Continuing Education Policy
Alabama Board of Registration for Foresters
Affidavit
A registered forester will be required
to have annually completed 10 hours of
acceptable continuing education which
can be taken during the two–year period
immediately proceeding the renewal date
as a condition for license renewal.
Classes taken more than two years prior
to the renewal date may not be used.
Credit for a class may only be used
once.
Acceptable continuing education credit
hours can be carried over one year
provided the hours have not been used to
satisfy the previous year requirements.
Registered foresters licensed for less
than one year at the date of license
expiration will not be required to
complete any hours of continuing
education prior to that first license
expiration, but will be required to have
the ten required hours of continuing
education as of the second license
expiration as a condition for license
renewal.
Registered foresters will report the
continuing education credits to be
applied to this requirement as a part of
the license renewal form. Documentation
shall be retained by each licensee and
shall include evidence of completion of
each course or program, a description of
the contents of each course or program,
and verification of the number of hours
of each course or program; or, for other
activities which meet the requirements,
such documentation as to ascertain their
completion. All registered foresters are
subject to an annual Board of
Registration audit of continuing
education documentation.
Failure to comply with the provisions of
this section will result in non–renewal
of the registered forester license.
Registered foresters whose licenses have
expired for non–renewal are prohibited
from identifying themselves as
registered foresters and practicing
professional forestry.
Responsibility for documenting the
fulfillment of the continuing education
requirements provided for in this
section rests with the licensee, and the
licensee must retain for a period of two
years, from the date of license renewal,
copies of the evidence to support
fulfillment of the requirements.
The Board may relax or suspend the
requirements of continuing education for
retirees or health of the licensee based
on the licensee's specific case.
Credit accrues at a rate of one hour for
each hour of actual contact. This shall
be known as a contact hour or clock
hour. Travel time on tours or field
sessions will not be included in
calculating contact hours. For providers
who measure continuing education
activities in "Continuing Education
Units (CEUs), one CEU is defined as 10
contact hours of continuing education.
Credit will not be allowed for any
program which in its entirety, including
question and answer periods, lasts less
than sixty minutes. However, credit may
be rounded down to the nearest whole or
half hour, so long as it is at least one
hour. Credit will not be given for time
spent in introductory remarks, coffee
and luncheon breaks, meals, or business
meetings where no organized course work
is presented.
There are six categories of continuing
forestry education which cover the
various activities for which credit may
be granted.
(a)Category 1.
Organized course work or activities in forestry or forestry related subject
matter such as silviculture, mensuration, biometrics, economics, forest pest
management, habitat management, watershed management, best management practices,
genetics, urban forestry, forest policy, spatial technology, wood products,
forest real estate, or professional ethics. Included are seminars, short
courses, and workshops conducted or sponsored by public or private
organizations, forest management related seminars and courses held by forest
industry and public employers for their employees, as well as technical sessions
of professional forestry society meetings or conferences. A Category 1 activity
must satisfy all of the following conditions:
1. It constitutes an organized
program of learning (including a
meeting, workshop or symposium) which
contributes directly to the professional
competency of the registered forester.
2. It deals primarily with matter
directly related to the practice of
forestry or to the professional
responsibility or ethical obligations of
foresters.
3. It is conducted by foresters or
individuals who have special education,
training and experience by reason of
which they can be considered experts in
the subject matter of the program.
4. It is conducted in a setting
physically suitable to the educational
objectives.
5. The subject matter is applicable to
foresters in general, (Activities may be
approved where attendance is limited to
the members of a particular company,
firm or governmental agency but only if
the subject matter is broad enough to be
of interest to foresters in general)
(b)Category 2.
The development, preparation,
and presentation of professional forestry or
forestry–related course work, in an instructional capacity
such as described in Category 1, which require effort beyond
the general scope of the individual's normal duties or job
description. Credit accrues at the rate of two contact hours
for each hour of presentation.
(c)Category 3.
Other organized course work or activities not specifically
forestry or forestry–related but which are professionally
enriching or directly benefiting the individual in his or
her present position. Examples include general sessions of
forestry or other professional meetings or course work in
areas such as real estate, finance, appraisal, business
management or computer science.
(d)Category 4.
The preparation, writing and publication of forestry or
forestry–related subject matter, which requires effort
beyond the general scope of the individual's normal duties
or job description. Credit accrues at the rate of 15 hours
for each publication requiring technical review or 5 hours
for an article or series of articles of a substantial nature
in magazines, newspapers, or similar publications.
(e)Category 5.
Self–improvement in forestry or forestry–related subjects.
