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BY GLENN LAMB

What exactly is a conservationeasement? The words sound like arestriction, a liability, as in, “my prop-erty is burdened with this easement.”

Here’s an example to consider. A small woodlot owner in North

County was trying to figure out herestate plans. Her husband died a cou-ple of years before. The two of themran the tree farm, and it helped sendtheir two kids to college. Her hus-band’s parents and his parents’ par-ents made their living from this land.

The woodlot owners never ownedmuch beside the tree farm, and they’dalways made a go of it between har-vest rotations, the Christmas treeoperation and his jobs on the nation-al forest. Her oldest son is now backin North County and has a good jobwith a local contractor. He wants tokeep the tree farm going. He grew upon the place; he learned his wayscrawling through that forest; he’dspread his Dad’s ashes out back in thecedar grove by the stream.

Now the county tax assessor saysthe tree farm is worth $2 million, withmost of that value in the land’s devel-opment potential, not in the trees.The landowner’s attorney is tellingher that unless she does something,when she dies the kids will have tosell the tree farm—the land with herhusband’s ashes scattered on it—justto pay the estate tax! They don’t wantto see the place sold to a developer.They want to keep their hand in thetree farm. But they don’t see a choice.

But then the attorney mentions aconservation easement. “You place a

conservation easement on the prop-erty before you die, which takes awaythe development rights. The value ofthe estate is decreased and now thekids can hang on to the land and keepit as a tree farm, which is what theyalways wanted anyway. They’ll alsoget an income tax deduction that theycan spread out for the next five years.”

So which is it? Is an easement aburden or a godsend?

In case you think this scenario is far-fetched, consider that an estimated 93million acres of forest owned by peopleolder than 65 is undergoing some formof intergenerational transfer.

So, back to the original question:What is a conservation easement?

Property ownership is like a bundleof sticks. When you own the whole

bundle, you own all the propertyrights. But as owner of the wholebundle, you can sell or give away anyof the individual sticks in the bundle.For instance, one stick is the right todrill for a water well on the property.Another stick is the right to subdivide.Another is the right to mine the prop-erty for gravel, another to mine it foroil and gas. Yet another stick is for theright to put cattle on the land; andone to build a feedstock operation.And then another stick is the right toharvest the property. The most com-mon sticks or property rights that aregiven away or sold are road accessrights or transmission corridors.

A conservation easement is reallyno different than one of these other

In This Issue: Understanding Conservation Easements

Western ForesterS O C I E T Y O F A M E R I C A N F O R E S T E R S

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 2)

PHOTO COURTESY OF PACIFIC FOREST TRUST

Conservation easements on working forests can help protect your land,generate financial gains from forest stewardship and leave a lasting legacyfor future generations, as well as provide many public benefits.

Conservation Easements: Burden or Benefit?

January/February 2004 Oregon • Washington State • Inland Empire • Alaska Societies Volume 49 • Number 1

easements, except in a conservationeasement, the landowner gives orsells certain rights to a not-for-profitorganization or government agencyon the condition that these rights willnever be exercised. The conservationeasement takes the form of a legalagreement between a landowner andthe not-for-profit organization or gov-ernment agency.

The property remains in privateownership—that is, you still own all ofthe other sticks in the bundle—andthe easement provisions are perma-nently tied to the land. But you giveup or sell the rights, for instance, tosubdivide or develop the property, orto mine the property. The organiza-tion that holds the easement pledges,by signing the easement, to ensurethat the property is never subdividedor developed or mined, and thatorganization then has the right tomonitor the property to ensure thatthe terms of the easement are upheld,

and if needed, to enforce the terms ofthe easement.

In exchange for gifting easementsthat ensure that a conservation goal ismet, a landowner may be eligible forestate, property and income tax bene-fits because the easement perma-nently reduces the value of the landon the real estate market.

Easements have been around forover 120 years, and thus have stood areasonable test of time. But mostconservation easements have beenput in place in the last 20 years.There are now more than 1,200 landtrusts in the United States, and mostof these land trusts use a conserva-tion easement as a tool for conservingland. Most also accept land as anoutright gift—the full bundle of sticks.

Most land trusts in the UnitedStates are members of the nationalLand Trust Alliance (www.lta.org), theprofessional trade group. The LandTrust Alliance publishes a series of“Standards and Practices” to ensurethat each land trust operates respon-sibly. The most well-known land trustis probably The Nature Conservancy,

which operates to conserve the lastgreat places on the planet and hasover 1,000 employees. Many landtrusts are all-volunteer organizationsrun by community volunteers whowant to help conserve a local land-mark, while there are an increasingnumber of regional land trusts suchas Columbia Land Trust. We have anall-volunteer board of directors andnine paid staff.

For most landowners, the primaryreason for donating a conservationeasement is because they want to seethe property remain in some naturalresource use. It could be farming,forestry or just to stay wild. Sure,there may be tax benefits in donatinga conservation easement, but as arule, one won’t make money bydonating conservation easements.Generally, conservation is the primarymotivation.

In a number of Northwest commu-nities, forestlands along the urbanfringe are under increasing develop-ment pressures. Nationwide, theUSDA Forest Service estimates thatthe United States will lose about 23.2million acres of forestland in the next50 years. Most of this loss is expectedto occur in the Northwest states, andmost of the conversion to other usesis expected to come as nonindustrialforestland is broken up for residentialsubdivision. This is occurring in bothOregon and Washington. Ironically,because Oregon’s land use laws tendto diminish the speculative value ofresource lands, your tax benefit maybe lessened in Oregon as compared toWashington.

In addition, some industrialforesters might consider easements insensitive habitat areas. In exchangefor putting the sensitive habitat inconservation forever, you may be ableto receive assurance that you won’t bechallenged as you log other areas notincluded in the easement. A word ofcaution: Both Oregon and Washingtonhave complex current-use tax rules—the program that reduces your prop-erty taxes if you designate the proper-ties as forestland. If you place aneasement on your designated forest-land that prohibits forestry and

2 WESTERN FORESTER ◆ JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2004

Next Issue: State Society Annual Meeting Publicity

ConservationEasements(CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE)

Western ForesterSociety of American Foresters

4033 S.W. Canyon Rd. • Portland, OR 97221 • 503-224-8046 • FAX [email protected] • [email protected] • www.forestry.org

Editor: Lori Rasor • Assistant: Aimee Sanders

Western Forester is published bimonthly by the World Forestry Center for theOregon and Washington State Societies of American Foresters

State Society Chairs

Oregon: John Herbst, 1610 First St.,LaGrande, OR 97850; 541-663-0509;[email protected]

Washington State: Peter Heide, 2908 28thLane NE, Olympia, WA 98506; 360-357-9142;fax 360-352-4621

Inland Empire: Brett Winterowd, 270 S.Main, Colville, WA 99114; 509-684-8550;fax 509-684-2008; [email protected]

Alaska: Richard Coose, USDA ForestService, P.O. Box 9533, Ketchikan, AK 99901;phone/fax 907-247-9533; [email protected]

Northwest Council Members

District I: Ann Forest Burns, 5508-35th Ave.,NE, Suite 102, Seattle, WA 98105; 206-522-5942; fax 206-522-5392; [email protected]

District II: Darrel Kenops, 1555 HaydenBridge Rd., Springfield, OR 97477; 541-741-3466; [email protected]

Please send change of address to:Society of American Foresters

5400 Grosvenor LaneBethesda, MD 20814

(301) 897-8720

Anyone is at liberty to make fair use of the material in this publication. To reprint or make multiple reproduc-tions, permission must be obtained from the editor. Proper notice of copyright and credit to the WesternForester must appear on all copies made. Permission is granted to quote from the Western Forester if thecustomary acknowledgement accompanies the quote.

Other than general editing, the articles appearing in this publication have not been peer reviewed for techni-cal accuracy. The individual authors are primarily responsible for the content and opinions expressed herein.

changes the tax classification, youmight be asked to pay back taxes andpenalty. There are ways to work with-in the statutes without paying backtaxes, but they are complex. Be sureto address this issue with the landtrust or government agency you areworking with.

Conservation easements are onetool that will keep important forest-land from being converted to non-forestry uses. Some foresters find thata large block of forestland with per-petual conservation easements pro-vides better security so that a groupof “neighbors” living in large homesscattered on the forested lands nearbywon’t fight the harvesting.

Working forest easements will like-ly differ from other easements byidentifying forest conservation values,establishing long-term managementgoals, requiring a forest managementplan, containing forest inventorydetails in baseline documentation,and required knowledge of forestmanagement for monitoring. Theforester can and should play a criticalrole in each of these stages of ease-ment drafting and monitoring.

There are over five million acres ofland under conservation easementsin the United States with land trustsor government agencies. And these“eased lands” are just about every-where—from urban and suburbanareas to rural and natural resourcesettings. In Washington and Oregon,the acres of conserved land havegrown from 25,000 acres to over60,000 acres since 1998.

While conservation easements maynot be the perfect tool in all situations,they are an appropriate approach tohelp secure the land base you areworking on for future generations ofowners and foresters. When there is aconservation-minded landowner,potential for a well-managed piece offorest and optimism for the future, aworking forest conservation easementmay be just the solution. ◆

Glenn Lamb is executive director of theColumbia Land Trust in Vancouver,Wash. He can be reached at 360-696-0131 or [email protected].

WESTERN FORESTER ◆ JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2004 3

BY CONNIE BEST

hetheryou’re a reg-

istered forester orresponsible forestowner, you proba-bly know the“whys” of conser-vation easements.You know theycan help protect your land, generatefinancial gains from forest steward-ship, and leave a lasting legacy forfuture generations, in addition totheir many public benefits.

