Current Events & Issues

The Current Events & Information section of the TFA website provides our members with the latest news, upcoming events and other information related to TFA.

Please check back often for event updates and important announcements

TFA Announces 2010 Teacher Conservation Workshop Dates

02/22/2010 -

This year workshop dates are:

East TN/Knoxville:  June 13-18

West TN/Pickwick:  July 11-16
 
For more info or to download the brochure please click the link below...
 
 
 
 

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Announcing a Forest Landowner Workshop **HAMILTON COUNTY DATE REVISED**

01/28/2010 -

 

Announcing a Forest Landowner Workshop
 
Don’t Just Own Your Forested Property,
MANAGE It
 

Learn About:

 
1.   Obtaining Information & Professional
      Assistance
 
2.   Determining Ownership Objectives
 
3.   Improving the Forest Environment---         
      Keeping Trees and Forests Healthy   
 
4.   Property Ownership Liabilities
 
5.   Developing a Forest Management Plan    
 
6.   Estate Planning, Trusts and Taxes of   
      Your Property
 

Who’s Invited?   Landowners and persons who own or are considering forest land ownership will find this educational workshop an exceptional opportunity. Anyone with forest cover on part of their property will learn how to practice sustainable forestry and how to manage the land to meet their objectives

 

 
When and Where:   Please see below for upcoming dates  
 
 
Registration and for more information:   Register for the workshop with the County UT Extension office. The cost is $10.00 which includes lunch and workshop materials. The workshop is sponsored by UT Extension and the TN Division of Forestry.
 
========================================================
Knoxville Meeting
 
Saturday, February 20 from 8:30 to 2:00 in Knoxville at the UT Agricultural Campus in the Plant Biotechnology Building, Rooms 156/157.
 
Knox County
 
865-215-2340
 
 
 
Nashville Meeting
 
Saturday, February 6 from 8:30 to 2:00 in Nashville at the Ed Jones Auditorium, Ellington Agricultural Center, 440 Hogan Road.
 
Davidson County
 
615-862-5995
 
 
 
Memphis Meeting
 
Saturday, February13 from 8:30 to 2:00 in Memphis at the Agricenter International on Walnut Grove Road
 
Shelby County
 
901-752-1207
 
 
 
Chattanooga Meeting **REVISED**
 
Saturday, March 20 at the community building at
Chester Frost Park, 2318 North Gold Point Circle, Hixson, TN
 
Registration Phone Number is  
 
Hamilton County
 
423-855-6113

 

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TFA Announces Annual Meeting Dates

01/22/2010 -

The TFA 2010 Annual Convention has been set for October 13-15 in Gatlinburg at the Edgewater Hotel and Conference Center (www.edgwater-hotel.com). The hotel’s TFA sleeping room rate is $70.00 single/double. This will be an excellent time to visit the Smokies at the peak season for leaf color. Fall will be in the air ! Program and activities will be announced soon. We hope that you will plan to visit East Tennessee, October 13-15 with your TFA friends. More information will be available soon.

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2010 Spring TN Healthy Hardwoods Field Days Announced

01/12/2010 -

2010 Tennessee Healthy Hardwoods Field Days Announced
The 2010 Tennessee Healthy Hardwood Field Days will be held .....

May 01: Nashville Ellington Ag Center, TDF Office
June 06: Tullahoma, Univ. of UT, Highland Rim Exp Center

Click here for TFA Calendar of Events

Click here for TN Healthy Hardwoods Registration Form

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Tennessee Division Of Forestry Annouces . . . PLANNING FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE FOREST LANDOWNERS

12/21/2009 -

For immediate release       
December 21, 2009   
 
CONTACT:   

TIM PHELPS
Division of Forestry
615-837-5543
TIM.R.PHELPS@TN.GOV
 
Perry Stevens,
TN NRCS
(615) 277-2533
perry.stevens@tn.usda.gov

  
Planning Funds Available for Private Forest Landowners
~ NRCS EQIP Sign Up Deadline is Jan. 15 ~

 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Private forest landowners seeking assistance to manage their forests can now get help with the cost of developing a detailed forest management plan.

