THE TRAIL BLAZER. Iam writing to you from the National Convention. One. Word from the Chair by Chip Maley

THE TRAIL BLAZER The Appalachian Society of American Foresters APSAF Web site— www.apsaf.org

Word from the Chair by Chip Maley 2011 APSAF Chair

I

am writing to you from the National Convention. One thing that has certainly caught my attention here has been the word change. Roger Dziengeleski, SAF President; Bill Rockwell, Vice President; and Michael Goergen, Jr., SAF Executive VP/ CEO, all began their remarks to the House Society Delegates (HSD) with the word change. One change is our new dues structure now in place for all membership: a tiered structure to satisfy current members and also appeal to non-members (whom I pray will be brought into the SAF fold). This change may require us as individuals to embrace a paradigm shift in how we view membership as an organization. Change can build positive momentum. SAF leadership is Chip Maley very aware of all the issues which our Society and members face, and so has initiated a new strategic planning effort. (If you haven't already read it, I recommend Jim Collins' book, Good to Great. This book will lay the foundation for understanding how Council is approaching this exciting scope of work.) The project will not produce a typical 25to 40-page strategic plan that, once completed, is shelved to gather dust. It will be a roadmap leading the organization's movement toward being the best it can be. By first defining precisely who SAF is and determining our organizational focus, we can then position ourselves in the public eye as the body who is willing to embrace collaborative relationships that will move our communities, states and nation forward in economic viability with environmental responsibility.

Winter 2011 National SAF Web site—www.safnet.org

During the day-and-a-half HSD meeting, some wonderful success stories involving change have been shared. Improvements for Oregon SAF and Washington SAF's joint website; New England/New York's student conclaves for northeastern schools; Chattahochee Chapter, Southeastern SAF's program, A Walk in the Forest, an educational partnership with Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Especially motivating is the story of the Heartland Leadership Academy, created by a consortium of SAF Societies working together under the leadership of Ernie Houghton. We could implement this concept with the societies which border us: just think what strides in leadership we would make if each division or state Society could send some of their brightest young leaders to a centrally-located weekend retreat for learning more about SAF, how it works, and how to create a stronger, more influential membership in their areas. While here I have been laying the foundation with Allegheny, National Area, Southeastern, and Tennessee and Kentucky societies for just such a conversation. During the HSD meeting, four issue-and-action breakout sessions were held on the topics of SAF Publications, the Certified Forester Program, Forest Policy, and Membership. Each group was given 80 minutes to discuss three questions in relation to desired outcomes 10 years in the future: What is SAF doing well in this area? Cont'd page 2

Sur vival-Wytheville: Adapt, Migrate, or Die APSAF 91st Annual Winter Meeting January 25 - 27, 2012 Wytheville, Virginia In recent years, quantum changes have occurred in the forestry sector. What does it take to survive? The 91st Annual APSAF Winter meeting will explore what survival entails. For the American chestnut species, survival depends on foresters and geneticists working to bring back this fallen champion of the Appalachian forest. For the local forest products sector, survival depends on adaptation, business sense, and innovation. For the forestry professional, survival may depend on learning the latest ways of electronic media and networking. See the preliminary program on page 3.

Chairman's comments

THE TRAIL BLAZER The quarterly newsletter of the Appalachian Society of American Foresters. ©2011 2011 Executive Committee Chair

Chip Maley

864-503-1669 [email protected] Chair-elect

Charles Gresham

843-546-6314 [email protected] Immediate past Chair

Mark Megalos

919-513-1202 fax 919-515-6883 [email protected] Secretary/Treasurer

Liz Bourgeois

phone & fax 843-873-4823 [email protected] North Carolina Div. Chair

Jim Gray

128 Chicora Club Dr. Dunn, NC 28334 910-891-7376 [email protected] South Carolina Div. Chair

Mary Morrison

4931 Broad River Rd. Columbia, SC 29212 803-561-4058 fax 803-561-4004 [email protected] Virginia Division Chair

Jennifer Gagnon

228 Cheatham Hall 0324 Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-6391 [email protected] Forest Science and Technology Chair

Fred Cubbage

919-515-7789 [email protected] Ex-Officio Members: SAF Council Member

Tom Straka

864-656-4827 [email protected] Trail Blazer Editor

Charles F. Finley, CF® The Trail Blazer is published to provide information and stimulate discussion among the members of the Appalachian Society, SAF. Send comments to Charlie Finley, editor: Verbatim Editing 1011 East Main Street, LL90 Richmond, VA 23219 phone & fax 804-648-0357 [email protected] 2

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How could SAF do better in this area? Is there a specific resolution or action that HSD should ask Council or staff to take? The SAF Publications group made no recommendations as all publications are profitable and well-received by the membership. HSD recommended that Council take a hard look at the financial viability of the Certified Forester program. The Forest Policy group issued two challenges to the HSD Representatives for the coming year: (1) to foster stronger ties with SAF Policy staff in order to develop local and state coalitions around policy issues; and (2) to report annually a success in building partnerships with influential groups around policy issues at the local and state levels. One final resolution from HSD to Council concerning membership centered around supporting our Council to deal with the membership issue as the strategic planning process occurs. Notes taken during the breakout sessions were typed and presented to Council for further review. Any proposed shift in the direction of SAF and its definition of membership cannot be enacted by Council alone; remember that any change in language in the SAF By-laws requires a vote by all members. And one more positive change: we have an opportunity to increase the K.P. Funderburke, Jr. Educational Endowment Fund through a matching grant! Every dollar donated between now and December 31 will be matched up to the first $1,000. Let's take advantage of this chance to raise a minimum of $2,000 for our educational endowment supporting active APSAF members in attending leadership workshops, educational training sessions, or symposia; and providing student financial support for attending APSAF leadership workshops, APSAF annual meetings, or the National SAF Convention. Together let's ensure leadership for the future of our Society through the Funderburke Endowment. Tax-deductible contributions can be made by mailing checks made payable to APSAF to 211 Chucker Drive, Summerville, SC 29485. Please note in the memo line "Matching Legacy" to help us track contributions toward this opportunity. ~ Chip v

