schneider

I had the privilege of presiding over the 2003 House of Society Delegates (HSD) annual meeting that took place at our SAF convention in Buffalo, New York, on October 24 and 25. The convener system, whereby six designated state society chairs contact their counterparts in 4-5 selected state societies distributed across the nation on a quarterly basis, had worked well. The agenda was a full one that involved many issues that had been identified over the course of the year by our “tree roots” professional membership.

The formal structure of the agenda was formatted following the adopted SAF Council’s strategic outcomes. All topics for discussion were arranged under one of the following outcome goals: (1) a vital, diverse membership, (2) enhanced professional education and services, (3) enhanced leadership capability, (4) effective engagement in forest policy, (5) building public support, and (6) sound stewardship of financial assets.

I would like to suggest that our KT-SAF  meetings try using this format. It might help us focus on our goals and objectives, and allow us to monitor more precisely the progress we are making in each strategic outcome that we wish to engage in over specified time periods.

The recommendations that will go to SAF Council from the 2003 HSD are:

1.  That Council evaluates the need to create a new category of membership - perhaps called “transitional,” to accommodate members experiencing such things as job loss, career change, and/or financial difficulties.

2. That Council explores with the Sustainable Forestry Board the possibility of incorporating certification programs, such as Certified Forester, into the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Program to promote the practice of sustainable forestry.

3. HSD recommends that Council, in support of the national strategic plan, investigate redirecting national level resources that would provide support to state societies and/or chapters in their efforts to meet the goals of their strategic plan.  HSD further recommends this level of support be not less than $1,000 per state society, or in-kind services, for SAF units submitting a plan for applying funds or services to achieve the identified goals of their strategic plan.

4.  That Council continue efforts to resolve the issues related to Federal employees being prohibited from serving, in an official capacity, as an officer or member of any board of any non-federal organization, absent a specific authorizing statue or waiver. (HSD expresses appreciation to Council and staff for the progress made thus far).

5. HSD recommends that Council approve HSD charter amendments that address issues related to elections of HSD officers, convener system, and preparation of HSD’s annual budget.

6.  HSD recommends that any remaining surplus funds from the 2003 HSD budget will be donated to the 2004 Leadership Academy program.

7. HSD endorses the national communications plan developed by the Communications Committee that addressed the 2002 HSD recommendation for “back to basics” forestry messages and strategies/tactics for implementation.

I will meet with Council on December 6-7, and inform them of these recommendations. My term of office ends on December 31. It has been my privilege to serve as HSD chair. The newly elected HSD chair for 2004 is Nancy Peckman (chair, Washington State SAF), and the Vice chair is Gabe Partido (chair, Southwest SAF).

 

UPCOMING MEETINGS

The West Tennessee SAF chapter will meet November 25, 2003, for an annual planning and strategy session. Subjects to address: Tennessee Forester Registration, reaching nontraditional audiences with the message of forestry, and a forestry field tour for the newly formed county forestry associations at the Ames Plantation to view the seed orchard and tree improvement center. We have 5 new members.

David Mercker

Chair, West TN SAF

The East Tennessee SAF chapter meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 7 am. The location is Shoney’s on Clinton Highway in Knoxville.

The KTSAF Winter meeting will be at Lake Barkley State Resort Park, Kentucky, from Wednesday, January 21 to Friday January 23, 2004. The topic is COMMUNICATION FOR NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGERS. See the KTSAF website [agenda or registration form ] or the end of this newsletter for the agenda and registration form.

 

NOMINATIONS DUE FOR 2003 KT-SAF AWARDS

 Now is the time to submit nominations for the 2003 KTSAF awards. There are four awards for which nominations are needed: Herman Baggenstoss Forestry Recognition Award, Outstanding Member Service Award 35 years of age and under, Outstanding Member Service Award over 35 years of age, and Outstanding Service Award to a Technician.

