WVFA Mountain State Forestry Spring 2021

W V L O G G E R S C O U N C I L N E W S 18 West Virginia Forestry Association Mountain State Forestry | Spring 2021 www.wvfa.org Logger Recertification BMP Training Now Available Online EVERY TWO YEARS, LOGGERS AROUND THE STATE get the opportunity to refresh their knowledge on WV Laws and Silvicultural Best Management Practices at one of the WV Division of Forestry’s in-person training sessions. Typically, this means finding a session that does not require driving hours across the state and one that lines up with lots of rain or snow. Unfortunately, the pre-scheduled training sessions do not always line up perfectly for everyone. In a cooperative effort, the WV Division of Forestry and the WVU Extension Service/ Appalachian Hardwood Center is proud to announce a new online opportunity to obtain this required training session. West Virginia’s Logging Sediment Control Act requires logger certification, which must be renewed every two years. This process includes an application, a fee, and six hours of continuing education credits. Two of these credits must be an update on WV Laws and Silvicultural Best Management Practices. With limitations on in- person training due to COVID and the desire to provide alternative training pathways, an online training course for the required two credit update on WV Laws and Silvicultural Best Management Practices was developed and is now available. The two-credit online course is available only for those loggers who are applying for re-certification and it must be combined with an additional four credits from approved meetings, trainings, webinars and other offerings. Check with the WVFA, Sustainable Forestry Initiative Companies, or WVU Extension for additional training topics and sessions. The standard WV Division of Forestry in-person full day course for initial certification or re-certification is still available if that training is preferred. Loggers can self-register for the free two-credit WV Best Management Practices Recertification course and complete the requirements on their own schedule. No longer do you need to forgo a day of production in the field to complete this training and you can even complete it over a longer time period, as it does not have to all be completed in one sitting. The course has four core modules and includes several interactive quick tests to confirm understanding of the required topics. Each of the sections includes videos, photos, and many have narrations to help illustrate important concepts. Upon successful completion of the program, the logger is issued a certificate and a record is generated for WV Division of Forestry tracking. This online training is provided as a new option for loggers needing to complete the required recertification training. For loggers who are less comfortable with online learning or do not have access to a decent internet connection, in-person training opportunities are still available. This new training program will be assessed over the next recertification period and will be updated as necessary to incorporate new required topics and improve delivery and interactivity within the course. Visit the WV Logger’s Councils section on the WVFA website (wvfa.org ) for more information and links to the course.