LESSONS LEARNED NEW INNOVATIONS

Overall the Montana Tree Farm program is very strong and has much to be proud of. We have an enthusiastic and committed Executive Committee. Our membership is growing and we have a dedicated inspector cadre. We have completed 100% 0f our random sample inspections and continually make contact with our membership with our 5-year inspection process. We feel the one-on-one contact is the most important outreach and educational service that MTFS provides. This re-inspection process assures our program is a credible certifier of sustainable forest management.

In 2007 the MTFS executive Committee initiated or followed up on 3 programs designed to grow the program, provide out reach and education and use new partnerships to help deliver the Tree Farm Program.

“Call Before you Cut” Outreach to New Landowners.

The Montana Tree Farm System (MTFS) recognizes that the demographics of western Montana are rapidly changing. The real estate bubble continues to grow and we are seeing significant population growth in our forested counties. During the 1990’s many of Montana’s forested counties have grown 20 to 30% in population. A large segment of our new residents are “Baby Boomers” who have lived in urban areas, are coming into retirement age and are purchasing forested lands for their retirement homes. They choose to live in Montana because of the quality of life and the beauty of our forests. In general, they have a high stewardship ethic, want to manage their lands in a sustainable manner and are in need of assistance to be stewards of the land.

The Montana Tree Farm Program partnered with Montana Conservation Districts, Montana DNRC Forestry Assistance Bureau and Montana State University Forestry Extension Program to develop the “Call Before You Cut” brochure. The brochure follows the same logic as the utility company’s slogan “Call Before You Dig”. The concept is to direct new forest owners toward support organizations needed before they make uninformed management decisions that could have long lasting consequences. The brochure is designed to lead landowners through the process of learning about their woods, developing objectives, writing a forest management plan and seeking out qualified professionals to assist them with their forest management needs.

The MTFS then found funding through a state DNRC grant program to publish this brochure and develop and attractive display to be distributed through real estate agents in western Montana. Using the backing of a local county Conservation District as our grant administrator, over 4,000 brochures were published and 100 attractive displays were purchase and distributed to 100 real estate agents in the forested counties of western Montana. We feel there is an important opportunity to tie the sale of the property with its conservation.

For many first time out-of-town buyers, real estate agents are often their first source of information of local services. The brochure provides the connection between the sale of the real estate and sustainable forest management and provides a one stop shopping describing the forestry services available.

Real estate agents have been very receptive to the brochure and display. They understand that good forest management adds value to the real estate by increasing property values and enhancing its sale ability. Real estate agents can be a unique partner in promoting good stewardship of the land.

The project provided outreach and education on sustainable forest management; built new partnerships; utilized new funding sources for MTFS and helped grow the program by increasing Tree Farms exposure to the public.

100 displays and brochures were distributed to real estate agents in western Montana to inform new landowners of the forestry resources that are available to them.

“Family Forestry Newsletter”

In 2007 the Montana Tree Farm Program published the first “MONTANA FAMILY FORESTRY NEWSLETTER” The newsletter was distributed to Montana forestland owners who have a previously demonstrated interest in the active management of their forest lands. The targeted audience for the “Family Forestry Newsletter” was all past Montana Forest Stewardship graduates, Montana Forest Owners Association Members along with Montana Tree Farm members.

The newsletter was a collaborative effort of all Montana forest landowner organizations working together to provide our family forest landowners with a consolidated publication of news updates, a calendar of events of educational opportunities and topics of pertinent issues related to the management of their forests.

In the past the Montana Tree Farm System, Montana Stewardship Foundation, Montana Forestry Extension and the Montana Forest Owners Association have all distributed their own newsletters or mailings to their respective memberships. Often, these mailings result in a duplication of effort and added expenses. The “MONTANA FAMILY FORESTRY NEWSLETTER” helped remove this duplication of effort and provided Montana family forest landowners with a consolidated newsletter in one high quality publication. The newsletter also provided many forest landowners with added exposure to the Montana Tree Farm Program and the benefits of being a Tree Farm member.

The MTFS Steering Committee took advantage of its 501 C (3) non-profit status to apply for a $2,700 grant from the Plum Creek Foundation to publish this first time newsletter. The newsletter received strong positive reviews from all of the forestry support organizations and the “Family Forestry Newsletter” will be published again in 2008. This years funding will be paid jointly by Montana University Extension Program, Montana DNRC Service Forestry program, Montana Forest Owners Association, and Montana Tree Farm Program.

The project provided outreach and education on sustainable forest management; built new partnerships and strengthened old ones; utilized new funding sources for MTFS; Took advantage of our non-profit tax status; helped grow the program by increasing Tree Farms exposure to new audiences and added value to our Tree Farm membership.

The “Montana Family Forestry Newsletter was mailed to 2000 forestland owners in the state to provide education and outreach to forest owners and increase the exposure of the Montana Tree Farm Program.

Montana Tree Farm/ Stewardship Advisor Training

In 2006 a joint Tree Farm Inspector/ Forest Stewardship Advisor Training was held over a 3 –day period in Missoula, Montana. This new cooperative milestone was achieved with the help from a grant submitted by the Montana Tree Farm System and funded through the American Forest Foundation mini-grant program.

This program continues to provide benefits to the Montana Tree Farm Program. In 2007 Montana State University Extension conducted 5 Stewardship Workshops, with 76 attendees. Sixty-five percent of the ownerships that completed their management plans joined the Tree Farm Program adding 20 new Tree Farmers to our growing program.

These new members have shown their dedication to forest stewardship by donating their time in attending the stewardship workshop and also have the personal involvement of writing their own forest management plan. They are also interested in utilizing the outstanding professional services available to them through the Montana Tree Farm Program.

This program demonstrates the importance of working through partnerships to grow the program.