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Sur vival-Wytheville: Adapt, Migrate, or Die 91st APSAF Annual Winter Meeting Wytheville, Virginia, Wednesday, January 25, 2012 • 12 noon - 5:30 pm - Pre-conference Tour: American Chestnut Research and Restoration; Pellet Facility Tour. (4.0 CFE credits, Category 1) • 12 noon - 5 pm. - Pre-conference Workshop: Tree Farm Inspector Training. (4.0 CFE credits, Category 1)

Thursday, January 26 Technical Session I (3.0 CFE credits, Category 1) 7 - 8 am. Full Breakfast 8 - 8:15 am. Call to Order, Welcome and Program Overview 8:15 - 9 am. Who Survives and Why: Lessons from History, by Bob Radspinner, Assistant State Forester, Stewardship/Forest Management, West Virginia Division of Forestry, Charleston, WV. 9 - 9:45 am. The American Chestnut Foundation's Program for Restoring the American Chestnut, by Dr. Fred Hebard, The American Chestnut Foundation, Meadowview, VA. 9:45 - 10:15 am. Refreshment Break 10:15 - 11 am. Global Context: A Look at How International Markets Affect the Survival of the Forest Products Industry in Virginia and the Carolinas, by Joel Stopha, International Marketing Specialist, Office of International Marketing, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Richmond, VA. 11:15 - 12 noon. Five Decades of Adaptive Management: A Local Forest Products Company's Story of Survival, by Ryan Turman, The Turman Group, Hillsville, VA. 12:15 - 2:00 pm. Annual Awards Luncheon 2:00 - 3:30 pm. APSAF Business Meeting 3:30 - 4:30 pm. State Division Meetings 5:00 - 6:00 pm. Alumni Socials 6:00 - 8:00 pm. Social

Friday, January 27 Technical Session II (2.0 CFE Credits, Category 1 & 1.0 CFE credit, Category 2) 7 - 8:30 am. Full Breakfast 8:30 Welcome and Program Overview 8:30 - 9:30 am. Timber and Timberland Security: Tools and Tactics for Survival, by Aaron Gilland, President, Dendro Resources Management, Inc, Lugoff, SC. 9:30 - 9:45 am. Refreshment Break 9:45 - 10:45 am. Social Media for Anti-Social-Media Professionals: Surviving the Information Highway Without Getting Run Over! by Tom Davidson, PCC, SPHR, Executive Coach and Speaker, King William, VA. 10:45 - 11:00 am. Refreshment Break 11 - 12 noon New GIS Tools to Increase Inventory Efficiency, by Terry Porter, President, ForesTech Resource Solutions, LLC, Nashville, TN, and Darian Yawn, Technical Support Manager, Landmark Spatial Solutions, LLC, Warner Robbins, GA. 12 noon Passing of the Gavel / Meeting Adjourns. [Take advantage of our convenient on-line registration at www.apsaf.org.] The Trail Blazer upSWinter 2011 u 3

District 8 Council Report by Tom Straka, SAF Council Member The fall Council Meeting was held in Honolulu, Hawaii. Council meets for two days prior to the National Convention and then we also attend the House of Society Delegates meeting to gauge member concerns and issues. The photo is Chip and me at the HSD Meeting. Honolulu was a wonderful convention location, with lots to see and do. However, it has nothing on Charleston, South Carolina, the 2013 convention location. We've got the Battery, Market Street, and field locations like Four Hole Swamp and three mature longleaf pine stands on the Brosnan Forest. Appalachian SAF National Conventions have always been outstanding and we have another chance to show our stuff in 2013. Council approved two forest policy position statements on Federal Tax Treatment of Private Forest Land and The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program. Also approved was a charter for the Committee on World Forestry, after a discussion of SAF's role in international forestry. This also led to an interesting discussion on how to ensure national committees perform (accountability) and how members are selected for these committees. Strategic planning continues to be a focus using a Good to Great (a best-seller by Jim Collins) framework. We met in Detroit last month with a facilitator to better develop that focus. We recognize our strategic plan has evolved over the years, but has lacked the clarity and process needed to move SAF from a very good organization to a great organization. This is a disciplined process that deals the long-term development of SAF. We are looking at the fundamentals, like mission, core values, and members' experiences with SAF. This process will lead to a commitment to a path that will define SAF in the 21st century. The general chair of the 2012 National Convention in Spokane, Washington gave a presentation on plans for the meeting. The title is "Near Nature, Near Perfect." The city has a fine convention center, with hotels nearby, including a classic Davenport Hotel. The program topic is "Resilient Forests." The dates are October 24-28. This will be the third SAF National Convention in Spokane. Pat and I attended an ACF National Meeting in Spokane and it was great. From the presentation, I expect this to also be a great one. The 2014 National Convention site was approved. That meeting will be in Salt Lake City, in conjunction with the USDA Forest Service and IUFRO. National office finally has a new membership computer software system finally working. Any problems you might have had with membership data are now fixed. The new tiered dues structure is now in force for 2012. The tiered dues will be tied to different serviced levels. Regular members select their dues level (from $95 to $240) and resulting service level. There is a joint discount membership promotional program. Each member who recruits a new member earns a $20 discount from national dues for the next 5 years and the new member gets a $30 discount from national dues from the next 5 years. Student memberships are not eligible. Non-dues revenue was also discussed and the Finance Committee is developing a plan to increase these revenues. Overall, finances for 2011 were slightly below budget, but considering the economy, performance was pretty good. Financial projections for 2012 were encouraging. SAF and the Renewable Natural Resources Foundation (RNRF) continue to work as partners to sell most of the Wild Acres property to potential buyers. Current thoughts are selling the land and retaining control of the buildings. Greg Brown reported on the progress of the Terrestrial Ecosystem Management Accreditation Task Force. They are developing a proposal for SAF to accredit natural resource management programs. This would be in addition to forestry and urban forestry accreditation. I see this as a big issue with major implications (that were discussed in an article in the Source on SAF as a "broad § or elite" organization). The task force should have a final report by early 2012. 4 upSWinter 2011 u The Trail Blazer

