SAF Announces Two New Professional Credentials

September 21, 2022

We are excited to announce two new professional credentials that SAF will be offering, beginning in 2023 and 2024—an urban and community forestry certification and a certification for forest technicians!

The urban and community forestry certification is the result from our partnership with the California Urban Forests Council.

Over a decade ago, SAF developed a vision alongside our partner to help elevate professionals in the urban and community forestry space to the next level—providing options and opportunities to fulfill the needs of the diverse workforce operating in this sector. We’ve worked hard to ensure this vision would be realized.

We have conducted research with SAF members, subject area specialists, and key partners and stakeholders. This research included a gap analysis completed by the Certification Review Board, job analysis with focus groups facilitated by a testing partner per certification business and industry best practices and standards, and a market analysis conducted by a third-party firm.

Through this research, SAF recognized the opportunity and need to offer a forest technician certification as well.

The Certification Review Board (CRB)—the governing body of SAF’s certification program—will oversee the development of these credentials from eligibility criteria to maintenance requirements to professional standards.

To learn more about these credentials and discover how your expertise and experience may support their development, contact the Credentialing & Professional Development Team at [email protected]. We are accepting volunteers now. Submit your interest today via this form.

SAF will start accepting applications for the urban and community forestry credential by the end of 2023. By the end of 2024, we will begin accepting applications for the forest technician credential.

Our Society values, recognizes, and will now elevate urban and community forestry professionals and professional forest technicians.

SAF is the home for those who work to support, grow, and enhance our forest landscape in the many places our natural landscape exists. As we recognize “Our Working Mosaic,” this week at SAF National Convention in Baltimore, MD, let’s celebrate, together, these new opportunities to support our workforce.