Like computers and cell phone

plans, however, conservation ease-ments come in all shapes, sizes andconfigurations. And a conservationeasement, after all, is a long-termcommitment. (Remember, ease-ments are permanent deeded restric-tions on land use.) With that in mind,here are some tips to help you assesswhat you need—and how to makesure you achieve all your manage-ment goals.

Step 1: Identify Your Goals

Before you proceed, of course, youhave to know where you want to go.Which of your property’s naturalqualities are outstanding and in needof protection? What land uses arecompatible with sustaining theseconservation values? How much tim-ber harvesting do you anticipate, andwhere? Is the land used for grazing?Will that continue to be a desired use?

The flip side of such questions isidentifying unwanted uses. These caninclude property parcelization, hous-es or other structures, road place-ment, and certain agricultural orforestry practices. Some of thesecould be effectively limited or prohib-ited by the easement.

In addition to land managementissues, it’s also wise to consider thefinancial costs and benefits of conser-

vation. You’ll want to consult with anattorney and an accountant, forexample, for advice on how the typesof restrictions you have in mindmight affect the market value of theland and on whether to sell or donatethe easement.

They say the devil is in the details,and not without reason. But withconservation easements—as with cellphone plans—it’s useful to have aclear idea of what features you need,what features you’d like, and whatfeatures you can happily live without.

A land trust can be extremely help-ful in guiding your exploration ofoptions and showing you where aneasement may be effective and whereit may not be. Your chosen conserva-tion partner can help you navigatethe sea of details, avoid the devil andsafely reach your destination.

Step 2: Choose Your Partner

Every conservation easement hastwo partners: the grantor, orlandowner, and the grantee. Thegrantee, in effect, is the keeper of thelandowner’s vision.

Remember that by granting a con-servation easement, a landownerconfers certain rights to the grantee.These include the right to: (a) protectthe land’s conservation values; (b)stop uses that damage those values;(c) enter the property (with reason-able notice) for monitoring purposes;


Easements Made Easy (Almost)

W

The PacificForest Trust wasfounded in 1993by concernedlandown-ers,foresters,conserva-tionistsand someof the nation’s most experiencedland protection experts. Its incen-tives-based approach to conserva-tion aims to keep private forestshealthy, whole and productive byaligning ecological needs with eco-nomic realities. PFT created thefirst conservation easements onworking forests in the United States,and today holds conservation ease-ments on 35,000 acres of workingforest in California, Oregon andWashington.

For 10 years, PFT has pio-neered partnerships with forestowners to create capital for conser-vation, develop markets for“ecosystem services” like carbonsequestration, provide accessibleinformation on new approaches toforestry, and modify regulations andtaxation rules to encourage healthi-er management.

Headquartered in Santa Rosa,Calif., PFT also has offices inPortland and Seattle. It can be foundon the web at www.pacificforest.org.

Please call our Regional Office

360-896-970016508 S.E. 24th St., Suite 105, Vancouver, WA 98683

(d) enforce terms through the courtsif necessary; and (e) require restora-tion of damaged conservation values.

For obvious reasons, it’s vital thatthe owner choose the right partner.

Grantees can be either state agen-cies or nonprofit land trusts. Thereare limitations on which agencies canor will hold easements, and youroptions will vary by state. For manylandowners, of course, the less gov-ernment, the better. This brings us toland trusts.

Land trusts, or conservancies, arenon-governmental, charitable non-profit organizations. Not every landtrust is set up to hold easements, or iscapable of knowledgeably monitoringworking forest conservation ease-ments. Your basic due diligenceshould start with such questions as:How long has the organization beenin existence? Does it hold other, simi-lar easements? Is it in good financialshape? Does it have a stewardshipendowment (to ensure its ability tocarry out its responsibilities under theeasement)? Does it belong to thenational Land Trust Alliance, andadhere to the Alliance’s standards andpractices?

Once you’ve narrowed the field, sitdown and talk to the land trust’s prin-cipals—the people with whom you’llbe negotiating the specific terms ofyour easement. No less than yourlawyer or your doctor, you wantsomeone whose competence isunquestioned, but also someone youfeel comfortable with. If all goes well,you’ll be working together to stewardyour land for a long, long time.

Step 3: Dotting the “i”s

Now that you’ve settled on yourgoals and your partner, all thatremains is hammering out a docu-ment that meets your objectives aswell as your partner’s. A working for-est conservation easement is likely toset a goal of maintaining a particularforest type and preventing non-forestdevelopment to create a simple “shortlist” of logging restrictions (for lastingprotection of sensitive resources), andto stipulate that operational details bespelled out in forest managementand/or timber harvest plans.

Typical restrictions limit or prohibitsubdivision, residential development

and agriculture, and may create spe-cial management areas for sensitivehabitats. Your own easement will betailored to your specific needs, whichwill probably mean two or three draftsbefore both parties are satisfied. Onlywhen every “t” is crossed and “i” dot-ted is it time for the easement to besigned and recorded with the county.Negotiations can take as little as twomonths or as long as two years,depending on the size of the property,the complexity of the easement andthe clarity of the landowner.

You’ll also need to complete a sis-ter document that describes the prop-erty and its conservation values. Thisis the “baseline report,” a crucial ref-erence point for future easementmonitoring. Akin to appraisals or for-est management plans, the baselinereport includes written descriptions,maps, photographs and other data onthe state of the property, particularlythe areas affected by the easementterms. While considerable informa-tion is available for many properties,additional surveys or data collection

may be required to complete thebaseline report.

Step 4: Lasting Stewardship

The grant of the easement is justthe beginning of a conservation part-nership between the grantor andgrantee. The land trust, as grantee,will work with the landowner-grantorto make sure the easement terms arerespected and the conservation val-ues well stewarded.

Remember that any relationshipworth having takes work. (So, for thatmatter, does finding the right cellphone plan.) But knowing what youwant, and finding a partner you trustand can communicate with, will yieldeconomic and ecological dividendsfor generations to come.

So good luck—and good steward-ship! ◆

Connie Best is co-founder and manag-ing director of the Pacific Forest Trust,Santa Rosa, Calif. She can be reachedat 707-578-9950 or [email protected].



BY NANCY BUDGE

ou’ve decidedto donate or

sell a conservationeasement to protectyour land fromdevelopment. Orperhaps your com-pany is consideringa conservationeasement for a portion of its forestlandsparticularly sensitive to viewshed orecological concerns. You are workingwith a land trust or other qualified ease-ment holding organization. You receivea draft of the conservation easementdocument and it’s the first one you’veever seen. After the second or thirdreview you want to put it down and runin the opposite direction. The languageis confusing, confounding…and it’sgoing to last forever.

In my experience, landowners tendto be both altruistic and economic.They want to do the right thing on theland and they want to do the right thingeconomically for their families, estatesor shareholders. Consequently, sec-tions of conservation easements thatbecome most troubling are those asso-ciated with potential costs or risks tothe landowner and those that have thebiggest possible impact on future valueof the property. As the landowner orthe landowner representative, you havethe ability to influence the language ofkey sections of these documents.

Potential costs and property valueimpacts can be both direct and hiddenin the easement document. In anycase, the following seven areas aremost important to watch out for.

1. Definition of “ConservationValues”: The definition of conservationvalues in a conservation easement canbe very broad, such as viewshed, habi-tat and open space. These definitionsare important because they can triggerpotentially costly requirements forrestoration due to “impairment of theconservation values.” Be aware of howthe conservation values are definedand ranked, as well as how they are

measured in the pre-conditions reportto avoid unanticipated future cost obli-gations.

2. Direct Obligations: Obligationsfor a “Present Conditions Report” or“Management Plan” to protect conser-vation values (e.g., native species, criti-cal habitat) need to be explicit in yourconservation easement. Any imple-mentation obligations for these plansalso need to be clear. Hiring experts tostudy and measure ecological attrib-utes and implementing their recom-mendations can be very expensive.Understand the “enforceable obliga-tions” of your easement agreement asopposed to what might simply require“voluntary cooperation” on the part ofthe landowner.

3. Enforcement and Transferability:One of the roles of the land trust is toenforce the obligations of a conserva-tion easement. Understand what mightbecome an enforcement event (i.e.,required protection or enhancement ofcurrent conservation values). Themandatory enforcement processshould be clearly spelled out. Is therereasonable notice and reasonable timeto correct the situation? How will medi-ators or arbitrators be chosen? In addi-tion, be sure that you agree with anylanguage that allows your easement to

be transferred to another qualifyingorganization for interpretation andenforcement. You may feel comfortablewith the land trust you are workingwith today, but you also may want tohave a say in who will manage yourconservation easement in the future.

4. Notice and Approval: Require-ments for notice and approval by theland trust are peppered throughout thelanguage of conservation easements. Itwould be a good idea to go throughand list every approval and notificationrequired. Look at that list carefully. Isthe list reasonable? Is the processtimely? Is there recourse if the landtrust or future easement holderbecomes unreasonable in grantingtheir approval?

5. Environmental Provisions: Thetwo to three pages of CERCLA legaleseabout warranties, liabilities and indem-nification are the most frightening ofall the conservation easement sections

for the landowner. The question to askyourself (or your lawyer) is whether theconservation easement puts you at riskfor discovery of previously unknownhazardous materials (such as thosefrom a previous owner) for new liabili-ties or costly duties to remediate. Onewonders why this language is requiredin a conservation easement since landtrusts have never been consideredpotentially responsible parties in envi-ronmental litigation. Make sure thelanguage in your easement is related towhat you are trying to accomplish with

Navigating the Language ofConservation Easements

Y

PHOTO COURTESY OF NANCY BUDGE

Be specific about definitions of “Conservation Values” and future balance ofuses including agriculture and working forests on your property.


the easement. Make sure what youagree to makes sense.