Make Tracks...

to these upcoming SAF Meetings APSAF Executive Committee Meetings Jan. 25, 2012, 1-5 pm, Wytheville, VA

2011 Appalachian SAF Summer meetings All over now

2012 Appalachian SAF Winter Meeting January 25-27, Wytheville, VA

National SAF Meetings 2012, Oct. 24-27, Spokane, WA 2013, Charleston, SC 2014, Salt Lake City, Utah

GRAY ARTMENT LL RUN HERE. COMING E. IF IT’S NOT , WELL THERE SPRING LL JR IS SEND, TODAY.

eferred r single

3121

Your Leaders in the State Divisions

North Carolina Chair Jim Gray

128 Chicora Club Dr. Dunn, NC 28334 910-891-7376 [email protected]

Chair-elect Douglas Staiger 220 Jupiter Place,Clyde, NC 28721 828-507-6958, cell 828-627-8753, home [email protected]

South Carolina Chair Mary Morrison

4931 Broad River Rd. Columbia, SC 29212 803-561-4058 fax 803-561-4004 [email protected]

Chair-elect Tim Adams SC Forestry Comm., PO Box 21707 Columbia, SC 29221 803-896-8802 fax 803-798-8097 [email protected]

Virginia

Chair Jennifer L. Gagnon 2155 Hammes Street Christiansburg, VA 24073 540-231-6391 fax 540-231-3330 [email protected]

Chair-elect Bill Worrell P.O. Box 697 Lebanon, VA 24266 276-889-8056 [email protected] The Trail Blazer u Winter 2011 u 5

North Carolina—we're smokin' (tall tales & half truths) Why do less than your best??? by Jim Gray, 2011 NC Chair I recently had the opportunity and privilege to sit on a review committee for APSAF grant requests. I was more than a little surprised to see that all of the requests were scribbled out, hand written, in barely legible writing. This is 2011 not 1960. What is this? I came through school in the 60's. The computers, such as they were in that day, required three 40 foot vans, and a full day to sort data that a modern laptop will sort in less than a second. In the era of ever faster laptops, scanners, and pads that do Jim Gray it all, WHY DO LESS THAN YOUR BEST? I well remember one of my professors handing me a term paper and saying if you can't write, print it! A long time later I can still hear and see him passing that term paper back to me. It taught me a valuable lesson. If it is worth doing, do your best. Our students of today are watching, all of the time not just in the class room. When they see shortcuts taken, the easy way out, and less than best efforts put forward they will remember in the future. No, they will likely not be filling out grant request for money to go to Hawaii, but they will be making decisions on how our natural resources will be managed in the future. Some land management decisions are easy, but some require lots of research and years to implement. Will they take the time to do it right, or have we shown them the shortcut, and the easy way out? Speaking of doing your best, I want to point out a group that has done their best and did it every show. Yes, I am speaking of the Piedmont Chapter and their efforts to host the 2011 SAF Summer Meeting. Records were set or approached in most areas, including attendance, program, and income. What a meeting it was!! Now we are looking forward to 2012 to see what Pete Hancock and the Tar River Chapter step up with. I have been honored by several organizations within the forestry community this year. NC Prescribed Fire Council, NCACF Chapter, and SAF National Field Forester. These are all outstanding recognitions of my service, but by far the greatest honor to come my way in years has been the privilege of serving you as Division Chair during 2011. There can be no greater

6 uWWinter 2011 u The Trail Blazer

honor than to meet and work with the members of this division. I ask that you not do as I did for 30+ years and sit on the sideline and say they will do it. It wasn't until 2000 when Barry New asked me to rejoin SAF that I began to realize that I was part of SAF. You can make a difference and if you will get involved YOU will make a difference. You are SAF and the future of SAF depends on you. To say SAF "don't do nothing for me" is to say I am too lazy to help move SAF in new directions during the 21st century. ~ Jim Gray

