American Tree Farm System Honors Bill Chaney as 2019 National Outstanding Inspector of the Year
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 14, 2019)—The American Tree Farm System® (ATFS) is pleased to recognize Bill Chaney of Arkansas as the 2019 National Outstanding Inspector of the Year. Chaney was selected from among more than 2,500 inspectors nationwide for his exceptional on-the-ground work with family forest owners and commitment to the American Tree Farm System.
“Bill is one of those individuals who doesn’t just see his role as a forest inspector as a volunteer job, but as a calling to serve,” said Tom Martin, president and CEO of the American Forest Foundation, which administers and oversees the ATFS program. “He has an incredible passion for serving his community and the Tree Farmers of Arkansas; his work recruiting, mentoring and certifying landowners is making a true impact on the sustainability of our forests and the resources – wildlife, clean water, wood – that they provide.”
Chaney has been active in the Arkansas Tree Farm Committee for more than two decades, serving as Chair of the committee in 2011-2012. He frequently gives presentations to landowners within his District on relevant forestry topics and can often be found attending ATFS field days and educational events. He is constantly spreading the good word about Tree Farm – encouraging landowners to join, or fellow foresters to volunteer as inspectors. In 2018 alone, he certified nearly 50 new Tree Farmers to the program.
Chaney has worked for the Arkansas Forestry Commission as a county forester for more than 28 years. He is also an active member of the Arkansas Forestry Association and has served as a mentor to numerous foresters and landowners throughout his tenure.
Inspectors in ATFS provide forestry advice and technical assistance to family forest owners, and certify their property meets rigorous third-party standards of sustainability. The Outstanding Inspector of the Year award annually recognizes those inspectors who go above and beyond the call of duty to serve the ATFS community. Chaney was among four regional Outstanding Inspectors – Kelly Norris of Wyoming, Gary Bucklin of Michigan, and Dan Lewis of Maryland. He received his national award on February 27 at the 2019 ATFS National Leadership Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.
Contact: Elizabeth Greener; (202) 253-1096; egreener@forestfoundation.org
The American Tree Farm System® is a network of 73,000 family forest owners sustainable managing 19 million acres of forestland. ATFS is the largest and oldest sustainable woodland program in the United States, internationally recognized, meeting strict third-party certification standards. The American Tree Farm System® is a program of the American Forest Foundation, a national forest conservation organization that works on the ground with families, partners and elected officials to promote stewardship for healthier forests.
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