June 30, 2000
Advisory Committee on Chip Mills
c/o Llona Weiss
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
P.O. Box 176
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176
Dear Ms. Weiss:
I am writing as the current Chair of the Missouri Society of American Foresters (MOSAF). I'd like to begin with a few general comments about the Society of American Foresters (SAF). The Society has about 18,000 members nationwide and over 200 in Missouri. SAF is the national organization that represents all segments of the forestry profession in the United States. It includes public and private practitioners, researchers, administrators, educators and forestry students. The Society was established in 1900 and is currently celebrating it's centennial year.
The mission of SAF is to advance the science, education, technology and practice of forestry; to enhance the competency of its members; to establish professional excellence, and use the knowledge, skills, and conservation ethic of the profession to ensure the continued health and use of forest ecosystems and the present and future availability of the forest resources to benefit society. MOSAF represents the largest group of practicing resource professionals in Missouri with a personal, professional and ethical commitment to the long term, sustained management of our forest resource.
If you recall, MOSAF member John Dwyer made a presentation to the Advisory Committee on October 12, 1999 where he presented the MOSAF Chip Mill Position Statement. I have included a copy of this position statement for your reference. I would like to reiterate that the recommendations made in the position statement remain relevant to the actions taken by the Advisory Committee and ask that it be included as part of my comments on the final report.
In regard to the Revised Draft Final Report, I would like to submit the following comments to the Governor's Advisory Committee on Chip Mills:
1. The report went beyond the impact of chip mills to discuss broader issues of forest resource condition and availability, harvesting and best management practices (BMP's), forest management, logger and forester credentialing, and forest ownership and regulation issues. MOSAF supports this approach by acknowledging that one segment of an industry can not be reviewed or regulated without impacts on the entire industry or profession. The issue extends far beyond the operation of chip mills and their procurement and harvesting practices, to include harvesting and management practices of the entire industry. MOSAF supports the direction taken by the committee to recommend voluntary education and compliance measures for landowners and loggers, as well as further analysis of resource status and impacts.
2. MOSAF recognizes the responsibility of our profession to manage the State's forests in an ecologically sustainable manner, while providing for a myriad of benefits, uses and commodities from our forests. As such, we support representation by MOSAF on any committee or council created to study, advise, manage, or otherwise regulate forests or forestry in Missouri.
3. MOSAF supports the credentialing of professional foresters in Missouri. It should be understood, however, that the use of professional foresters has been, and continues to be, the best way to manage the state's forests in an ecologically sustainable and socially acceptable manner. We support credentialing to maintain the professional, technical and ethical standards in the profession and to assure that those without credible education and experience are not allowed to practice or represent themselves as foresters in Missouri.
4. Many of the recommendations in the report were made with little recognition for their costs, both in dollars, and in State agency time. The report included some discussion of options for financing, but these were very vague and fell short of an appropriate analysis of the estimated costs and specific options for funding. We hope that any action taken by the Governor will include a more complete analysis of costs and funding sources before they are implemented.
5. MOSAF would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication by all members of the Advisory Committee over the past two years. This was a monumental undertaking that required considerable time and effort by everyone involved and they should be commended for their efforts and perseverance throughout the process. Our only regret is that a representative of MOSAF was not included on the committee, although the profession was well represented by agency staff, as interested parties during the deliberations, and in providing expert testimony to the committee. We appreciate the opportunities that were afforded us in the process.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment. Feel free to contact me at the address or phone number above if you have any questions or need any further clarification.
Sincerely,
Mike Hoffmann, Chair
Missouri Society of American Foresters
MOSAF Policy/Legislation Committee