News from some of the chapters Sandhills Chapter, by J. Keith McCollum, Chair The Sandhills Chapter commenced its regular monthly meetings in September at the LobSteer Restaurant in Southern Pines, NC. David Jones with the NC Division of Forestry presented results of the 2011 Forestry BMP Implementation Survey. In October, Professor/Forester Mike Thompson presented an overview of the Calculation of Forestry Investments Criteria. Also in October the Sandhills Chapter sponsored a field trip to Ft. Bragg to view salvage operations from the tornados that struck the base in April of this year. Joe Stancar and his Ft. Bragg Forestry group hosted the field trip followed by a BBQ dinner. Congratulations to our Chapter overachiever, Jim Grey, who was recently named SAF Field Forester, an honor more prestigious than knighthood. Jim was also named 2011 Forester of the year by NCACF and Prescribed Burner of the Year by the NC Prescribed Fire Council. Jim is the current chair of the NC Division, APSAF. Way to go, Mr. Jim! Waccamaw Chapter, by Travis W. Hughes On October 25 at 6:30 PM the Waccamaw Chapter held its 2nd full chapter meeting for the year. This meeting was held at the newly renovated NC Forestry Museum in Whiteville, NC. The meeting was originally planned for mid-summer, but the delays in the completion of the NC Forestry Museum pushed the date back into October. This meeting had approximately 12 attendees, counting both Chapter members and non Chapter members. The chapter sponsored the food and drinks for the meeting. At this meeting, we discussed the upcoming changes in 2012 SAF membership levels, Chapter membership in general, our search for a someone to fulfill the Chapter Chair-Elect position for 2012, and where we stand with our Chapter Funds Projects. Harry Warren (the NC Forestry Museum Director) and Butch Blanchard (the Chairman of the NC Forestry Museum Board) gave us a brief history of the early days of the NC Forestry Museum and a tour of the newly renovated Museum. This meeting was used as a starting point for ideas on how we should invest the $2,000 that we had set aside in the Chapter Funds project tied to the NC Forestry Museum. As it stands now, there is no outside landscaping in the state budget for the NC Forestry Museum. The thinking is that the Chapter Funds project that we have could help to fulfill that need. We will work closely with Harry Warren and Butch Blanchard going forward to better outline what needs to happen to keep this project moving forward.

On Saturday September 10 at the Brunswick Nature Park in Brunswick County, NC the Coastal Land Trust held a "Family Fun Day." This event was a nature centered event to highlight all the amenities that the new park had to offer. The Waccamaw Chapter supported that event by providing volunteers to talk about forestry to the people that attended the event. The event was well attended by the local community. On Thursday September 8th Jerry Hansen (Immediate Past Chair) and Mary Beth Hansen (Current Secretary/Treasurer) met and completed our 2011 Chapter Financial Audit. Jerry was able to report that the chapter finances were in excellent shape and that Mary Beth had done a terrific job of keeping up with all the financial records over the last 3 years. Our Chapter Funds projects are moving along fairly well. The Chapter meeting at the NC Forestry Museum gave that Chapter Funds project a big boost. As you may already know, William Snyder has relocated from the Wilmington area to the Franklin, VA area. William was handling our "Walk in the Forest" chapter funds project. We are currently trying to find someone else to pick up that project and move it forward. The "Award for Forest Management" Chapter Funds project appears to be at a standstill right now. That project was being chaired by John Cook with the NC Forest Service and depends heavily on NC Forest Service support. We generally do not have any NC Forest Service personnel that regularly attend our chapter meetings. We are trying to come up with ideas that may help us to get more NC Forest Service people involved with the activities at our Chapter. One idea on the table is to get someone higher up in the NC Forest Service to be a guest speaker at one of our chapter meetings. We are currently in the process of trying to find someone to take over the Chapter Chair-Elect position for 2012. We hope to have at least one candidate identified by the end of November and we plan on holding the election at our final meeting of the year sometime in early to mid December. One concern that I have over the next year or so is Chapter membership and involvement. During this past year we have had several long time members either move out of the area or die. There have also been a few members that have decided to drop their membership. I have personally called each member who dropped their membership to encourage them to renew for 2012. I think that some of them may do that. We currently have one or two prospective new members that I am hoping will decide to join next year. I am also hopeful that this change in membership structure for 2012 will help to entice a few folks to join again. However, I have a feeling that for 2012 the Waccamaw Chapter will be at a net loss of members for 2012 versus 2011. ~ Travis W. Hughes (910) 790-1074 ext. 102

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All the news—Virginia (Sho' nuff stuff) Jennifer Gagnon, VA Division Chair . . . with a flair! Submitted by Adam K. Downing, Communications Chair

The Importance of Tree Farming by Jennifer Gagnon, Chair Many of you are probably aware of the Tree Farm Program, but do you know its history? How the program works? Do you know the Virginia Tree Farm Committee could use your help? Started in 1941, the American Tree Farm System (ATFS), a program of the American Forest Foundation, is the oldest certification system in the United States. The program was established to promote forest management on privately owned lands to ensure a sustainable source of fiber. Over the years, the program has expanded and now also focuses on ecosystem-level sustainability, including wildlife, threatened and endangered species, water quality and soil protection. In 2008, ATFS was endorsed by the Programme for the Endorsement of Jennifer Gagnon Forest Certification Systems, making it an internationally recognized certification system. Independent third-party inspectors and auditors ensure certification standards are being met. Currently, there are 42 active state committees certifying over 26 million acres on Tree Farms across the U.S. Over 96,000 forest landowners are enrolled in the program. In Virginia, we have approximately 1,600 certified Tree Farms, encompassing 818,000 acres. The program is free to private forest landowners. They simply need to have a current written forest management plan, which they are actively implementing. This can be a Tree Farm Plan (templates are available on the ATFS website, www.treefarmsystem.org), a Virginia Forest Stewardship Plan, or a CAP 106 Plan. Being enrolled in the Tree Farm Program can provide landowners with access to markets which require certified wood, while also providing them with well-deserved recognition for sustainably managing their woodlands. Additionally, each year a Virginia Tree Farmer of the Year is recognized. This Tree Farmer can move on and compete for the titles of Regional and National Tree Farmer of the Year. And, all Tree Farmers receive the Tree Farmer magazine. Virginia Tree Farmers will also begin receiving a bi-annual newsletter. Of course, all these Tree Farms need to be inspected regularly, new Tree Farms are constantly being enrolled in the program, and the newsletter needs to be published. These efforts are coordinated by the Virginia Tree Farm Committee, which is made up of volunteer foresters from the Virginia Department of Forestry, forest industry, and private consultants. In addition, numerous professional foresters throughout Virginia volunteer as Tree Farm Inspectors. These folks work to enroll landowners in the Tree Farmer Program as well as re-inspect current Tree Farms. 8 u Winter 2011

