Bringing Our Impact Into Focus: A Recap of the 2018 NLC
Each year, the American Tree Farm System hosts more than 250 individuals from the Tree Farm network including inspectors, Tree Farmers, state committee leaders and policy supporters to its three-day National Leadership Conference. This year, the event’s focus was on strategies and opportunities to grow, strengthen and increase the impact of the program. Throughout the conference, presentations, panel discussions and small group sessions focused on:
Workable options for streaming ATFS certification;
The use of technology in the streamlining process and how we can attract and service new landowners;
Attributes of a program with lower barriers for entry to attract more landowners;
Opportunities to leverage resources to increase impact work by Tree Farmers;
Options for increasing the engagement of landowners in a network; and
Options for a sustainable funding model.
Participants were also able to attend education and leadership training sessions on topics such as: attracting young forestry leaders; how to build a movement around a white oak initiative; how to build and create partnerships in their state that work; new tools such as the landscape management plans; or how to write a strong grant proposal, among many others.
How Tree Farm Committees are Better Reaching New Landowners
A favorite of the conference were panel discussions where Tree Farm leaders and partners shared experiences on their conservation-focused partnerships with AFF to attract and engage new and inexperienced landowners. The panel consisted of Patty Cormier from Maine Forest Service, Angela Wells from Montana DNRC, and Tedrick Ratcliffe from Mississippi Forestry Association sharing their first-hand experience at what has worked and what hasn’t for them as they tried to reach under-engaged landowners
Tedrick Ratcliffe from the Mississippi Forestry Association speaking at the 2018 National Leadership Conference.
The speakers explored differences in motivators for landowners: In the West, the terms ‘financial and technical assistance’ did not get a response. In the South, inexperienced landowners wanted education information before they met with a forester. In the Northeast, new landowners were highly motivated by opportunities to help birds, yet were turned away by the word ‘manage.’ Tree Farm network leaders found these insights about the different values and attitudes towards forest management eye-opening and helpful.
Afterward, leaders participated in group discussions on how their state ATFS program could attract new, different landowners into forest stewardship and where applicable, participate in a conservation project with AFF.
Into the Future: ATFS Announces New Tools and Pilots
In addition to the panel discussions and learning opportunities, AFF and the ATFS leadership shared more information about new tools, pilots and strategies being tested in 2018, ones that ATFS state programs could be a part of in the future.
AFF is launching a new pilot in Alabama in partnership with Westrock, a strong ATFS supporter, to test a new approach to certification that reduces landowner barriers to entry, while upholding the integrity and credibility of the program. The goal of the pilot is to ultimately streamline program processes to allow ATFS to engage more landowners through qualified foresters and contractors.
AFF is testing a new style of landscape management plan for landowners, a landscape management plan, in Florida and in Alabama, designed to reduce costs, create efficiencies and to help landowners contribute to the larger regional conservation goals of a region.
AFF is also launching a new digital tool, Forests in Focus, created in partnership with GreenBlue, designed to help purchasers of wood products better understand forest sustainability issues in the areas they are sourcing from, which in turn helps create more market access for family forest owners.
Last, AFF is partnering with WoodsCamp, a new innovative digital diagnostic tool to help landowners better understand their forests and find opportunities for resources and experts who can help them care for their trees.
We are excited to support ATFS in 2018 as we work together to grow, strengthen and advance the program. Hearing positive feedback from participants, AFF intends to work hand-in-hand with committee leaders as we work to increase the number of family forest owners actively caring for clean water, wildlife habitat and sustainable wood supplies.
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