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		The Significance of Private Forests in the U.S.
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(Teacher Instructions)
Interview: Teacher Instructions

Family/Private Forestland Owner Interview

• Have students read “Family Forest Story: 'Tree Farming' in the U.S.”
  
  
• Assign: Interview a Tree Farmer or Private Forestland Owner
  
  
• Pass out Interview Student Directions, Interview: Student Checklist and Interview: Permission Form, and go over the assignment with students

   

  Things you may want to consider or do before assigning this project:

  • FYI: this project may take 2-3 weeks (mainly outside of the classroom)to complete (need to allow time to set up and complete interviews, allow extra time if students have to locate a tree farmer on their own).

   

  • You may want this project to be a group assignment.

   

  • You may want to have a list of a few local tree farmers or private forestland owners and their contact information (by phone or e-mail) to give to the students (this would shorten the amount of time necessary for this project).

   

  Where to find this information?

  The Association of Consulting Foresters (ACF) educates and assists landowners in good forest stewardship. ACF is organized into state or multi-state chapters located in most forested regions of the U.S. and may be able to help you find a local forestland owner in your area. Once on the ACF website, in the left side column click on the “Find an ACF Forester” link to find more information on your state. You might also consider that most state tree farm programs are arranged with district coordinators who oversee the program in a group of counties.  Any state tree farm leader could put a teacher in touch with a district coordinator who in turn could line up a meeting with a tree farmer in the county where the school was located.

  You can find the contact for your state, the head of the state committee of the American Tree Farm System, to help you locate a local forestland owner.

  You may try the Society of American Foresters' Certified Forester Program to “search online” for a forester that could you help locate a local forestland owner.

  Or you may consider contacting your Local State Forester, to help find a local tree farmer or private forestland owner in your area.

  Or you may try locating a State Forestry Association in your state; your local State Forestry Association may help you find a local private forestland owner.

  (You may also wish to contact any or all these people, if you have specific questions about tree farming in your state or if you would like them to come into your class and speak as an extension activity.)

• You may want to have each person or group present their essay, documentary, or oral history to the class.
  
• You may want to consider contacting 2 or 3 local tree farmers or private forestland owners to have them come into your classroom for interviews instead of having the students call these individuals to conduct the interviews.