6. Condemnation/Extinguishment/Valuation: When a conservation ease-ment areabecomes subject tocondemnation, theeasement holdercan receive com-pensation equal tothe ratio of theconservation ease-ment value overthe total propertyvalue at the timethe easement isgranted. Thisseems reasonableexcept: (a) In thecase where theeasement holderis a governmentagency that hasthe power of condemnation and mayhave a conflict of interest; or (b) Wherethe landowner has improved the prop-erty over time and the ratio allows theland trust or easement holder to bene-fit disproportionately from thelandowner’s investment. Therefore,the language in the easement aroundcondemnation should include elimi-nation of possible conflict of interestand provisions to provide for anadjusted ratio based on landownerinvestment.

7. Building Envelope Flexibility:Many easements provide for construc-tion of additional buildings or buildingupgrades in the future. Remember tocraft a lot of flexibility in the languagefor these allowed uses and theirrestrictions. For example, avoid highlyspecific language about a future build-ing’s square footage, height or drive-way location. The potential buildingmay take place many decades in thefuture and current concepts aboutappropriate restrictions could conflictwith future building codes, design ofutility systems, water sourcing needsand other factors. Use the minimumamount of specific restrictions toaccomplish the goals of the easement.One way to keep it simple is to containa future building site to a buildingzone that creates plenty of flexibility,yet protects key habitat and viewshedvalues. This will tend to retain more

value in your property over time.When you negotiate a conservation

easement, whether you represent thelandowner (grantor) or the land trust

(grantee), think carefully about howlong that language will have to last.Think about how much the world haschanged in the last 50 years and howmuch the world will change in the next50 years. Are you crafting a fair androbust conservation transaction or areyou creating a feeding frenzy for futurelitigation? Conservation easementscan be a great tool for enhancinglandowner net worth while simultane-ously building ecological value andpreserving open space. It’s up to all ofus to make them a better tool. ◆

Nancy Budge is a consultant in Boise,Idaho, focusing on conservation prod-ucts for landowners. She can be reachedat 208-424-8814 or [email protected].

PHOTO COURTESY OF NANCY BUDGE

Keep language about building restrictions in your conser-vation easement simple and flexible to retain future prop-erty values.

BY MATT FEHRENBACHER

ommitting to aworking forest

conservation ease-ment also meanscommitting to along-term partner-ship with a landtrust. Like any rela-tionship, the suc-cess of this partnership depends oncommunication and trust. It’s up toboth parties to make it work.

The most difficult part of the con-servation easement process may beselecting a land trust to hold the ease-ment and crafting the easement itself.A working forest conservation ease-ment restricts future land uses toensure the forest stays as forest, pro-tects sensitive areas or habitats, andsets long-term standards for sustain-able forestry. This will vary for everyproperty and is subject to negotiationbetween the landowner and land trust.Once the specific terms of the agree-ment are in place, however, implemen-tation can be simple—assuming the

landowner accepts the easement termsas part of the standard managementpractices for the property, and the landtrust accepts its obligations to monitorand potentially enforce the terms ofthe easement. Maintaining the integri-ty of the easement and stewarding theoutstanding natural values of the prop-erty is a responsibility shared by thelandowner and land trust.

While the landowner continues toown and operate the property, andmake the day-to-day managementdecisions, the land trust has a specialrole as the representative of the publicinterest. The land trust holding therestricted property rights in public trustis legally and ethically obligated to boththe easement grantor and the public toprotect the conservation values. Landtrusts fulfill this obligation through astandard review of the property condi-tions and management activities in ref-erence to the easement terms, aprocess referred to as “monitoring.”

Monitoring does not mean enforcingthe easement terms. It means observ-ing and documenting conditions andactivities that may be limited or restrict-ed by the easement to ensure the terms

are respected and maintained.Enforcement, on the other hand, is aprocess that begins if a violation of theeasement terms occurs and cannot beremedied between the parties.

As an assessment of compliance,monitoring is a service provided by theland trust to the public and thelandowner, both of which shouldexpect an effective and thoroughprocess. Monitoring provides anopportunity for landowner and landtrust to question and answer eachother, and to share and comment onplans, while increasing the land trust’sfamiliarity with the resources it is help-ing to protect. This benefits bothlandowner and land trust by savingtime and money that might otherwisebe spent addressing violations.

Monitoring is typically a visibleprocess in which land trusts followstandard practices, including exercis-ing the right to access the property formonitoring purposes with reasonableadvance notice to the landowner.Sound easement language is the basisof sound monitoring, as easementrestrictions must be measurable andenforceable. All parties involved indrafting the easement should keep thisin mind. The baseline report, whichdocuments property conditions at thetime of the easement’s signing, is oftenreferenced when monitoring as thestarting point for easement compli-ance. The baseline is a snapshot of the


Implementing and Monitoring Working ForestConservation Easements

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property at the time the easement isestablished, and should be thoroughlyreviewed by the landowner beforeapproval. Monitoring reports, pro-duced by the land trust to documentmonitoring activities and results, areprovided to the landowner, and togeth-er with the baseline report, provide ref-erence points for future monitoring.

Monitoring may entail a site visit,review of aerial photos or satelliteimagery, or review of plans or permits.While the landowner need not be pres-ent for monitoring site visits, it ispreferable in most cases. Typically anannual process, monitoring site visitswill document significant changes tothe property that have occurred sinceinception of the easement or the lastmonitoring trip. These activities willprovide an opportunity for the landtrust and landowner to develop andmaintain a working relationship.

While the primary responsibility formonitoring falls on the land trust, thelandowner is responsible for sharingrelevant information, such as harvestplans or volumes. This significantlystreamlines the monitoring process,and is often required by the terms ofthe easement. The landowner mayalso be required to notify the land trustof pending operations, provide copiesof permits and plans, and develop along-term forest management plan.The forest management plan gives thelandowner an opportunity to clearlystate methods and objectives of man-agement and provides a comprehen-sive source of information for the landtrust. The result is clarity for both par-ties of what the planned operationsare and how they fit within the limitsof the easement.

The landowner, of course, isresponsible for complying with theterms of the easement. Ultimately,ease of implementation will dependon how the easement terms maychange day-to-day management of theproperty. Because landowners usuallyplay a key role in designing the ease-ment terms, they should be preparedto live up to the standards set in theeasement. Landowners are alsoresponsible for ensuring all partiesinvolved in management of the prop-erty are aware of the easement, includ-ing staff, contractors and neighboringlandowners. Third-party activities on

or around easement properties are acommon source of violations.

As part of the monitoring process,the land trust will attempt to identifypotential easement violations.Violations may exist without thelandowner’s knowledge—the result ofa lack of clarity on specific easementrestrictions or the activities of a thirdparty. If there is an easement viola-tion, both the land trust and landown-er will almost always prefer voluntary,negotiated solutions to legal action.The easement terms may provide forarbitration or mediation as an optionfor enforcement of the terms. In oneway or another, a land trust willenforce the terms of the easement if aviolation is found. This is done tomaintain public confidence in the

conservation easement as a tool forlasting conservation, to protect theinvestment of public dollars in ease-ments, and to protect the land trust’sstatus as a public charity.

As you can see, a working forest con-servation easement demands a signifi-cant commitment from both landown-er and land trust. But a clear under-standing of each party’s rights andresponsibilities, buttressed by commu-nication and trust, can go a long waytoward making the relationship pro-ductive—for you and your forest. ◆

Matt Fehrenbacher is stewardshipforester for the Pacific Forest Trust inPortland, Ore. He can be reached at503-827-0794 or [email protected].


BY KENNETH NUHN

reating a con-servation

easement is a wayto preserve uniqueproperty featuresfor enjoyment byfuture generations,while allowingother valuableresources to be managed and used onthe same land. The Dictionary of RealEstate Appraisal, 4th Edition, definesan easement as: “An interest that con-veys use, but not ownership, of a por-tion of an owner’s property.” A conser-vation easement is defined as: “Arestriction that limits the future use ofa property to preservation, conserva-tion or wildlife habitat.” One of theimportant questions every potentialconservation easement donor asks is,“Does this conservation idea havevalue to anyone other than me?” Manypotential easements are delayed, re-written, or even abandoned by tryingto craft an easement before properlyanswering this question.

Early in the process of creating aconservation easement, the potentialdonor should build a team of individ-uals to answer questions and formu-late realistic and workable terms forthe easement. Include professionalsfamiliar with property value, law, tax-ation, estate planning, naturalresource analysis and resource man-agement. Working with experts earlyallows for handling questions as theyarise, and actually lowers the totalcost of placing an easement.

Obtaining an appraisal is an impor-tant step in the process of creating aconservation easement on land. Theconservation easement appraisal isdistinct from the generic market valueappraisal of real estate one normallysees. Understanding this will help

avoid frustrations, delays and errors increating a workable and valuable con-servation plan for sensitive property.Involving an experienced appraiser toprovide market consultation early inthe process will help the donor devel-op a better easement benefit at theend of the day.

At the proper time and armed withthe right information, a donor andappraiser can work together to fullydocument the properly supportedvalue of a conservation easement. Inan appraisal of the easement, the val-ues of the real property before andafter imposition of the terms of theeasement are estimated. The mostimportant information provided by theappraisal is the market value of theinterests, benefits and rights beingtransferred by the easement. Theappraisal should highlight the proper-ty rights being transferred and theanalysis of the real property marketshould support the market value ofthose rights. For instance, one term ofthe easement might limit (remove theright to) future development of theland, thereby maintaining a wild, rawland habitat. The local market reac-tion to the right to develop raw landcan be measured, value estimated andthe result reported.