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So, here's where you can help! As this program continues to grow and improve, there is a need for more trained Tree Farm inspectors throughout Virginia. Being an inspector adds value to the services you provide your landowners by helping clients access one of the largest and most recognized certification systems in the country. Eventually these landowners will need more than just an inspection as they follow their management plan. The Virginia Tree Farm Committee also offers inspectors incentive awards to all who contribute to the inspection process, and bonus awards to the top producers in each of Virginia's 6 regions. Also, a Tree Farm Inspector of the year is honored at the Virginia Forestry Assn annual meeting. To simplify the process of becoming a Tree Farm inspector, the Virginia Tree Farm Committee is offering a training program on January 25 from 12-5 at the APSAF meeting in Wytheville. The cost is only $25, includes lunch and 4 Cat. 1 CF credits. You'll be provided with all the training you need to be a tree farm inspector in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Please consider volunteering for this important organization. CHAPTER REPORTS Virginia Tech Student by Kyle Dingus, Chair Our chapter has been active this semester with projects for the community. We led an invasive species removal project in landmark oak forest grove behind Lane stadium. Additionally, the chapter helped organize and co-sponsor a movie screening of "Green Fire," a movie about Aldo Leopold and the land ethic he promoted for our time. The screening occurred in conjunction with a public panel that discussed local forest in a global context, and displays showcasing research from the College of Natural Resources and Environment at Virginia Tech. Over 200 people attended the event, which was highlighted by Virginia Tech's Office of Outreach and International Affairs at http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r72ib1M6_k. The chapter is actively participating in the APSAF mentor program. In the coming months, students will attend the APSAF conference, hold regular meetings, and implement new projects focused on community, volunteering and professional development. Southwest Chapter by David Richert, Chair Come to Wild & Wonderful Southwest Virginia! The Southwest Virginia Chapter has been busy planning the 2012 APSAF winter meeting, January 25-27 in Wytheville. The program theme is Survival-Wytheville: Adapt, Migrate, or Die. When you participate, you will learn how forest products companies have adapted to changes in the industry. You may learn new skills that

help you or your organization survive in the ever changing markets in the forest industry. Along with way, you can earn up to 10 CFE credits. [See program, p. 3] As part of the survival theme, the American Chestnut Foundation's efforts to develop a blight resistant chestnut tree will be featured during the general technical session and a pre-conference tour. On the pre-conference tour, host Fred Hebard will share results from nearly twenty years of research and efforts to restore the American Chestnut at the Meadowview, VA ACF research farm. Given the American chestnut's once legendary prominence in the Appalachian Forest and the scale of the restoration efforts, this program is sure to inform and inspire.We look forward to seeing you in January! Skyline by Charlie Huppuch The chapter formed a team to evaluate the George Washington National Forest Draft Management Plan that would guide the management of the forest for the next ten years. The team found the vision statement adequate--to sustain a healthy forest and ecosystem. Yet, they pointed out this vision cannot be reached. Far too much of the forest is moving into old age or is preserved from harvesting that will not meet a more balanced age class. The chapter meets November 15th at James Madison's Montpelier. Tom Dierauf presented his study on how the Landmark Forest evolved from colonial times. We walked the newly constructed forest demonstration trail with John Munsell (VT Forestry Extension Specialist) and Adam Downing, Extension Forester, discussing the various interpretations of forest management techniques and education opportunities for forest landowners. A woodcutting outing in November supplied a cord or so of firewood for a family in need of warmth. Robert E. Lee by Jason Fisher, Chair The Robert E. Lee Chapter conducted a mill tour of Morgan Lumber Company in Red Oak, Virginia at its fall Chapter Meeting on October 25. The efficiency evidenced from the management and staff was impressive to say the least. A look into the operations of the high-production southern yellow pine sawmill, planer mill, and continuous dry kiln brought to light reasons behind a successful business. Morgan Lumber Co. was founded with deep vision and a strong desire to form

Dry kiln Manager Terry Hylton discusses with chapter member Lee Spradlin of MeadWestvaco the mechanism of the continuous dry kiln process.

and maintain a reputation of producing only the finest lumber products. The company now celebrates a legacy of four generations and seventy years. It has not only grown physically, but also that desire for integrity, trust, and longevity has flourished. A thank you goes out to Ken Morgan, John Morgan, Michael Elliott and the mill staff for their hospitality and time spent on our behalf, as well as sponsorship for the meal. A business meeting followed the tour along with a catered dinner from Sheldon's Restaurant in Keysville. Service projects are being led by subcommittee chair Don Tempest and included a work day on November 4 to replace and upgrade the tree identification kiosks and posts along the Appomattox Court House National Historic Park trail at Lee's Surrender Grounds. The group also conducted their fall Adopt-A-Highway litter pickup. Lastly, under the leadership of Dan Goerlich with the Natural Areas subcommittee, plans are under development to assist Sydnor Jennings Elementary School with an educational natural resources trail for students in 2012. A goal of this Chapter past and present continues to provide public education and furthering the mission of APSAF to "Use the knowledge, skills, and conservation ethic of the profession to ensure the continued health and use of forest ecosystems and the present and future availability of forest resources to benefit society." Blue Ridge by Keith Simmons, Chair A fall Chapter meeting was held November 3 in Roanoke with over 30 members present including some VT and Ferrum College students. Jennifer Gagnon, Divi-