 Details about nominating individuals for each of these awards are on the KTSAF Nomination Form. This form is available on the KTSAF website (follow this link), or from the newsletter editor. The deadline for nominations has been extended to November 28, 2003. Please submit all nominations to:  J.R. Anderson, Cherokee National Forest, PO Box 2010, Cleveland, TN, 37320

 

SAF TO TOUR FINLAND AND ESTONIA

 The 2004 SAF International Study Tour will be to Finland and Estonia June 15 - 18, 2004.  Those on the tour will see all aspects of forestry in the countries including research, industrial forestry, family owned forests, national parks, manufacturing and education.  In addition, there will be a visit to the Timberjack plant in Joensuu, Finland, and a modern sawmill in Estonia.

Finland and Estonia have much in common.  They both are heavily forested, and forests are an integral part of their economies and cultures.  While Finland has a highly developed forestry sector, Estonia is now emerging from a long period of Soviet Russian domination.  The forest industry is Finland's largest, and Estonia has Europe's fastest growing economy with forest products making up a large portion of their international trade. 

For more information, contact Dick Reid, Reid Consulting (317) 894-0138, .

 

SAF ELECTION RESULTS - 2004

 The results of the recent SAF elections are: Dr. John Helms is new president elect, Bob Cunningham is the new District IX Council representative.

Wayne Clatterbuck was elected as Fellow; he was the only candidate from KTSAF.

 

2003 SAF MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN - STATUS REPORT AS OF OCTOBER 31ST 

The Kentucky-Tennessee SAF now has 424 members. Although this surpasses the goal of 406 by 18, it is no reason to stop working on increasing KTSAF membership. Let’s work to get even more members and be the top state SAF society in exceeding our goal.

 

CFE CREDIT FOR SAF CERTIFIED FORESTERS

SAF Certified Foresters need to send in evidence of completion of CFE hours directly to the SAF national office (Dept. of Science and Education) - either using a PCEF (personal continuing education form) and/or contact hour notices.  You may also either fax or e-mail the information to us. If CFE credit has not been assigned to an activity, we would need an agenda to assess CFE credit.   Once the credit has been entered into your record, we send you written confirmation of the number of credit hours.

Pat Cillay

Education Manager

Society of American Foresters

Link to Clarification of CFE Requirements            Link to CFE Documentation Form

 

NEWS

The East Tennessee SAF chapter sponsored a continuing education opportunity October 10, 2003 at the Tennessee Division of Forestry's Lone Mountain Station near Wartburg, Tennessee.  The theme of this all-day workshop was Non-timber Sources of Forest Revenue.  Topics covered included leasing forestland for hunting and off-highway vehicle use, how a local municipality derives non‑timber income from its over 2,000 acre watershed including a rifle range, cell towers, and firewood permits, harvesting of rock and details of how to contract to do that, and safety considerations when planning logging and other activities around oil and gas wells and facilities.  A field trip was held in the afternoon to visit a rock buying and processing operation nearby (think logyard - but with rock of all sizes) and also to visit a near buy tornado salvage logging operation.

Jeff Holt

Chair, East TN SAF

Dr. Edward R. Buckner, professor emeritus in the University of Tennessee Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, has received the State Forester's Award from the Tennessee Division of Agriculture for his career-long work in promoting forestry sciences. Ed joined the UT faculty in 1956 and retired in 1997. During his tenure he taught dendrology and silvics, silviculture, fire ecology, and forest measurements and inventory. He had numerous MS and PhD students working on projects related to ecology and silviculture.

Dr. Glendon W. Smalley, research soil scientist, has been presented the Emeritus Scientist Award in recognition of his long-term contributions to forest science research and continued interest in forest site classification in the Interior Highlands. Glen retired from the Southern Station’s Silviculture Laboratory in Sewanee, Tennessee, in October 1988 with 35 years of service.  As Emeritus Scientist, he will work closely with the subunit of the Southern Station’s Ecology and Management of Southern Appalachian Hardwoods research unit located at Alabama A&M University.

 

NOTES FROM THE EDITOR

The deadline for the February KTSAF Newsletter will be February 2, 2004.

Please keep your information on file with SAF up-to-date. Provide changes to: Amy Ziadi, data systems administrator, SAF National Office, 5400 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) 897-8720, ext. 102, ziadia@safnet.org .