Because a conservation appraisal isa fairly complex appraisal, finding aqualified and experienced appraiser isvery important. By bringing anappraiser to the team of expert helpearly, market analysis can help deter-mine whether and how the projectshould best proceed from an economicstandpoint. This analysis can provideanswers about the relative value of theeasement terms at a particular timeand location. The appraiser shouldhave early communication with theexperts, providing the baseline study ofthe physical, habitat and legal charac-teristics of the property. The uniquefeatures of the subject property can becompared to the market demands inthe area. This information assists thedonor in making early and informeddecisions about the market reaction toconserving real property interests suchas intensive management, develop-ment or change in use.

Many easements have been delayedby appraisals that don’t meet the stan-dards of one or more of the agenciesthat may be responsible for, orinvolved in, the easement. Theappraiser should be fully qualified inthe state where the property is located.Most easement appraisals should becompleted by a Certified GeneralAppraiser, preferably with some expe-rience in the type of land or areainvolved. Sometimes, individuals withspecial experience will work with alimited or reciprocal certification fromthe state. They may enlist the help oflocal appraisers with knowledge of thelocal market, but without the neces-sary competence or certification forthis complex appraisal type.

Appraisals must comply with theUniform Standards of ProfessionalAppraisal Practice (USPAP). Mosteasement appraisals must also complywith the Uniform Appraisal Standardsfor Federal Land Acquisitions, 2000edition (UASFLA). This is becausesuch easements are often reviewed bynonprofits or agencies using theUASFLA as their defined standard.The UASFLA is called a SupplementalStandard because there are severalitems to be addressed or reportedabove and beyond the USPAP.

An appraiser with this specializedknowledge, contacted early in theprocess, can help avoid the extra costand aggravation of amending anappraisal where a supplemental stan-dard is unknown and missing. With theright people and proper communica-tion, a valuable and well-crafted ease-ment will provide for the best interest ofthe land and the owner’s legacy. ◆

Kenneth Nuhn is a Certified GeneralReal Estate Appraiser in the states ofIdaho, Oregon and Washington. He is aprincipal in Columbia NaturalResource Analysis, LLC, a partnershipproviding analysis, appraisal and deci-sion-making support for landownersand managers throughout theNorthwest. He also teaches real estateappraisal in the College of Business andEconomics at the University of Idaho inMoscow. He can be reached at 208-882-4089 or [email protected].


Appraising Conservation Easements

C

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BY DENNIS MURPHY

he forestlandmanagers for

PotlatchCorporation areaccustomed tomanagementdecisions thatrequire long-termcommitments.Harvest and silvicultural decisionsmade today guide stand conditionstoward desired objectives that may beachieved 60 to 80 years in the future.Although these long time horizons arepart of the resource professional’sperspective, conservation easementsstretch the time frame beyond thelimit of the organization’s experience.This relatively new managementoption commits property to a work-ing forest land use in perpetuity.

The decision to commit forestlandto a conservation easement is a land-use decision voluntarily made by thelandowner. As is the case with allmanagement decisions, the con-veyance of property rights to anotherparty is an irrevocable allocation ofresources. The irrevocable character-istic of the decision is held in com-mon with harvest and silviculturalactivities. For example, allocating atimber stand to a harvest schedulecommits the standing inventory tolog production. Once harvested, thelogs cannot be erected as growingtrees if the manager changes his mind

as a result of improved prices in logmarkets. When the forest managerapplies fertilizer as a silviculturalinvestment, the chemicals cannot beretracted if the increased growth isless than predicted.

Extinguishing development rightsthrough the sale of a conservationeasement cannot be rescinded—noteven if real estate development valuesappreciate at a rate greater thanexpected. This decision has importantmanagement consequences and mer-its deliberation by the landowner todetermine if it meets managementobjectives. Faced with this option, the

landowner must determine the benefit.Managers within a publicly owned

corporation are challenged to increasereturns on the timberland asset toretain existing and attract newinvestors. In the competitive market-place, the revenues generated fromhistorical harvest and silviculturalactivities are insufficient to meetfinancial objectives. Assuming anaverage growth rate of two to threepercent, combined with realstumpage appreciation rates of one totwo percent annually, an objective toexceed the cost of capital (the oppor-tunity cost of investment alternatives)is optimistic when management plansdepend solely on timber production.

Many organizations have chosento address this issue by marketingsubstantial portions of their timber-lands to new owners who subse-quently convert the land to otheruses. The price paid for the land usu-ally is substantially higher than long-term timber management values.This active property managementstrategy does increase cash flow,although it is not sustainable. In theabsence of land acquisitions, theproperty sales reduce the annual

Potlatch Conservation Easement Allows forWorking Landscapes in Perpetuity

T

PHOTO COURTESY OF POTLATCH CORPORATION

The St. Joe River corridor in northern Idaho will remain a working forest in per-petuity through a conservation easement negotiated by Potlatch Corporation.

growth due to the reduction in grow-ing stock inventory, effectively reduc-ing the scale of forest managementoperations for the firm.

Easements provide financialbenefits

Potlatch Corporation analyzed thefinancial implications of alternativeland ownership strategies in 2001 andconcluded that working forest conser-vation easements were a viable man-agement strategy for long-term tim-ber production in northern Idaho.

A working forest easement pro-vides two financial benefits to thelandowner. The direct easement pay-ment is immediate revenue. Theamount of that payment is deter-mined by an appraisal of the diminu-tion in fair market value resultingfrom the restrictions imposed on theland. The landowner receives a pay-ment today that represents develop-ment value foregone (along withother property rights restricted).

The second financial benefit issubtler, with a longer time horizon.The imposed restrictions diminish thevalue of the property because theeasement terms create property char-acteristics atypical in the marketplace.Appraisers estimate the diminutionand thereby determine the fair marketvalue of the easement. As a conse-quence of the easement restrictions,the asset value has decreased and thepurchaser compensates the owneraccordingly. The reduction in assetvalue also reduces the cost of capital,i.e., the opportunity cost of retainingthe investment in the land.

In other words, the discount rateapplied to the reduced fair marketvalue of the asset provides a lowerestimate of the annual cost of capital.The net effect is the elimination ofland value escalation contributed byincreased demand for recreation ordevelopment property. The fair mar-ket value of the property correspondsmore closely to the inherent produc-tivity of the land to grow and harvesttrees. For a landowner committed tohigh standards of sustainable forestmanagement, the easement providesa much-needed financial incentive tocontinue forest management as theprimary land use without the compe-tition of other real estate markets.

Potlatch opted to pursue the ease-ment strategy for its lands in northernIdaho. After seeking the advice of anexperienced consultant in the field ofconservation real estate transactions,a partnership developed with Trustfor Public Land (TPL) to design aphased five-year project, starting inthe St. Joe River Basin.

The company offered 90 percent ofits Idaho ownership for consideration(600,000 acres). Because of the largegeographic scale of the project, theUSDA Forest Service Forest LegacyProgram (FLP) was identified as a pri-mary funding source. Funds are allo-cated to the state of Idaho through thenational program, and administeredby the Idaho Department of Lands(IDL), the grantee of the easement.

Property rights discussed

The initial terms of the easementwere drafted with advice and counselfrom TPL, and then negotiated withthe staff of IDL. Three primary cate-gories of property rights wereaddressed in the easement: (1) devel-

opment rights; (2) public access/pub-lic use; and (3) special managementareas. The deed of conservation ease-


PHOTO COURTESY OF POTLATCH CORPORATION

A vicinity map shows the water-sheds that encompass PotlatchCorporation’s conservation ease-ment operating area (light coloredarea in northern panhandle).

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ment also defines uses permitted inorder to conduct the operations of aworking forest.

Development rights. Easementterms that limit development includerestrictions on new buildings, landsubdivision and minimum size blocksof ownership. Buildings are a poten-tial land use conversion, dependingon the activities associated with thebuilding. Several attempts to defineacceptable buildings for a workingforest were overly complex.

To simplify the approach, the ease-ment requires that IDL staff reviewand approve all new buildings prior toconstruction. The review determinesif the use of the proposed new struc-ture conforms to the objectives of aworking forest. No subdivisions thatconvert land to commercial, industrial,or residential uses are allowed.

In addition, the easement identi-fies aggregates of parcels that cannotbe split for purposes of land sales orexchanges without approval by thestate of Idaho. The objective of thisrestriction on minimum area is tomaintain a reasonable size land areafor a working forest. The terms fur-ther limit ownership transfers (salesor exchanges) by placing a two-yearmoratorium.

Public access and use. The ease-ment retains the company’s historicalpolicy of open public access. The pub-lic may access and recreate on theproperty, provided their activities areconsistent with the public use policiesadopted by Potlatch and reviewed byIDL. The company will neither chargefees for access nor provide exclusiveuse privileges to any individual orgroup recreating within the easementarea. The company is responsible formanaging public use to ensure confor-

mance with the policies. Hunting andfishing on company lands will contin-ue. State Fish and Game regulationsapply to the sportsmen.

Special Management Areas. Thethird category of easement restrictionaddresses Special Management Areas(SMAs). TPL proposed this conceptto Potlatch and IDL. Sites with char-acteristics that merit additional man-agement guidelines are identifiedwithin each easement phase. Theguidelines for these sites exceed thestandards of the Idaho ForestPractices Act. Examples include sce-nic viewsheds, sites that support rareplant communities and wildlife habi-tat, and sensitive areas adjacent tostream management zones.