sion Chair, shared SAF updates on the new dues structure, and we accepted nominations for the positions of secretary/treasurer and chair-elect. Our program for the evening consisted of two speakers that addressed the biomass market. John Hancock, of MeadWestvaco, shared an example of stewardship contacting with the U.S.F.S. on the James River District. This stewardship contract was initially developed to provide biomass material to private industry. Our second speaker was from Roanoke Cement, Dan Babish and Lance Clark. They have converted their plant to a biomass burning facility. They discussed the process, and their experience acquiring and burning biomass. Dabney S. Lancaster Community College Student by Brian Keiling, Advisor DSLCC Student Chapter held recently held a meeting in conjunction with the Dabney Forestry Club and discussed moving forward and becoming more active as a student chapter. Plans were discussed to complete a membership drive for the first year students. Rappahannock, by Dan Hockenberger The Rappahannock Chapter met in Tappahannock June 7 to enjoy a presentation by member Tom Davidson, titled "Social Media for Anti-Social Media Professionals: Staying on the Information Highway without Getting Run Over." Tom explored the various media and networking tools available to foresters for promoting their business and profession. Tom has also begun setting up our Facebook page, Rappahannock-Chapter-SAF. On August 2, we met jointly with the Southeast Chapter on member John Smith's tree farm in Surry County. Our presenter was Dr. Richard Borquist, Field Geologist with the Virginia Division of Geology and Mineral Resources. Dr. Borquist bored samples 35' down to demonstrate the geology and history of our region. At noon we broke for lunch and toured John Smith's tree Farm. John, a consulting forester, shared with us an area burned by wildfire back in February and how the site has responded to the fire. On November 9 we met to hear a presentation, "Erosion Control Measures on Skid Trails," by Charlie Wade, MS Forestry from VA Tech. His talk was based on research for his master's thesis. Dan [email protected] o The Trail Blazer

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All the news—South

Carolina

(no foolin')

Favorite quote—"Success comes in cans; failure comes in can'ts." SC Division Chair, Mary Morrison

The SC Division Report by Mary W. Morrison, SC Division Chair Here's what we are considering for our 2012 Summer Meeting: Possible dates dates: 2012 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) June 5-7. Possible locations locations: Clemson or Greenville, SC.

Mary Morrison

Format Format: One day meeting with a field trip on another day. Meeting Topic: International Trade Influences on SC Wood Market. Science Technology Chair: Pat Layton

Chapter Reports Edisto Chapter Report, by Ginger Reilly After taking the summer off, we started our monthly, second Thursday, meetings again on September 8. We met at Sweetwater Cafe in Summerville. Chair-elect, Tim Adams joined us. Tim showed us the Bio-Fuel Use in SC presentation that was made to the SC legislators and also at the summer meeting. Tim then presented the draft Black & Veatch "South Carolina Resource Study" commissioned by the South Carolina Energy Advisory Council. We spent the rest of the meeting discussing the biomass portion of the study. This program earned those in attendance 1 CFE. Our next meeting is October 13. Bob Franklin will be our guest, speaking about the naval stores industry in South Carolina. The program will be CFE eligible. Enoree Chapter Report by Michael Rushton, Chair On August 9 the Enoree Chapter had a joint meeting with the Newberry County Forestry Association at the Belfast House in Laurens/Newberry counties. Surrounding the Belfast House are 4300 acres that the state of South Carolina purchased from an individual with Heritage fund monies. Subsequently the DNR Department manages this property for turkey and deer hunts on a public draw basis. We looked at operations the DNR Dapartment is using to manage the property. Tour stops included looking at thinnings, understory hardwood control with chemicals and prescribed fire. The Belfast property has recently installed a shooting range. The tour was well attended by both groups.

On October 20 Ray Sizemore, the chapter's secretary/treasurer hosted the chapter's meeting. A representative from PAWS, a group that rehabilitates injured raptor birds, spoke about what their organization does. Our Chapter made a donation to support their work. Ray lives in Waterloo near Lake Greenwood. For 2012 Ray will stay on as secretary/treasure and Chris Gordy will stay on as vice chair. We elect a new chair at this meeting. All four meetings for the year will have been at sites where we have previously not met. Central Carolina Chapter Report by Warren Duncan The Central Carolina had its fall meeting September 15 at the SCFC office in Columbia. Our speaker was Laurie Reid with the SC Forestry Commission. She covered some of the common insect and disease problems often associated with growing southern pines, including the results from the 2011 Southern Pine Beetle pheromone trapping, Ips Engraver Beetles, and Annosus root rot. Our last speaker was Page Koon with SCDNR. Old Hickory Chapter Report, by Don Chastain, Chair The Old Hickory Chapter along with the Catawba, NC Chapter last met in May to attend a presentation by Aaron Gilland with Dendro Resource Management who presented a program on timber security issues and awareness. One hour of Continuing Education Credit was approved for this meeting. Potential October dates are being explored as is a speaker to present on the American Tree Farm System. The Old Hickory Chair-elect position remains vacant. Winyah Chapter Report, by George K. Chastain Fall 2011 meetings include the following: Thur. Sept 22, Oyster Roast Thur. Oct 27, Careers in Natural Resources, SAF Mentoring Program Panel Thur. Nov 17, Logger Licensing, Crad Jaynes, White Oak Forest Management No December/January meetings are planned, but meetings will start back on February 23, 2012 with a meeting on Swallowtailed Kite by Ken Meyer. Other 2012 meetings include: Thur. Mar 22, Guidelines for Fuel Chip Operations (New BMP's),Guy Sabin, Thur. Apr. 26, River Logging (Underwater Logging) Reharvest Riverwood Thur. May 24, Laurel Wilt in Red Bay, Laurie Reed, SC Forestry Commission meetings to report Keowee Chapter, Chapter, Tammy TammyCushing, Cushing,Chair Chair- No - No meetings to report Pee Dee Chapter, Keith Brown, Chair - No meetins to report PeeDee Chapter, Keith Brown, Chair - No meetings to report Santee Chapter, Kevin Ard, Chair - No meetings to report v Santee Chapter, Kevin Ard, Chair - No meetings to report The Trail Blazer upSWinter 2011 u

