Adopted: December 21, 2020
Effective: 2021 through 2025
Mission: The New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association promotes working forests, supports responsible forest management, and ensures a strong forest industry.
Goals:
- Foster a legal and regulatory environment that supports and enhances timberland ownership, timberland management, and a thriving forest industry.
Advocacy and public policy work drive the NHTOA’s mission. We are committed to promoting New Hampshire’s tradition of strong support for timberland ownership, timberland management, and a vibrant forest industry. It is our role to articulate and represent the interests of New Hampshire’s timberland owners and the forest industry at the state, local, and (as it pertains to New Hampshire) national levels. We are attentive to the unintended consequences of proposed laws and ordinances, and we will work to ensure that legislative and municipal actions do not undermine forests, landowners, or the industry. The NHTOA is proud of its history of nonpartisan and collaborative work on behalf of timberland owners and the forest industry. We will respond and react to demographic, economic, and political change.
- Advance professionalism, safe practices, sustainable forestry, efficiency, and productivity throughout the forest industry.
Our success relies on the professionalism and safety of all those involved in growing, managing, harvesting, transporting, and processing timber. To help achieve this success the NHTOA provides landowner and industry training and outreach. Through our logger, industry, and landowner training and certification programs, we will promote:
- The value of managing forests
- High industry safety standards
- Increased efficiency and productivity in our forests and mills,
- Responsible forest management
- High utilization of our forest products
A well-trained and robust workforce is critically important to our success. To that end, the NHTOA’s outreach will include efforts to broaden participation in New Hampshire’s forest industry.
- Provide responsive and high-quality support and service to members.
We are, at heart, an organization in service to our members. We will only be successful if we listen and respond to the needs of landowners, and the individuals and companies of the forest industry. The NHTOA will continue to be an organization that provides its members with strong support and value. Our effectiveness relies on our availability, responsiveness, and knowledge. In addition to responding to the day-to-day needs of our members, we must think strategically and proactively.
- Promote the value of working forests and responsible forest management.
We are advocates for forests: those who own them, manage them, make their living from them, and enjoy them. New Hampshire is one of the nation’s most heavily forested states. We will work to ensure that landowners, government officials, and the public recognize the significant environmental, recreational, and economic benefits of working forests. Further, we believe that managing forests responsibly makes timberland ownership more economically viable, while helping ensure long-term sustainability of both forests and the forest industry.
- Ensure the financial and organizational vitality of the NHTOA through increased fundraising and membership, staff development, and attentive governance.
Our goal is to build a fiscally sound and resilient organization that will weather changes in the political and economic environment. While we exist to support our membership, we rely on members to support the NHTOA and our mission. We commit to consider judicious expansion of resources (including staff) so the NHTOA can respond to needs as they arise and assure organizational continuity. We will look to our members for continued financial support, and we will work to expand membership. In partnership with the Granite State Woodland Institute, we will increase the number of individuals making charitable gifts and charitable commitments in their wills. The board will work to attract capable new directors, to focus on issues of strategy and development, and to take a more active role in financial oversight and other governance responsibilities.