The first easement phase includesone SMA: A viewshed corridor adja-cent to St. Joe River Road. The ease-ment specifies minimum green treeretention for stands harvested withinthe corridor. As is the case with all theeasement restrictions, the guidelinesremain with the property regardless oflandowner. Modification of the guide-lines to address forest health condi-tions is possible, and requiresapproval by IDL.

Permitted activities defined too

Permitted forestry activities are alsospecified in the easement. The deedof conservation easement clearly doc-uments the primary objective—tomaintain commercial timber produc-tion as the primary land use. Initialdrafts of the terms to implement thisobjective attempted to list or define allpossible forestry operations. Aftermuch discussion, this approach wasreplaced with a more practical alter-native: All forestry activities not pro-hibited by law are allowed. The activi-

ties must comply with the IdahoForest Practices Act and the landown-er forest stewardship plan.

The project partners closed the firsteasement transaction covering 2,700acres in September 2003. Annualmonitoring of the easement area byIDL begins in 2004. Subsequent phas-es are in process. An FLP grant wasawarded to IDL for the second phaseof the project scheduled to close bySeptember 2004. This second phasewill encumber 15,000-20,000 acres.TPL and Potlatch submitted a grantapplication for fiscal year 2005 thatrequests funds to expand the ease-ment by adding 50,000 acres in the St.Joe River Basin. Successful closing ofthese three phases will be followed byprojects in adjacent basins in the com-pany’s operating area.

The phased approach for the effortwas designed partly for Potlatch staff togain experience in this new endeavor,starting with a small Phase I transac-tion. Phasing also allows TPL time todevelop the critical fundraising effort,the results of which will determine thetotal land area covered by easements.The 600,000 acres offered for consider-ation is an aggressive target. However,landscape-scale working forest ease-ments offer the benefits anticipated bythe landowner, the community and theconservation supporters. Easementpurchases for large land areas providethe landowner with the incentive tofinancially compete with alternativeland uses. The resulting long-termcommitment to timber productionbenefits the community with employ-ment in the woods and mills whilesupporting outdoor recreation oppor-tunities close to home. Finally, a land-scape-level network of special manage-ment areas protects sensitive lands thatextend beyond individual parcels. Theconveyance of well-defined propertyrights may become an essential man-agement strategy for a landowner tomaintain the working landscapes ofnorthern Idaho in perpetuity. ◆

Dennis Murphy is manager of theProperty Management Team forPotlatch Corporation in Lewiston,Idaho. He can be reached at208-799-1156 or [email protected].

BY ANN FOREST BURNS

now fell asCouncil held

its last meeting of2003 at Wild Acresin Bethesda,Maryland,December 6 and 7.The representa-tion of UpperLefthand Corner by Darrel Kenops(District II) and myself (District I) wasfurther enhanced by the good work of2003 Vice President John Beuter andthe insights of WSSAF Chair/2004 HSDChair Nancy Peckman. Wild Acres isbeautiful in the snow. I am sure myown enjoyment was enhanced by hav-ing no direct responsibility for mytransportation from point to point.

Council continues to focus its atten-tion on progress toward its adoptedstrategic outcomes. Darrel and I aregrateful to the Northwest Office and toour state societies, which helped usorganize our year-end reports of youraccomplishments along these lines, aswell. We are proud of what you havedone. When your work is aggregatedwith that of other state and local unitsunder the strategic outcome headings,it becomes clear that SAF is makinggreat strides in carrying out its mission.We encourage you to continue toexplore the advantages of using thestrategic planning process as you planyour activities for 2004. The 2004strategic plan can be viewed atwww.safnet.org/who/2004strategicplan.cfm. Please let us know how it isworking for you.

Effective Engagement inForest Policy. Council acted toadopt two new position statements:International Trade in Forest Productsand Professionalism in NaturalResource Management. Both areavailable for your review and use atwww.safnet.org/policyandpress/positionstatements.cfm. The goodwork of WSSAF member JohnMcMahon on the national PolicyCommittee is evident in these twostatements.

Enhanced ProfessionalEducation and Services. Counciladopted a recommendation of HSDurging that forest certification stan-dards recognize the role SAF and simi-lar natural resource professionalorganizations play in supporting sus-tainable forestry through training,such as Certified Forester® and publicoutreach. This HSD proposal originat-ed from WSSAF.

The Code of Ethics adopted in 2000was a continuing topic of discussion.Although the 2000 referendum passedby a vote of 73 percent, dissatisfactioncontinues to be expressed by somemembers. Council did recommendchanges at this time or ask for furtherreview by the Committee on Ethics.This topic will continue to be a topic ofdeliberation by Council. Please shareyour thoughts and those of your SAFunit with us at the email addressesshown at the end of this report.

The highly successful format of theBuffalo Convention will be used againwhen SAF holds its joint general annu-al meeting with the Canadian Instituteof Forestry in Edmonton, Alberta,October 2-4, 2004. A joint meetingwith the CIF is held only once eachdecade. Plan now to take advantage ofthis opportunity for professional edu-cation and fellowship in Canada.

Enhanced LeadershipCapability. National LeadershipAcademy will take place May 22-25,2004, at the Lied Conference Center,Nebraska City. This is an outstandingopportunity for any member of SAF togain a greater understanding of thestructure of SAF and how to influenceboth the organization and the future ofthe profession. Local units as well asstate societies are urged to identify andfacilitate the attendance of current andfuture leaders. The estimated cost perperson, including tuition, lodging andmeals, is $1,000. A training opportuni-ty of this caliber would cost consider-ably more if offered by a private con-sultant. Louise Murgia, ([email protected]) has the answers to yourquestions.

Membership. Membership num-bers continued to decline in 2003.While this is a trend for all professional

societies at this time in history, it is amatter of concern that calls for actionat all levels of SAF, from the individualmember through Council. Please joinyour leaders in promoting SAF mem-bership. Membership applications, aswell as reinstatement and renewalforms are available online atwww.safnet.org/join.cfm.

Last June, Council appointed a sub-committee to work jointly with theCommittee on Professional Recognitionto review the process by which Fellowsare selected. My thanks to those whohave responded to my earlier requestfor your ideas about this. The subcom-mittee continues its work. If you havethoughts on how the system might bemodified to better serve the needs ofthe Society, please forward them to me.

Incoming President John Beuterannounced Council committeeappointments for 2004. District IICouncil Representative Darrel Kenopswill serve on the Strategic PlanningCommittee. I will continue to serveon the Executive Committee and asCouncil liaison member of theRenewable Natural ResourcesNegotiating Committee.

Darrel and I look forward to servingyou in 2004. We thank you for yourcontinued support of SAF. ◆

Ann Forest Burns, CF, representsWashington State, Inland Empire andAlaska SAF as council representative forDistrict I. She can be reached at 206-527-5942 or [email protected] II Councilman Darrel Kenops,CF, representing Oregon SAF, can bereached at 541-741-3466 [email protected].


Council Continues to Look Strategically

S

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BY MARIANN JOHNSTON

he Inland Empire Society ofAmerican Foresters’ 2004 annual

meeting, entitled Stepping Back toLook Forward: The Story of Forests inthe Inland Northwest, is scheduled forMarch 11-12 at The Forum inSandpoint, Idaho.

Invited speakers will review thevarious events that have shaped themodern forested landscape of theInland Northwest, beginning in geo-logic history. Paleogeologist BillRember will recount the story ofancient flora and fauna as conveyedby area fossils, and geologist Dave Altwill describe the great Glacial LakeMissoula floods that periodicallyswept across the region. NativeAmerican use of the forests and sur-rounding landscapes will be dis-cussed by archeologist Robbin

Johnston of the Clearwater NationalForest.

Moving forward in time, a historyof the early Inland Northwest timberindustry will be presented by TomSandberg of the Idaho PanhandleNational Forest. Lauren Fins and PaulZambino will provide a synopsis ofthe history of the renowned westernwhite pine and attempts to fight itsdemise due to blister rust. EarlBennett, a geologist and well-knownnorth Idaho mining historian, willdiscuss the development of the area’smining industry, and Jim Peek, retiredUniversity of Idaho faculty member,will present an informative history ofwildlife and wildlife management inthe region. The historical portion ofthe meeting will conclude with areview of the effects of fire on InlandNorthwest forests by noted authorand fire ecologist Steve Arno.

The meeting will then look to the

current and future status of ourregion’s forests, including a presenta-tion by Mark Petruncio on restorationefforts by the Yakama reservation, andobservations on the modern-day for-est industry by Mark Brinkmeyer ofRiley Creek Lumber Company.

The keynote speaker at Thursdaynight’s banquet dinner will be JackNisbet, author of the book Sources ofthe River, which explores the observa-tions of fur trader and surveyor DavidThompson on his travels across theRocky Mountains and the InlandNorthwest. SAF President JohnBeuter will speak at Thursday’sAwards Luncheon.

Meeting organizers are excited withthe direction and tone of the upcom-ing meeting. “We hope to attract inter-est from a broad spectrum of peopleinterested not just in modern-dayforestry, but in the history of ourregion’s forests,” says Dennis Parent,chair of the program committee. Themeeting is designed to bring togetherexperts and non-experts alike to sharein the story of our forests in a relaxedand conversational atmosphere.

The location of Sandpoint, Idaho,was chosen in part because it offersmuch in the way of recreational activ-ities and sites of historical signifi-cance. Because of the broad scope ofinterest that this year’s meeting isexpected to generate, SAF membersare encouraged to register early. Dueto facility size limitations, meetingenrollment will be capped at 200.

