January 24, 2002

For Immediate Release:

Contact: Ben Lilliston, 612-870-3416

Minneapolis – Earlier this month, the Minnesota chapter of the Society of American Foresters (SAF) voted in Kathryn Fernholz, a forester with the Community Forestry Resource Center, as its State Chairperson for 2003. Fernholz is one of the few women chairs, and, at age 26, one of the youngest chairs in the national organization. Fernholz is the first Minnesota chairperson from the private, non-profit sector of natural resource management.

"Because of Kathryn’s work experience in the private, non-profit sector, she brings a unique and welcome perspective to the SAF organization," says Ron Severs, Forest Manager for the University of Minnesota’s College of Natural Resources. "This unique insight combined with her proven leadership, her high energy and enthusiasm for sustainable management of natural resources, points to an exciting and productive era for Minnesota as well as the national level of Society of American Foresters."

"As past chair of the Minnesota Society of American Foresters, I am extremely pleased with our members’ selection of Katie to lead us in 2003," says John Thompson, of the St. Louis County Land Department. "She brings a strong commitment and new energy to our organization, along with a slightly different viewpoint than many traditional foresters. I also know her to have good common sense and an ability to find workable solutions to problems."

Fernholz is a forester with the Community Forestry Resource Center (CFRC), established by the non-profit Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. She has served the last five years as the Minnesota SAF Membership Chair. In 1997, Fernholz was recognized by the MN SAF with the Young Forester Leadership Award. She has a B.S. in Forest Resources from the University of Minnesota, College of Natural Resources and has been a member of the Society of American Foresters since 1995.

Fernholz was elected chair of the Minnesota SAF with a promise to expand membership to include those who have natural science degrees and work in fields that involve forest management - but may or may not identify themselves as "foresters." The current SAF membership greatly under-represents this segment of the forestry profession, and these professionals play an increasing role in the management of our forests. Fernholz will also support educational events that target highly experienced forestry professionals and others interested in fine-tuning their skills.

SAF is the professional society for foresters in the U.S. with over 17,000 members nationally and an established national leadership role in forest policy in Washington.

"I know forestry in Minnesota has and can set the bar for professional forestry in the region, and it would be my goal as State Chair to reinforce and build upon this reputation through inclusive participation of as many forestry professionals as possible," says Fernholz.

At CFRC, Fernholz has worked on projects such as forest management plan development, forest landowner outreach and workshops, increasing access to forest certification, and supporting foresters and landowners with Geographical Information Services (GIS) training and other needs. She has traveled throughout Minnesota working with many landowners, foresters, and loggers. Her work at CFRC also takes her to other forested regions of the United States and Canada.

In addition to SAF, Fernholz is also a member of the Forest Stewards Guild, the National Network of Forest Practioners, the Nature Conservancy, Audubon Society, Rivers Council, and the Forest Stewardship Council. "Although I do not agree with all of the opinions offered by each of these groups, I support the work they are trying to do and recognize its overlap with the mission of SAF," says Fernholz. "I have found it useful to be engaged in the debate with these diverse organizations rather than trying to criticize their positions from the outside."

Located in Minneapolis, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy promotes resilient family farms, rural communities and ecosystems around the world through research and education, science and technology, and advocacy.

##