Stumped Summer 2009
Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What type of land is eligible to be certified as a Tree Farm?
A: ATFS considers only ‘forested acreage’ as eligible. The inspector should evaluate how the body of water or open field is incorporated into the landowner’s objectives as captured in their management plan.Open spaces for food plots, for example, are certifiable, while open spaces for crop production are not. Ponds, lakes, marshes, and other significant bodies of water are not considered eligible acreage. A general rule is if any of the items mentioned above are over an acre, then they should not be included. For a complete list of eligibility requirements, please visit the certification page of the Tree Farm website www.treefarmsystem.org/certification
Q: Does ATFS have a system through which mills can verify a load of logs from ATFS certified lands?
A: Manufacturing companies, individual mills, wood dealer yards, and other groups are able to subscribe to the ATFS Online Verification Database. The database is a useful tool for groups to ensure they are counting Tree Farmer’s wood appropriately through their procurement policies. Please visit www.treefarmsystem.org/atfsverificationdatabase for more information about the Online Verification Database.
Q: If I talk to a landowner about their property but do not visit it, can our conversation count as a reinspection?
A: If you have visited a property within 180 days of the phone interview and no management activity has occurred since, this is eligible as a reinspection or a required sample reinspection. If you have not visited the property within 180 days of the phone interview, please visit the property before submitting the 004 form to your state committee. Initial inspections may not be conducted through a phone interview.
