The Michigan Forester On-Line
A Publication of the Michigan
Society of American Foresters
Number 41, Iron River, Michigan, Winter, 1998
IN THIS ISSUE . . .
The 1998 Convention in Traverse
City
National SAF Convention: Great Lakes-Great Forests
Convention Planners Moving Ahead
Attention Employers!
Executive Team Updates-Strategic Plan
Message From the Chair
1998 Executive Team Structure
SAF Council Member Report
Manistique Business Meeting Report
Science & Technology Team
U.P Chapter News
George Divine-Golden Award
1997 Pinchot Award
Mentoring Update
Emerging Issues
1. Term Limits ...
2. Government Supplied Management ...
National SAF Convention: Great Lakes-Great Forests
Great
Lakes, Great Forests is the theme for the 1998
SAF Convention in Traverse City, Sept. 19-23. How about
adding Great People, eh? Invite your friends, great people, to Michigan for the 1998 SAF
convention.
Send us a post card with the names of everybody you invite and their state of residence. The person with the longest list of invitees who attend the 1998 SAF Convention will receive a $150.00 L.L Bean gift certificate. You cannot include Michigan residents on your list. Should there be a tie, the award will be given to the person with the attending invitee who traveled the longest distance to attend the SAF Convention.
Start making your plans for the 1998 SAF Convention, today. Traverse City's Grand Traverse Resort, located along the sheltered, sandy bays of Lake Michigan will provide a vacation-style environment for the 1998 National SAF Convention. The convention theme: Great Lakes/Great Forests will focus on three major issues: insuring forest sustainability; supply and demand of the full spectrum of forest products; and, exploring our society's talents and skill in forestry. Learn new skills, network with friends and enjoy the atmosphere.
Mark the convention dates of September 17 through the 23rd on your calendar and save time for pre and post tours. The SAF convention will provide for a week-long opportunity to grow, share and enjoy with over 2000 participants from around the country and the world. Special emphasis and planning is being implemented to attract field involved forestry professionals and students.
Here is a sampling of what you can expect to find at this year's convention:
You can check out all the details of the convention on the web! www.safnet.org/conv/main.html. Come discover for yourself why Great Lakes, Great Forests and Great People will all add up to a Great Learning Experience! Be sure to take advantage of the early registration discounts which will be featured in the next Michigan SAF newsletter as well as updates on programs and tours.
Convention Planners
Moving Ahead
by Mike Moore
The planners involved in hosting the 1998 Society of American Foresters Convention at Traverse City, Michigan at the Grand Traverse Resort are continuing to progress towards their goal---"Best Convention Ever".
The Program Committee chaired by Karen Potter-Witter and co-chaired by Bill Rockwell has designed a format that will allow for substantial working group activity including tours and technical training session. Several outstanding speakers have been identified as potential presenters. Tuesday is considered "tour day" although many other activities will take place on Tuesday. The opening ceremony will occur on Sunday morning following the Saturday evening icebreaker. The National Assembly will also take place on Sunday morning. Three general sessions (Sunday afternoon, Monday morning, and Wednesday afternoon) will be of great interest to convention goers.
The Arrangements Team, chaired by Laurie Marzolo and co-chaired by Jim Bernier, has been doing yeoman duty in dealing with the myriad of details that are required in an undertaking of this type. Each individual who has an assignment works to achieve their personal goal. It is great to see Foresters from all walks of life working together to showcase this great State of Michigan. An organization chart of the Convention teams shows representatives from Federal, State, and county Government, large and small Forest Industries, Consultants, retirees, and academia represented in key positions.
We continue to seek sponsorships through cash donations. Any assistance in this area will be appreciated. Please let General Chair Mike Moore (517-323-7685 e-mail mdmoore@umich.edu) know of any potential sponsors.
Plans are underway to conduct mock student interviews at the 1998 SAF Convention in Traverse City, Michigan. The purpose of interviewing is:
1. To provide students the opportunity to sharpen their interviewing
skills and to interact with potential employers.
2. To provide employers with the opportunity to interact with top-notch forestry students
from across the country.
If interested in having your organization participate in this interviewing workshop, contact Charlie Becker (906)786-1660, ext. 2180 by MARCH 1, 1998
Executive Team Updates-Strategic
Plan
by Bill O'Neill
This past January your 1998 executive team met for the first time. Although most of the faces were familiar to MISAF participation, this team begins its turn at the MISAF helm.