The registration fee of $85 willinclude two continental breakfasts, allbreaks and the March 11 AwardsLuncheon. Early-bird registrationmust be received by February 13; afterthis date the registration fee willincrease to $105. For meeting infor-mation and registration, contactProgram Chair Dennis Parent at 509-924-1911 or [email protected], orvisit the meeting website at www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~marianng/. ◆

Mariann Johnston is communicationschair for the 2004 IESAF annual meet-ing. She can be reached at 208-885-3734 or [email protected].

IE Meeting to Look at Past to Get to the Present

T

he 2004 Washington State AnnualMeeting will be held on May 12-14

at the Red Lion Conference Center inPort Angeles. Hosted by the AdmiraltyInlet and North Olympic chapters, thetheme for the meeting is The ManagedForest and Wildlife Interface.

Current plans are to have threepanel presentations on Thursday andrelated field tours on Friday. TheBiology/Science panel will presentwildlife responses to various timberharvest activities. The Existing WildlifeManagement Plans panel will discussexisting habitat management plans,and the Policy panel will present dif-ferent visions of the appropriate con-tribution of different forest landown-ers to wildlife habitat diversity.

Port Angeles is a beautiful commu-nity located on the north coast of theOlympic Peninsula. A short drive toHurricane Ridge offers easy access toalpine meadows, mountain views anda variety of trails. The Red LionConference Center is located next tothe Coho Ferry to Victoria, BritishColumbia. Walk-on day trips are veryinexpensive. A block of rooms arereserved at the Red Lion. Watch foradditional information in the nextissue of the Western Forester. AllWSSAF members will receive a meet-ing flyer in the mail in the spring.

For additional information, contactGeneral Chair Harry Bell at [email protected] or Exhibitor Chair WesWasson at [email protected]. ◆

Port Angeles Meeting to Focuson Wildlife Interactions

T

BY DICK POWELL

he Mary’s Peak Chapter of theOregon Society of American

Foresters led the effort to create anevent called Kids Day for Conservation(KDC) held September 2003 inCorvallis. The intent of KDC was topresent an event that was fun, free,hands-on, family-oriented, education-al and natural-resources related.

The idea for KDC came fromWenatchee, Wash., where an insur-ance agent with a long-time interestin Ducks Unlimited initiated a similarevent in the early 1990s. He broughttogether roughly two dozen organiza-tions with natural resources interests.

We differed from Wenatchee’s KDCin that we brought together a largerand much more diverse group oforganizations. The idea for this strat-egy came from the National SAFmeeting held in Washington, D.C. in2000. Attendees at this meeting wentthrough a process to identify the mostpressing issues in forestry. The oneissue that came up as far and awaythe most pressing was ending the“war” between the forestry and envi-ronmental communities. Too manyof us only talk to each other when weare pointing fingers and shouting.Since none of us is going away, wethought we should put aside our dif-ferences and talk with each other. Wethought we could collaborate onsomething that we could all agree on.

To that end, a firm, non-negotiableground rule was that none of uswould engage in any politics or lobby-ing. Further, we simply called it KidsDay for Conservation and no one,including SAF, claimed sponsorship ofthe event. (It is likely most of ourpartners didn’t even realize that SAFtook the lead on this!) This was toprevent the perception that this waseither an “environmental” event or a“timber” event. We did not want toturn off or turn away either our part-ners or the public. We wanted to pre-serve our credibility.

Over 30 organizations took part inKDC and represented private busi-nesses and non-profits to county,

state and federalagencies. Theseranged from thosewho are popularlyperceived asthose who “kill”trees to thosewho “preserve”trees.

So long asthe activitieswere fun, free,hands-on,family-orient-ed, educa-tional andnatural-resourcesrelated, andthere wasno politicsor lobby-ing, eachparticipat-ing organiza-tion was free topresent an activity oftheir choosing. As aresult, the kids got tomake bird houses,“dirt” babies, fishpaintings and “living”necklaces; bendwater; bore a tree; seea fire table and watcha forest fire race up ahill and burn a house;find birds and trees;hold snakes and turtles;watch electricity jumpfrom a power line andrace down a kite string;climb a wall; shootarrows; touch furs andskulls; and go fishing.

Approximately 800 people attend-ed KDC and the comments receivedat the exit survey were glowing. Onehome-school mom said she hadexpected to spend only an hour ortwo but stayed 4-1/2 hours. Anothermom said her six year-old son had afit when they had to leave after only2-1/2 hours! Next year, a sixth-gradescience teacher said she will offer thisas extra credit for her students.

In our debriefing, all our partners

in KDC were very pleased with theevent. Given the overwhelminglypositive reaction to Kids Day forConservation, we are going to makethis an annual event. ◆

Dick Powell is a former Mary’s PeakChapter chair and led the Kids Day forConservation effort. He can bereached at 541-929-2477 [email protected].


Kids Day Enhances Collaborative Efforts

T

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DICK POWELL

SAF member and family forest owner Sara

Leiman shows a participant how anincrement borer is used.

Gary Springer, Mary’s Peak Chapter chair, talks

tree rings with youngsters at Kids Day for

Conservation.


huck Lorenz and Sue Bowerswere elected chair-elects of the

Washington State SAF and OregonSAF, respectively. They will becomechairs of their state societies in 2005.Peter Heide, WSSAF, and John Herbst,OSAF, are this year’s chairs.

Chuck is currently staff forester forthe IRS and has served in many SAFpositions including chair of theSouthwest Washington Chapter andmost recently as secretary of WSSAF.Sue is the owner of Sylvan Kore anddoes consulting work mostly in the

areas of forestry and education. Shehas served in many SAF positions,including Emerald Chapter chair andco-chair of both the education andmembership committees.

Lena Tucker of the Central OregonChapter was elected to the office ofOregon SAF delegate-at-large.

On the national ballot, 53 mem-bers were elected SAF Fellow. Fellowsare SAF professional members whohave been identified by their peers ashaving rendered outstanding serviceto forestry and the Society. Oregon

members Steve Cafferata, GeorgeChesley, Fred Hall, Tom Ortman, BobSanders, Tom Scoggins and BobWeinberger were all named Fellows.Washington State’s B. Bruce Bare, PatMcElroy and Winton Wefer were votedFellows, as was Kirk David of theInland Empire SAF.

District I and II did not vote for newCouncil representatives. DarrelKenops will finish up his third andfinal year as District II councilman thisyear. Ann Forest Burns is currentlyserving in her second year of service.

In other national news, 2003WSSAF Chair Nancy Peckman waselected chair of the House Society ofDelegates for 2004. For more infor-mation on what HSD is and does, goto www.safnet.org/who/hsd.cfm.

A full rundown of the nationalelection results can be viewed atwww.safnet.org/who/2003nationalelections.cfm. ◆

Lorenz and Bowers Elected

C

John Callaghan 1915-2003John Callaghan passed away

November 27, 2003. Born in 1915 inSites, Calif., Mr. Callaghan graduatedwith a forestry degree from theUniversity of California, Berkley. His dis-tinguished forestry career spanned 21years with the California Division ofForestry, including nine years inRedding, Calif., as forest ranger, thenback to Sacramento, where he rose tothe position of chief deputy stateforester.

In 1959 he retired from state serviceand began a new career as executive vicepresident of the California ForestProtection Association, retiring in 1977.

Throughout his career he was anactive member of the Society ofAmerican Foresters, served as presidentof the Western Forestry andConservation Association, and receivedmany awards in connection with naturalresources, as well as the CaliforniaLegislature. He and his wife Lois movedto Portland, Ore., in 1988.

He will be remembered as a kind andcaring man who loved to travel and seethe landscape of all of America andEurope. He enjoyed camping, golf, fish-ing, reading and dancing. ◆

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Calendar of Events

OTHER EVENTSCable Logging Workshop, Feb. 23-26,Corvallis, OR. Contact: ForestEngineering.

A Changing Alaskan ForestEcosystem, Feb. 24-26, Land’s EndResort, Homer, AK. Contact: RogerBurnside at 907-269-8460 [email protected];www.borough.kenai.ak.us/sprucebeetle/.

Innovation Fair, Feb. 25, World ForestryCenter, Portland, OR. Contact: WFCA.

Oregon Logging Conference, Feb. 25-28, Eugene, OR. Contact: Oregon LoggingConference at 541-686-9191 orwww.oregonloggingconf.com.

Unit Planning & Layout, March 1-4,Corvallis, OR. Contact: ForestEngineering.

Eastern Oregon Small DiameterWood Products Fair, March 2-3,Blue Mountain Conference Center,LaGrande, Ore. Contact: AnnetteChristoffersen at 541-426-2311 [email protected].

2004 Oregon Small WoodlandsAssociation Annual Meeting,March 19, Chemeketa CommunityCollege, Salem, OR. Contact: Mark Havelat [email protected].

Tree School, March 27, ClackamasCommunity College, Oregon City, OR. Forregistration materials, contact Judy at theClackamas County OSU Extension Office at503-655-8631.

Fuel Reduction on Steep SlopesUsing Cable Systems, March 29-30,Coeur d’Alene, ID. Contact: ForestEngineering.

Professional Timber Cruising, April7-8, Beaverton, OR. Contact: Atterbury.

GPS for Mobile Professionals, April21, Beaverton, OR. Contact: Atterbury.

36th Annual Air PollutionWorkshop, April 26-29, Rhinelander, WI.Contact: David F. Karnosky at 906-487-2898 or [email protected].

Wildlife Damage Management forNatural Resource Managers, April27-28, Olympia, WA. Contact: WFCA.

Washington Farm ForestryAssociation Annual Meeting, April29-May 1, Lake Chelan, Wash. Contact:Maurice Williamson at 509-684-8550 [email protected].