Examples are attendance at meetings of state boards of
forestry, forestry licensing committees, or tree improvement
associations. This may not include the business or social
portions of professional society meetings that do not
qualify for Categories 1 or 2. Also included is
self–improvement through publications or audio–visual
presentations on technical forestry subjects. Independent
study programs that are forestry related but do not qualify
for Category 1 are included. Credit accrues at the rate of
one hour for each hour of activity.
(f)Category 6.
Holding elected or appointed office or active committee
assignment in forestry or allied professional organizations
and on national, state or local boards as a representative
of the forestry profession. Credit accrues at the rate of 5
hours per year for holding office, chairing an assignment or
one active committee membership.
Correspondence courses and
independent study programs are permitted
under Categories 1 and 2, if the course
provides for interaction between the
participant and the course
administrator. This usually takes the
form of periodic examinations and must
be documented. Otherwise, correspondence
courses may be counted under Category 5.
Contact hours are assigned on the basis
of the credits granted by the sponsoring
organization. If the organization uses a
semester system, the number of credits
is multiplied by 15; for a quarter
system, the number of credits is
multiplied by 10.
University and college taught
activities taken in pursuit of a degree
may be counted as Category 1 so long as
the degree is not being obtained to meet
the minimum qualifications for
registration as a registered forester.
This will generally include graduate
degrees and non–forestry degrees.
Credits will be assigned as described
above the correspondence courses.
Minimum continuing education
requirements for annual license renewal
are a total of 10 contact hours of
continuing education.
(a)
A minimum of 5 contact hours
must be in Category 1 or 2; however, the entire requirement
may be met with hours in Category 1, only.
(b)
A maximum of 5 contact hours may
be claimed in Categories 3 thru 6.
Continuing forestry education hours
may be obtained from the following
providers or through independent study,
so long as they conform with the
requirements set out above. Providers
described in paragraphs a, b, c and d
below will not require prior Board
approval. Licensee's documentation for
providers in a, b, c and d should
include the course outline and
instructors names and qualifications.
(a)
Professional Associations.
Continuing forestry education hours may be obtained by
participating in activities sponsored by or approved by the
Society of American Foresters or other professional
associations. A properly authorized official of the
professional organization shall certify the number of
contact hours of educational content of each sponsored or
approved activity.
(b)
Educational Institutions.
Continuing forestry education hours may be obtained by
completing non–forestry degree or graduate level course work
or by participating in continuing educational programs
sponsored by or approved by educational institutions
accredited by a regional body recognized by the Council of
Post Secondary Accreditation. The educational institution
shall certify the number of contact hours of educational
content in each sponsored or approved program.
(c)
Government Agencies. Continuing
forestry education hours may be obtained by participating in
in–service training, courses, or workshops sponsored by
federal, state or local agencies. The provider shall certify
the number of contact hours of educational content in each
sponsored activity.
(d)
Forest Industry. Continuing
forestry education hours may be obtained by participating in
in–house training, courses or workshops. The provider shall
certify the number of contact hours of educational content
in each sponsored activity.
(e)
Board Approved Providers.
Continuing forestry education may be
obtained by participating in activities
sponsored by Board Approved Providers,
so long as provider was approved at the
time the program was offered. Board
Approved Providers may only offer
programs in the topic areas for which
they have been approved. The provider
shall certify the number of contact
hours of educational content in each
continuing education activity.
In order to qualify for initial
Board approval, to renew Board approval
or to qualify for approval in additional
topic areas, a provider must apply to
the Board. The application must be
received in the Board office prior to
the date the course is to be given. The
application must include the following:
(i)
A description of the topic areas
in which the provider plans to sponsor continuing
education activities.
(ii)
The names of all instructors
currently offering continuing education activities, a
description of the topic areas in which each instructor is
qualified to teach along with a vita or other evidence
demonstrating that each instructor is qualified in the
identified topic area.
(iii)
Program outlines, including
instructors, objectives and schedules for all continuing
education activities the provider has plans to present.
Board Approved Provider status shall
expire four years from the date of
approval and may be renewed by
application to the Board. The Board
retains the right to monitor continuing
education programs sponsored by Board
Approved Providers and will withdraw
approval from providers who do not
maintain the standards demonstrated in
their application. Board Approved
Providers shall notify the Board in
writing of a change of address or of a
decision to withdraw from Board Approved
Provider status.
Standards similar to those required
for Category 1 providers are expected
for Category 2 providers except that the
professional societies will be other
than forestry related. The Board will
not approve any other providers but will
accept Category 1 and 2 courses approved
by other state licensing boards in the
appropriate specialty areas.
FOOTER INCLUDE
Lea Anna Meadows - Executive Asst. | 513 Madison Ave | Montgomery, AL 36130 | Phone (334)240-9301 | Fax (334) 240-9387 | Email