SAF Urban Forestry Credential and Why Forestry Should Cheer
Presentation given in Charlottesville, VA on September 05, 2024 for the Virginia Division of the Appalachian Chapter of the Society of American Foresters.
Forestry Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation Virginia Tech VASAF Fall CFE Extravaganza • Sept 05, 2024 SAF Urban Forestry Credential and Why Forestry Should Cheer Source: www.ballarat.vic.gov.au/treesincob vtuf@vt.edu linktr.ee/EricWiseman
o Certification development progress o Certification exam and eligibility overview Purpose: Build the case for an urban and community forester credential to compliment existing credentials held by urban forest professionals 02 22 VASAF Fall CFE Extravaganza • Sept 05, 2024
Tree Management (Mostly Urban) 1992 1994 2004 Urban and community forestry is the conservation, use, and management of forest resources in areas of dense human settlement for the benefit of people and the environment Credential Gap VASAF Fall CFE Extravaganza • Sept 05, 2024
o 6 Universities o National steering committee o 12 peer-reviewed journal publications and magazine articles VASAF Fall CFE Extravaganza • Sept 05, 2024
an agreement with the California Urban Forests Council, and in 2020, SAF had a market analysis performed. Both laid the foundation for the Certified Urban and Community Forester™ certification program. The market study determined many gaps and the need for a certification to serve those in urban & community forestry. While the results of the survey aren’t published, they informed the blueprint of the exam and are evident in the exam outline or the Exam Domain and Knowledge Areas. SAF worked with a wide range of partners and over 50 subject matter expert volunteers throughout the U.S. and Canada over the development process for the CUCF certification & testing began in the spring of 2024. Subject matter expert volunteers included local municipalities urban and community foresters, field technicians, academia for urban forestry programs, arborists, utility workers, private business owners and consultants, landscape architects, and city planners, along with other similar organizations, to name a few. VASAF Fall CFE Extravaganza • Sept 05, 2024 Source: Erin Turner, Credentialing Director, Society of American Foresters
11 applicants earned CCUCF designation so far in 2024 o 95 applicants approved to take exam so far in 2024 o 60 professionals have earned CUCF credential since April 2024 o Number of CCUCFs and CUCFs continues to grow daily VASAF Fall CFE Extravaganza • Sept 05, 2024
Forester Exam Domains and Knowledge Areas Domain 1 (18%): Urban and Community Forestry Fundamentals Domain 2 (15%): Integrating Urban and Community Forest and Built Environments Domain 3 (16%): Urban and Community Forest Assessment and Planning Domain 4 (17%): Urban and Community Forest Management Domain 5 (14%): Ecosystems Management Domain 6 (08%): Administration Domain 7 (12%): Communication, Engagement, and Relationship Building VASAF Fall CFE Extravaganza • Sept 05, 2024
Degree (A.A.S.) Professional Degree (B.S., M.S., Ph.D.) Related Degree Related Degree CUCF CCUCF Unrelated Degree & 5+ years experience within past 10 years Auto; CUCF eligible at 5+ years experience & 6+ years experience within past 10 years & 2+ years experience; CUCF eligible at 6+ years experience CUCF CCUCF & 6+ years experience within past 10 years & 3+ years experience; CUCF eligible at 6+ years experience Unrelated Degree & 7+ years experience within past 10 years CUCF CCUCF & 3+ years experience; CUCF eligible at 7+ years experience 3+ years experience within past 10 years; CUCF eligible at 8+ years experience 8+ years experience within past 10 years VASAF Fall CFE Extravaganza • Sept 05, 2024
is rigorous and very well designed o The credential exposes SAF to a whole new demographic for membership and revenue o The credential raises the visibility and credibility of SAF in urban areas o The credential legitimizes U&CF as a distinct academic and professional pathway and identity o The credential stakes a claim to subject matter expertise in the crowded urban professional space VASAF Fall CFE Extravaganza • Sept 05, 2024 Source: Larry Harwell Photography, Charlotte
Forestry Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation Virginia Tech vtuf@vt.edu linktr.ee/EricWiseman 22 22 SAF Urban Forestry Credential and Why Forestry Should Cheer VASAF Fall CFE Extravaganza • Sept 05, 2024