Forestry Databases: Do More withWhat You Have, May 4-5, Wilsonville,OR. Contact: WFCA.

OSAF Annual Meeting, May 5-7,Southern Oregon University, Ashland, OR.Contact: Steve Armitage at 541-618-2333.

Forest Seedling Root Developmentfrom the Nursery to the Field, May12-13, Eugene, OR. Contact: WFCA.

WSSAF Annual Meeting, May 12-14,Port Angeles, WA. Contact: Harry Bell at360-452-3325 or [email protected].

SuperACE98/Users Seminar, May 19,Beaverton, OR. Contact: Atterbury.

ArcReader Training, May 20,Beaverton, OR. Contact: Atterbury.

Cable Logging, May 25-28, Vernon, BC.Contact: Forest Engineering.

Unit Planning & Layout, May 31-June3, Vernon, BC. Contact: Forest Engineering.

Western Forestry andConservation Nursery AssociationAnnual Meeting, June 26-29, Medford,OR. Contact: WFCA.

Ecological Society of America,National Meeting, August 1-6, Portland,OR. Contact: Fred Hall at 503-285-8729 [email protected].

Effects of Management onProductivity of Western Forests,Sept. 20-23, Olympia, WA. Contact: WFCA.

Contact InformationOSU: OSU College of Forestry Outreach Education Office, Peavy Hall 202, Corvallis, OR97331-5707; 541-737-2329; http://outreach.cof.orst.edu/.

WSU: Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Cooperative Extension, WashingtonState University, P.O. Box 646410, Pullman, WA 99164-6410; 509-335-2963;http://ext.nrs.wsu.edu/.

WFCA: Western Forestry & Conservation Association, 4033 SW Canyon Rd., Portland,OR 97221; 503-226-4562; [email protected]; www.westernforestry.org.

Forest Engineering: 620 SW 4th St., Corvallis, OR 97333, 541-754-7558,[email protected].

Atterbury: Atterbury Consultants, 3800 SW Cedar Hills Blvd., Suite 120, Beaverton, OR97005; 503-646-5393; fax 503-644-1683; [email protected]; www.atterbury.com.

Send calendar items to the editor, Western Forester, 4033 SW Canyon Rd.,Portland, OR 97221; fax 503-226-2515; [email protected]. The deadline for the

March/April 2004 issue is February 16.

UNIVERSITY-SPONSORED EVENTSCourse Dates Sponsor LocationForest Products Management Development Feb. 22-25 OSU Corvallis, OR

Creating Fire-resilient Landscapes Mar. 8-12 OSU Medford, OR

Advanced GIS Applications in Natural Resources with ArcGIS Mar. 18-19 OSU Corvallis, OR

Human Dimensions of Family and Farm Forestry International Symposium Mar. 28-Apr.1 WSU Pullman, WA

Variable Probability Sampling Mar. 29-Apr. 2 OSU Corvallis, OR

Oregon’s Forest Sector: Enhancing its Economic Contribution and Apr. 28-29 OSU Portland, ORits Relationship To Global Forest Sustainability

Introduction to GIS Applications in Natural Resources with ArcGIS May 6-7 OSU Corvallis, OR

stablished in 1985, the OSAFFoundation (OSAFF) is a vehicle

to provide college scholarships forforestry students at Oregon StateUniversity. The foundation may alsoprovide funding for other forestryeducational projects. Each year theBoard of Trustees meets to allocateavailable funds, which are managedthrough the Oregon State UniversityFoundation. The balance as ofSeptember 30, 2003, was $226,000. Atpress time in December 2003, contri-

butions were $14,035, of which$10,000 was a gift from Stub Stewart.Thank you Stub!

Each year, 4.5 percent of the bal-ance is placed in an operationalaccount that is used to award scholar-ships, pay for operating expenses andto fundraise. The current operationalaccount is nearly $20,000. For 2004,OSAFF will offer three $4,500 collegescholarships. College students mustbe full-time OSU forestry studentsand be in the upper 25 percent aca-

demically. OSAFF will also offer a$1,000 grant for a worthwhile educa-tional project. The foundation boardis soliciting project proposals andwill choose the winner of the educa-tional project scholarship by April 30.Please have proposals submitted theNorthwest Office by April 23. Allchapter chairs are encouraged to sub-mit a proposal.

College scholarship recipients willbe announced at the Fernhopper ban-quet later this year. The recipient(s) ofthe educational project scholarshipwill be announced at the OSAF annualmeeting. If you would like to con-tribute to the foundation, please con-tact the Northwest Office for furtherdetails. Your tax deductible contribu-tion will be greatly appreciated andput to good use. ◆

—Jerry AndersonOSAF Foundation Chair

OSAF Foundation Forum

$1,000 Available to Oregon SAF Units

E


he Siskiyou Chapter is hostingthe 2004 Oregon SAF Annual

Meeting in Ashland May 5, 6 and 7and visiting all three of these topics.We will feature presentations on past,present and future related issues fromleading scientists, experienced land

managers and forest productsexperts. Please set these dates asideand join us.

We will be kicking off the session onWednesday morning with an OSAFExecutive Committee meeting that willaccommodate an audience of non-

committee members. We are hopingthat many of our members can arrivein time to sit in on this meeting andget insight into current issues beforeus. Wednesday afternoon we will betrying something different and havingfield trips scheduled at the start of themeeting to help get you all in a goodmood for the sessions.

Thursday morning, following thealumni breakfast, Hal Salwasser,dean, College of Forestry, OregonState University, will kick off the ses-sion as our keynote speaker.Congressman Greg Walden has beeninvited and pending his legislativeschedule, his office has agreed to haveCongressman Walden give us the lat-est on forest-related legislation.

Look for more details in the nextissue of the Western Forester and thespring mailing of registration materi-als. The event will include vendorsand a poster session Wednesday andThursday evenings. Potentialexhibitors should contact Rich Connerat [email protected] or541-776-6737. For program informa-tion, contact meeting chair SteveArmitage at [email protected] 541-618-2333. ◆

Forest Research, Practices and Products Criticalto the Future of the Forestry Profession

T

nternational Forestry Consultants,Inc., (INFO) of Bothell, Wash., has

acquired Resource Mapping andManagement (RMM) of Bellevue,Wash. The two firms have mergedunder the INFO name. Their newcontact information is 11232 -120thAve. N.E., Suite 201, Kirkland, WA98033; phone 425-822-5915; fax 425-822-5975; [email protected].

INFO was formed in 1966 and iscurrently owned by Tom Hanson,president, who has been with the firmsince 1971. RMM was formed in 1972by Bob Marx, who is retiring. DennisDart assumes the vice president role.Other INFO staff members includeTed Hitzroth, Bob Layton, DanThomas and Carla Boshart. Membersof the staff are SAF certified forestersand ISA certified arborists.

INFO will continue to offer timberappraisal, timber cruising, forestpractices permitting, urban forestryand litigation support, as well asexpanded GIS mapping services.Real estate brokerage, timberlandfeasibility analysis and land use plan-ning are also offered. INFO managesover 16,000 acres of forestland in thestate of Washington that is certifiedunder the Sustainable ForestryInitiative Program (Seefeld Corp.,Penguin Forests, Inc. and P.B. LumberL.L.P.). ◆


INFO AcquiresMappingCompany

I

orestSupervisor

Darrel Kenopsretired in Januaryafter 40 years in theUSDA ForestService. Darrelmost recentlyserved as interimforest supervisor at Sierra NationalForest in Clovis, Calif. Darrel is a mem-ber of the SAF and District II Councilrepresentative. He has also served on anumber of SAF committees at thenational and state society levels and is apast chair of the Inland Empire Society.

“From his service as deputy forestsupervisor of Siuslaw National Forest atCorvallis to a decade as the WillametteNational Forest supervisor in Eugene,Ore., to his recent interim assignmentas the Okanogan-Wenatchee Nationalforest supervisor in Wenatchee, Wash.,he has contributed in many ways toforestry, natural resources and ruralcommunity development in the PacificNorthwest,” notes Regional ForesterLinda Goodman.

Kenops worked in Oregon,Washington, Idaho, Montana, SouthDakota, Wyoming and California dur-ing his career.

As chair and Forest Service repre-sentative to the Oregon RuralDevelopment Council, he worked withU.S. Senator Mark Hatfield to establishthe Opal Creek Wilderness and theOpal Creek Scenic Recreation Area,and he has teamed up with colleaguesto successfully bring forth otherimportant projects and proposals.

“It’s been a great career and togetherwe accomplished results important tothe forest, citizens and communities inthe West,” says Kenops. “We foughtmany fires together, we weatheredprotests and litigation, we pioneeredapproaches to help rural communitiesand we worked in science-managerteams such as that in H.J. AndrewsExperimental Forests to tackle theissues, topics and questions of the day.”

Kenops also worked at the statelevel in Oregon and South Dakota.Most recently he served on OregonGovernor’s John Kitzhaber’s naturalresource staff, and earlier in his careerworked with South Dakota GovernorGeorge Mickelson and communityleaders to plan, design and establishthe 100+ mile Rails to Trails system.

Darrel will remain active in forestryand community development mattersin Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. ◆

Forest Supervisor Kenops Retires

F

INTERNATIONAL FORESTRYCONSULTANTS, INC.

Professional Forestry Services• Certified Forester®• Certified Arborist

Throughout Western Washington

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Tom HansonDennis Dart

Call 503-224-8046 foradvertising rates & deadlinesor email: [email protected].