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Friends of Foresters

ACO Consulting & Sales, Inc. Bryant Brothers Logging Broadway Garage Chesterfield Trading Company Crittertown Bath House W.R. Deacon & Sons Timber, Inc. Elliots Jim Ford, Agent Guirkin Plumbing & Heating Hayden Recreational Vehicles Huvard Research Consulting Marion Brothers Logging Ramada Plaza Simmons Monument Co., Inc. Sweat Brothers Tree Service Wrights Trucking & Logging 12 uWWinter 2011

u The Trail Blazer

Liz's Corner by Elizabeth Bourgeois, APSAF Secretary/Treasurer [email protected]

These are the minutes from the Executive Committee of the Appalachian Society of American Foresters meeting held on Sept. 23, 2011. If you have questions or need further clarification, contact Liz at [email protected]. Chairman Chip Maley called the conference call/meeting to order at 8:33 a.m. at the Wytheville Meeting Center, welcomed members present and reviewed our commitment to anti-trust laws. Liz Bourgeois reported that APSAF has had $40,063.14 in income, and $22,427.78 in expenses plus $350.00 in grant expenses, for a total of $22,777.78 in expenditures. At the same time last year, we had income of $43,636.63 and disbursements of $32,091.42. APSAF's total assets to date are $110,715.33 versus $99,510.60 in 2010 for an increase of $11,204.73. As far as the 2011 budget goes, we have received approximately 100 percent of the annual budgeted receipts and have spent 61 percent of the budgeted amount. The ballot information was sent to National for electronic tally. The electronic ballots should go out by October 1, and they are due back by November 1. We had only one candidate for Appalachian, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Paper ballots will be due November 15. Tom Straka presented his Council Report. The sale of a portion of National SAF's Wild Acres, in Bethesda, MD, is moving rapidly. The sale will not include the Gifford Pinchot Forestry Building or the acreage immediately surrounding the building. The final version of the new tiered membership dues structure is nearly complete. Straka serves on the Strategic Planning Committee; this is a priority within Council. Committee members met for a facilitated workshop to help develop the skills necessary to develop a mission statement with focus, clarity, and inspiration (one with impact). The fall Trail Blazer had detailed information on the Fellows nomination and selection process. We did not have nominees from each state division last year. While there is not a quota, one or two nominations from each state division would be a good minimum for state nominating committees to use. As the standards vary among districts, Straka is working to develop a more uniform set of standards so that each district will have more guidance from Council on that issue. State nominating committees should pay close attention to deadlines for nominations for national awards. There were few nominations for these awards last year, and APSAF clearly has many members worthy of these awards. The 2013 national convention will be in Charleston, S.C. This

means there should be some preliminary planning already on logistics. This is going to be a great opportunity for our members to attend a national convention without the usual distance problem. Bill Worrell from the Virginia Division presented information on the upcoming Annual Meeting. VA Division members wanted to create a program appealing to local on-the-ground folks and non-members. Kristina Naton provided a written student report. Currently, five of the nine school representatives have responded to requests for updated contact information for the 2011-2012 school year. Eight students from NCSU and three students from Duke confirmed their attendance to the National Convention. Naton plans to meet with other attendees at an informal event in Honolulu for the students to network and plan events for the upcoming year. She wants to develop more co-sponsored events and peer mentoring opportunities. The peer-mentoring program stemmed from discussions with NCSU faculty members about teaming up female Master of Forestry students with undergraduate female students interested in forestry. This focus on promoting diversity within SAF can be extended to many other under-represented groups within the region's universities. Naton reported that Virginia Tech is expecting to have a sizable group for the APSAF meeting. They are currently working on an invasive species removal project on campus to help restore their old growth oak forest to a more natural species composition, and they have had a hand in helping their department celebrate the International Year of the Forest by helping organize a showing of Green Fire and having a panel discussion about local forests in a global context along with sponsorship at the event. They are in the process of getting their members signed up for the mentor program, and they have found a speaker for their departmental seminar series. Duke University is planning its 5th annual Forestry Symposium on November 18. The topic is "From Research to Reality: Exploring how Biomass, Climate Change and Forest Technology Are Affecting the Forests of the Southeast." Dr. David Wear, the lead of the Southern Forest Futures Project, will present his research as the Keynote Speaker, and Duke students are using this report to frame their discussion panels. They are also in the early stages of planning their Christmas Tree sale, one of their largest annual fundraisers, as well as planning field trips to local TIMOs and the Mid-Atlantic Logging and Biomass Expo during the fall semester. Jim Gray, North Carolina Division Chair, reported that they had a fantastic SAF Summer Meeting, hosted by Bud Connor, Jeff Pardue, and the Piedmont Chapter, with over 120 attendees. Doug Staiger, incoming Division Chair, will start

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Trail Blazer Publication Calendar Issue Spring 2012 Summer 2012 Fall 2012 Winter 2012-13

