Society of American Foresters

Membership services: the Society's membership program serves Society members by ensuring that they receive timely, high quality, and highly valued services. The program is responsible for recruiting, engaging, retaining members, providing customer service and managing professional recognition. Marketing and outreach: the Society's marketing and outreach efforts constitute a comprehensive communications program that spans the organization's portfolio of work and amplifies the value of the forestry profession across the forest sector and beyond. This program enhances the Society's online presence and brand recognition, while recruiting for our cause and making the case for forest climate solutions.state societies: through its state societies, divisions, and chapters, saf national supports the work of 30 state societies and 179 chapters across the u.s. that provide value, education, networking, and other benefits to members and the general public. Policy and public affairs: the Society's policy and public affairs program works with policymakers, partner organizations, and coalitions to build awareness and promote science-based, sustainable forest management and give forestry and natural resources professionals the policy tools, funding, and other authorities they need to be successful. Through the policy and public affairs program, the Society also organizes stakeholder meetings funded by government grants to convene the sector and benefit the broader forestry community. #forestproud: the Society's #forestproud program is the forest sector's greatest communications asset. When #forestproud was launched, its goal was to bring the forest sector together to better tell the story of who we are, what we do, and why we are proud of what we contribute to our communities and ecosystems. Together, we built the #forestproud community. And today, we are better positioned to elevate trusted voices within the sector, promote sustainable forestry practices, and increase opportunities for public engagement with the sector at scale.

Conventions and meetings: the Society's conventions and meetings program is the program through which the Society plans and hosts its annual convention and other events promoting the profession. The Society's annual convention brings together forestry and natural resources students, practitioners, academics, and vendors each year to share knowledge and recent developments in the forestry field, and to offer networking and career development opportunities.

Government grant and other programs: the Society offers other programs in service of its membership and of the profession. The Society awards grants to affiliated state societies for innovative projects and activities that benefit the profession. The Society also awards grants in the areas of industry leadership, diversity and inclusion, science and technology, communications, professional development, and student leadership.

Science and education: the Society's science and education program works to protect and to promote the field of forestry by creating and maintaining educational standards and professional certification programs, and by providing an effective means for identifying science and technology needs and engaging in issues related to forest science and forest resource management. The program accredits forestry, urban forestry, natural resource and ecosystem management, and forest technology programs at institutions of post-secondary education. The program creates and administers competency exams for professionals wishing to become certified through the Society or local programs, or licensed through state programs, and evaluates candidate academic and professional qualifications. Through the science and education program, the Society also delivers its professional development program, which offers and accredits industry professionals continuing education opportunities, through in person and online learning content, to develop their skills and knowledge.

Publications: the Society's publications program serves the forestry profession by publishing scientific, scholarly, and editorial content in print and digital periodicals that communicate science, research, policy, and developments in the field. Additionally, the program works with authors to publish works of interest to our members and the profession at large.