One significant aspect of this meeting was the updating of our strategic agenda. This is a consequential process for the MISAF. Our organization is as successful as the relatively small group of volunteers working together can make it. One important consideration is where we focus our limited resources. Identifying our focus, charting our course, and planning how we will achieve these priorities is our strategic planning process.
It began with the look back on past successes, ones which were aided by this process. The list included:
It's a list we can all be proud of.
In a brainstorming session, we listed the items to focus on for 1998. These were prioritized through a voting process. They are listed below in prioritized order:
Once the objectives have been set, the individual teams/committees will use this list in updating their strategic agendas. For example, when the membership team plans specific activities, (which they are doing as you read) they will be guided by the goals and objectives listed above. Activities are defined complete with timetable and responsible party.
The results? Well, wait a year and judge for yourself. From the looks of last years impressive list of accomplishments, MISAF is off to a successful start, guided by its strategic agenda process.
Message From the Chair
Mike Lanasa
Get ready for an exciting year. Your MISAF executive team met
January 15th to plan for the coming year and we quickly realized 1998 would be a special
year indeed. Our meeting was held at the Grand Traverse Resort in conjunction with the
Convention Planning Team and we quickly picked up on the excitement coming from that group
of over fifty of MISAF's truly dedicated members. Under Mike Moore's leadership, plans are coming
together to host the largest gathering of foresters to be hled in the world in 1998. Laurie Marzolo, Jim Bernier
and their arrangements team, are taking ful advantage of the excellent facilities provided
at the Grand Traverse Resort. At the same time Karen
Potter-Witter and Bill
Rockwell, co-chairs of the program team, are developing and
outstanding program that will be of interest to foresters from around the country. Make
plans now - you'll never have a better opportunity to attend a National Convention.
In addition to hosting the convention, your executive team identified two other high priority opportunities for 1998, both of which fit well with convention efforts. First, we think 1998 will be an excellent time to increase membership. Although we already have over 600 SAF members in Michigan, there is a like number of foresters in the state who are not currently members. Trying to contact over 600 non-member foresters may sound like a formidable task, yet if each current member would make it a priority to contact just one non-member this year, we would reach many of them. Think about foresters at your office or in your community who are not members and take the opportunity to invite them to attend an SAF activity with you this year. Let them know about the National Convention as well as many other worthwhile MISAF activities. Each of us is a better forester because of the continuing education opportunities SAF provides. We have also developed better professional networks and have increased opportunities to influence forest policy. A higher percentage of foresters in SAF would result in a stronger profession of forestry.
The second outstanding opportunity MISAF has this year is to inform the public about forestry. To accomplish this, MISAF will be kicking off the Convention by working with Habitat for Humanity to construct a home. This project will spotlight the key role that forest management plays in providing materials used to build homes for people. Over 75 percent of the American population live in urban areas. Many of these people do not understand where their homes come from and what is necessary to provide the materials for them.
Many other important MISAF activities are planned for 1998. The message from last fall's very successful red pine workshop is that foresters like to be outside. So the U.P. Chapter is hosting a unique winter field workshop on lowland conifers during the State Meeting in February. Roger Misiak is planning a legislative breakfast in March to keep the communication lines open with Michigan legislators. In addition we will be printing and distributing the revised Voluntary Forest Management Guidelines for Michigan. Ned Caveney and his team have put a lot of work into this effort and it is about to come to fruition. The MISAF web site continues to be improved. If you haven't been there lately, check it out (http://forestry.msu.edu/msaf). The Communication Team has been busy making revisions to the member handbook you received last year. Tear-out pages in the Forester will allow you to maintain a current handbook. I could go on and on but by now I think you have the message - get ready for 1998. It's going to be a busy and exciting year.
U.P. Chapter Chair Report
by Ken Salo
What words of wisdom can your new Yooper chapter chairman impart as we start this new year? Not much I guess, except to say that the older I get, the more I realize how little I know (and I'm older than most of you).
Which is why I'm such a strong supporter of SAF. It provides me with the opportunity to enhance my professional knowledge at the price of about one college credit annually. Where else can I listen to experts in one of the specialized aspects of our profession? Where else can I meet people who may have the answer to one of my unanswered questions about forestry? Where else can I expect to meet fellow professionals responding to the dictates of employers with different agendas than mine and listening to their views? Our organization is that one place, which causes me to believe that I get more than my money's worth each year. The bonus is in getting to know the fine and honorable individuals who constitute our membership.
I have also found that the more involved one gets, the more one benefits. So, I ask each of you to take part, get active, get an associate involved. You will be the one coming out ahead.