Submission Deadline

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planning the 2012 meeting with Pete Hancock and the Tar River Chapter, meaning a meeting in the Rocky Mount area. The NC Division has organized a task force group led by Mark Megalos to look at SAF and make suggestions on how to improve SAF. This group has solicited comments from members and is in the final stages of completing their review and report. Copies of the finding will be shared with NC SAF members, APSAF Chair and our Council representative. Through the leadership of NC's Policy & Legislation Committee, NC Division has supported National SAF efforts on S.1392, EPA Regulatory Relief Act of 2011 by getting both NC Senators to co-sponsor S. 1392, which will remove the penalties placed on the forestry community by the 9th Circuit earlier in 2011. Craig Manzene, Professional Recognitions Chair, finally tracked down John Angst in Colorado to present him with the 2011 Outstanding Volunteer Award. NC Division and all but one chapter have completed their 2011 internal financial audit. A number of chapters discovered they had only one person on the bank account signature card. A recommendation to all chapters was that at least two people have signing authority on any bank account. NC Division has supported the NC Teachers Academy and the NC Tree Farm Annual Meeting with grants. Jennifer Gagnon, Virginia Division Chair, reported that the Skyline Chapter wrote a response to the Jefferson-Washington National Forest Management Plan. Incorrect membership information from National resulted in some awkward conversations. The Division is encouraging chapters to recruit new members and invite lapsed members back. They are promoting alternative dues payment and making an added effort to get Southwestern Virginia consultants not in SAF to attend the winter meeting. Virginia Division will again join with VFA and ACF to host another "Virginia Forestry Summit," in April at Wintergreen. An invitation to The Wildlife Society and TNC may be extended. Virginia Division has offered to host APSAF's 2014 meeting, as South Carolina will be involved with the National Convention in 2013. It is Robert E Lee's turn to host; however, they do not have a large enough venue in their region. Rappahannock Chapter has offered to host the meeting, possibly in the Richmond or Fredericksburg area. Mark Books has been in touch with the sponsors of the Boy Scout Jamboree 2013 to let them know Virginia is interested in helping host an SAF tent. Several Virginia Tech students went to a summer meeting in West Virginia of their own accord. They said it was a good networking experience and wished they could have stayed for more of the meeting. VA Tech is hosting a big recruiting campaign; students are thrilled to know VA SAF would cover $15 of their National dues. Students are also in the process of filling out Mentor Applications. Eight teachers completed another successful Virginia's Teachers' Tour.

was to move the leadership to Virginia, the local Executive Committee was relied on heavily for suggestions of potential nominees. Work conflicts and lack of time were the biggest reasons for declining the opportunity. Similarly, most were reluctant to run against the strong nominee and felt good that the candidate who agreed was so strong and would serve APSAF in a manner reflective of our history and expectations. Megalos worked with national staff to share information and contacts for advancing the boiler rules forward to a more reasonable regulation of biomass facilities, etc. Results were favorable on the national level and some hope that APSAF members were kept in the loop with the key information and contacts to make a legislative difference. Megalos acknowledged the support and follow-up from Tony Doster, NC Division PastChair and Policy Chair. Carlyle Franklin, Membership Chair, reported that membership data from national SAF is not updated. Many people who have paid dues are still shown as not paid. He has been in regular contact with Chris Whited who has said they have a contractor who is revising and updating the membership database. No date has been given as to when it will be completed. Until it is accurately completed, APSAF will have a difficult time determining who or how many have not renewed in 2011. Franklin sent an email to the entire APSAF membership in August with the "updated" July membership roster. Franklin received six responses. One person renewed. All others had already renewed, one as early as last March. Franklin recently sent an email to Chris detailing suggestions on how to handle some of the member roster lapses. Franklin will be working hard this fall to get a lot of students linked up with the Mentor Protege' Program mentors. .

Mary Morrison, South Carolina Division Chair, reported that their summer meeting in 2012 will be held the week of June 5-7, with a meeting one day and a field tour. Pat Layton is the Science & Technology chair for the meeting. The Foresters' Fund grant application was re-submitted by Tim Adams. Efforts are ongoing to get nominations in for SC Division award recipients. Megalos reported that the nomination effort was fruitful but he failed to find a member to run against Ed Stoots despite calling more than a dozen recommended candidates. Since the effort The Trail Blazer upWinter 2011 u 15

A discussion ensued about the benefits of attending a Chickfil-A Leadercast, creating a weekend leadership academy like Kentucky/Tennessee did, or resurrecting the APSAF Brown Summit Leadership Academy. Send comments to Chip Maley about potential ideas for Leadership Summit. Jim McCarter reported that the Leadership Report is now available on the APSAF website. Four email addresses for leadership and state levels have been established. In the period between July 2011 through September 2011, McCarter has coordinated newsletter content for NC Division and posted the Trail Blazer to the website, updated events and chapter web pages as requested, provided current leadership contact information as an Excel file, and established leadership email lists. McCarter reminds division and chapter chairs that the website includes content exclusively under their control (division chair's message and chapter pages), and they can/should use the website as part of their communication strategy with members. With a little coordination, chapter meeting announcements can be placed on the chapter web page. When sending out an email reminder, include your chapter URL in the email message. Chapter pages can also archive information about meetings with pictures and/or summary information on activities. From July 1 through Sept. 20, 2011, there were 535 unique visitors to the APSAF website. There were 1621 page views for an average of 2.567 page views per visit with an average time spent on the site under 2 minutes. Seventy-nine percent of those visits were from new visitors. Of those visitors, 505 were from the United States (32% NC, 18% SC, 17% VA). Future plans include testing of online leadership and event

update pages, moving recognition pages to online database content, improving "banner" announcements that cycle through individual meeting announcements and other information near the top of the page, maintaining mailing lists, soliciting meeting announcements from chapters, and installing a survey tool to conduct surveys and get feedback from membership. Under new business, Chair Maley announced that there is $1000 toward a matching grant for KPF Education Endowment. Jim Gray was concerned about legal issues involving tree planting costs because of labor and licensing issues. Gray asked Megalos to follow up on this issue. The meeting adjourned at 11:28. The next meeting will be held Wednesday, January 25 at 1:30 at the Wytheville Meeting Center in Wytheville, Virginia. Respectfully submitted, Liz Bourgeois APSAF Secretary/Treasurer

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