About the UA-M Student Chapter of the Society of American Foresters

About the Society of American Foresters

Not a SAF member at present but you wish to join?
You can find an application here.

UA-M Student Chapter of the Society of American Foresters

The student chapter of SAF at the University of Arkansas-Monticello is active on a professional and personal development level within the community. Our service activities include but are not limited to hosting Future Farmers of America (FFA) forestry field days as FFA members prepare to compete in forestry events, assisting school systems within the area with tree- and forest-related education and activities, and participating in the Arkansas  Highway System Cleanup program by maintaining trash pickup (jointly with the local chapter of Xi Sigma Pi) on a one mile stretch of highway 425 just south of our campus.

We try to regularly attend SAF chapter, division, state society, and national events as our finances allow). On a more personal and social level, we float part of the Buffalo River, the country's first national river, once a year - an experience everyone should enjoy at least once in their lifetimes.

Please note that although a number of us are also members of the regionally famous UA-M Forestry Club that competes at conclave, the UA-M student chapter of the Society of American Foresters and the UA-M Forestry Club are separate student organizations.

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Society of American Foresters
The Society of American Foresters (SAF) is the professional society for forestry in the United States. We hope you find this page useful in describing the mission, core values, and structure of SAF.
 

The mission of the Society, as appearing on the SAF website, is as follows:

"The Society of American Foresters (SAF) is the national scientific and educational organization representing the forestry profession in the United States. Founded in 1900 by Gifford Pinchot, it is the largest professional society for foresters in the world. The mission of the Society of American Foresters is to advance the science, education, technology, and practice of forestry; to enhance the competency of its members; to establish professional excellence; and, to use the knowledge, skills, and conservation ethic of the profession to ensure the continued health and use of forest ecosystems and the present and future availability of forest resources to benefit society. SAF is a nonprofit organization meeting the requirements of 501 (c) (3). SAF members include natural resource professionals in public and private settings, researchers, CEOs, administrators, educators,
and students." (Copyright © 2004 - Society of American Foresters)

SAF is based upon four core values, that appear on the SAF website and are presented below for your viewing

1. Forests are a fundamental source of global health and human welfare,
2. Forests must be sustained through simultaneously meeting environmental, economic, and community aspirations and needs,
3. Foresters are dedicated to sound forest management and conservation, and
4. Foresters serve landowners and society by providing sound knowledge and professional management skills.

(Copyright © 2004 - Society of American Foresters)
 

SAF is the sponsor of the Certified Forester^® program. This voluntary, nongovernmental certification program is open to qualified SAF members and nonmembers and provides a consistent, national credential independent of any state certification or registration programs such as the Arkansas Board of Registration for Foresters program.

SAF members receive two publications that are published throughout the year. The Journal of Forestry is published eight times a year and its purpose is to advance the profession of forestry by keeping professionals informed about significant developments and ideas in forest science, natural resources management, and forest policy. The Forestry Source is a newspaper published 12 times a year and provides SAF members timely news covering he latest forestry policy issues, developments in forestry research and technology, SAF programs and activities, and much more. Additionally, members can subscribe to Forest Science, which publishes significant articles in forestry research: silviculture, soils, biometry, disease, recreation, photosynthesis, and tree physiology as well as all aspects of management and harvesting, and policy analysis as well as regional journals  that offer applied forestry focus on research, practice, and techniques targeted to foresters and allied professionals in specific regions of the United States and Canada. Forest Science is published six times per year and the regional journals are published four times per year.

The Society of American Foresters is composed of many different entities, each playing a different role in the Society. More detailed information about the entities we describe below can be found at SAF's organizational structure webpage.

Through this organizational structure, every SAF member has the ability to be a voluntary and active participant in SAF. We encourage you to do just that by becoming actively involved with one of the organizational entities listed below. 

All SAF programs and member services are run by the National Office in located in Bethesda, Maryland. The National Office also supports the units and organizational components described below.

The highest governing body in SAF is the SAF Council, composed of the president, vice-president, immediate past-president, and 11 elected members (one from each voting district) Voting districts are established such that no one voting district has fewer than 7% nor more than 11% of the total SAF membership. The role of SAF Council is to provide leadership and direction for the Society as it carries out its mission.

SAF Council establishes Task Forces and National Committees . National committees are long term in nature and are responsible for continuing society activities. An example of a national committee is the National Convention Program Committee. A task force can be established to address a specific project or task. Task forces tend to be short term in nature. An example of a task force is the Volunteer Organizational Structure Task Force that is taking (took) a close look the overall structure we are explaining herein.

There are 32 State (or Multi-State) Societies that are grassroots in nature and address SAF needs and provide programs on a more regional or geographical basis. Our Student Chapter falls in the Ouachita State Society which is composed of Arkansas and Oklahoma. Each state society has a delegate and an alternate delegate to the grassroots House of Society Delegates (HSD). HSD exists so that ideas and concerns from SAF members could be voiced via an avenue other than through SAF Council.

Some state societies are divided into divisions that address SAF needs and provide programs specific to different subregions of a State Society. For example, The Ouachita State Society is composed of the Oklahoma Division and the Arkansas Division. Our Student chapter is located in the Arkansas Division of the Ouachita State Society. Divisions are often subdivided further into chapters so that SAF can address needs and provide programs on a local level. For example, the Arkansas Division of the Ouachita State Society in divided into four chapters: the Caddo chapter is covers the central part of Arkansas, while the Southwest Arkansas, Southeast Arkansas and Northwest Arkansas chapters cover the southwest, southeast, and northwest portions of Arkansas, respectively. Our student chapter, then, is located in the Southeast Arkansas Chapter of the Arkansas Division of the Ouachita State Society of SAF. 

The National Student Assembly (NSA) is the organizational entity within SAF composed exclusively of students. NSA provides a way for students to help achieve SAF's mission, increase student participation in SAF, communicate with each other and the Society, and participate in all SAF programs, including those designed by and exclusively for students. The chair and vice-chair of NSA are members of the House of Society Delegates. 

Science plays a key role in all that SAF does and the Working Groups (WGs) and Forest Science and Technology Board (FS&TB) are the avenues that ensure science is and remains an integral part of the Society. There are 28 working groups aligned into six subject areas. For example, inventory, remote sensing and photogrammetry, biometrics, and  geographic information systems are the four working groups aligned under the resource measurements subject area. The main function of the working groups is to develop programs to communicate and enhance forest science and specific professional interests through the planning of technical sessions at SAF conventions and conferences. Additionally, working groups may from time to time prepare and/or review technical reports and positions as well as participate in a number of special projects.
 

The Forest Science and Technology Board is composed of one elected representative from each of the six Subject Areas (our faculty advisor happens to be the representative of the Resource Measurements subject area), and is led by the Board Chair who is appointed by the SAF President. The FS&TB keeps track of and encourages activities by the Working Groups and serves as the liaison between the working groups and SAF Council, Task Forces, and National Committees.

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