 
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is currently accepting applications from landowners to receive funding to hire experts who specialize in developing multi-resource forest management plans. The application deadline is Jan. 15, 2010.
 
"We want to make sure Tennessee forest landowners know that there are cost share programs available, so they can use them to improve natural resources on their private working lands,” said John Rissler, Acting State Conservationist for the NRCS in Tennessee. “Conservation practices help the land by making it more productive through improved water quantity and quality, air quality and wildlife habitat.”
 
Private lands certification, carbon markets, biofuels initiatives and potential new tree planting programs present a myriad of forest management opportunities for private forest landowners. Many of the federal, state and private programs associated with these opportunities require forestlands be managed based on a tract (i.e. property) level, multi-resource forest management plan. Having a plan in place helps provide the landowner with a path to achieve their objectives and positions them to participate in other forest management programs.
 
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry provides similar services with year-round sign-up through its Forest Stewardship Program. Landowners interested in either plan are advised to contact their local Division of Forestry area forester who will help them determine which plan is more appropriate.
 
PLANNING FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE FOREST LANDOWNERS 2 – 2 – 2
 
“Demand for multi-resource forest management plans is on the increase as landowners position themselves to take advantage of new opportunities to implement forest management on their properties,” said State Forester Steve Scott. “Our Forest Stewardship Program has been providing this service for years, but we are seeking partnerships with other government agencies and the private sector to ensure the short term demand for multi-resource forest management plans can be met.
 
“NRCS’s EQIP is one such example of how we hope to get more assistance to landowners to meet their individual objectives, which ultimately benefit their surrounding region through the multiple benefits forests provide to society.”
 
More information on these and other forest land assistance programs can be found online http://www.tn.nrcs.usda.gov/ or http://www.tn.gov/agriculture/forestry/,
or by contacting your local TDA Division of Forestry office or NRCS District Conservationist office listed in the phone directory under state and federal government.

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Don't Forget to Donate to Tennessee Log a Load for Kids program!

12/18/2009 -

At this wonderful time of year, please remember to give generously to the Tennessee Log a Load for Kids program.  Just about every TFA member family has known a child that has been helped  by the Children’s Miracel Network hospitals in Tennessee.  The Log a Load for Kids program supports the CMN hospitals through the contributions of our loggers, landowners, foresters, industry folks and interested friends.  To contribute to the Tennessee Log a Load for Kids program, please send your check written to TFA Log a Load for Kids account and mail to TFA, P.O. Box 290693, Nashville, TN 37229.  You are welcome to designate the CMN hospital to receive your donation.  A Log a Load donation form can be found on TFA’s website:  
http://www.tnforestry.com/Loggers/Log-A-Load_for_Kids/.

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Biomass Corp Assistance Program for Tennessee materials notebook provided by TN Division of Forestry

12/18/2009 -

Please click the link below for Biomass Corp Assistance Program for Tennessee Material Notebook

BCAP materials notebook provided by Tennessee Division of Forestry

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Biomass Crop Assistance Program for Tennessee

12/07/2009 -

 

The following is a summary of the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) that looks to be very beneficial for many of our forest products facilities and suppliers in the state of Tennessee. This is a simplified overview and is meant to be an introduction only; all the details, forms and information are available on the USDA Farm Services Agency website: www.fsa.usda.gov
 
