2006 Chair: Jim Ostrowski

Letter from the Past Chair - January 2006

It is a pleasure and an honor to be working for you as the NorCal Chair for 2006. I want to thank Julie Lydick for doing a great job last year. Last year's Executive Committee also deserves a round of thanks for all of their hard work.

NorCal is one of the most active state societies in SAF and the hard work of the chapters and NorCal committees are the reason. The results of our member survey last year revealed a variety of reasons for SAF membership and a varying interest in participating in NorCal and chapter programs. The bottom line is that being a SAF member provides a broad list of benefits; from continuing education, keeping up on current events, public service, and professional leadership to socializing, professional enrichment and representation at the political level. Each of us has our own reason for belonging to SAF.

My own membership history started in college at Humboldt State . I was an active student member in order to mingle with working professionals and enrich my education at chapter meetings. When I received my RPF license I started to see the wisdom in belonging to, and more importantly financially supporting, a professional society.

Being a Professional Forester took on a larger meaning for me with the responsibilities attached to the RPF license. These responsibilities included the public expectation that a “Professional” provided benefits to the public as well as their employer. They provided these benefits when they carried out their duties as well as when they informed public opinion and policy on the importance of nurturing our forests. A weighty responsibility at times, but one that SAF supported and helped to define. Forestry wasn't just a Job, but a vocation.

The point of my story is that we all need to look at the reasons for our membership in SAF and understand the many benefits that we receive. We then need to communicate our enthusiasm for SAF to other foresters who may not be a member of SAF and invite them to join. The NorCal membership committee under the leadership of Kathleen Jordan is preparing a plan to recruit new members. The best way to recruit new members is with a personal endorsement from a friend or colleague.

On another subject, NorCal has been very active over the last two months. We have sent a letter to Senator Diane Feinstein urging her leadership in crafting a senate version of the Forest Emergency Recovery and Research Act of 2005, HR 4200. Also, policy committee chair John Kessler presented our proposal for aspen management to the Board of Forestry. And, our joint winter meeting with the Intermountain Society was a huge success. The year is starting off with a bang.