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Policy Scoreboard

Editor’s Note: To keep SAF membersinformed of state society policy activities,Policy Scoreboard is a regular feature in theWestern Forester. The intent is to provide abrief explanation of the policy activity—youare encouraged to follow up with the listedcontact person for detailed information.

Forestry and Salmon PositionStatement Expired. The SAF regionalposition statement on Forestry’s Role inthe Protection of Pacific Salmon Habitatin Forested Watersheds expired inSeptember 2003. Renewal of this state-ment will depend on the involvement ofSAF units in Alaska, California, Idaho,Oregon, and Washington. Contact JohnEhrenreich, WSSAF Policy co-chair, 360-705-9285; [email protected].

International Trade PositionStatement. Thanks to the hard work andpersistence of WSSAF member JohnMcMahon, a member of the SAFCommittee on Forest Policy, the SAFCouncil approved a new position statementon International Trade in Forest Products,available online at www.safnet.org/policyandpress/positionstatements.cfm.

Update: President’s HealthyForests Initiative. The U.S. ForestService website (www.fs.fed.us/projects/HFI.shtml) is a good source for keepingup to date on the many policy activitiesassociated with the President’s HealthyForests Initiative, including the HealthyForests Restoration Act signed into law onDecember 3, 2003. Contact: JayO’Laughlin, IESAF Policy chair, 208-885-5776; [email protected].

Risk Assessment andUncharacteristic Wildfire. Risk-based decision-making undergirds our

environmental laws, and consideration ofwildfire risks and risks to endangeredspecies habitats are at the center of manyforestry debates. A November 2003 con-ference on Risk Assessment for Decision-Making Related to UncharacteristicWildfire in Portland was convened todevelop tools and information necessaryto assess risks and benefits associatedwith restoration to prevent uncharacteris-tic wildfire, and the risks and benefits ofno such restoration. PowerPoint presenta-tions given during the conference will beavailable at http://outreach.cof.orst.edu/riskassessment. Presentedpapers are being reviewed and edited fora special issue of Forest Ecology andManagement, an international journal, tobe published later this year. Contact: JayO’Laughlin, IESAF Policy chair, 208-885-5776; [email protected].

Forestry Day at the IdahoLegislature. The Inland Empire SAF andthe Intermountain SAF are jointly sponsor-ing an information program and boxluncheon for Idaho legislators onPresidents’ Day, February 16. This is thesixth year in a row the SAF has conductedan outreach education activity for legisla-tors. Contact: Jay O’Laughlin, IESAF Policychair, 208-885-5776; [email protected].

OSAF Members Strongly EndorseNew and Revised PositionStatements. Based on a referendumsent recently with ballots for state officersfor 2004, OSAF members gave very strongsupport to four position statementsapproved earlier in 2003 by the OSAFExecutive Committee. The positionsinclude: Active Management to Achieveand Maintain Healthy Forests; SalvageHarvesting; Clearcutting; and UsingPesticides in Forests. With a return rate of32 percent, member support for the indi-vidual positions ranged from 96 to 99 per-cent. Although not required under SAFpolicy guidelines, OSAF uses the referen-dum approach to strengthen the credibili-ty and member understanding and own-ership of the positions. Given the timeli-ness and visibility of the forest health and

salvage harvesting issues, OSAF membersare encouraged to make use of the posi-tions to help convey their professionalforestry views to key decision makers andthe interested public. All of the state-ments are on the OSAF website(www.forestry.org). Contact: Paul Adams,OSAF Policy chair, 541-737-2946;[email protected].

Two Ballot Initiative PetitionsApproved for Signature Gathering.Two forestry-related ballot initiatives wereapproved for signature gathering this pastfall, and two others may be approved byearly 2004. All are statutory measures,which require 75,630 valid signatures by July2, 2004, to qualify for the November 2, 2004,statewide ballot. Initiative Petition #65 hasbeen called the Tillamook-Clatsop “50-50Plan,” as it would require that 50 percent ofthese state forests be managed for “old-growth timber restoration” and the balancefor timber production under directives froma science advisory team. Although not yetapproved for signature gathering by mid-December, Initiative Petitions #119 and#120 were filed by one of the chief petition-ers of #65, and thus appear to represent a“ballot title shopping” case in which similarpetitions are used to identify one with thegreatest public support.

Initiative Petition #56 has a certified bal-lot title that “Requires, defines sustainabletimber harvest practices and organic pestcontrols on state and private forest land.”The Chief Petitioner of #56 was a co-peti-tioner for Measure 64, as well as two simi-lar initiatives (Initiative ID 72 and InitiativePetition #11) that did not reach the 2000and 2002 ballots. Initiative Petition #56retains some language and emphasis fromMeasure 64 and the other initiatives,including major restrictions on clearcut-ting and chemical pesticides, althoughthere is no prohibition of harvesting trees30 inches dbh or greater. The text and sta-tus of Initiative Petitions #56, # 65, #119and #120 can be found at the Secretary ofState’s web site at: www.sos.state.or.us/elections/other.info/irr.htm. Contact: PaulAdams, OSAF Policy chair, 541-737-2946;[email protected].


Policy Scoreboard

Classified Ad RatesClassified ad rates are 50 cents per

word with a minimum $20 charge. CallLori Rasor today at (503) 224-8046 toreserve your classified ad spot for theMarch/April issue and receive a freewebsite listing.

WSSAF Policy Committee. DonHanley, WSU (attached to UW), and DougStinson, family tree farmer and Tree FarmCommittee Chairman, join Sonny O’Neal,retired USDA Forest Service; GretchenNicholas, Washington State DNR; JohnEhrenreich, Washington Forest ProtectionAssociation; and Bob Dick, AmericanForest Resources Association, on theWashington State Policy Committee.Recent policy actions include communi-cation to all of the state’s Washington, DC,delegation urging them to support theConference Report on HR 1904, theHealthy Forests Restoration Act. Contact:John Ehrenreich, WSSAF policy co-chair,360-705-9285; [email protected].

SAF Testimony before the StateBoard of Natural Resources (BNR).2003 State Chair Nancy Peckman testifiedto the BNR in November on the sustainedyield calculations for state trust forest-lands. Following approved WSSAF policystatements, Nancy asked the board toreview all existing constraints on manage-ment and remain open to opportunitiesfor silvicultural management to offsetreductions in harvest associated withhabitat conservation. Above all, Nancyreminded the board that keeping the landproductive is the best way to assure plen-tiful forest habitat into the future.Contact: Bob Dick, WSSAF Policy chair,360-866-4065; [email protected].

Position Statements Approved. Bya vote of 191 in favor to nine opposed,both the Forest Health and Active ForestManagement position papers that wentbefore WSSAF voting members for ratifi-cation were approved. A total of 620 vot-ing members received ballots, and 200ballots were returned for a return rate of32.3 percent. ◆

ancy Lematta, the wife ofColumbia Helicopters chairman

and co-founder Wes Lematta, hasmade a gift of $1 million to create anendowed professorship in the Collegeof Forestry at Oregon State University.

The Wes Lematta Professorship inForest Engineering will enhanceteaching and research in methods ofsafely and efficiently removing timberfrom forests while protecting water,soils and other resources, and willhelp resolve other engineering chal-lenges relating to forest management.

“I am delighted by this investmentin the future of our students, pro-grams and faculty,” said Steve Tesch,head of the Department of ForestEngineering. “This gift helps ensurean excellent education for forest engi-neering students.”

He said that in addition to teaching,the Wes Lematta Professor will work todevelop science-based forest manage-ment techniques that meet the needsof industry, agencies and small wood-land owners while “minimizing theenvironmental footprint of logging.”Tesch added that the professorship is“a fitting tribute to Wes Lematta, whois a strong proponent of the wise useof natural resources and a respectedpioneer of aerial logging.”

Wes Lematta, who co-foundedColumbia Helicopters in 1957, engi-

neered a logging technique known asdirect visual operational control,which enables a pilot to lean safelyout of the cockpit window andmaneuver a hook at the end of a 200-foot cable suspended from the heli-copter’s fuselage. Using this method,a pilot can deliver up to 14 tons oflogs from the forest floor to the land-ing zone and make a round trip aboutevery three minutes.

Today, Columbia Helicopters, head-quartered in Aurora, Ore., is the world’slargest aerial logging operation.

With the creation of the Wes LemattaProfessorship, the College of Forestrynow has eight endowed faculty posi-tions. The endowed appointment isexpected to be made in early spring. ◆


New Professorship Honors AerialLogging Pioneer

N

illiam E. (Bill) Stone, CF, was awarded theContinuing Forestry Education Certificate of

Accomplishment from the Society of AmericanForesters national office of Science and Education onNovember 12, 2003.

Bill, who is a member of the South Puget SoundChapter, applied for his CFE Certificate late this pastsummer. He easily exceeded the 150 hours requiredwithin a three-year period within the specified categories. Bill attended manydifferent educational and training events that added to his forestry knowledge.In addition, he participated in quite a few events that allowed him to contributein a greater way to his community and the forestry profession. CongratulationsBill!

For additional information on the CFE program, visit www.forestry.org/ce/index.html. ◆

WINTER SPECIAL600XT Laser Rangefinder

A very affordable, tilt-compensated laserrangefinder. It measures horizontal orslope distance out to 1,800 feet. Great formeasuring horizontal distance to trees fortree height and for traverses. It is alsouseful for marking buffer widths alongstreams. The 600XT has simple one-button operation and runs off a singlenine-volt battery. Very accurate and canbe set to measure in feet, yards, or meters.Includes a custom water resistant caseand sells for only $359.00. For moreinformation, contact:

Stone Awarded CFE Award

W

This gift helps to ensure anexcellent education for forestengineering students.

SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FORESTERS

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