The Montana Tree Farm Mission is to promote the growing of renewable forest resources on private lands while protecting environmental benefits and increasing public understanding of all benefits of productive forestry and to raise the level of knowledge about natural resource issues as related to forestry management.
Goals
• To implement the American Tree Farm System Certification Program for
sustainable forestry on all private forest properties in the Montana Tree Farm
System.
• To train, educate, and increase the number of Tree Farm Inspectors.
• To develop and promote educational programs designed to show the value of
properly managed forests to school children, family forest owners and the general
public.
• To increase in number, educate, and help set goals and monitor the forest
management progress of Montana Tree Farm System members.
• To actively support legislative initiatives and other programs that conforms to and
supports the stated mission of the Montana Tree Farm System.
• To develop an investment base designed to increase in value and to provide funds to
at least pay part of the annual operating expenses.
• To seek out and develop funding sources to meet the needs of the Montana Tree
Farm System.
Objectives
• To inspect Montana Tree Farms according to the National Tree Farm System
standards.
• To hold Tree Farm Inspector training sessions to update existing Tree Farm
Inspectors on changes to the inspection criteria and to train new Tree Farm
Inspectors.
• To fund programs designed to educate school children in the value of well-managed
forests.
• To develop an annual financial budget to meet the needs of the Montana Tree Farm
System.
• To award scholarships to high school or above students interested in forest
management.
• To maintain and keep current all records on Montana Tree Farms.
• To fund media communications designed to educate the public and to attract private
forest owners interested in joining the program.
• To inform current tree farm members by publishing a periodic newsletter on key
forest management issues.
• To implement a financial policy that provides direction for investing Montana Tree
Farm System capital funds to help pay the annual operating expenses.
• To identify funding sources to cover operating expenses not covered by Montana
Tree Farm System investments.
• To hold an annual meeting to recognize outstanding tree farmers, inspectors,
educators and long term members and to update members on current forest
management issues.
• To hold at least one annual field trip to observe forest management practices.
• To fund programs designed to educate school children in the value of well-managed
forests.
• To fund a Montana Tree Farm System leader's participation in the National Tree
Farm Association Leadership Workshop.
• To participate in an annual public forest education field day at Lubrecht
Experimental Forest. .
• To fund administrative costs to include but not limited to mailings, tax accounting,
part time help in the treasury and secretary functions and telephone costs.
Funding
The Montana Tree Farm System is authorized to seek funding from grants,
Contributions, fund raising activities and the income provided by the investment of a principal capital base