Emerging Issues
Are Term Limits a Spotted Owl
in Disguise?
by Jack Thomas III
Imagine that we are into January, 1999. Term limits are in effect and more than 65 percent of our State Representatives in Lansing are new. The good forest management in our State Forests and private woodlands in Michigan could be in jeopardy if most of those new Representatives are not very familiar with forestry and natural resource issues. Or if they don't fully understand forestry issues that the Society of American Foresters are involved in and how the health of our renewable forests is vital to Michigan's economy.
The reality with term limits is, it is possible that the past SAF relationships and the important forestry knowledge of legislators could no longer exist. In January 1999, more than 70 new legislators will replace nearly one thousand years of legislative experience in the Michigan House.
Experience that knew and understood the importance of issues such as changes to the Commercial Forest Act, the value of fair and equitable environmental laws impacting property owners, and the importance of 164,000 pound weight laws, to name a few of the important issues that impact our Michigan forestry and forest products industry.
Part of our past success as the Michigan SAF has been in communicating with our local officials and legislators. To guarantee this continued success, we need to be educating today's local leaders, many whom will be tomorrows legislators. With term limits, legislators will have less time to develop long-term issue expertise and extensive knowledge base. They will turn to and depend on, long standing relationships they have established as they climb up the political ladder. They will turn to the individuals who have provided them with critical background on particular issues.
I hope they will turn to you, as a professional in the Society of American Foresters. For our forestry efforts to remain effective, ideally every new legislator should have a forestry background, or a good solid relationship with an SAF professional. If you are currently involved in local politics or know someone politically active in your community, you will have to be the link that Michigan SAF will need to keep the forestry expertise in Lansing.
You can help our forestry profession with this important grassroots political effort. Remember, the world is run by those who show up....
Open Letter:
Government-Supplied Management Not in
Landowners' Best Interest
Date: November 14,
1997
To: Governor John Engler, MDA Director Dan Wyant,
DNR Director K.L. Cool
From: Jerry Grossman, President, Michigan
Association of Consulting Foresters
Reason: Additional funding for Soil Conservation
District Forestry Program
As you may know, several proposals have been developed to increase direct government supply of natural resources management on private lands in Michigan. The proposals indicate that general funds be channeled through MDA to soil conservation districts to hire district foresters. For several decades direct government supply of forest management services has been the cornerstone of policy makers. Although well intentioned this policy has had devastating results. The simple fact is that there cannot be any meaningful investment in management services if the government continues to attempt to supply direct services.
Although supporters will generate impressive production numbers to support their program, these figures have never been subject to an independent audit. One of the few figures accepted by all parties is the USDA - Forest Service figure that indicates that 5 percent of Michigan landowners (covering 15 percent of the land) utilize management services. Clearly the market for management services remains undeveloped and will remain this way unless government policy supports market mechanisms rather than completely distorting the market with direct services.
Direct supply of management services will continue to leave the market undeveloped and Michigan consumers without services. Policy makers should utilize the Michigan Jobs Commission - Sustainable Forestry Roundtable to discuss initiatives which encourage market mechanisms such as the USDA forest stewardship program, DNR - cooperative management program, tax policies, agency disclosure and others. Significant support could be generated for a Michigan conservation program patterned off the USDA forest stewardship program that utilizes market mechanisms and produces results with minimum government intervention.
Direct supply of management services is no friend of conservation as it continues to devastate any meaningful development of consumer choice and services. Please call or write if you have any questions.
cc: House and Senate Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittees.
Science and Technology Team
News
by Rod Ritter
The Science and Technology Team held its second meeting at the Seney Wildlife Refuge with two additional "Other Resource Professionals" (ORPs). Bob King, stream ecologist, and Jan Schultz, botanist, attended the meeting and agreed to continue on as advisory professionals. The list of ORPs participating on the Science and Technology Team includes: soils, wildlife, forest engineering, stream ecology, botany and the Fish and Wildlife Service.
With the participation of ORPs, it is hoped that Michigan SAF will be able to provide its membership with an integrated information resource. Subject matter for conferences and workshops will benefit from the input of the OPRs. Concerns over forest management practices can be addressed through open communication lines within the Science and Technology Team. In particular, the Team has endorsed the use of the MISAF web site as a medium for technology and information transfer. The web site has been developed by Jim Stevens and Bill Cook from MSU extension. The Internet technology offers numerous possibilities for reaching out to SAF members as well as to the general public.
