Assessment and Certification Update
At the NLC, we announced the 2018 Assessment states: Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Virginia. We look forward to working with these committees throughout the assessment process.
We are in the midst of preparing for the 2017 third-party assessment field visits in Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Thank you to these states for their efforts already in ensuring a successful 2017 assessment.
As an inspector, your efforts are critical to future successful assessments. During routine inspections, carefully review the management plan, map and related documents, to ensure that they are in conformance with the 2015-2020 ATFS Standards and the landowner’s current objectives. Utilizing the ATFS 2015-2020 Addendum is a fast and easy way to review all of the required elements of the Standards.
Please work with your state’s Program Administrator to verify that all of the information related to the Tree Farm is accurate in the national ATFS Database, including the landowner’s contact information and the Tree Farm’s forested acreage. Also, when working with landowners in Certified Pathway states, please remind them that participating in a third-party assessment is required for being part of ATFS, should they be selected to represent the state program. The assessment is a great opportunity to showcase their great work on their Tree Farm.
Please contact Kristina Duff with any questions about the current or future assessments.