The Certified Forest Steward Award is given to landowners who have performed responsible, verifiable stewardship on a property of at least 10 acres and have fulfilled or are working on the objectives set in their written stewardship plan.
The award identifies and rewards landowners who are implementing multiple-use stewardship plans through active management techniques. While there are many landowners that do a great job managing and stewarding their land, the Forest Stewardship Program stresses written objectives and recommendations.
Program rules
- The property must contain 10 or more acres of existing tree cover (at least 16% canopy closure), or acres that will be planted with trees.
- The property must have a written Stewardship Plan that:
- Identifies the owner’s management objectives
- Identifies and describes the resources (timber, wildlife, soil, water, recreation, etc.) that are to be managed, and
- Contains a schedule, list, or description of the activities recommended to meet the stated objectives.
- A nomination form must be completed and submitted. The form will ask for basic landowner information, the current land uses, primary and secondary management objectives, and what management practices have been conducted across the property over the last 10 years. The nomination form should also include endorsements from one or more natural resource professionals who can attest to the performed activities. Lastly, a copy of the property’s Forest Stewardship Plan must also be attached.
- Nominations will be reviewed on a continual basis, with no timeline or deadlines. landowners who are awarded as Certified Forest Stewards will be informed as such and receive a large metal sign for the property, as well as a certificate signed by the State Forester. A presentation ceremony is also encouraged, most likely at a meeting for the local Forest Landowner’s Association, though the awardee can suggest an alternative public event if they wish.
Practice accomplishments
Stewardship activities will be quantified and scored against the Certified Forest Steward Check Sheet to measure impacts of management practices performed over the last 10 years. Each practice will be rated by their environmental impacts and value regionally, with points values differing between East or Central/West Texas.
A practice will be awarded two additional points if it was included in the landowner’s Stewardship Plan before being implemented. For example, a practice that might be worth five points on the check sheet normally will be worth seven points if it was present in the written stewardship plan. In order to be eligible for the award, nominees must score either at least 25 points in Central/West Texas or at least 30 points in East Texas.
Check sheet rules
- To qualify for points, practices must have been implemented in the last 10 years. Exceptions to this rule include Streamside Management Zones (SMZs), fire lines, fencing, and purple paint. Practices which had been established more than a decade before but have been maintained throughout the owner’s more recent silvicultural practices are considered “ongoing practices”.
- Tree plantings must be established before being counted on the check sheet. To be considered established, seedlings must be in the ground for at least one year, or until their first completed, passing survival check.
- If you are not sure a certain practice counts, list it on the nomination form with a description regardless. It may receive points due to its similarity to another practice or be added to the check sheet. A practice may not have to be listed on the check sheet in order to receive points.
- If a practice has been planned but not yet implemented, the nominee will not receive points for it.