Currently there are two main objectives that the Science and Technology Team has identified for the web site. First, Continuing Forestry Education (CFE) credits is an important method in achieving technology transfer. It is hoped that applications for CFE credits can be accomplished through the CFE web page. In addition to applying for credits, the web page may end up being a source where CFE programs or opportunities can be offered. This would be an important step in providing SAF members and inexpensive and convenient way to obtain CFEs. The second objective for the web site is for an active information exchange between forest managers and the ORPs. The current ORP Science and Technology Team members have agreed to be available to respond to questions or information request. These requests can be made on the CFE web page by clicking on the e-mail address for Rod Rittter, the Science and Technology Team Coordinator. The request will then be forwarded to the appropriate ORPs. It is hoped that there will be a working group for each ORP represented so that a range of views and expertise will be available to the forest manager. Responses to the questions or information requests will then be put on the MISAF Discussion Group web page or forwarded directly back to the forester. The web site can be found at forestry.msu.edu/msaf/.
The Science and Technology team would like to receive any request or suggestions on how to improve methods of technology transfer. Your suggestions can be submitted through the CFE web page. Let us know the areas of concern or types of information needed.
George W. Divine Receives Golden
Membership Award
by Jerry Divine
George W.
Divine was recently awarded the Golden Membership Award for 50 years as a SAF member. He
received his award at a small gathering of friends, family, and SAF members in Iron River.
George earned his B.S. in Forestry from Michigan State University in 1939. He took his first job in the forestry field at Duke's Forest Experiment Station, near Chatam. As World War II approached, he was drafted into the Army in 1941. He then transferred to the Air Force to serve in England, North Africa, Italy and Sicily, until his discharge in 1945.
Immediately after the Service, George accepted an USDA Cooperative Forest Management Forester position in Ionia. In 1946, he started with the Michigan Department of Conservation as an Area Forester in Crystal Falls. He worked there until accepting a promotion to Cadillac as a District Forester in 1971, where he continued his career until retirement in 1978.
For a couple of years after retirement George did forestry consulting work as a Registered Forester. At the same time he earned a real estate license and became a certified income tax preparer.
While living in Crystal Falls, George was involved in many church and community activities, including: the Knights of Columbus, where he was Grand Knight; the VFW and American Legion; St. Vincent DePaul Society, as treasurer and president of the local conference; and member of the Board of Directors at the Crystal Manor.
He and his wife of nearly 56 years,Lorraine, currently reside in Crystal Falls. His son Jerry, who retired from the Michigan DNR in 1997, after 29 years of service, also lives in Crystal Falls. His son Jim makes his home in Marquette.
Forest Regeneration: Growing and Managing Tomorrow's Forest, A Training Workshop
This technical session is aimed at providing you with information to successfully plant and regenerate the future forests of the Upper Great Lakes. Sponsored by SAF NE Wisconsin Chapter, Wisconsin DNR and Cheq-Nicolet National Forest
March 11-12 1998
Stoney Creek Inn
Northwoods Conference Center
Mosinee Wisconsin
For more information contact Larry Stevens 715-479-5160
MISAF Receives Gifford Pinchot
Award for 1997 Foresters' Fund
by Dean R. Francis, Foresters' Fund Chair
The Michigan
Society of American Foresters (MISAF) was recently awarded the Gifford Pinchot, "Ol'
Pinch" carved wooden statue. The National Office of the Society of American Foresters
presents this award to the state which raises the most money per capita through Foresters'
Fund raffles.
In 1997, MISAF raised a total of $2643.27 which translates into $4.22 per member. The money raised will be used throughout the United States for various educational events, auto tours and special forestry studies. The award will remain within Michigan until another state exceeds our Foresters' Fund amount for that year.
I would like to thank all those companies and individuals who donated raffle prizes to the Foresters' Fund. Most of all, I would like to thank Donna Hagan, past Foresters' Fund Chair, who donated her time and efforts over a two year period.
Mentoring Update
by Jeanmarie Hagan
Wouldn't you like to polish your leadership and listening skills? Those skills and others are valuable to yourself, as well as future SAF members and here's a way to accomplish both. BECOME AN SAF MENTOR!
Here's why MENTORING IS FOR YOU:
Please reflect on these factors as you consider your SAF mentoring efforts. Future tips on mentoring will occur in the next "MI FORESTER."
There is a need to keep the fire burning with the mentoring efforts at MTU and MSU. New matches (pairs) for member mentors and student mentees is occurring. Please contact Jeanmaire Hagan at (906) 852-3500, or Bill Rockwell at (517) 373-4890 for details.
Please direct questions, comments, and suggestions
to Bill Cook, cookwi@pilot.msu.edu or
906-786-1575.
Editorial issues can be addressed to Eric Thompson.
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