NAASF Forest Utilization Committee Annual Meeting

1. NAASF Forest Utilization Committee Annual Meeting Al Steele June 2, 2008 Princeton, WV

2. Additional Activities Monitoring of WERC Projects National Wood Industry Skills Standards Climate Change

4. What is HONE? • A training information exchange website • For individuals and companies from the primary and secondary wood products industries • Operated by the USDA Forest Service’s Wood Education & Resource Center (WERC)

5. What is HONE? To locate continuing education and training programs (short courses, workshops, seminars, conferences, etc.) For training providers (academic, government, associations, NGOs, private, etc.) to post continuing education and training opportunities

6. Development Team • Cooperative Agreement with Limestone Bluffs RC&D. Maquoketa, Iowa • Fred Lamb Consulting • Cliff Schafer, IT professor Virginia Tech • Rhythm Interactive Software Developer • Al Steele

7. Due Diligence ProcessesExtensive and Ongoing • To see if it was needed • To see if something already existed that we could just grab and use • Beta testing – multiple iterations Who: Industry, U & M, Trainers, NGOs, Academia

8. Why HONE? The tools: skills, knowledge, information The tools for a global, technology-oriented economy Sharpened through continual training and updating HONE is the mechanism to facilitate training

9. How Will It Work? Those Seeking Training Can: • Manually search the course catalog • Register and post a profile of training preferences and requirements • Receive automatic e-mail notification of courses that match profile

10. How Will It Work? Training Providers Can: • Register and post continuing education and training programs including short courses, workshops, seminars and conferences, etc.

11. Like A Dating Service for “Woodpeople” Life Before Hone!

12. Some Advantages for Trainees and Their Companies Automatic e-mail notification Manual browsing of course catalog Easy link to course details Personalized “My Page” space Single, timely source for training programs

13. Some Advantages for Training Providers and Their Organizations Opportunity to reach potential participants nationally and across industry groups Opportunity to know training needs expressed by website users Personalized “My Page” space Easy-to-use system to post course descriptions and edit or update

14. Earlier Beta Version

16. Trainee Registration

20. Training Provider Registration & Course Inputs

23. Course Catalog

25. Hone! Reports Semi-annual reports describing courses searched for, registered for, etc.

26. Status • Website is done. However…….. • Considered an “information collection” by the federal government, thus must be approved by the Office of Management and Budget • 15 + month process and counting • Expect to release by IWF in Atlanta late August

27. Termination of Ohio Forestry Assoc. Cooperative Agreement

28. Purpose Improved Hardwood Log Bucking & Value Recovery • Fundamentals of grading, scaling, and relationships with log quality and value • Application of a few rules of thumb • Demonstration of concepts on real logs • Test “what if” scenarios on a log bucking simulator with local markets

29. Organization Organized to deliver using a train the trainer model • Ohio Forestry Association – Coop Agreement • Steve Bick – Project Manager • 4 Regional Coordinators to deliver training

30. Results • Challenging roll out (design, software, and risk aversion) • Familiarity breeds fondness • Very well received. Enhancements by partners (ex. Paul Frederick) • Most states have two to several trainers

31. The Best Made Plans of Mice and Men • Dec ‘07 Plans – 1 ½ years more. • Victory lap • Train few more trainers to fill in blank spots • Provide support to current trainers as they teach buckers

32. What Happened • Bob Romig, Exec. Director of Ohio Forestry Association resigned Jan. 08 • Decision of Board of Directors to contract out all administrative services of OFA • Only paid staff is now new Exec. Director John Dorka • OFA informed Forest Service that HVIP would have to end May 08

33. Our Hopes • Someone will apply in response to WERC FY 09 RFP proposing to continue HVIP • RFP is a competitive process • Benefit- A “turn key” program exists and Regional Coordinators have expressed an interest in continuing to provide services

34. Additional Activities

35. National Wood Industry Skills Standards • Began in 2003 here at WERC • Small core group. Machinery manufacturers, Woodlinks, Secondary Woodworking Industry, Associations Architectural Woodwork Institute assumed a leadership role from the beginning Remains an industry led effort

36. National Wood Industry Skills Standards What are they? A voluntary assessment program which will allow woodworkers to demonstrate their competency in the skills and earn credentials that are recognized nationwide.

37. National Wood Industry Skills Standards Are They Needed? Lack of skilled employees consistently identified by manufacturers as one of the ongoing international competitiveness challenges

38. National Wood Industry Skills Standards Why Skill Standards? 1. Professional recognition for skills 2. Identify the skills required 3. Provide benchmarks for performance 4. Help trainers respond to industry requirements 5. Foundation for credentials 6. Validation of accredited training programs

39. National Wood Industry Skills Standards Use Skill Standards to . . . • develop training and curricula • develop a credentialing program • define job requirements • recruit woodworking professionals • plan career learning and development paths • enhance labor value and mobility

40. Status & Plans • 2007 – 2008. Woodworking Career Alliance of North America, a 501 c3) formed and framework for effort established • 2008 and 2009. Development of skills criteria and evaluation documents • 2009-2013. Development, refinement and roll out of a North America wide credentialing process

41. Ecosystems Services

42. Should we be spending time on forest carbon issues?

43. Climate ChangeIs it real? Or is it Gore?

44. U.S. Climate Change Science ProgramReport Released May 27, 2008 USDA lead agency integrating work of 38 authors from universities, NGOs, national labs and federal service

45. U.S. Climate Change Science ProgramReport Released May 27, 2008 • Forests in west and Alaska already experiencing increased size and frequency of insect attacks and fires • Increased variability in drought conditions • Growing season increased 10-14 days over the last 19 years in temperate regions • Species distribution shifts Something is happening!

46. What Are Insurance Companies Doing? “Many large private insurers are incorporating climate change into their annual risk management practices.” Report: Climate Change. Financial Risks to Federal and Private Insurers in Coming Decades Potentially Significant. General Accountability Office. May 2007

47. Forest Based Carbon OffsetsWill It Be Part of the Solution?

48. FOREST PRODUCTS CARBON SEQUESTRATION CUMULATIVE EFFECTS Carbon Storage in Ontario’s Forests, 2000-2100 (Columbo, Chen, et al., Research Note No. 6)

50. Demand Is StrongWhere Will it Come From? “Shortage of renewable energy grows: Demand outpaces supply, thwarting state mandates.” USA Today. October 4, 2007