WVFA Mountain State Forestry Summer 2020

I N D U S T R Y N E W S 8 West Virginia Forestry Association Mountain State Forestry  | Summer 2020 www.wvfa.org WVDOF Services Still Available Amid Pandemic MUCH LIKE THE 2019 FALL FIRE SEASON, the 2020 Spring Fire Season came in with a roar, but in a much different way. In the fall, the Division fought raging wildfires that prompted Governor Jim Justice to issue a statewide burn ban. This spring, Division personnel, like everyone else, found themselves fighting a much different threat—COVID-19. Fortunately, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had already started moving toward deploying new and innovative technologies designed to assist landowners and industry representatives in several areas and improving communications within the Division. After being appointed by Governor Justice to lead the Division in 2017, I quickly realized that our website was not only outdated, but was also difficult to navigate. My team went to work designing and launching a new and user-friendly website: https://wvforestry.com . The Division’s new website provides up-to-date information regarding our employees, programs, and services. The investment is proving to be invaluable during the restrictions of this pandemic. I am particularly pleased with the ability to quickly find pertinent information, such as which forester is assigned to a particular county, by utilizing the “Contact Us” link https://wvforestry. com/contact-us. Once there, one can easily choose the appropriate region under the map to view all the contact information, including the forester assigned to each county within the region. Since it is always important to ensure that everyone is abiding by forestry-related laws, the new website also includes an accessible form for the public to report a possible criminal violation of forestry laws. This form —https://wvforestry.com/report-a-violation —is easy to use and can be quickly completed. Once it is submitted, the electronic form is automatically sent to the Division’s Special Operations Unit for assessment and action. Another pre-COVID-19 modification that is proving to be invaluable is the revision of the State’s Certified Logger Training Program. During the 2019 regular legislative session, we worked with forest-products industry representatives on the passage of Senate Bill No. 404. Before I get into the specific changes, let me first say that the bill did not modify educational requirements for first-time applicants. I believe that it is imperative that anyone beginning to oversee logging operations must continue to attend the trainings provided by the Division. This training includes curriculum exclusive to West Virginia in best management practices and the importance of adhering to relevant West Virginia laws. The legislation did modify the educational requirements for loggers seeking to renew their certification by authorizing the Division to review and accept certain private training sessions and issue credits to loggers who successfully complete these sessions. The legislation also changed the number of hours and credits a logger must complete to renew his or her certification. Loggers were previously required to complete 6.5 hours every fourth year before a certification qualified for renewal. Now, loggers are required to complete six hours every two years. I know what you are thinking: “What? That’s more hours I have to complete in less time than before!” And, technically that is true. However, meetings, conferences, and trainings required or provided Barry L. Cook Director/State Forester West Virginia Division of Forestry