History

A group of TREASURE Forest landowners came together to form a TREASURE Forest advisory committee to the State Forester Bill Moody.

The advisory committee formed the Alabama TREASURE Forest Landowners Association.

The Association established dues and membership was accepted.

In an effort to expand the Association, the position of executive director was created and filled by James Malone.

The Alabama TREASURE Forest Landowners changed its name to the Alabama TREASURE Forest Association.

The ATFA office was housed in the home of James and Joan Malone in Chunchula, AL.

The focus of the Alabama TREASURE Forest Association was at a grassroots level developing county chapters.

The Alabama Forestry Planning Committee endorsed formation of county chapters.

The “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” Leadership Development project began.

“Neighbors Helping Neighbors” Leadership continued.

County chapters formed and membership grew.

To better serve the growing membership, developing membership programs and support county chapters two new staff members came on board; a Membership Services Coordinator and a Wildlife Biologist.

The Little Acorn category of membership was created.

Alabama TREASURE Forest Association launched an innovative Conservation Education project called “Classroom in the Forest, Forest in the Classroom.”

The association began training coordinators for the “Becoming an Outdoor Woman” Program (BOW). The first County BOW event was held in Conecuh County on the property of Don and Grace Stinson. Thirty seven women from Alabama, Georgia and Florida participated.

“Neighbors Helping Neighbors” Leadership continued, with other states participating.

County Chapters continued to form with 42 organized and 16 in the process of forming.

The first County Chapter was chartered.The ATFA office moved to the University of Mobile.

County Chapters continued to organize with 46 formed and 13 in the process of forming.

State Foresters from 7 states sent landowner and agency representatives to attend the ATFA “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” Leadership Conferences.

ATFA launched a new program called Forest Mentors. This program will empower known landowner leaders through a training program to help reach the 90% of our forest owner population that has never been involved in organized forest activities.

ATFA “Becoming an Outdoor Woman” {BOW} changed its name to ATFA “Outdoor Ladies”.

ATFA organized and promoted Economic Summits concerning the future of the economic value of our forest resources.

The first ATFA Regional Conferences where held in the northeast and southeast regions of Alabama.

The Pratt Turner Environmental Learning Center, an ATFA Partnership with the City of Citronelle, was dedicated and opened for public use. It is part of a demonstration TREASURE Forest.

The Alabama Forestry Planning Committee voted to give the responsibilities of planning and executing the Annual Alabama TREASURE Forest and Landowner Conference to the Alabama TREASURE Forest Association.

The Forest Mentor Program got underway and the first Mentors were trained. Thousands of landowners that were identified as un-reached by formal outreach programs, began receiving the Mentor Magazine and opportunities for involvement at the local level.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors Leadership Training continued with new leaders trained from all four regions, including the Alabama Minority Outreach Committee.

The Classroom in the Forest/Forest in the Classroom continues to grow adding new schools and new County Chapters to the program.

ATFA Southwest Region holds a regional conference in the form of a forestry field day. Over 500 people attend this event.

ATFA organizes its 51st County Chapter.

The TREASURE Trove newsletter has developed into a full color front and back page publication with over 2400 issues printed quarterly.

The Annual TREASURE Forest Conference had a seventy plus percent landowner attendance with every County Chapter being recognized at a level of achievement. The Forest Mentor Program reached over 15,000 forest landowners in six counties.

A partnership was formed with the Alabama Economic Development Center at the University of Alabama and forty landowner leaders from across Alabama were part of a forest resource economic development retreat.

ATFA applied for a Federal Trade Mark on Classroom in the Forest/Forest in the Classroom™.

Over 14,000 children and volunteers have been exposed to the value that privately owned forest land and family forest landowners provide both economically as well as environmentally.

ATFA entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Alabama Co-Operative Extension System to employ a full time education coordinator for CIF and other ATFA programs.

A pilot program was begun for kindergarten thru fourth grades introduction to Classroom in the Forest/Forest in the Classroom™ that encourages more parent volunteer participation.

ATFA, as a part of its effort to become self-supporting, developed an Endowment Program. This program was officially announced at a County Chapter Presidents Dinner, held just prior to the Annual Conference.

The ATFA now has 54 formed County Chapters and 9 Counties in the process of forming.

Regional Leadership Teams (RLT) has been developed to grow and strengthen the association through County Chapter Support, ATFA Programs and Forestry Festival Teams.

ATFA has become the Alabama state affiliate for the National Woodland Owners Association.

The ATFA now has 55 formed County Chapters and 8 Counties in the process of forming.

ATFA SW Region RLT held a successful Forestry Festival with around 2000 in attendance.

ATFA partnered with AFC and NRCS to hold a very successful Control Burn Manager Training Course with 67 graduates.

CIF™ is working with 34 Counties across Alabama involving 50,000 plus children and 1,800 volunteers resulting in thousands of volunteer hours. ATFA worked with approximately 102 local agencies to coordinate and implement CIF™ classroom presentations and CIF™ field trips to TREASURE Forests. 735 Teaching Resource Kits were developed to train volunteers. Portfolios were developed for each CIF™ County Chapter with visual aids to enhance the classroom presentation.

ATFA County Chapters are planning and producing educational and motivational meetings to help landowners become better stewards of all the forests natural resources.

ATFA introduces the “I’d Rather be in the Woods” vanity plate for Alabama vehicles. The money raised from the sales of these tags goes toward forestry education, for students and adults.

ATFA enters into an agreement with Boise to manage a Forest Stewardship Council Certificate. ATFA members who choose to enroll their land in the FSC under this certificate will be eligible to receive additional financial incentives when they sell their timber to Boise.

James and Joan Malone announce their impending retirement from the ATFA. The ATFA Board of Directors begins to plan their next steps.

At the Annual Meeting in October, a new partnership is formed between the ATFA and the Alabama Farmers Federation. The office is moved to the AFF home office in Montgomery, Alabama.

The ATFA begins to work with chapters to get more activity on a local level.

The ATFA introduces a new newsletter to make its members aware of what the Association is doing around the state. The newsletter is distributed in three ways; directly mailed to members, an email version is emailed to over 4,000 AFF/ATFA members, and it is included in the AFF’s Neighbors Magazine specifically for forestry and wildlife members—over 10,000 individuals and families.

The ATFA Board renews its agreement with Boise to manage the FSC Group Certificate for another five years.