Membership

New members are always welcome! 
The Society of American Foresters is an organization of professionals and students in the fields of natural resource management, environmental studies, urban forestry, forest engineering, natural resource recreation, wildlife and fisheries management, and wood science. We average over 800 members that work and reside throughout the New England states, New York, and the Eastern Canadian Provinces, and average 14,000 members nationwide. For more information:

• Contact our Membership Chair, Susan Francher
• Visit the National Society of American Foresters
• View membership options and join at national SAF Membership

Membership Benefits
SAF maintains the only national certification for foresters, the Certified Forester^R.  We produce the 8 relevant publications that span forest science, policy, and technical manuals.  Our national conference, New Englandannual meeting and numerous local workshops provide continuing education credits acceptable to licensing boards throughout New England.

Publication Options
Members can elect to receive any Journal of Applied Forestry in place of the Journal of Forestry, or a combination of journals, depending on which publication is of more value to them. All NESAF members receive our New England News Quarterly, The Forestry Source, and the e-Forester, in addition to one or more other publications. Our publications include:

• New England News Quarterly
• The Journal of Forestry
• The Forestry Source
• Forest Science
• The Roots of Forestry
• Northern Journal of Applied Forestry
• Southern Journal of Applied Forestry
• Western Journal of Applied Forestry

Organization Structure
NESAF is part of a national organization and has several sub-units that allow us to better serve members. For those that live in New England, membership in SAF automatically makes you a member of New England Society (NESAF). Professionals from other regions often elect to be members of NESAF. Our units include:

•  The National Society of American Foresters
  • The New England Society of American Foresters
    • The Maine Division
    • The Granite State Division (NH)
    • The Green Mountain Division (VT)
    • The Yankee Division (CT, MA, and RI)
      • The Connecticut Chapter
      • The Massachusetts Chapter
      • The Rhode Island Chapter

Membership Trends
As of January 2010, national membership was at 13,607, and New England membership was at 1,017, making NESAF the 3^rd largest society in the United States. Our membership year for nearly all members begins on January 1^st and ends on December 31^st. We spike annually in June, with a subsequent purge of any members who have chosen not to renew due to retirement, career changes, etc. Average NESAF membership in 2009 was 1,002 members, with a high in June of 1,031. Now in 2010, we are nearing our greatest membership in recent years, surpassing our 2009 high 4 months ahead of expectations; we are proud to be in a time of growth. Members and units may request more specific trend and demographic breakdowns.

Developing Tomorrow’s Leaders – Leadership Academy
A number of our members have taken the opportunity to attend the National Society of American Foresters Leadership Academy, held in Potomac, Maryland. In 2009, NESAF established a regional Leadership Academy, held in conjunction with our annual conference. We encourage members who have interest in volunteering with our organization and developing leadership skills to apply to their careers to contact us.

Student Membership in NESAF is Growing
The new school year is underway with hundreds of students throughout New England studying in the fields of natural resources. Students enjoy reduced membership rates and those who maintain their membership after graduation pay up to 30% less than other graduates with a reduction that remains in place for an additional 5 years.  NESAF is proud to recognize the following faculty representatives that volunteer their time to work with these student chapters:

• University of Maine-Orono – Dr. Jeremy Wilson
• University of Massachusetts
• University of New Hampshire – Dr. Mark Ducey
• University of Vermont-Burlington – Michael Snyder
• Yale University – Dr. Peter Mark Ashton