BCAP provides financial assistance to producers or entities that deliver eligible biomass material to designated biomass conversion facilities for use as heat, power, biobased products or biofuels. Initial assistance will be for the Collection, Harvest, Storage and Transportation (CHST) costs associated with the delivery of eligible materials.
The program currently includes forest products facilities that are burning biomass materials in boilers for process steam or steam for drying lumber. The matching payment is made to the supplier and not the Biomass Conversion Facility (BCF) and equals a dollar for dollar payment for the cost of biomass material up to $45 per dry ton. 
The first step is for a using facility (BCF) to apply and agree to be included as a facility participating in the Biomass Crop Assistance Program’s Collection, Harvest, Storage and Transportation component. The suppliers that are selling the BCF sawdust, bark and other biomass must have some type of purchase agreement from the BCF to take to their county office of the Farm Services Agency (FSA) to apply for a CHST matching payment before delivery of any material. The supplier submits a “Request for Payment” to the county FSA office after material has been delivered to the BCF and is then paid for the delivered material. 
For example: A paper mill such as Temple Inland (Facility ID 4708501) makes application to be a BCF and is accepted and issued a BCF number. A sawmill that is taking their sawdust to Temple goes to the FSA office in Montgomery County with their purchase agreement from Temple and applies for a CHST matching payment. When the sawmill delivers loads of sawdust to Temple, they take their original scale tickets, invoices or payments made and conversion from green to dry tons to the county office for matching payment. A smaller lumber facility that is buying biomass for their boiler to dry lumber would have to go through the same process. An entity cannot be both a BCF and a supplier.
As of this date there are two BCFs in Tennessee:
ID 4708501, Temple Inland Inc., New Johnsonville Mill, (931) 535-2161, tracysmith@templeinland.com
ID 4707101, Packaging Corporation of America, Counce Mill, (731) 689-1220, gdurrence@packagingcorp.com
All the forms and more detailed directions are on the FSA website. If you have questions after reading the materials, you can call or email:
Doug Schnabel, TN Division of Forestry, 615 837 5430, doug.schnabel@tn.gov
Dana Howard, TN Forestry Association, 615 883 3832, dhoward@tnforestry.com
Pat Gibson, Farm Services Agency, 615 277 2617, pat.gibson@tn.usda.gov

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Stay Warm This Winter with the Right Firewood

12/09/2009 -

Stay Warm This Winter with the Right Firewood
-Tips for consumers when purchasing firewood–

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Department of Agriculture is offering advice to consumers purchasing firewood this winter. When purchasing firewood, consumers need to take into consideration a variety of factors including the type of wood, its origin and the quantity.

 
 
“Firewood can be purchased almost anywhere and in many varieties,” said Tim Phelps, Information and Education Specialist with the department’s Division of Forestry. “Consumers should educate themselves to make sure they get the best product for their money.”
 
The first factor to consider while purchasing firewood is the type of wood because different woods burn differently and produce varying amounts of heat. For example, oak burns slower and produces less smoke while pine burns faster and produces more soot and smoke. Educate yourself about the type of wood that will best serve your needs.
 
After deciding on the type of wood, be sure to ask retailers about the seasoning of the wood. Seasoning is the process of drying wood. Firewood typically takes nine months to become seasoned. Burning wood that has not been dried out properly or seasoned will produce less heat, burn poorly and create unnecessary soot and smoke.
 
Another factor to take into consideration when purchasing wood is the origin of the wood. This is important because buying wood from other states may transport invasive exotic insects into Tennessee. Consumers can help avoid potential problems by purchasing locally harvested firewood within a 50-mile radius of their home.
 
“The Asian longhorned beetle and emerald ash borer are two examples of insects that have devastated many native hardwood trees in the U.S. as a result of the transportation of infested wood products,” said Phelps. “So far these insects have not been detected in Tennessee.  We’re asking consumers to help us keep it that way.”
 
The last factor to consider when buying firewood is the quantity. Firewood has its own unit of measurement called a cord. Firewood must be sold by the cord or fractions of a cord starting at 1/8 of a cord. A cord of wood by law must equal 128 cubic feet. Be wary of terms such as face cord, rack, rick, tier, pile or truck-load, as these terms are not standardized in the sale of firewood. Some firewood dealers also try to sell firewood by the truckload. A typical pick-up truck cannot hold a cord of firewood. Rest assured, when purchasing firewood at brand retailers, there are established labeling protocols for firewood. 
 
If consumers follow these tips, they can feel confident that they purchased a local, worthy product that will keep them warm throughout the winter months.
 
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Membership Rewards & Services Program Announced

06/25/2009 -

Tennessee Forestry Association is launching a Membership Services program that will feature membership discounts, incentives and services. As a way to say “thank you” to our members and show our appreciation to your participation and loyalty to forestry industry. . . . . . read more

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Report Shows Tennessee Land in Forests Stable, Yet Changing in Composition

06/25/2009 -

Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Media Release Report Shows Tennessee Land in Forests Stable, Yet Changing in Composition........read more

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Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program

06/22/2009 -

The Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program supports Tennessee Master Loggers by providing tuition support for both the initial 5 day training course and continuing education in 2008.

The Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program is also providing 75% cost-share funding to loggers for the purchase, construction and use of temporary stream crossing structures. For more information on this program, please contact your area Tennessee Division of Forestry office. Loggers can sign-up now for assistance.

TFA truly appreciates the support and leadership provided Dept. of Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens to ensure that additional loggers, landowners, and professional resource managers can attend Master Logger training for a minimal cost and the program can be administered in a cost-effective manner that is helpful and user friendly for loggers, landowners, and industry statewide. Commissioner Givens and his staff and the foresters at the Division of Forestry are working hard to support forestry programs in Tennessee that will encourage the use of forestry best management practices, safety, and sound silvicultural decision making . . . . . .

Read more about Tennessee Enhancement Program

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Sales Tax Exemption on Off Road Diesel Fuel

06/22/2009 -

Sales Tax Exemption on Off Road Diesel Fuel

Timber harvesters will need to download the application for registration, complete and send to TN Department of Revenue forms can be downloaded below...

The application is used to obtain a Tennessee agricultural sales or use tax exemption certificate. This certificate must beused to make qualified agricultural purchases exempt from sales and use tax. You must complete the front of this application and submit withcopies of any requested documents.

Farmers, Timbers Harvesters & Nursery Operators Notice #07-12

Sales Tax Exemption Application

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ANNOUNCING 2009 TFA AWARD WINNERS

11/06/2009 -

Please check out the articles on TFA Master Loggers of the year James & Scottie Robertson, TFA Tree Farmer of the Year Sharon Keen, and CFA of the year, The Southern Middle Tennessee County Forestry Association. Please click the link below to view the article.

 
 

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Tennessee Sustainable Forestry Committee Recieves a National Award!!!!

06/22/2009 -

 

TENNESSEE WINS NATIONAL SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY INITIATIVE AWARD
Salt Lake City, UT  – The Tennessee Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) Implementation Committee (Tennessee SIC) has won the SFI award for excellence in logger training, landowner outreach and program recruitment.
 
SFI, Inc. is the fully independent organization responsible for the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® Program. The SFI® program is a comprehensive sustainable forestry certification system that encompasses more than 135 million certified acres across North America and includes 216 program participants. The program is implemented on the ground through 37 SFI implementation committees and each year SFI recognizes one committee for outstanding achievements. During 2007, the Tennessee SIC actively promoted a film produced by J.M. Huber Corporation titled “Finding the Balance” that aired on community television, sponsored workshops to promote SFI certification, established partnerships with conservation and academic groups and supported research projects.
 
“The Tennessee SIC has done an outstanding job of promoting the SFI standard, sharing best practices and reaching out to various stakeholders including, conservation groups, to ensure they hear the views of those involved in the management of our forests,” said SFI President and CEO Kathy Abusow. “Through our SFI implementation committees we are seeing real, tangible on-the-ground improvements in forestry and awareness of SFI.”
 
 The award was presented to the Chair of the Tennessee SIC, Kevin Hoyt, senior natural resource analyst with Huber Engineered Woods at SFI’s annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Along with a plaque recognizing the successes of the implementation committee, the Tennessee SIC received a $1,000 award. The committee will also be added to a separate plaque on display at SFI’s headquarters in Arlington, Va.
 
“The Tennessee SIC is proud to receive this award in recognition of the work we have done in our region to promote sustainable forest management under the SFI program,” said Hoyt. “By working with program participants, conservation groups, family forestland owners, state forestry personnel, lawmakers, and the forestry academic community we can improve forest management and ensure forest product customers have access to products from well managed forests.”
 
About SFI, Inc.
SFI, Inc. is a 501c(3) non-profit organization and is solely responsible for maintaining, overseeing and improving the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Program. SFI, Inc. directs all elements of the SFI program including the SFI Standard, chain of custody certification, labeling and marketing. SFI, Inc. is overseen by a three-chamber Board of Directors representing social, environmental and economic sectors.
For more information about the SFI program, visit www.sfiprogram.org

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